Visuals stir up students’ senses and emotions and tap memories. They turn words into images and colors, triggering students’ imaginations. Students may be asked to help prepare song visuals.
A song visual can be:
♪ a sign (country, store, city or town, business, zoo, office, museum, park, street, etc.)
♪ a map (country, city, neighborhood, amusement park, floor plan, etc.)
♪ a portrait (of real people mentioned in a song, a clip art character, a cartoon character, animal)
♪ a poster (that shows a real or imagined setting for the song, song images, or an abstract cue)
♪ a drawing on the whiteboard with dry-erase markers
♪ a clip art image (of a noun in the song)
♪ classroom decorations (on a song theme)
♪ a poster illustrating a song lesson , formula, rules, steps of a task, diagram
♪ a mural
♪ an overhead transparency photo (or projected Internet image) to use as a background setting
♪ a video segment (beach, hiking, cycling)
♪ a banner or mobile
♪ a time line or chart
♪ a song clothesline of song images & objects
Flash Cards are Potent Visuals
Flash cards (images or words) prompt students as they learn or review a song. They may show:
● objects or abstract ideas in the song.
● actions in the song.
● a visual cue for each line.
● the first word of each line (one per card.)
● a prominent word in each line.
You Played a Song. NOW What?
A Survival Guide for Using Songs in the Classroom
Sue Fenton, M.Ed.
Songs are extraordinary learning tools, but teachers may stop after playing them a few times, not knowing what else to do. They may not be squeezing all the potential out of songs to maximize their impact on learning.
Teacher Sue Fenton offers hundreds of creative ideas that help you incorporate the multiple intelligences with the enjoyment of music to create an exciting learning atmosphere in your classroom.
Sue shows you how to engage students and create an active learning atmosphere using music. This comprehensive resource is adaptable to any subject and to learners of all ages. She shares creative ideas for
● Creating your own “play list” and getting ready●
● Props, visuals, instruments, mikes, song fashions, “sets”●
● Dozens of ways for singing a song differently each time●
● Activities to practice language and concepts in a song●
● Paired speaking, imitative writing, projects, listening, mime,.simulations, music videos, performances, staged photos, songwriting, dramatizations, creative writing, movement, dance, skits, parodies, impersonations, and much more.
This 60-page booklet is loaded with hundreds of ideas for getting the most out of using music in your classroom.
