9 Ways to Use Music in the Social Studies Classroom

If you’ve been to any Equity training in the past few years, you have probably heard of the “6 Ms”. One  of my favorite “M”s stands for “music”.

It might be because I was a wedding DJ (and middle school dance DJ!). But I really love using music!

But if you’re like me, using music can sometimes be daunting. I mean, do I choose cool, current music that I’m not familiar with because I’m not 14 anymore? Or do I choose my old, familiar, grown-up music that the kids might hate? What about bad words? What if the music gets the kids rowdier than I want? What’s the point of using music anyway?

Why should I try?

Music connects with kids (heck, with ALL people), but it’s particularly good for engaging kids who might not be otherwise engaged. It helps kids to perk up and pay attention. It might reach someone who’s hard to reach. It might teach content better than some other ways.

Here are NINE ideas for using music in your classroom -- and I have STOLEN all NINE of these from real classrooms around our district.

1. Play music without words: If you don’t want to worry about bad words -- or worse, slang that you don’t even KNOW is bad -- try listening to instrumental versions of popular music! You can literally search “instrumental versions of popular songs 2019”  on youtube and play it on -- winning both the battle against bad words and the battle for music “acceptable” to your kids!
2. Play music during independent or collaborative work time: Some kids learn better with background noise. So play music quietly when they are doing only independent or collaborative work so that they can concentrate.
3. Use music to actually teach: Youtube is a great (and terrible) invention. One of the ways we can incorporate music FOR learning is to use the brilliance of other teachers online. Try “Too Late to Apologize”  or (my favorite) Mr. Betts or the (world) Historyteachers or (ancient history) Mr. Nicky  or Schoolhouse Rock or School Yard Rap or Flocabulary or one of a million parodies.
4. Have kids make their own songs/rhymes/raps: Assign kids the option of making a  song/rhyme/rap about the topic you’re learning about in class. There’s nothing better than a student project where they crack themselves up because of their fabulous wordsmithing and their use of their FAVORITE songs!
5. Hear actual historical music: Listen to “We Shall Overcome” or “Strange Fruit” when you talk about the Civil Rights Movement. My high school World History teacher made our whole class of 15 year-olds stand up and sing “Over There”, the WWI fight song.Teach protest songs
6. Use Music as a Primary Source: Have kids analyze the lyrics or respond in writing to a song. Have them look at music as another type of primary source.
7. Use Pop Culture:  Of course, Hamilton has a million teaching points. But so do the Animaniacs. And the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
8. Play Music During Transitions:  Try playing music for the one or two minutes you’re giving your students to move from one activity to another. When they put away their bellwork notebooks and put their desks in groups -- play some music. When they are moving from station to station -- play some music. When they’re walking into the room -- play some music.
9. Use music to learn about historical events: Ask kids what song would be the theme song to a historical figure, or what song best represents an events. Can they think of a song that would describe an era or an invention? Kids know a lot more songs than we do -- let’s use that to connect with content!

Do you have any MORE ideas on ways to teach using music? Email me! I love to HEAR (get it? hear?!?!) about what you do with music in your class!

Rock on!

-Tracy