Part way through some lesson last year, I said
that my students should “let it go.” I don’t remember what “it” was, exactly,
but I remember two or three students jumped up and threw their arms out and
sang the line from Frozen. Then, one
started making up new lyrics for the song based on my lesson. It was ridiculous
and funny and it all happened so fast.
See, the thing is that we connect with music,
and we don’t have to be particularly musical to do it. Music gets inside our
heads and makes us feel things, and some tunes and lyrics never leave us.
That’s why I (a non-musical person, by the way)
love using music in the secondary ELA classroom. I’ve found that in middle
school and high school, music breaks up a bit of the routine and allows
students to access information that they may otherwise struggle with or find
boring. Music can be used strategically (or just for fun!) in the secondary ELA
classroom to increase engagement and retention.
Here are seven ways I use music in my English
classroom.
1. Present music as an avenue of direct instruction
The easiest and most obvious way to use music in
secondary ELA is to find a resource that puts a new concept to music. My
favorite resource for using music in direct instruction is Flocabulary. I’ve
used these short hip-hop videos to review story elements, introduce public
speaking, and solidify some research skills.
I also LOVE sharing Schoolhouse Rock with my
students. Y’all, Schoolhouse Rock was already looking dorky and dated when I
was a kid, but just *lean in* to this with your students. Tell them that you
KNOW it’s dorky, but that you’re going to embrace that together in your
classroom.
2. Introduce Song Analysis
Another way to use music as a tool for direct
instruction is by presenting songs as texts to be explored, analyzed, and
imitated. I use songs to teach plot, genre, and figurative language. They are a
short and easily accessible text (3-5 min) that provide a lot of fodder for
student discussion. I do a whole Song Analysis lesson as part of my Short Stories unit, and you can download that lesson for free HERE.
On my blog, I share 15 Songs to Use in Secondary ELA and 15 (More!) Songs to Use in Secondary ELA. Be sure to check those out, since they include ideas for analyzing song lyrics.
3. Play music to encourage relaxation & focus
People from surgeons to
athletes have been tapping into music’s relaxing properties before tackling a
stressful situation. Remember Michael Phelps’ omnipresent headphones? We can
allow our students the same opportunities and play some music while they’re writing,
studying, or taking a test.
Along this same line,
music can be used to inspire creative writing. Encourage students to develop
playlists for a certain writing project they’re working on. I often share my
writing playlists with students to give them some ideas – my playlist for a
sappy YA romance novel is completely different from my dystopian fairy tale
rewrite playlist. Students should be encouraged to choose music that moves them
towards the end goal: being creative and productive and awesome!
4. Have students create songs to demonstrate learning
Music also makes a great option for a final
project. Students can demonstrate what they've learned by making a song about
it (or rewriting lyrics to a known song). My students write Symbolism Songs
after reading Lord of the Flies or The Pearl, showing their interpretation of a
symbol through music.
5. Show students how to create study songs
Anyone who learned “The Fifty Nifty United
States” as a kid knows the power of music to help memorize information. I mean,
that stuff really sticks! Students can use music to help them study hard facts
or vocabulary and definitions. They don't have to be amazing musicians to find
a tune to make it stick - just have them try out making a recording of an
effort on their phones. There is a simple ioS app called Recorder for this, or
you can get a more sophisticated piece of software like Audacity. Eventually,
they'll choose what study methods work best for them, but you can at least show
them this tool is available.
6. Encourage storytelling with operas & symphonies
You can also use music that's already out there
and available to get students writing. Operas and symphonies both provide
excellent opportunities for this, since they are a vehicle for a story anyway.
You could play a piece from an opera and have students imagine the story. What
emotions do they hear from the characters? Who's singing? What conflicts come
to mind?
You could have students write or discuss the
stories they come up with, or even act them out in a scene set to the music.
Don't share the original plot with them -- let them explore many possible
answers. This is a great way to get them to engage in some creative writing, as
well as explore the storytelling devices of classical music.
7. Actually, you know… play some music
Also, you could just play music. :) Whenever I
want to give students a set time to finish an activity, I put on a song or a
playlist. For example, if students need 3-4 minutes to cut out foldables and
title the pages of an interactive notebook spread, I'll put on a song. I also
used the song “Final Countdown” last year for the last minutes that students
assembled their writer’s workshop portfolios.
Check out these other resources for using music by Coffee Shop teachers:
Grammar Activities: Musical Grammar Mistakes by Presto Plans
Analyzing Music Videos (Volume 2) by Stacey Lloyd
