The Literature of Music
"One of the best resources I've ever come across. The first time I synced up The Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of the Moon, my mind was blown...my high schoolers told me about it and asked if we could do it one day as a reward. This was in the late '90s when standards were a bit looser and we weren't too rigid about tying everything to a standard. Since then, I've looked for a way to incorporate it into my current standards. Your presentation was absolutely perfect; we did this on the last day of school." (Rated 5 out of 5)
After this example, I have my students create their own presentation on a musician of their choice. I'm including my ultra-detailed categorized rubric so you have everything you need when you share this presentation as an example and then set the students free to create their own. My work here is very specific, researched, dense and inspiring. It usually takes a couple class periods to fully present/ absorb, and then with my detailed student project, students will spend a while creating their own presentations.
Use music to teach poetry! Perfect for any ELA class, Poetry course or Creative Writing. Here I’ve made a whole lesson around the actual wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (the ship) and the way Gordon Lightfoot poeticizes it in his classic 1976 song of the same title.
This activity lends to brief written responses that require students to think independently and to write with specific details. No knowledge of French language OR musical terminology required! :)
If you've never listened to Apparition de l'église éternelle, do that now and then you'll agree that it is a dynamic composition to use for writing, thinking and discussion!
I made this super organized graphic organizer template to use with any song. There is an area for students to log some of the most prominent literary/poetic devices they notice, and spaces for students to identify the tone, symbolism, theme and more.
I'm also including my super detailed example, where I have used the template to show my full analysis of "Firework" by Katy Perry. You can use this method to prompt students to find meaning and use their literary analysis skills with any lyrical song. Enjoy!
This unit is always one where students truly get engaged, all while learning new analysis techniques and practicing using specific terminology.
This resource is ultra-detailed with tons of extra and embedded material, activities and original documents.