Using Contemporary Music to Teach Critical Perspectives of War

Although music can be used in social studies classrooms to give students a picture of society from different time periods, modern music of all genres can help students understand more recent historical events. This practitioner paper seeks to assist and encourage teachers to utilize modern music for present-day analysis of society. We will address the current events of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and help teacher’s stimulate critical responses in students by using a variety of musical genres to analyze multiple perspectives of the wars. Teaching strategies and assessing students through authentic engagement with content and artists are discussed and we conclude by offering a sample lesson plan using a model of analysis.