Raising our Voices

These creative teaching resources from Oxfam help pupils to discover the role of music in bringing about social change. Learners will explore the concept of rights and how music has been used to raise people's voices; championing equality in the United States and Latin America. They will then write and perform their own lyrics about inequality. Teachers' notes provide a detailed session outline and background information. There are four sessions, as follows, with an accompanying PowerPoint slideshow and audio files of two songs:

1. Think critically about rights. Learn a song as a class and consider the role of Freedom Songs in the Civil Rights Movement.
2. What do these lyrics mean? Investigate how different musicians have used their songs to fight for a fairer and more equal society.
3. Why do people protest? Explore how music has been used to demand land rights for indigenous people in Bolivia and Chile.
4. Raise your voices. Write a protest song about inequality and perform the song as a class.

This resource can be used alongside Raising Her Voice, another Oxfam resource exploring music and rights in West Africa.