American History "We Didn't Start the Fire" - Billy Joel song writing prompt

If you want to find a creative way to teach Social Studies content and get your students to enjoy writing, this is your answer. Your students to enjoy writing mini-essays by combining it with the joy of music. This ties nicely into the Social Studies and English curriculum.

I have found these song journal writing prompts to be an amazing way to start ELA or Social Studies class for the last 30 years. I do at least one a week, and for sure one on every Friday and holidays. The kids get so excited about it and love watching the youtube videos that go with the song. I show the video three times. I tell them just to watch and listen on the first viewing, and then focus on composing their mini-essay for the next two. You can have them write it in an old fashioned paper journal or on a google doc to share with you. What starts the year as a 45 minute process where I have to hold their hand and may only get 75-90 words becomes a 20 minute process that is usually 150-200 words. By the end of the year, the students' proficiency, quality, and quantity has greatly increased on their mini-essays. This also helps students with their listening skills. Even when the song is an "oldie," the students just really get into it.

My students have consistently done well on the listening and short essay components on their state testing, and I believe these song journal writing prompts have had a great deal to do with it.

To prove how impactful these are, I have students come back from 20 years ago and ask if I still do song journals on Fridays!

If you find this writing prompt helpful, I have almost 100 more in my TPT store. Some of them are based on specific themes, holidays, and many are linked to Social Studies concepts since I teach sections of that class as well.