‘Hair is important spiritually, culturally and integral to our self esteem.’
Good Hair
Official trailer:
The Plot:
Chris Rock, a man with two daughters, asks about good hair, as defined by Black Americans, mostly Black women. He visits Bronner Brothers’ annual hair convention in Atlanta. He tells us about sodium hydroxide, a toxin used to relax hair. He looks at weaves, and he travels to India where tonsure ceremonies produce much of the hair sold in America. A weave is expensive: he asks who makes the money. We visit salons and barber shops, central to the Black community. Rock asks men if they can touch their mates’ hair – no, its decoration. Various talking heads (many of them women with good hair) comment. It’s about self-image. Maya Angelou and Tracie Thoms provide perspective.
Click the title below for listening and reading comprehension questions about the trailer and the plot:
Good Hair worksheet 1
How much does it cost?
Click on the title below for a student worksheet on the above clip and also some extra questions.
Good Hair worksheet 2
Bad hair day
Below is a clip from an article featured in the ‘Wall Street Journal.
Click here for the full article.
‘When A Bad Hair Day Brings You Down’
Scientists at P & G, with help from a Yale psychology professor, surveyed women, before and after using Pantene products, using a questionnaire that psychology researchers use to measure mood. They found women felt less “hostile,” “ashamed,” “nervous,” “guilty” or “jittery,” depending on the hair products they used, while at other times they said they felt more “excited,” “proud” and “interested.”
Lets talk about hair:
Celebrity hair styles
Ask the students if they can think of any celebrity hair icons.
Show students the following icons and ask them if they have ever had a similar hair cut or would like a hair cut like these celebrities.
Crazy hair styles
Ask students if they think a hair style can reflect your personality.
Show students the following photos and ask what they think the models personalities are.
Click below for the accompanying worksheet :
Good Hair worksheet 3
Selling a style
Ask students if they are influenced by hair advertising.
Show students the following hair adverts.
‘Because we’re worth it’:
‘Hair comes alive’:
Discuss the adverts:
Students are put into groups and have to discuss the questions on the worksheet.
After discussing the questions they have to come up with a slogan to sell a hair product.
Each group presents their slogan and the class vote on the best slogan.
Please click on the title below for the accompanying worksheet:
Good Hair worksheet 4
Hair Styles
Ask students if they know the names of different hair styles e.x. short/long etc.
Wordle time– Do you recognise any of the styles? can you match them with the pictures below?
Click for the accompanied worksheet: Good Hair worksheet 5
Male styles
Female Styles
Role play:
After completing the worksheet the students make pairs and pretend they are going to get their hair cut. One student will play the role of the hair dresser and the other as the customer.
Monitor and give advice to the students. Ask the best pairs to demonstrate their role play to the class. Students vote on the best role play.
Some final words
For more media on this subject you should check out this excellent documentary by pop star, Jamile and this episode from the Tyra Banks chat show.
After all this talk about hair I just realised it’s time to go for a haircut. So I will leave you with this:
Any suggestions or comments are welcomed below & for more activities from the imaginarium please sign up. Cheers and happy hair cuts.
Esl Imaginarium 
