Be an Incredible Songwriter!

Music/Language Arts

Each student will write a song about something incredible and then perform the song for the class.

What You Need

• Writing paper and pencils
• A pretend microphone (perhaps a chalkboard eraser)
• Small, portable musical instruments of the students' choice (optional)

What To Do

1. Tell students that you would like them to become songwriters and stage singers for a day. First, have them think of something incredible that they have experienced or know about. This might be an event, a feeling, an idea, a dream, or an amazing animal.
2. Next, ask the students to write the lyrics, or words, to a song about their chosen incredible subjects. Give them the option of writing the words to fit a familiar tune or mentally composing a new tune. Encourage students who have small musical instruments (e.g., flutes, maracas, harmonicas) to plan to play those instruments during their performances.
3. Finally, have students take turns performing their songs for the class. Prompt them to make their singing performances as exciting as possible by including dance steps, arm gestures, and exaggerated facial expressions.