When Push Comes to Shove

Name: Jack Moutoux

15

Date: 4-1-

NCSS Theme: 10 Civic Ideals and Practices

Ohios learning Standards
Grade: 8
Theme: U.S. Studies from 1492 to 1877: Exploration through Reconstruction
Strand: History
Topic: Colonization to Independence
Content Statement: 5. The ideas of the Enlightenment and dissatisfaction
with colonial rule led English colonists to write the Declaration of Independence and
launch the American Revolution.
Instructional Objective:
After listening to the edited song Jeremy by Pearl Jam with provided lyrics the
students will compare the lyrics with events that started the American Revolution
and how their lives, as well as those they know around them, reflect upon
themselves if someone was pushing/bullying them.
Materials Needed:
Edited version of Jeremy

Song Lyrics News Article

White Board Dry erase marker

Procedure:

40 min

Engage: Ask the students if they have

ever been bullied.
Assessment: Small class discussion
Pass out the lyrics

2min

Explore: listen to the song Jeremy

and have the students follow along with
the lyrics
Assess: Have students in small groups
and discuss how the song can relate to
the American Revolution and their own
personal experiences with bullying.
Have students write answers on White
board.

6 min

Explain: Explain the effects of bullying

on people and how a country might

12 min

10 min

react. Apply the same lessons learned

5 min
on why the Revolution happened and
Why The U.S. fought for independence.
Assess: Small group discussion question
and answer
Rationale: The goal of the lesson is to have the students reflect the effects of
bullying upon a country and the effects it may have on others. It will show that
there is no place in todays society and that they should be upright citizens and not
partake and defend those that have fallen victim. Instead we should reach out and
talk more with others. The article is for the teacher candidates to remind them that
the students they will have could be like Jeremy and that at some point someone
near to them was like Jeremy and some of us was feeling like Jeremy. The song is
meant to have a closer tie for the students and to bring application for higher level
thinking for the students on how the song reflects a country responding to a bully. In
this case it was a young U.S. and Great Britain.