Teaching Sequencing with Songs

Sequencing doesn’t have to be dry, especially when students are listening to songs they love.

This post is part of my ongoing series on using music to teach text structures. Last week, we explored compare and contrast. This week, we’re diving into sequencing. From historical ballads to personal biographies and story-driven lyrics, songs offer a natural way to teach order of events. Students can analyze, organize, and retell using printable graphic organizers, and they’ll be humming while they work.

This handout contains all the song titles listed in this series of posts. It also has a series of printable organizers for students to use with the songs.

Sequencing using Historical Events

One genre to use in the classroom is songs that tell about an event in history. You can’t go wrong with sequencing events from key moments in history.

Note:

While all songs listed here are selected for educational value, please preview each one to ensure it aligns with your school’s content guidelines and student age group. Some songs may include mature themes or emotional intensity that require framing or adaptation.

Here are some songs you might try:

“Ballad of the Alamo” by Marty Robbins

This song tells the story of around 180 Texans, including famous figures such as Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, who held off a Mexican army of thousands for thirteen days in 1836.

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot

Shortly after the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian singer-songwriter, wrote this song to commemorate the sinking which took all 29 crew members with it. The song mourns the loss of the crew and the tragedy of the ship’s sinking.

“The Ballad of Casey Jones”

Casey Jones was an American railroader who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad. “The Ballad of Casey Jones“ tells the story of how he was killed on April 30, 1900, when his train collided with a stalled freight train. The song was written in 1909, so it is now in the public domain.

Here are more sequencing with songs that teach about historical events you might try:

“The Ballad of Davy Crockett” by Tennessee Ernie Ford
“The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton
“Midnight Ride” by Paul Revere and the Raiders
“The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key (the story of the War of 1812)
“Abraham, Martin, and John” by Dick Holler (This song connects the murders of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy.)

Sequencing Biographical Songs

Several songwriters have written songs that tell about their personal lives. Here are a few.

Note:

“Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton

This song tells the story of Dolly’s childhood growing up in poverty in rural Tennessee. The children in school teased Dolly about her coat, which was made from scraps of colorful fabric, but Dolly was proud of her coat because her mother made it with love and care.

More sequencing with songs to try:

Coal Miner’s Daughter by Loretta Lynn
Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg

Songs That Tell a Story

This genre has many, many songs. Below are some that are classroom appropriate that students will enjoy.

“Love Story” is a song by Taylor Swift

It tells the story of a young couple who fall in love despite their families’ objections.

“All-American Girl” by Carrie Underwood

This song tells the story of a father who dreams of having a baby boy. The song describes the couple’s excitement and anticipation as they prepare for the arrival of their child. When a daughter is born, the father’s dreams change, and he grows to love his little girl.

“Billy Don’t Be a Hero” by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods

It tells the story of a young man named Billy who decides to enlist in the army during the Civil War.

More sequencing with songs to try:

- Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood (2005)
- Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood (2007)
- Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) by Taylor Swift
- Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin (1974)
- Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis (2002)
- Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers (1964)
- Boulevard of Broken Dream by Green Day (2004)
- In the Ghetto by Elvis Presley (1969)
- The Coward of the County by Kenny Rogers (1979)
- Wildfire by Michael Martin Murphey (1975)
- Phantom 309 by Red Sovine (1967)Operator by Jim Croce (1972)
- Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys (1964)
- Ol’ Red by Blake Shelton (2001)
- Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks (1990)
- Baby Girl by Sugarland (2004)
- The Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las (1965)
- The Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry (1967)
- He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones (1980)
- Honey by Bobby Goldsboro
- A Day in the Life by The Beatles (1967)
- Rocky Mountain High by John Denver (1975)