HADESTOWN Education Initiative – Online Resource
Art and Social Justice – Lesson Plan
Grades 7-12
Framing Question
As global citizens, how might we use artistic practice to explore and address pressing social issues that face our world today?
Learning Goals
Explore themes of social justice in Hadestown and use that to inform a deep dive into the creation of art with a social justice lens
Engage with social justice art on a community-based level.
Students will consider their own place in society, what issues are important to them, and how they might use their voices to respond and enter into a conversation through artistic mediums.
Lesson Overview
The arts can be a powerful tool in student learning and development. In addition to providing an emotional and creative outlet for young people to process the world around them, numerous studies have shown the power of art to sharpen perceptive skills and foster critical thinking. Hadestown is a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, but it is also a play about industry and nature, an ever-changing climate, and migration across worlds. This lesson focuses on the intersection of art and social justice, giving students an opportunity to consider social issues that are important to them through the lens and language of artistic mediums like theatre and visual art.
Note: The final exercise in this lesson requires students to have access to props, costumes, fabric, and set pieces. If you have taught the Theater Lesson Plan already, these materials should already be available to you. That lesson is recommended as a precursor to the lesson below.
Part 1: What is Art and Social Justice? [40 min]
Step 1: Discuss & Define
Place two large pieces of poster paper on opposite sides of the room. One should read, “What is Art?” the other “What is Social Justice?”
With markers, let students individually respond with their answer to each question on the respective piece of poster paper. Students may respond with words or pictures.
After each student has written (or drawn!) their response, invite them to read the responses of their peers to themselves.
Come back together and discuss:
o What stood out to you in the responses? Was there anything surprising? Did we see overlap?
o What is social justice art?
Optional: If you feel like students need more grounding in the idea of social justice art, invite them to browse the Art and Social Justice Module.
Step 2: Hadestown Connection
Watch the cast of Hadestown perform “Why We Build the Wall” then listen to “If it’s True”
Discuss:
o Who is singing in each song? Go beyond the name of the character. What kind of person is singing each song? What might we infer about them?
o What does each character want?
o What kind of message are these songs putting forth? Allow students to respond to the messages being put forth. Important to make the point to students that just because a message is effective doesn’t mean it’s inherently good.
Watch behind-the-scenes video to contextualize “Why We Build the Wall”
TEACHER NOTE: “Why We Build the Wall” uses a level of irony. Safe to say Hadestown isn’t endorsing the message of Hades, but rather, critiquing it. Keep this in mind as you discuss the song with students! This might be a helpful tool in contextualizing the song.
Part 2: Art & the Community [40 min]
Step 1: Neighborhood Art Tour
Option 1: Take the students on a walk around the town or city in which your school resides. Ask them to take notice of where they see art and write down every example they see. This can include: a craft store, a mural, street art, a poster for a community theatre production, anything! For each example, ask students to consider:
What do you notice? What details seem important to the art you’re observing? Be as specific as possible.
What does it mean? Look deeper at the specific details and try to make meaning out of them.
How does the art make you feel?
Option 2: If this exercise poses too much of a logistical challenge, assign it for homework. Ask students to take note of three examples of art in their community (however they might define that, wherever it may be) before next class. Ask them to write down their responses to the above questions for every example they find.
Option 3: Another option is to make use of online collections of art. This article by Melanie Kletter includes links to some fantastic online exhibits born out of the Black Lives Matter movement and the racial justice protests of 2020.
Step 2: Discuss
What examples of art did you find?
What kind of social justice messages were present in the art?
What does it mean to be part of a community? How can art be a part of that?
TEACHER NOTE: If you feel you want to break up the discussion format, try out this exercise. Have students walk around the room being mindful of each other and the physical space. Give them different prompts for pairing up such as: “find someone wearing the same color shirt as you” or “find the person whose birthday is closest to yours.” Some of these may require talking and that’s ok. In each pair, ask students to discuss one piece of art they encountered and what social justice message they saw at play. Come back together and tackle the last question about art and community.
Part 3: Build the Way the World Can Be [1 hour]
Step 1: Listen to “Wait for Me (Reprise)”
Project or write out the following lyrics from the song:
Show the way so we can see
Show the way the world could be
If you can do it, so can she
If she can do it, so can we
Show the way
Show the way the world could be
Show the way so we believe
We will follow where you lead
We will follow with you
Show the way
Separate students in 2-3 groups and tell them that together they are going to imagine a better world together.
Each group will get a piece of poster paper and a marker and one student in each group will be placed in charge of writing.
Step 3: Imagine the World
In their groups, students will take turns asking “yes or no” questions about a better world. They can be anything from “Is there school in a better world?” to “Are there talking unicorns in a better world?” Any student can answer any question, but they can only answer with “Yes, and” meaning they can only confirm and then build upon their peers’ speculations. For example, if someone asks, “Do we have ice cream in a better world?” Someone might answer, “Yes, and it’s free. There are ice cream fountains in every major city, but they only spew out three different flavors.”
Writers will then write down what they come up with. Do this until each has written a few ideas.
Then, ask students to take a step back and consider the new world they’ve imagined.
Step 5: Build the World
Students will “create” their world with the materials available.
With this part, it’s essential for students to use their imaginations and think outside of the box. Maybe a desk with fabric tied to each corner can be an ice cream fountain. Maybe a circle of chairs is a community mediation space.
Step 6: Explore
Each group will then take a turn giving the rest of the class a tour through the world they’ve imagined.
Step 7: Debrief
What was it like to imagine and build a world different from the one(s) we know?
What does it mean to build a better world?
How can we try and build a better world?
Want to keep going? Visit (or revisit) the Theater Lesson Plan and see if you can create a short piece of theater that addresses a social justice issue.
Sources:
“Hadestown | Why We Build the Wall.” YouTube, uploaded by National Theatre, Nov. 9, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwoQxMP_G3c
“Hadestown Cast - ‘Why We Build the Wall’ [LIVE @ SiriusXM].” YouTube, uploaded by SiriusXM, Jun. 1, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2pxbyf_tgE
Kletter, Melanie. “Black Lives Matter and Protest Art Exhibits to View Online.” Library Journal. Oct. 30 2020. https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=protest-art-exhibits-home-librarian
“Wait for Me (Reprise).” YouTube, uploaded by André De Shields - Topic, July 11, 2019.