All We Need Is a Little Respect: An Introduction to Looking Again

Unit	Community-Building for High School Classrooms
Lesson Name	All We Need Is a Little Respect: An Introduction to Looking Again
Grade Band	High School (9-12)

Required Materials	Chromebooks for student use, Computer/speaker to play Aretha Franklin’s song Respect, Etymology of the word respect Handouts ( lyrics, SOAPSTONE)
Standards / Competencies	SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness: identifying emotions, experiencing self-efficacy, linking feelings, values and thoughts, demonstrating honesty and integrity Self-Management: managing one’s emotions, exhibiting self-discipline Social Awareness: taking others’ perspectives, recognizing strengths in others, demonstrating empathy and compassion, identifying diverse social norms, showing concern for the feelings of others Relationship Skills: communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, showing leadership in groups, resolving conflicts constructively, seeking or offering support when needed ELA Standards: Listening and Speaking, Reading Social Studies Theme: Individual Development and Identity
Recommended Time	90 mins

Required Materials

Chromebooks for student use,
Computer/speaker to play Aretha Franklin’s song Respect,
Etymology of the word respect
Handouts ( lyrics, SOAPSTONE)

Standards / Competencies

SEL Core Competencies:

Self-Awareness: identifying emotions, experiencing self-efficacy, linking feelings, values and thoughts, demonstrating honesty and integrity
Self-Management: managing one’s emotions, exhibiting self-discipline
Social Awareness: taking others’ perspectives, recognizing strengths in others, demonstrating empathy and compassion, identifying diverse social norms, showing concern for the feelings of others
Relationship Skills: communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, showing leadership in groups, resolving conflicts constructively, seeking or offering support when needed

ELA Standards: Listening and Speaking, Reading

Social Studies Theme: Individual Development and Identity

Recommended Time

90 mins

Essential Question	How can we make this class a respectful community?
Learning Objectives	To learn to look again, look back at, and regard with respect all cultures, communities, religious groups, etc.

Activating Prior Knowledge	Meet students at the door and hand out copies of the lyrics to Aretha Franklin’s Respect. Teacher states: You are probably all familiar with this song, but let’s give it a listen together, while following along with the lyrics. You may make notes/annotations as we do so, as we will use these for discussion after listening. Play the song and allow time for students to listen and annotate. You may want to listen to it twice through, allowing for listening only first, and then annotations and notes on the second listen through. Once the song is finished, the teacher should open discussion with the following questions: What does respect mean to students? Where do they give respect? When do they expect respect? How can it be gained/lost? How is respect understood in terms of the song? What is Aretha Franklin’s message of respect? Create a classroom definition of respect – writing down all ideas students suggest, and then working together to come to a class definition.
Core Instruction	Teacher states: Now that we have a working definition of respect for our purposes here, let’s take a look at the etymology of the word. Once the research is done, have the students share, being sure to get around to the Latin etymology – literally the act of looking back (or often) at something. Then other definitions may be looked at – ¨courteous or considerate treatment due to personal worth or power¨ ¨regard or notice with special attention.¨ Teacher states: If respect is literally the act of looking back at, again, with special attention – how can we apply that to things in our lives, communities that we have not given respect, or another look at? What kinds of groups or communities do we need to look at again or more closely – lead to a discussion of other races/cultures/religions, etc. Depending on the unit the teacher is going into – you could focus particularly on a marginalized group and delve into the history of the group and their marginalization. A lot of room for breakout lessons here. Now return to Aretha Franklin’s song, and have the student give it respect – another, closer, more careful look. At this point, the SOAPSTONE handout is used to do a rhetorical analysis. As student’s do this reading, take time to check in, have them share ideas with one another, and come to a new vision of this classic song.
Wrap-up	Teacher states: Now that we know what the act of giving respect to something is, and we have done so with this song, we need to apply our definition and the same consideration to other races/cultures/religions etc.
Learning Beyond Classroom Walls	Students could create groups within the class who do research and outreach to local religious establishments, food pantries, etc. and then come back and teach to one another what they have learned. This would also be a great opportunity for volunteer hours at local establishments. It may also be interesting to have older students reach out to elementary schools/religious organizations and work with younger students on creating a culture of respect.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Meet students at the door and hand out copies of the lyrics to Aretha Franklin’s Respect.

Teacher states: You are probably all familiar with this song, but let’s give it a listen together, while following along with the lyrics. You may make notes/annotations as we do so, as we will use these for discussion after listening.

Play the song and allow time for students to listen and annotate. You may want to listen to it twice through, allowing for listening only first, and then annotations and notes on the second listen through.

Once the song is finished, the teacher should open discussion with the following questions:

What does respect mean to students?
Where do they give respect?
When do they expect respect? How can it be gained/lost?
How is respect understood in terms of the song?
What is Aretha Franklin’s message of respect?

Create a classroom definition of respect – writing down all ideas students suggest, and then working together to come to a class definition.

Core Instruction

Teacher states: Now that we have a working definition of respect for our purposes here, let’s take a look at the etymology of the word.

Once the research is done, have the students share, being sure to get around to the Latin etymology – literally the act of looking back (or often) at something. Then other definitions may be looked at – ¨courteous or considerate treatment due to personal worth or power¨ ¨regard or notice with special attention.¨

Teacher states: If respect is literally the act of looking back at, again, with special attention – how can we apply that to things in our lives, communities that we have not given respect, or another look at? What kinds of groups or communities do we need to look at again or more closely – lead to a discussion of other races/cultures/religions, etc.

Depending on the unit the teacher is going into – you could focus particularly on a marginalized group and delve into the history of the group and their marginalization. A lot of room for breakout lessons here.

Now return to Aretha Franklin’s song, and have the student give it respect – another, closer, more careful look. At this point, the SOAPSTONE handout is used to do a rhetorical analysis. As student’s do this reading, take time to check in, have them share ideas with one another, and come to a new vision of this classic song.

Wrap-up

Teacher states: Now that we know what the act of giving respect to something is, and we have done so with this song, we need to apply our definition and the same consideration to other races/cultures/religions etc.

Learning Beyond Classroom Walls

Students could create groups within the class who do research and outreach to local religious establishments, food pantries, etc. and then come back and teach to one another what they have learned. This would also be a great opportunity for volunteer hours at local establishments. It may also be interesting to have older students reach out to elementary schools/religious organizations and work with younger students on creating a culture of respect.

Supplementary Resources	https://www.biography.com/musicians/aretha-franklin-respect-meaning

Instructional Content Adaptations

Mini Lesson (30 mins):

This could be broken into several mini lessons:

Aretha Franklin´s song and class definition of respect
Rhetorical analysis and history of the song
Etymology of Respect

Teachable Moment (10 mins):

The song and the etymology could all be handled in 5-10 minutes, as a quick introduction into a larger unit.

This lesson was prepared by Mary Houghtaling.

Download this lesson to access handouts.

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