Brave Beats: Critical Thinking Meets Music in This Engaging ESL Plan

Welcome to ‘Brave Beats’: an ESL Song lesson For B2

This song-based lesson plan is a fresh way to teach English with the power of music. This ESL lesson plan is all about getting students to think critically, talk, and learn through a variety of fun activities centered on the idea of courage. They’ll watch a music video without sound, share their thoughts, and decide which song lyrics fit it—all while sharpening their language skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Easy to use in any classroom, online or in-person, ‘Brave Beats’ makes learning English creative, time-efficient, and in tune with the 21st century skills needed for today’s world.

Quick Lesson Overview:

This song-based STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN for ENGLISH language TEACHING features the song lyrics for Heart over Mind (Alan Walker, Daya), Secret World (Still Corners) and My Way Home (Harrison Storm). Students DISCUSS courage, WATCH an edited music video, TALK about it and SPECULATE about the song it belongs to; READ the lyrics for 3 songs, DECIDE which song fits the video, VOTE on the best fit and WATCH the original music video to check.

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

Language level: B2
Learner type: All ages
Skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing
Topic: courage
Materials: Edited music video, original music video, genial.ly presentation
Duration: 50 - 60 min
Download your free teaching resources: instructions.pdf; song lyrics worksheet cutout.pdf

Check Out The Video Tutorial For This ESL Song Lesson

STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN

Step 1 (5 min)

Ask: “Is being different a form of courage?” Have students share their ideas and ask follow up questions or other students what they think or if they agree or disagree and why.

TIPS:
> Start with enthusiasm to get everyone excited about the topic.
> Keep ideas flowing by using hand raises for 'agree' or 'disagree,' then ask one or two to explain more.
> This quick activity gets students ready for what's next and introduces the main ideas of being different and brave

Step 2 (5 min)

(slide 1) genially presentation LINK

Students watch a video (link) with a futuristic vibe (it shows edited scenes from a music video with a different music background). Tell students to talk about the story in the video and what kind of song it could be about.

TIPS: 
> Before playing the video, tell students they'll be looking at how it tells a story without the music.

> Suggest they write down quick notes or important words while watching to keep track of the story.

> After the video, ask questions to get them talking about what they felt and noticed, like "How did the video make you feel?" or "What scene caught your eye, and why?

Step 3 (10 – 15 min)

Divide students into 3 groups A, B and C. Have all students copy the chart below. (slide 2)

Students in group A will read the lyrics for song A and complete the chart only for song A.

Students in group B will read the lyrics for song B and complete the chart only for song B.

Students in group C will read the lyrics for song C and complete the chart only for song C

Song A link Song B link Song C link

(send them the link via chat box if you’re teaching online or have them scan the code with slide 03 –

You can also print the worksheet cut out.pdf cut it and and hand it out to the students)

The students in each group must discuss the lyrics, and with the video in mind, come to a final and unanimous decision about the song and write their reasons why it is so (or not).

Step 3 Tips:
> Check that every student can see the lyrics and knows what to do. Answer any questions first.
> Tell them to mark words or lines in the lyrics that match the video's story or message.
> If you're online, remind them to use chat or shared files to work together.
> Make sure they talk and decide together, using English, about why they think the song fits the video.

Step 4 (10 min)

Regroup the students, but this time mixing students from the A,b and c Groups: Example: group 1= (sA + sB + sC)

In the new groups, the students are going to share and explain their conclusions from their original groups, so the others can fill their tables for the other songs, too.

Tips:
> Guide the new groups in sharing their findings by suggesting that each member takes turns speaking, ensuring everyone's voice is heard.
> Encourage them to not only share their group's decision but also the reasoning behind it, fostering deeper understanding.
> Monitor the groups to ensure they stay on task and offer assistance with language or concepts as needed.

Step 5 (10 min)

Check the results and the songs that received a yes. If there’s more than one song, the students (as a class) will have to decide on only one, based on the reasons on their tables. Have a class debate and a final vote.

Tips:
> Start the class debate by having groups lay out their reasons for the song choice they think fits best.
> Give them phrases for polite debate like "I believe that..." or "In my view,..." to help them express their thoughts, and "I understand your point, however..." for counterarguments.
> Keep the debate orderly by letting each group present, followed by a chance for others to respond, and then move on to the vote.

Step 6 (5 min)

Tell students that they are going to watch the real music video to see if they voted for the right song.

Step 6 Tips:
> Build anticipation before revealing the official music video by asking students to predict how the full video might be different
> Remind students to pay attention to whether their predictions and discussions match the actual video.

Step 7 (7 min)

Have students comment on the music video and if it was what they thought it would be or if they were surprised with it and why.

Song A ( Still Corners – Secret World) Song B (Alan Walker, Daya – Heart over Mind) Song C ( Harrison Storm – My Way Home)

TIPS
> Encourage students to express their reactions by asking open-ended questions like "What surprised you about the official video?" or "How does the music change your understanding of the video's story?"
> If the real video is different from their expectations, guide them to analyze why they might have been led to a different interpretation.
> Finally, use this step to highlight how music and visuals can tell different stories and convey various emotions, reinforcing the lesson's focus on interpretation and creativity.