Literary Elements and Songs

[Writer's Block]

I am looking for some songs that people have used to teach literary elements.

I was at a workshop, and the presenter gave some suggestions. However, I am in middle school, and some of the songs he presented were not appropriate for middle schoolers.

Has anyone done this before? What songs did you use?

Thanks!

[holliday]

I use "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin for allusion - after we read The Hobbit. The kids spot the allusion (it mentions Gollum and Mordor) right away.

[Cheyenne]

Garth Brooks songs are great for metaphor, alliteration, similie, personification, and vivid language. I, especially, like "The River" and "The Dance". Going back in time, here, but Simon and Garfunkel songs are great, too. "Sounds of Silence", "I am a Rock", "Like a Bridge of Troubled Water", etc. John Denver songs are also packed with figurative language.

More modern songs that I have used are "The World's Greatest" by R. Kelly and "Shine Your Light" by Robbie Robertson, theme song from the movie, Ladder 49----this one is very powerful when you really tune into the figurative language used.

Hope those help.

[Writer's Block]

Thank you both so much for your suggestions! I think I will be doing some downloading today!!

[Cheyenne]

You are so welcome...hope they help. I love using songs to teach literary elements. They are something the kids really relate to, and there is just something about music that touches us all on a deeper level....in my opinion, that is! My kiddos often tease me about some of the older songs I choose, but they like them, nonetheless, and they do serve to build a connection between their generation and mine.

Just a thought (which you already thought of, I'm sure!).... before you download music to any song, you can do a search for the lyrics, just to see exactly what figurative language you can find in there. I often run off or type out the lyrics and make copies to give my students. Before they "hear" the song, I have them read through the lyrics with their Study Buddy and highlite any figurative language they find. Then, we listen to the song several times, with them highliting any more they find. Last, I give them a list of questions about the types of types of F.L. in the song and their meanings, etc. which they fill out with their Study Buddy. Last, we discuss it as a class. Sorry, if this is way TOO much information!!

[Writer's Block]

Nooooooo! Not too much information! Thank you again for all of this. I already had lyrics sites saved because I am so afraid of something in a song that I don't hear but the kids (or their parents) will hear!

On a side note regarding songs, I used Taylor Swift's "Love Story" for practice with punctuation/editing. They loved it! There are two speakers in the song (the Romeo character and the Juliet character). They got tons of practice using quotation marks, figuring out where a sentence ends, and other things.

I got an email from a parent telling me how much her child loved it!

[Cheyenne]

Writer's Block...thank you!! I would never have thought of that! I guess, there will be two of us downloading this afternoon!! What grade are your kids? I have 5th graders....they should be able to do that, don't you think? Thanks, again!!

[Writer's Block]

Originally Posted by Cheyenne

Writer's Block...thank you!! I would never have thought of that! I guess, there will be two of us downloading this afternoon!! What grade are your kids? I have 5th graders....they should be able to do that, don't you think? Thanks, again!!

I have 7th graders, and you are welcome!

The parent who emailed me after I did that lesson told me her other child who is in 5th grade saw what the 7th grader was doing and took the lesson to his 5th grade teacher to ask her if they could do something like that too.

Loved it!

[jd123]

"Rhiannon", by Fleetwood Mac, to teach metaphors and similies.

[teacher4MIGC]

Check out flocabulary for a rap on Story Elements.
This site also has free Science, Math, and Social Studies raps.
It is a regular website.