Dark History - lesson plan

While I was browsing websites for my work, I came across this page: bored panda: Teletubbies in Black and white, which was actually prey creepy, but full of prospect!
Lesson plan.
Give your students the lyrics of the son Atmosphere by Joy Division with gaps. For example:

.................... in silence,
Don't walk away, in silence.
See the ...............,
Always danger,

Endless talking,
Life ....................,
Don't walk away.

Walk in silence,
Don't ..............away, in silence.
Your confusion,
My .................,

Worn like a ............ of self-hate,
Confronts and ............dies.
Don't walk away.

People like you find it easy,
................. to see,
Walking on ............
Hunting by the rivers,

Through the streets,
Every .................. abandoned too soon,
Set down with due ................ .
Don't walk away in silence,
Don't walk away.

• Divide your students into groups and have them guess the missing words before they listen to the song.
• You can find the song over here.
• Students listen to the song and check their answers.
• Ask them what the song is about. Accept any logical answers.
• Show your students the video to the song. Ask them if they have changes their minds.

• Ask your students if they know anything about American History and the racism movement.
• You can find more information, along with a short video in the History Channel site over here. 
• Ask your students why they think this was happening.
• Ask your students of examples of racism in today's world.
• Brainstorm ideas how this problem could be solved
• Show them the Teletubbies parody video

  

• What is the hidden meaning behind this? (lead the discussion to "danger in disguise")
• As a follow up, you can ask your students to write an essay about human rights and what can be done to fight racism.

You can also find material and more ideas on a blog I discovered called ELS Chestnut:
 http://eslchestnut.com/2011/07/01/anti-racism-commercial/

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/as-i-grew-older/ The poem is called As I grew older and was suggested by a fellow colleague. Adds wonderfully to the lesson idea.