A sad entry into the GreenBookofSongs.com® catalog is its newest category, Danger & Disaster: Oil Spills. Spurred by the ongoing tragedy of the Gulf oil spill, the Green Book has now begun collecting songs about this and other oil-related disasters.

The Green Book Of Songs By Subject has a long history of cataloging songs about disasters, both man-made and natural. Examples include songs about shipwrecks, road accidents and train disasters; floods, hurricanes and ecological woes; and more recent categories devoted to songs about 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. In addition, two rich categories for Protest and Politics: Social Injustice contain numerous songs decrying war, poverty and prejudice.

This new list differs from most Green Book categories in that it contains several grassroots contributions, including several homemade videos. Many of the songs we’ve gathered so far have been donated in order to raise money for the human and animal victims of the Deepwater spill. In keeping with that spirit, we are printing here the entire initial list of 14 songs, with links where available to a source where you can purchase and contribute.  Your suggestions for additions to this category are welcome.

1. Black Gold Dr. John; Video-Black Gold (DirtyCajuns.com)
2. BP Blues dirtycajuns; Video-BP Blues (DirtyCajuns.com)
3. Cry For The Fishermen Acoustic Fusion; Gulf Coast Relief-C (Global Green USA)
4. Don’t Go/BP Amoco Pearl Jam; Video-Don’t Go/BP Amoco (YouTube.com)
5. Drill Baby Drill Gil; Gulf Coast Relief-C (Global Green USA)
6. F.BP Revolving EffeX; Video-F.BP (YouTube.com)
7. Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick John Fahel; The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick (Water)
8. Hole In The Ocean, A Joe Monto; Video-A Hole In The Ocean (AHoleInTheOcean.com)
9. It Ain’t My Fault Gulf Aid All Stars featuring The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, Tim robbins and Trombone Shorty; Video-It Ain’t My Fault (Gulf Aid)
10. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) Marvin Gaye; What’s Going On (Motown)
11. Oil Is Blood Anfo Merc; Road Rage (Aluminum Legion)
12. Oil Song Steve Forbert; Best Of Steve Forbert-What Kinda Guy? (Nemperor)
13. Our World (Gulf Spill Awareness Version) Buckcherry; Video-Our World (Gulf Spill Awareness Version) (Geffen)
14. Sex Kills Joni Mitchell; The Beginning Of Survival (Geffen)

Widely considered the most frequently taught whole-length text in schools across America, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and its central characters, Scout, Jem, and Atticus, create a fascinating story that continues to grip the hearts and minds of readers young and old.  Employing the resources of The Green Book of Songs by Subject, LitTunes‘ Chris Goering has written this flexible lesson plan. It identifies songs that are useful in illustrating and teaching universal themes of justice, character, and coming of age. The plan features four pedagogical approaches that incorporate American popular music as a bridge between students and their music and between literary themes and lyrics.

Here are some samples of the songs used in the lesson plan to exemplify each of this timeless novel’s themes. See the complete lesson plan for a full description of themes, and the many GreenBookOfSongs.com® categories with relevant songs.

1. Social Inequality: Baloney Again Mark Knopfler
2. Political Inequality: The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll Bob Dylan
3. Moral Character: Atticus Taught Me Cary Cooper
4. Coming of Age: Walk Tall John Mellencamp