RAP -On "I Can," Nas is a rapper in New York City, His "I Can" song is an inspiration to young people everywhere but the target audience is clearly young African Americans in inner cities. His reference to experiences and negative temptations are dealt with head on. He helps kids believe in themselves with encouraging words. He also acknowledges the great people of color that have come before them as an example of what they could be.
"We Shall Not be Moved" by the Freedom Singers is a song sending a message to those who believe people of color should accept their role in segregation. The message we shall not be moved from our path to equality. It is based on the spiritual American folk song , "We Shall Overcome" providing a strong voice with easy adaption to causes people of color have struggled with through the past century.
Song-NAS RAP video youtube https://youtu.be/RvVfgvHucRY
FREEDOM SINGERS Youtube https://youtu.be/duvoETGVvYU
At level complexity. For many students the ability to hear lyrics in a musical format along side text enables better recall so discussion and examination of the message is more interesting.
Teachers share the two songs/videos with students along with a print out of lyrics and examine the authors purpose. Is there evidence of activism? Find evidence from the anchor text, Brown Girl Dreaming, and supporting text for correlating themes and messages. In addition with printed lyrics can be examined for repetition, rhyme, and figurative language including metaphors. See how stanzas are intertwined to maintain structure in the poems.
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person
Gotta astrung when I heard when
Cocaine, sniffing up drugs, all in her nose
Coulda died, so young, no looks ugly and old
No fun cause when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again
This is for grown looking girls who's only ten
The ones who watch videos and do what they see
As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID
Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV
You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey
Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be
Older than you are, give yourself time to grow
You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know
You thinkin life's all about smokin weed and ice
You don't wanna be my age and can't read and right
Begging different women for a place to sleep at night
Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
Be, be, 'fore we came to this country
We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys
It was empires in Africa called Kush
Timbuktu, where every race came to get books
To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans
Asian Arabs and gave them gold when
Gold was converted to money it all changed
Money then became empowerment for Europeans
The Persian military invaded
They learned about the gold, the teachings and everything sacred
Africa was almost robbed naked
Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships
Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went
He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces
Shot up they nose to impose what basically
Still goes on today, you see?
If the truth is told, the youth can grow
They learn to survive until they gain control
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
Read more learn more, change the globe
Ghetto children, do your thing
Hold your head up, little man, you're a king
Young Prince that's when you get your wedding ring
Your man is saying "She's my queen"
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
Save the music y'all, save the music y'all
Save the music y'all, save the music y'all
Save the music
We shall not, we shall not be moved
We shall not, we shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
We're on our way to victory
We shall not be moved
We're on our way to victory
We shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Segregation is our enemy
And it must be removed
Segregation is our enemy
And it must be removed
___
It must be removed
We shall not, we shall not be moved
We shall not, we shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Model Library Standards
The student will independently pursue information to become a lifelong learner.
4.1
Read widely and use various media for information, personal interest, and lifelong learning:
a. Read a good representation of grade-level-appropriate text, making progress toward the goal of reading one million words annually by grade eight (e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information).
L.6.1e.Recognize variations from standard English in their own and others’ writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language.
L.6.3a.Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.***
L.6.3b.Maintain consistency in style and tone.
L.9–10.1a. Use parallel structure.
Grade 5 Reading Standards
2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. (See grade 5 Language standards 4–6 for additional expectations.) CA
5. Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
6. Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
7. Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
9. Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
Reading Standards for Informational Text
3. Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area. (See grade 5 Language standards 4–6 for additional expectations.) CA
5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
6. Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).
9. Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Reading Foundational Skills
4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
References
Jones, N. (n.d.) I Can. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=Nas+-+I+Can+lyrics&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-ab
Brown, J. The Freedom Singers . Folk Song America: A 20th Century Revival, Vol.3 (1991). Retreived from http://lyrics.wikia.com/wiki/The_Freedom_Singers:We_Shall_Not_Be_Moved