A 5th Grade teacher whose school subscribes to GreenBookofSongs.com® asked us to suggest songs she could use when teaching about the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction. Her syllabus included the following discussion points:

1. Devastation in the South after the war, from different viewpoints
2. Government plans for Reconstruction
3. Segregation and discrimination (e.g., “Jim Crow” laws)
4. Sharecropping

This is not one of our easier assignments! But we were able to find a good selection of songs. See the Amazon.com widget at the end of this post to listen to audio clips.

Devastation in the South after the war, from different viewpoints

• An Old Unreconstructed Waylon Jennings. This folk tune vehemently expresses a Rebel soldier’s resentment of the side that defeated him.
• Hard Times Come Again No More Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Though written by Stephen Foster prior to the Civil War, the song provides an effective backdrop for a discussion of the poverty and loss experienced throughout the South at the war’s end.
• No More Auction Block For Me Sweet Honey In The Rock. This spiritual captures both the pain of the past and the hope for the future.

All three songs can be found on the album Songs Of The Civil War (Columbia).

Government plans for Reconstruction

Many teachers will enjoy Oscar Brand’s album Presidential Campaign Songs, 1789-1996 (Smithsonian Folkways). Songs relevant to a discussion of Reconstruction include:

• If The Johnnies Get Into Power. Northern suspicion of Southern politics is clear in this James Garfield campaign song.
• For Hayes And Wheeler, Too. Here too, Southern candidates are portrayed as hostile to the values of the Union.

Segregation and discrimination (e.g., “Jim Crow” laws)

Some songs in the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Prejudice may be too graphic or intense for younger grade levels. We suggested the following songs as appropriate for 5th Grade students.

• When Will I Get To Be Called A Man Big Bill Broonzy. This WW II-era song conveys the frustration of being a second-class citizen.
• I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free Nina Simone. Simone’s rendition of this emotionally powerful song is positive and Gospel-oriented.
• Alabama Blues JB Lenoir. This classic blues song describes how murderers of Black victims were set free by the state.
• Jim Crow Blues Leadbelly This is a general but age-appropriate protest of Jim Crow laws.

Sharecropping

• Pick A Bale Of Cotton Leadbelly. This staple of American folk music has a long history. It provides a musical backdrop for discussions of the sharecropping life.

Finally, here are two lesson plans on the Reconstruction period that teachers may find helpful:

• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/teachers/pdfs/segment7-1.pdf
• http://www.voicesacrosstime.org/come-all-ye/ti/2006/Song%20Activities/0405PekarWhittakerWorkSongs.html

Please share with us any songs you’ve used when teaching about this important period in American history!

Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas. The images of Americans calling for help from rooftops and flooded streets will stay with us forever.

In our post on this topic last year, we looked at songs from the personal, the political and the practical perspectives. This year, we list songs of rebuilding and renewal, of strength and hope. New Orleans — indeed, the entire Gulf Coast – will not be washed away.

1. How’s Your House Ian Hunter; ReDefine 8/29-C (NOMRF.org)
2. Let Your Light Shine R. Kelly; Single-Let Your Light Shine (Jive)
3. Poor Man’s Paradise Subdudes; Street Symphony (Narada)
4. Washed By The Water Will Hoge; Draw The Curtains (Rykodisc)
5. We Got Each Other (The Evacuation Song) Imagination Movers; Eight Feet (Walt Disney)

For all 64 songs on this topic, see GreenBookOfSongs.com® category Danger & Disaster: Hurricane Katrina.

Time for teachers to welcome students back to school! Here are some songs to make it fun for all involved.

1. Back To School Again Four Tops; When She Was My Girl (Island Def Jam)
2. Fifteen Taylor Swift; Fearless (Big Machine)
3. First Day Of School Imagination Movers; Juice Box Heroes (Walt Disney)
4. Get’cha Head In The Game B5; ST/High School Musical (Walt Disney)
5. New Kid In School Alphabet Rockers; Alphabet Rockers (School Time)
6. Principal’s Office Young M.C.; Stone Cold Rhymin’ (Delicious Vinyl)
7. School Is In Josie Cotton; Valley Girl-Music From The Soundtrack-C (Rhino/WEA)
8. Theme From “Welcome Back, Kotter” John Sebastian; Best Of John Sebastian (Rhino)
9. We’re Going To Be Friends White Stripes; White Blood Cells (Warner Bros.)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Beginnings, Friends and School.

Country artist Jimmy Wayne completed his 1700-mile walk from Nashville to Phoenix on August 1, 2010. The goal of his “Meet Me Halfway” project was to raise awareness of the plight of foster youths. These teens — often refugees from abusive, neglectful homes — are left homeless and alone when they “age out” of the foster care system at 18.

To honor Wayne’s commitment to this important cause, GreenBookofSongs.com® compiled this list of songs about adoption and foster care. Wayne will soon be on his way home to Nashville, where he plans to write songs about this experience. We look forward to adding them to this list.

1. Happy Adoption Day John McCutcheon; Family Garden (Rounder)
2. I Am Your Mother Too Keb’ Mo’ with Brenda Russell; Big Wide Grin (Sony Wonder)
3. I Love You This Much Jimmy Wayne; Jimmy Wayne (Dreamworks)
4. Independence Day Martina McBride; The Way That I Am (RCA)
5. Nobody’s Child Sword & Spirit Band; Single-Nobody’s Child (SwordSpirit.net)
6. State Of Massachusetts Dropkick Murphys; The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred)
7. Temporary Home Carrie Underwood; Play On (19/Arista Nashville)
8. This Is My Forever Family Chuck Kent; Same/Same-Songs For Adoptive Families (Chuck Kent)