10 Great Songs for the Classroom: Tupac, The Cranberries - Guided Song Responses

Song Study Anthology:

Teaching THROUGH song is a widely accepted practice in both the English Language Arts and Social Studies classroom. Songs are accessible, familiar, joyful and interactive for students. They lift the energy, bringing the class together through great lyrics, beat and rhythm.

As a teacher, I can cover a lot of curricula through song. The auditory appeal of music allows students to stay engaged and to deepen their understanding across a wide selection of genres, topics and ideas.

Here are 10 songs that I use again and again with Middle and Secondary students. Each song is well crafted and acclaimed by music critics. These are time-tested pieces that students enjoy and that I enjoy listening to repeatedly. They are ‘teachable,’ in that they have memorable refrains and enduring themes or messages.

There are a variety of approaches and materials to support LISTENING: genre recognition, characterization, predictions and activating prior knowledge, quotation discussion, video analysis questions, comprehension questions, critical analysis questions, opinion and text-to-self questions. Most guided responses have an ANSWER KEY.

Resource Includes:

Teacher's Overview, outlining Genre, Topics and Suggested Resources for Pairing Lessons

&

The Songs:

1. Redemption Song by Bob Marley (released 1980)

2. Changes by Tupac Shakur (1998)

3. The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby (1986)

4. The Gambler by Kenny Rogers (1978)

5. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman (1988)

6. Zombie by The Cranberries (1994)

7. Lola by The Kinks (1970)

8. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 & Cardi B (2017)

9. Hurricane by Bob Dylan (1976)

10. I Hung My Head by Johnny Cash (2002)

And

11. POEM: The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur (2000)