Note to teacher: The goal of this lesson is to humanize survivors, refugees, and refugee families by demonstrating Cambodian American agency, resiliency, and power. It is to contextualize historical events in contemporary settings to show the ongoing impacts of mass atrocities and structural violence. It is also to learn about history and current events with different forms of knowledge products outside of traditional history textbooks.

I. Cultural Energizer

• Teachers should begin the lesson by asking students to reflect on one of their favorite songs that is school appropriate. 
  • Students should look at the lyrics for the song and find a reference to something in society.  
  • Ask students to get in pairs and share with a partner what someone might learn about current issues from the song they selected.
     

II. Tapping into Prior Knowledge

• Review the historical and sociopolitical background of Cambodia in the 1950s to early 1975 to provide context for the music produced during the time period.
  • Discuss the Cambodian Genocide (1975–1979) and its effects on cultural art forms; music during this time period were revolutionary songs in which we need to be sensitive about due to its potential in eliciting trauma, particularly amongst survivors. 
  • Teachers can utilize the lesson background to review or this video source: Ugly History: The Khmer Rouge Murders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_TYFfkc_1U

III. Interaction with first source: Khao I Dang - Chun Vanna & Cambodian music video from 1980s-early 1990s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLFKcSv8k2E 

• As a class, watch the video and lyrics two or three times.
• Discussion Questions: 
  • What does this song tell us about refugees, their families, and life making practices?
  • How does this (contemporary) song pay homage to traditional and earlier popular music? 
  • What is the message the artist is trying to convey? 

IV. Interaction with second source: VannDa - Time to Rise ft. Master Kong Nay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvje5oblrLw 

• Independently, students will watch this second music video and answer the same questions. 
• Discussion Questions:
  • What does this song tell us about refugees, their families, and life making practices?
  • How does this (contemporary) song pay homage to traditional and earlier popular music? 
  • What is the message the artist is trying to convey?
• Once students have finished listening and answering questions, have them discuss with a partner. Then, have a whole class discussion to check for understanding and compare answers. 
  • If time permits, teachers can have students compare and contrast the two songs.

V. Assessment: Creative Response

• Students will choose from one of the following creative writing options with the topic of 20th century Cambodian history.
  • Song lyrics or (spoken word) poem
    • Criteria for creative writing assignment
      • Theme - The writing should reflect Cambodian history or culture and be respectful
      • Accuracy - The content should be historically and culturally accurate, utilizing reliable sources
      • Creativity - Encourage students to use literary devices such as symbolism, metaphors, storytelling techniques
      • Structure and Form - The writing should follow a desired structure (i.e: rhyming scheme, stanza length) or form (i.e: free verse, ballad, sonnet)
• The final writing product can be typed, handwritten, or recorded. 
• Allow for opportunities to share and present to peers
  • The teacher can host an open mic and invite students to read their creative writing to the class
  • Students can record themselves reading their writing and post it onto a website platform such as Flipgrid