Hey there, fellow educators! Ever thought about making your English classes more exciting? Well, I’ve got something special for you – the ‘CHILDREN OF THE SKY – IMAGINE DRAGONS‘ song-based lesson plan. It’s like embarking on an adventure, and it’s designed just for you!
What makes this lesson plan innovative is how we’ve taken the song’s lyrics and turned them into a captivating STORY. Your students won’t just learn English; they’ll be hooked from start to finish with this video story. They get to practice their READING SKILLS as they follow along – it’s like a double win!
But there’s more! I’ve sprinkled in some CRITICAL THINKING and CREATIVITY. Through engaging discussions and questions, your students won’t just practice SPEAKING; they’ll also exercise their brains as they guess what’s next in the story.
So, are you ready to join us on this exciting journey? With ‘Children of the Sky – Imagine Dragons,’ learning English becomes an epic experience. Your classroom will be filled with music and magic as your teaching reaches new heights. Give it a go, and watch your students’ faces light up with joy and understanding!
DESCRIPTION:
This song-based lesson plan, centered around Imagine Dragons‘ “Children of the Sky,” guides students through key activities. They WATCH a vocabulary video, CRAFT sentences using new words, ENGAGE with the video story chapters, LISTEN to the song, SHARE impressions, WATCH the lyrics video, DISCUSS questions in pairs, and IMAGINE the official music video. A comprehensive learning journey enhancing reading, listening, speaking, and creative thinking skills.
Language level: B1 Learner type: All ages Skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing Topic: Chasing Dreams and Friendship Materials: genially presentation with youtube videos Duration: around 60 min Downloadable materials: Instructions.pdf
OBJECTIVES OF THIS LESSON PLAN: - Cultivate vocabulary skills through engaging imagery and sentence creation. - Foster critical thinking and discussion abilities with a multi-chapter song-story experience. - Develop listening comprehension, interpretation, and connection skills by analyzing song lyrics in the context of the narrative.
Welcome to the Song Activity Factory! Here, we follow the rules of The Creative Jedi Code:
STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN
Step 1 (5 min)
On Slide 1 of the Genially presentation LINK, tell your students they will be working with a story connected to a song. But before diving into the story, they’ll watch a video to learn some new words that will help them understand it better.
Step 2 (10 min)
Move to Slide 2 in the presentation. Ask students to make sentences about the pictures using the new words they just learned from the video. They can either read these sentences out loud or type them in the chat box if you’re teaching online.
Step 3 (10 – 15 min)
Now, go to Slide 3. Explain to your students that they’re going to watch the story in the song’s video. Start with Chapter 1, but pause the video just before Chapter 2 begins to ask some questions. Then, continue the video, and pause it again before the next chapter for more questions. Keep repeating these steps until you finish Chapter 5. The entire song story video lasts for 4 minutes and 39 seconds.
“Chasing Dreams in the Sky”
[Chapter 1: Dreaming Together]
[Scene: A small town in the countryside. Four close friends - Alex, Sarah, Michael, and Emily - sit on a grassy hillside overlooking the town. The sun sets, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. They gaze up at the stars, filled with wonder.] Narrator (V.O.): Our story begins in a small town, where a group of friends share big dreams. They want to reach for the stars and promise to do it together. Alex points at a particular bright star in the sky and says, "You see that star, guys? That one right there, it's our ticket to a grand adventure." Sarah asks, "Adventure? What are you talking about, Alex?" Michael chimes in, "Yeah, are we going to space or something?" Alex smiles, his eyes shining with excitement, "Well, not exactly space, but we're going to make our dreams come true. We've all talked about it. We want to do something big with our lives, right?" Emily nods enthusiastically, "Absolutely! I've always dreamed of traveling, exploring new places, and meeting interesting people." Sarah adds, "And I want to make a real difference in the world, leave my mark." Michael agrees, "Count me in too! Let's chase our dreams together." Alex pulls out a notebook and starts jotting down ideas, "Okay, so let's make a pact. We'll support each other, no matter what. We'll work hard and never give up." Emily suggests, "And we'll always remember this moment, under the starry sky, where our journey began." They all put their hands together, forming a tight circle, and Alex says, "Friends forever?" In unison, they all respond, "Friends forever!" As they make their pact, the stars seem to shine even brighter, symbolizing the beginning of their shared dreams and adventures.
Teacher pauses the video and asks the questions below:
Factual Questions: 1) Where does Chapter 1 take place? (In a small town in the countryside.) 2) What did Alex say about the bright star in the sky? (He said it's their ticket to a grand adventure.) Speculation Questions: 3) Why did the friends meet on the hillside at sunset? (Answers may vary, but they met to discuss their dreams and make a pact.) 4) What do you think the friends mean by "reaching for the stars"? (Answers may vary, but it likely means pursuing their dreams and ambitions.) Opinion Questions: 5) Why is it good for friends to help each other with their dreams, in your opinion? (Answers may vary, but it's good because friends can provide support and encouragement.) 6) What do you believe the friends' pact under the starry sky represents? (Answers may vary, but it likely represents their commitment to pursuing their dreams together.) Prediction Questions for the Next Chapter: 7) What do you think will happen to the friends next? (Answers will vary based on students' predictions.) 8) How do you think their adventures will continue in the story? (Answers will vary based on students' predictions.)
SEE script and questions for Chapters 2 – 5 in the instructions.pdf
Step 4 (5- 7 min)
Now, on Slide 4, remind your students that the story they just read is based on a song. Play only the audio of the song for them to listen to. While they listen, ask them to jot down any words or expressions that they think relate to the story. After listening, have the students share their first impressions and discuss how they think the song connects to the story.
Step 5 (10 min)
Next, move to Slide 5 and play the lyrics video so that students can follow the lyrics while listening to the song. Then, divide them into pairs in breakout rooms. They should discuss the questions provided. After some time, bring them back to the main group and have each pair report on their answers. Finally, engage in a brief group discussion.
1. How do the lyrics of the song “Children Of The Sky” relate to the story “Chasing Dreams in the Sky”? Are there any common themes or messages?
2. The song mentions “Destiny’s calling me.” How does this line connect to the friends’ journey in the story?
3. In the song, there’s a line that says, “We’re children of the sky guided by the light.” How does this line resonate with the friends’ aspirations and experiences in the story?
Step 6 (5- 7 min)
For the last step, ask the students to imagine what the official music video for this song might be like. After they’ve shared their thoughts, play the official music video for them. Encourage them to comment on it and discuss their impressions to conclude the activity.
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This song-based lesson plan is sure to spice up your classes! However, would you like to think, feel and act more creatively on your own to be able to turn ANY song you want into an engaging lesson plan?
HERE are TIME-SAVING ideas that do the heavy work so you can focus on the most important: INSPIRING and MOTIVATING YOUR STUDENTS to learn CREATIVELY!
KNOW MORE IDEAS FOR ENGLISH ACTIVITIES WITH SONGS HERE
That’s it for this week! I hope this activity is helpful and enjoyable!
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Happy teaching!
