Song Study: Xiuhtezcatl’s “Broken”

In this lesson, students analyze the song “Broken” by Xiuhtezcatl, then create an art project sharing their feelings about the planet's future.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to the song “Broken,” do a close reading of the lyrics, and reflect on the meaning of the song.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video and read a short autobiographical statement to learn more about the artist and activist, Xiuhtezcatl.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own art project to share their emotions about the future of the planet.

Positives

• This lesson integrates music and climate justice.

• Students create their own art projects to inspire change.

Additional Prerequisites

• You can learn to pronounce Xiuhtezcatl’s name correctly by watching this video.
  

  Students should already have some background knowledge of climate change and its effects, including the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities.

• Students should have experience brainstorming and creating art projects. This lesson offers students an opportunity to express themselves through an art project, but due to the wide range of possible options, it does not provide specific scaffolding on how to complete the projects.

Differentiation

• Art projects can be completed individually, in groups, or as a whole class project.

• Teachers can identify additional words from the lyrics to define ahead of time, depending on students' reading levels.

• Teachers can add or eliminate annotation techniques in the Inquire section. Alternatively, students can pick their own techniques that work for them.

Music is critical to spreading climate education. It is one of the fastest ways to communicate the impact of climate change to a diverse audience. This lesson is a song study that allows students to improve their ability to make songs that will convey vital climate information to different people (to protect the environment against climate change impacts). The videos, song study guide, and images were fact-checked and this lesson has passed our science credibility process.

Primary Standards

• English Language Arts
  • Reading: Literature (K-12)
    • 6.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
    • 7.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
    • 8.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
  • Speaking & Listening (K-12)
    • 6.SL.2 Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
    • 7.SL.2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
    • 8.SL.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats and evaluate the motives behind its presentation.
• Social Sciences
  • Historical Knowledge (K-12)
    • 6.19 Examine the historical and current contributions and relevance of Indigenous cultures.
    • 8.25 Evaluate the impact of the intersectionality of what constitutes identity, including but not limited to gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, physical and mental disability, and class on the living histories and experiences of peoples, groups, and events.
  • Historical Thinking (K-12)
    • 6.23 Explain and analyze the historical context of key people, cultures, products, events, and ideas over time including the examination of different perspectives from Indigenous people, ethnic and religious groups, and other traditionally marginalized groups throughout the Western Hemisphere.