Make School Positive, Engaging & Relevant

Music, Articles & Websites used in “Using Music In the Classroom” presentation © Suzanne Sherman Propp

Some of this music is available on the Just Add Music! Spotify Playlist, which is a constant work-in-progress

MUSIC TO USE DURING TRANSITIONS & ROUTINES

• Earth, Wind & Fire “Sing A Song” (1975)
• Paul Desmond/Dave Brubeck Quartet “Take Five” (1959)
• Ingrid Michaelson “Everybody” (2009)
• Body Mind Zone Meditation “Escape To Bliss” (on spotify) (2015) on YouTube
• Relaxing Sleep Music from “Soothing Relaxation“
• The Splendor Of Color Kaleidoscope Music Video
• Aaron Copland “Billy’s Death” (1930)
• Can’t find a song?  Check out this link: 10 Amazing Classical Pieces Under 2 Minutes Long

Examples of MUSIC to use to teach Curriculum (Please note that these are just a few suggestions; during the school year I use hundreds of songs for curricular purposes):

For Artists/Writers Workshop:  Edvard Grieg “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from the “Peer Gynt Suite” (1875)

READING & WRITING BACKGROUND MUSIC

• The Splendor Of Color Kaleidoscope Music Video
• Relaxing Sleep Music from “Soothing Relaxation“

TEACHING HOW TO READ (sing and read along at the same time)

• “Hush Little Baby” from Listen And Read Along on YouTube
• Teach the English language alphabet using: “A You’re Adorable” from Sesame Street, Perry Como and me
• “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
• Listen And Read Along on YouTube

GRAMMER/ELA:

• “Prepositions” from Teacher Tube
• “Interjections” from Schoolhouse Rock

SOCIAL STUDIES/HISTORY

• “Songs of the Armed Forces“
• “Revolutionary Tea” from “Sing An American Story”
• “I’m Just A Bill” from Schoolhouse Rock
• “Follow The Drinking Gourd” from “Sing An American Story”
• Songs of the Civil Rights Movement from NPR
• Social Justice Songs (Race & Racism)
• A Primary Source History of Social Justice (Songs)

SCIENCE

• “The Elements” song from Tom Lehrer
• “The Periodic Table Song” from ASAP Science
• “Seasons” from Have Fun Teaching
• “Here Comes Science” by They Might Be Giants (check out the “Particle Men” channel on YouTube (Thank you, Phaedra Taft, Science Coach Extraordinaire!)
• “My Hero Zero” from Schoolhouse Rock

MATH

• “That’s Mathematics!” by Tom Lehrer from Teacher Tube Math

SPANISH

• “Remember Me” Lyric Video with Spanish & English from “Coco” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2018 Oscar Winner for Best Song)

ARTICLES to Support The Use of Music In the Classroom

• “Music Develops Children’s Social and Emotional Skills” from “Raising Small Souls”
• “Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom” by Chris Boyd Brewer
• “Keeping Music Alive” by Bonnie Baer-Simahk
• “8 Ways To Use Music In The Language Arts Classroom” by Heather Wolpert Gawron
• “Different Drummers: Using Music To Teach History” by Alex Zukas
• “Teaching: Just Like Performing Magic” (a discussion with Teller of Penn & Teller) by Jessica Lahey in The Atlantic
• “Teachers Urged to Mix it Up and Use Novelty to Engage Students” by Caralee Adams in Education Week
• “How Teachers are Using ‘Hamilton’ the Musical In The Classroom” from KQED
• “Should I Play Music In My Classroom?” from study.com
• More Articles

WEBSITES

• Sing Daily!
• Responsive Classroom
• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER Overview
• Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, Tacoma Teacher of the Year
• Choral Reading from “Reading Rockets” from WETA (the leading public broadcasting station in the nation’s capital)
• Teacher Tube Studios
• Have Fun Teaching
• Schoolhouse Rock
• Sing An American Story
• Listen And Read Along on YouTube and their website

BOOKS to use when READING to your class:

• A You’re Adorable song written by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise & Sidney Lippman, book illustrated by Martha Alexander (Candlewick Press)
• Happy song written by Pharrell Williams (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
• This Land Is Your Land song written by Woody Guthrie and paintings by Kathy Jakobsen (Little, Brown and Co)
• Puff, The Magic Dragon song written by Peter Yarrow & Lenny Lipton with paintings by Eric Puybaret (Sterling Publishing)
• Take Me Out To The Ballgame song by Jack Norworth, illustrated by Amiko Hirao, performed by Carly Simon (Imagine/A Peter Yarrow Book)

And…are you losing your voice?  Here’s a good article for teachers regarding VOCAL HEALTH.

Contact Suzanne Sherman Propp for more information.