NO GAPFILLS ALLOWED!!

As part of our teachers group Stone Soup we decided to try to create song activities that didn't involve gap fills. This is the lesson plan I came up with, inspired by Nik Peachey's blog post Teach Grammar through Songs.

This is an activity that can be adapted to any song. I used Rolling in the Deep by Adele.

The main aim of this activity is for students to practise creative writing.

Preparation

Split the lyrics of the song into four and create 4 different word clouds using a website like wordle. Print and laminate the word clouds.

Step 1

Split class into 4 groups and explain to students that each group will receive a word cloud (laminated copies available) and that they must use a dictionary to look up any words they are not sure of. Also give them a word chart document so students can categorise words (verbs, nouns adjectives) if they like. Some students find this beneficial for the next part of the activity

Step 2

Now explain to the students that the words they are looking up are words from different parts of the same song. Tell them that now in their groups they must try to compose a verse for a song using the as many of the words provided as possible and any other words they would like to add. They only need to do a short verse. There is no right or wrong answer the idea is that they just use their creativity and write whatever they want. Here you could focus on the use of rhyming when writing songs or poems. 

Step 3.

At this point the students are making assumptions about what kind of song it is or what song it is exactly. For this song the ideas where "a religious hymn!", "sad love song" and "Bob Dylan: Like a Rolling Stone". Once they've finished their verse regroup the groups so there is one student from each group in each group. Now the students share their verses with each other. This usually gets a few giggles. 

Step 4

Finally let them hear the song and compare it to their version. Then let them listen again with a copy of the lyrics. They can have a sing song now too! 

Extension Activity

Students write their interpretation of the song, what they think the singer is trying to say. This could be done in class or as homework. Either way let them then compare their interpretations and exchange ideas.

If you would like to make your own word clouds to do your own song then go to Wordle