Turn Up the Music Linky Party!

I want to thank Amanda for starting this linky party!  I have to say it is my alllll time favorite!  I love using music in my classroom.  For all those new to blogging, when you are finished reading my music ideas, click the linky party square above and it will take you to many more music ideas for your classroom! The students remember lyrics!  I use it mainly for educating but also for fun!  Below is the CD I have used for several years to go along with my Fourth Grade American History standards.  There are songs on Exploration, Native Americans, Tea Party, Lewis and Clark, etc.  I introduce the song at the beginning of the unit and we then we replay it each day as they are transitioning into Social Studies (getting books out, etc.)  When we start a new unit, we go back to the first song and repeat.  This way they can sing along and remember the timeline of history!
Link to buy the CD

Although my friends call me "Eighties" I have taken some of my favorite tunes from a variety of genres and eras and created questions to analyze the lyrics.  I have screened them so there are no questions of inappropriate innuendos!  This way the students think they are having fun listening to music, but they are actually learning poetry elements!!!!  They beg for more!  Below I am providing the link for my booklet, but I will also give my wonderful viewers a freebie to use with any song!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Elements-Using-Lyrics
General Questions for any lyrics:

• Predict the meaning of the song?
• What is the meaning of these lyrics?
• What does the title have to do with the song?
• What message is the song/lyric trying to convey to the listener?
• Who do you think wrote this poem/lyric?  Describe him or her.  Think about age, personality, interests, character traits etc.
• What is the mood/tone of this poem/lyric? 
• How do the rhythm and/or music affect the mood/tone?
• What is the setting of this poem?  What words or evidence from the writing supports your ideas?
• Visualizing:  What part of the song can you create a picture in your mind?
• Beyond Visualizing:  Can you use your senses:  see, hear, smell, taste, or touch in any parts of the song?
• Make a connection:  Text-to-self, Text-to-text, Text-to-world
• Compare and Contrast
• Create your own questions about the song.
• Make inferences
• What is the author’s purpose?
• Is there a theme or lesson?
• Act out a part of the lyrics
• Illustrate a part of the lyrics
• Identify rhyme Scheme
• Identify repetition
• Identify figurative language:  (Similes, metaphors, alliterations, onomatopoeia, personification, idioms, hyperbole)

 Some extension ideas:  Write your own lyrics and put rhythm to it, explore historical lyrics, compare two or more lyrics centered around the same theme, study the background of the musician.   I hope you get some great ideas for jammin with your students!  Rock on!!!!  And here is a shout out to my favorite 5th grade rockstar teacher, Rena Coggins!  I love when you dressed up for decades day!