The Market Revolution Meme
Pedagogy,  Uncategorized

Market Revolution: An Active Learning Exercise

We’re halfway through the semester at my wonderful, small liberal arts college. As my survey classes are almost ALWAYS filled with non-majors, I’m always trying to find new ways to engage my students in active learning exercises that they’ll enjoy. This week, we’re focusing on the Market Revolution (through the American Yawp: Chapter 8). I was flummoxed for how I might cover so many minute details, while still conveying the big picture.

Market How?

So I decided, after showing them the CrashCourse video, that I’d let them do a little Choose-Your-Own-Adventure assignment. I allowed them to group up into small groups of 3 and gave the class a list of suggestions (including, but not limited to):

  • Write a skit
  • Create a series of political cartoons/comic strips
  • Write a short story
  • Create a Concept Map
  • Create an interactive historical timeline
  • Write a text message dialogue between two (or more) characters
  • Write a series of poems
  • Make a crossword puzzle (including the clues!)
  • Create a digital collage with both historical AND modern images
  • Create a soundtrack
  • Write some historical newspaper articles

They had to take the larger themes/concepts from the chapter and present them through their medium in a convincing way. In the first section, I had 3 groups choose to create crossword puzzles and 3 groups choose to create a soundtrack.

First, the Market Revolution soundtrack, Vol. 1

The Spotify Link for your listening pleasure (a few songs are not on Spotify).

The Market Revolution: A Soundtrack, Vol. 1

Title Artist
Smokey Factory Blues Johnny Cash
In the Highway Mother Maybelle Carter
9 to 5 Dolly Parton
Working Man Rush
Immigrant Song Led Zepplin
Run the World Beyoncé
She Works Hard for the Money Donna Summer
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad John Denver
Missed Calls Kid Ink
Takin’ Care of Business Bachman Turner Overdrive
Money (That’s What I Want) Berry Gordy & Janie Bradford
Modern Slavery Travis Scott, Quavo
Cotton Fields Creedence Clearwater Revival
Good Drank 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, Quavo
Working on the Highway Bruce Springsteen
Taxman The Beatles
Pick it Up Famous Dex
Tik Tok Ke$ha
How to be a Millionaire ABC
Working Man Blues Merle Haggard
Computer Age Neil Young
Hall of Fame Will.I.Am
Fresh Air Future
Whip It Devo
Workin’ for a Livin’ Huey Lewis & the News
Steamboat Willie Whistle Disney
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
Sneakin’ Drake
Steamboat Song Blue Water Highway Band
Money Pink Floyd
Work Rihanna
America Childish Gambino
Movin’ Out Bill Joel
Should I Stay or Should I Go The Clash
Just a Girl No Doubt
Heigh Ho Snow White-Dwarf Chorus
Work Hard, Play Hard Wiz Khalifa
Don’t Stop Believing Journey
Selfish PnB Rock
Swing Low Sweet Chariot Etta James
We’re All in this Together High School Musical
We’re Not Gonna Take It Twisted sister
Lose Yourself Eminem
A Hard Day’s Night The Beatles
Kids in America Kim Wilde
The Wanderer Dion
America Neil Diamond
New York, New York Frank Sinatra
Working Day and Night Michael Jackson
Stronger Kelly Clarkson
Big Amount 2 Chainz & Drake
Respect Aretha Franklin
I Need a Dollar Aloe Blacc
Rich Girl Gwen Stefani
Congratulations Post Malone
The Star Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key
El Chapo Savage Realm
Brandy The Looking Glass

I was impressed with their creativity. And they’re ready to discuss next class WHY they chose the songs that they did.

Market Revolution Crossword Puzzles

For the crossword puzzles, boy were some of them challenging! Here’s some screen shots of 2 of them:

CW 1CW 1 CluesCW2CW2 Clues

UPDATE: Now with My Second Section!

It was a ton of fun comparing the soundtracks of both sections. There was, as I expected, quite a bit of overlap. But there were also some interesting points of divergence. In this section, I had 4 groups choose the soundtrack option. The last 2 groups chose to create crossword puzzles.

The Market Revolution: A Soundtrack, Vol. 2

One of the students created an awesome piece of artwork for the class soundtrack. That group dubbed the soundtrack: Dance, Dance Market Revolution. Here’s the other Spotify Link for you!

Market Rev
Dance, Dance Market Revolution by Sam Brettschneider
Title Artist
Queen of the Field Alicia Keys
I’m a Slave 4 U Britney Spears
Redemption Song Bob Marley
Don’t Stop Believing Journey
I Need a Dollar Aloe Blacc
Cotton Eyed Joe The Chieftains, Ricky Skaggs
Freedom Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar
Work from Home Fifth Harmony
B**ch Better Have My Money (BBHMM) Rihanna
Old McDonald Had a Farm Veggie Tales
Big Bank YG
Work B**ch Britney Spears
Started from the Bottom Drake
Seize the Day Broadway show “The Newsies”
Working Class Hero John Lennon
Billionaire Travie McCoy
She Works Hard for the Money Donna Summer
U Can’t Touch This MC Hammer
Babies in the Mill Larry Penn, Darryl Holter
Work Remix A$AP Ferg
Take this Job and Shove It Johnny Paycheck
Revolution The Beatles
Run the World Beyoncé
Ain’t Your Mama Jennifer Lopez
Another Brick in the Wall Pink Floyd
Boys Charlie XCX
Changes XXXTentacion
Morning Train (9 to 5) Sheena Easton
Sail AWOLNATION
And the Beat Goes On The Whispers
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
This is America Childish Gambino
When I Grow Up Pussycat Dolls
Hello Adele
Stronger Kelly Clarkson
Le Freak Chic
Takin’ Care of Business Bachman-Turner Overdrive
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Aretha Franklin
Telegraph Your Love The Pointer Sisters
Work Hard, Play Hard Wiz Khalifa
Gold Digger Kanye West
With God on our Side Bob Dylan
ABC Jackson 5
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad Alvin & the Chipmunks
Fashion David Bowie
Keep Your Head Up Andy Grammer
Heigh Ho Dwarf Chorus (Snow White)
Crazy Train Ozzy Osborne
Empire State of Mind Jay-Z, Alicia Keys
Reborn Kid Cudi
Let’s Go to the Market Nursery Rhyme
Natural Imagine Dragons
Rock the Boat Aaliyah
Tik Tok Ke$ha
I’m on a Boat The Lonely Island ft. T-Pain
Pursuit of Happiness Kid Cudi
Life is a Highway Rascal Flatts
Come Sail Away Styx
Elbow Room School House Rock
Working Day and Night Michael Jackson
Country Roads (Take Me Home) John Denver
Train Kept A-Rollin’ Aerosmith
Don’t Judge Me Chris Brown
9 to 5 Dolly Parton
Party in the USA Miley Cyrus

And:

More Market Revolution Crosswords!

The End

I gave the students the entire class to work on these. This was after we’d watched the video and had an introduction. The next class will consist of discussion of the assignment and a bit of lecture/Q&A. Let me know what you think of the in-class assignment. How might you implement it into your own classroom?

And if you’re looking for some additional ideas, check out the undergraduate assignment section of my page!

Let's chat!

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