What If Songs Were Movies? Teach English Creatively With Songs: Musical Movie Titles!

MUSICAL MOVIE TITLES is a brand-new activity in which students work the four skills as well as collaboration, communication, creative and critical thinking and let their imagination soar!

DESCRIPTION:

This STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN for ENGLISH language TEACHING features 3 lyrics extracts of songs by NEFFEX.

Students READ song titles and SPECULATE what kind of songs they might be, READ mixed lines of the songs and DISCUSS in pairs which song they belong to, LISTEN to the songs and check their answers, READ the lyrics extracts, IMAGINE the song titles are movie titles, then in groups CHOOSE a movie plot and WRITE a scripted dialogue for the first scene from the movie using the lyrics from the 3 songs. For Homework, they can make a movie poster or write a story using the movie plots.

OBS: This lesson plan was made for ONLINE TEACHING, but it can be modified for face-to-face instruction, as well.

Language level: B2/C1
Learner type: All ages
Skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing
Topic: Songs, Movie Plots
Materials: Genially Presentation
Duration: about an hour
Downloadable materials:  instructions.pdf

Welcome! Here, we follow the rules of The Creative Jedi Code:

STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN

Step 1 (5 min)

Write the song titles below on the board, or use slide 01 of the genial.ly presentation LINK. Tell your students that they are titles of songs. Ask your students: Based on these song titles, what kind of music genre do you think these songs are? Do you think they are fast, slow, happy, angry, sad, etc? Explain your ideas.

Lost Within – Built to Last – Revolution

Step 2 (7 min)

Slide 02. Tell students that they are going to work with some lyrics extracts from the songs of the previous step. Have students read the mixed lines from the three songs. Help them with the vocabulary.

In pairs (breakout rooms), have students match the song titles to the lines of the lyrics. Revolution (R) Lost Within (L) Built To Last (B). There are 3 lines for each song.

They also have to prepare explanations for their answers. (anything that makes sense is acceptable, but not I DON’T KNOW!)

Step 3 (7 min)

The pairs share their answers. Have other pairs say if they agree/ disagree and why. Have a mini discussion.

Step 4 (5 min)

Play the song extracts for students to check their answers.

Answers: 1 (R) 2 (B) 3 (B) 4 (R) 5 (L) 6 (L) 7 (B) 8 (R) 9 (L)

Step 5 (7 min)

Slide 03. Students read the 3 lyrics extracts. Help with the vocabulary.

Step 6 (6 min)

Lost Within – Built to Last – Revolution

These are song titles. However, let’s imagine that these were movie titles! What movie genre would they be? Have your students share and explain their ideas.

Step 7 (10 – 15 min)

SLIDE 04. Tell your students that now they are going to be screenwriters and movie directors! Have students read the 3 movie plots. In small groups, (breakout rooms), have students choose one movie plot, and use words and sentences from the 3 lyrics to create a scripted dialogue for the first scene of the movie.

Obs. the movie plots were created and edited based on boredhumans.com (movie plot generator);

Step 8 (7 min)

Have the students read their scripted dialogues. Have a vote on the most creative, the funniest, weirdest, scariest, etc.

Step 9 (suggested homework)

You can ask students to create a poster for the movie, write the whole movie as a story… It’s up to you and your class profile! Be wild, be innovative! o/

This song-based lesson plan is sure to spice-up your classes! However, would you like to think, feel and act more creatively on your own to be able to turn ANY song you want into an engaging lesson plan?
HERE are TIME-SAVING ideas that do the heavy work so you can focus on the most important: INSPIRING and MOTIVATING YOUR STUDENTS to learn CREATIVELY!