For my SIG at Wildern I am researching using music in English lessons to embed creative arts across the curriculum. During my research I have found
an article that was interesting to back up exploring music in English lessons
to develop wider understanding of context.
Professor
Finds Place for Teens’ Music in English Class
Discussing song lyrics in the classroom can
help students connect in multiple, complex levels with traditional literature,
Goering explained. Because of the importance of music to adolescents, the
method can engage some students who otherwise would not be interested in
literature and challenge the ones who are. For the students in Siloam Springs,
he put lyrics on a big screen from the song "Broken Plow" by Chris
Knight, who wrote the song after reading John Steinbeck's The Grapes of
Wrath, according to Knight's Web site. Then, Goering asked them to compare
those lyrics to "Email my Heart" performed by Britney Spears.
"If you're a fan of Britney Spears, I
don't mean any offense, but that song is mostly a string of clichés, don't you
think?" Goering asked the teens. "It doesn't give us a lot to think
about."
Goering, who recently released his first CD of
original music, hosts a Web site at http://www.littunes.com for teachers to share
links between literature and lyrics. He describes this connection as musical
intertextuality. Last year, nearly 6,000 visitors were recorded at the LitTunes
site, according to Goering. Subscribers to the site's newsletter number almost
750 people with representatives of all 50 states.
"The
Soundtrack of Your Life," one of the most popular lesson plans on the
site, leads students in reflective writing and personal narrative. Goering gave
the Siloam Springs students a mini-version of the "Soundtrack" lesson
plan that is designed to be completed in four 50-minute class periods.
Basically, students choose eight major events in their lives and then list
songs to accompany each event.
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