Home — Special Collections — Teaching with Primary Sources — LOC Mixtape — Dead Horse Shanty — Dead Horse Shanty Extension Activity

Dead Horse Shanty

Grades 9-12

Extension Activity: Work and Play: A Work Song Playlist

Students will create a playlist of songs that they use to help them get through work, tasks, or chores.

Materials

Students will need access to streaming or playback technology that will allow them to collect and organize songs. Examples: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Soundcloud, etc.


Process

Prompt

Consider the ways you use music to help you work, whether that’s working out, studying, doing chores, or working at a job. Curate a playlist of songs that help you work. Then, reflect on the ways your music selections are similar to the “Dead Horse Shanty” you experienced.

Reflect:

  • How does the music that you selected reflect your cultural background and artistic preferences?
  • How do the rhythm, tempo, melody, lyrics, or other elements help motivate your work?
  • How does your music connect you with other people with similar values or experiences?

Share:

Have students play “DJ” to share snippets of one or more songs from their playlist with the class, along with a few remarks from their reflection.

 

 

This learning resource is a production of Maryland Public Television/Thinkport, in partnership with FableVision Studios.
Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, through the Lewis-Houghton Initiative.
Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.