Oct 07
Want to wake up your students and get them talking? Try teaching compare and contrast with songs. Music is a powerful tool – not just for teaching figurative language, but for helping students analyze structure, tone, and theme. This lesson uses popular songs to help students compare messages, moods, and meanings in a way that’s …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4109
Feb 23
Music has a way of telling stories, and many songs highlight challenges and the solutions that follow. In this post, we’ll explore songs your students can analyze for the problem-and-solution text structure, making reading skills both fun and memorable. A special thank-you goes out to Nancy Davis’s middle school music class, whose thoughtful song suggestions …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4146
Feb 16
Cause and effect is one of the trickier text structures to teach, but songs make it stick. This post is part of my series on using music to teach text structures. While finding songs that clearly show cause-and-effect relationships took some digging, the results are worth it. From heartfelt ballads to humorous camp letters, these …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4105
Feb 09
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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=4130
Oct 31
Understanding cause-and-effect relationships is an essential skill for students, as it helps them grasp how events are interconnected and how one event can lead to another. This post shows effective ways to teach cause and effect with clear examples and activities. Included is a video lesson that demonstrates these concepts in action. Below, you’ll find …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=526
Oct 07
Understanding how to identify similarities and differences is crucial for students, as it helps them organize and process information more effectively. In this post, I explain four graphic organizers to compare and contrast various elements in reading and writing. I’ve also included a video lesson demonstrating the use of these organizers with a fun and …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=3563
Apr 22
Double negatives have a way of creeping into everyday speech—and even more so into the music students love. That’s what makes them the perfect grammar target: tricky enough to challenge learners, but familiar enough to spark curiosity. Even better? You can turn their favorite songs into your secret weapon for teaching it. In this post, …
Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=1037
