Sing! Sing a Song!

In a Nutshell:

After learning about climate change, students work in small groups to write, sing, and make a recording of a song.

Goal:

To be creative and have fun, while gaining awareness and communicating about climate change.

Background Learning:

Teachers and students should be familiar with the basic science of climate change and its anticipated impacts as reviewed in:

• Intermediate Backgrounder #1: Climate Change Basics: What’s the Big Deal?
• Intermediate Backgrounder #2: Climate Change Impacts: A Changing World?
• Intermediate Backgrounder #3: Climate Change Solutions: We can all help!

Ideally, students should do this lesson as a culminating activity after completing other lessons on climate change.

Learning Outcomes:

Click on the icon for your territory to review the learning outcomes that are addressed by this lesson:

Introduction to Lesson Plan:

This lesson would be most beneficial after students have completed some lessons about climate change. It could be used as a culminating activity at the end of a unit on climate change. The activity could be spread out over a week and completed during English Language Arts, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Music, or Science.

Before doing this lesson, download and make copies of the backgrounders (listed above under Background Learning) that are needed by your students (depending on their knowledge), and the student handout linked to this lesson (lyrics for local Yukon singer/songwriter Remy Rodden’s song, What’s that Habitat?). If you have access to Remy Rodden’s CD, Think About the Planet, listen to that CD with your students to give them some more song ideas. Or check out his website: http://www.thinkabout.ca/tapsong.htm

You may prefer another environmental song or a song with lyrics that refer to change or taking action. The lyrics to many popular songs can be downloaded from the Internet. Search “song lyrics” for websites, or search directly for the song you’re interested in by entering the title or artist’s name. Collect all of the other needed materials (listed in the materials’ section above).

Activity:

1. Read the lyrics and/or listen to an environmental song or a song about change or taking action. Tell the students that they will be writing, singing, and recording their own song about climate change. If your students enjoy “rap” music, you may want to have them write a “rap” instead of a “song”.
2. Read/review intermediate backgrounders #1–3 with the students.
3. As a class, review the background information and highlight key words or phrases about climate change. Record these key words on the board. Tell the students that they should try to include as many of these key words about climate change in their song as possible.
4. Recording on the board, have the students brainstorm the names of some simple songs that they want to use as the melody for their song (example “Spiderman” theme song). Students could also use the rhythm of a local First Nation drum song. If your students are interested in poetry, they could write and recite their song as a rhyming poem instead of using a song melody. The possibilities are only limited by their imaginations!

“Spiderman” song melody example:

Climate Change,
Climate Change,
Ice is melting,
It is so strange.

… you get the idea!

5. Divide students into groups of two or three. Each group will need chart paper and felt pens. Give the students two minutes to name their singing group. Ask students to write the name of their group at the top of their chart paper.
6. Ask the groups to choose a melody for their song.
7. Ask the groups to write their own song about climate change using as many of the key words as possible and working these words into the song melody, poem, or drum rhythm that they have chosen. Students should record their song on the chart paper.
8. Once the songs are written, ask students to name their song. They should include the name of their song on their chart paper.
9. Allow students time to practice singing their songs.
10. When students are ready, have them perform their song for the class. Make audio recordings of students performing their songs so they can be shared!

Handouts:

Click on the icon for the handout that supports this lesson – Student Handout: What’s That Habitat?

Student Web-Exchange:

Students can post their songs on the Student Exchange portion of the website for others to read. Click on the icon for information on how to post to the Web-Exchange.

Evaluation:

Student evaluation: Provide a group evaluation sheet for each student to evaluate their contribution as well as the contribution of their group members (i.e., group cooperation and participation).

Teacher evaluation: Evaluate students on group cooperation, participation, and the final product – their song.

Enrichment Ideas:

Drama, Music, Visual Arts, English Language Arts:

Look out MTV!! – Have students create a music video of their climate change song, including movement, musical instruments, costumes, setting, etc. Students can imagine they are entering a contest through MTV or Much Music.

About the Author:

Hi! My name is Grace Snider and I live in Whitehorse, Yukon. I have been teaching for ten years and have taught in schools in both Haines Junction and Whitehorse. I have taught students in grade 4 through grade 8. I especially enjoy teaching grades 4 and 5. I am on staff at Golden Horn Elementary School on the outskirts of Whitehorse…but right now I am on a leave of absence to care for my baby, Liam. Now, he is the teacher and I am the student…and I am learning so much, especially about myself!

I grew up in the Yukon in Dawson City and Whitehorse. Growing up in Dawson City, I lived in a discontinuous permafrost zone. The ever-changing permafrost (freezing/thawing) had obvious effects on our home. Each year we would have to adjust the footings on our house because the doors wouldn’t shut as the house had shifted and changed. During my childhood I spent many hours playing in Gold Rush era buildings that had become twisted over the years because of the changing permafrost. As a child I never thought of the dangers of playing in these warped buildings… they provided an incredible playground! These childhood experiences have given me some insight into the effects that a changing climate would have on buildings in a community.