The Beatles - Social Science

 The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock band that formed in 1960. The main members in the band were John Lennen, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. At the beginning Pete Best and Stuart Sufcliffe were part of the band but by 1962 they had left. They were known as the most influential act of the rock era. The Beatles were the most popular band of the 60s. They influenced pop culture like no other. They inspired many artists back then and even now. Their music is still played over 40 years later.

On the 21st June 1964, The Beatles touched down in New Zealand to play twelve shows in all four major cities over seven days.

Members of The Beatles:

John Lennon: John Winston Ono Lennon (October 9 1940 - December 8 1980) was an English

musician, and was a member of the rock band the Beatles.

Paul McCartney:

Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18th June 1942 in Liverpool, England) is Britain's most

successful musician and composer, and one of the most successful musicians in the world. He was a member of the rock band The Beatles, and with John Lennon wrote most of the group's songs.

Ringo Starr:

Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940) is an English musician and actor.

He is most famous as a member of the Beatles. He joined the group in 1962 as a replacement for their original drummer Pete Best. He quickly became well-liked and very popular. He sang lead on some of the band's songs.

Beatles - 'Yesterday'  

'Yesterday' Lyrics: 

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,

There's a shadow hanging over me.

Oh, yesterday came suddenly. 

Why she...

Meaning of the song:

This song succinctly conveys a wistfulness of a man's longing for his youth, when everything was

possible, when he still could do what he wanted to do, and when his girl still loved him. The 

references to time (yesterday, suddenly, now) reinforce the idea that he's comparing his own life

at different ages. The "shadow" hanging over him may be death, as we all become acutely aware of our own death when we reach mid-life. Even though the author says he doesn't know why the 

girl "had" to go, he thinks he's to blame (or at least, he thinks that she thinks he's to blame). What

makes this song poignant rather than depressing is the wistful tone. It's not angry or resentful, 

just thoughtful. It's filled with regret, but not despair. It's delicately written. 

Right from the flavour and texture of music, the Beatles had been everything pop, but they also had a whole set of songs integrating cross-cultural music elements. 

Parihaka - Social Studies - Music Through Time 2021

~ Parihaka ~

This week in Social studies we have been learning about the story of Parihaka and why it's a significant event till today. 

What is the main message of this song?

The song tells the story of the Taranaki Parihaka peaceful protest and the inspiring leader Te Whiti.

What line explains their passive resistance method?

'Te Whiti he used the language of the spirit,

Then stood accused, the madman and his dream,

He saw the train go roaring through the tunnel,

He heard the voice travel on the magic wire,

But he loved the silence of the river,'

What does'you can't pull out the roots' refer to?

Under the leadership of Te-Whiti Parihaka started to protest using zero violence.

The people of Parihaka ploughed the land.

'you can't pull out the roots' means that the soldiers can't get rid of the crops that Parihaka grew during their passive resistance movement.

How does this song show the significance of Parihaka?

It show significance because it was a story that was untold and hidden for years and it took the government over 100 years later for an apology.

The raukura, the single white albatross feather worn by Te Whiti and Tohu's followers, symbolizes peace.

What is Parihaka?

Parihaka is a small village in Taranaki.

It is a settlement for Maori people located 55km south west of New Plymouth. Behind Parihaka is Mount Taranaki. There are events that took place around Parihaka it happened from about 1860 to 1900 have affected the political, cultural and spiritual dynamics of the entire country.

Passive Resistance

in 1878 the government began surveying the confiscated southern Taranaki lands for Europeans settlement. in May 1879, under the initial direction of Tohu, Parihaka reclaimed this land by ploughing it.

• Instead of fighting, the people of Parihaka send out ploughmen to cultivate the land and workers to build fences.
• The first ploughmen were arrested but offered no resistance. Other came to take their place. They too were arrested.

Parihaka importance in New Zealand history

Because the Maori used passive resistance as a form of protest against the Europeans, instead of just going out and killing people like other Maori may have done. This is an important event because it was a non-violent war between Maori and Europeans.

Social Studies - Music through time - Slavery unit

SOCIAL STUDIES - SLAVERY

This term in Social Studies we started off by learning and discovering about Slavery. Slaves is a human being who is the property of another person. When Africans were captured and shipped to the new world they were enslaved for their entire lives their children also were enslaved. By 1600 Europeans had many plantations in the new world, to exploit their new riches they needed workers. In turn they could get slaves in exchange for guns and textiles 

LIFE IN THE PLANTATIONS:

• Most slaves work as Field hands
• The average lifetime of a slave was 25 years
• Many slaves lasted only 7 years in the plantation
• Field Hands work the hardest working 16 hours a day, six days a week while being supervised by their overseer
• Field hands work longer than any other slave clearing land, planting and harvesting below the sun
• Their job was to pick cotton. 
  
  
  

FAMILY LIFE:

Slaves were forced to live together in small cabins away from their owners house. 

Families would live in a one room shack that had no furniture, plumbing, or electricity.

Most houses were simple wooden huts and some had little gardens

After the slave trade was abolish owners encourage family life 

Slaves could be separated from their families when they were sold.

Coded Songs

• The codes of the first enslaved spirituals are often related with an escape to a free country. 
• Home = a safe place where everyone can live free (sometimes mean heaven)
• Chariot/Train = these were ways in which escaping slaves could get to a free country
• Moses = the nickname for Harriet Tubman who helped many slaves escape on the Underground Railroad
• Glory = closer to freedom
• Darkness = in slavery
• Wade in the water = advice to slaves to how to escape being tracked by hounds
• Steal away to Jesus = a warning than an escape would be happening soon

Sweet Chariot

Swing low, Swing chariot,      

Comin' for to carry me home! 

I looked over Jordan and what did I see?

Comin' for to carry me home!

A band of angels comin' for me, 

Comin' for to carry me home!

Codes:

Swing low = come down from the north (where there was no slavery)

Sweet chariot = the "Underground Railroad"

Home = freedom

Jordan = The river 

Angels = workers on the Underground Railroad

Coming after me = helping me to reach the North

Who is Harriet Tubman and what is the Underground Railroad?

Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist. She was born into slavery and started working at the age of 5 as a house servant. Harriet had escaped slavery and went back to sneak other slaves out of slavery using the Underground railroad. she knew she risked her life to do this. She was known as the moses of her time because she led her people out of slavery into their promise land, Harriet also sang songs that were in code and only other slaves knew what she was saying. 

The Underground Railroad is not a real Railroad! The underground railroad helped slaves from South get to freedom in the North. Slaves ran on the Underground Railroad to stay safe while escaping. Sometimes they got help to hide but sometimes they had to hide alone. The station masters made the slaves comfortable whey they were there. They disagreed with slavery. The Station Masters let them sleep and fed them. The railroad workers and conductors led you to the next station. This is how slaves got freedom. Slaves would have to hide somewhere for days or maybe weeks or even months before they could come out of their hiding spot. The slaves would need a signal so they know it was safe to go and they have help. Slaves would face dangers like getting caught and wild animals. 

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