Music & Social Justice

Offering practical suggestions for helping both teachers and students think about the world around them, this book seeks to help implement social justice practices in music classes and ensembles at the elementary and middle school levels. Each chapter engages with important themes through music making and presents examples of dialogue with students, unit ideas, and lesson plans geared toward students between 6-14 years old. Tackling subjects often considered beyond the understanding of younger students, this book respects the voice and critical thinking of the student. Suggestions are given that help reflect and redirect dialogue, with questions that address bias, misinformation, and misunderstandings that too often stand in the way of coming to know and embracing diversity. The book also includes legally grounded arguments appropriate for school board presentations and ready-to-go classroom-tested lesson plans.