Topical Talk

Band Aid: more harm than good?

To celebrate 40 years of Do They Know It’s Christmas?, Band Aid has released the “Ultimate Mix” which features vocals from several versions of the charity single. However, several pop stars have spoken out against the song, saying that it reinforces damaging stereotypes about Africa. The Band Aid Charity Trust has raised nearly £150m ($190m) to help fight famine, but does the song do more harm than good?

Collage of pages from the “Band Aid: more harm than good?” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 06 December 2024

This lesson is more than 11 months old. Please check the facts before teaching to ensure they are up-to-date and still correct.

About this lesson

Use this one-hour lesson to help your students:

  • Understand why Band Aid’s charity single is in the news
  • Discuss different perspectives on the song
  • Debate whether the song is doing more harm than good

This lesson develops the following skills and knowledge:

  • Creativity

    Step 0: I imagine different situations
    Step 10:     I develop ideas by considering different perspectives
    Step 11:     I innovate effectively when working in a group

  • Knowledge

    I know about the new Band Aid charity song and can explain some of the different opinions about it.

Find out more about the Topical Talk skills and knowledge framework here.

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