Hey, fellow Halloween fans! It’s that time of year at the SONG ACTIVITY FACTORY, and I’ve got some spooktacular stuff brewing.
If you love using songs to teach English, you’re in for a treat. Here you’ll find loads of creative ideas and resources to make your English teaching more fun and musical.
In this special Halloween edition of Video Match, I’ve rounded up some delightfully creepy songs to add a fun twist to your lessons! So, grab a pumpkin latte, get comfy, and let’s dive into the musical side of English teaching. Enjoy the magic! XD
Description:
This song-based STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN for ENGLISH language TEACHING features the lyrics extracts for several Halloween Songs by various artists. Students FORM WORDS from the word “Halloween”, MATCH videos and song extracts, explain their choices, WRITE a short narrative connecting the videos and using words from the lyrics,
OBS: This lesson plan was made for ONLINE TEACHING, but it can be modified for face-to-face instruction, as well.
Language level: B1+B2 Learner type: All ages Skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing Topic: Halloween Materials: YouTube videos, genial.ly presentation Duration: about an hour Downloadable materials: INSTRUCTIONS.PDF
Check out the video version of this ELT song-based lesson plan:
STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN
PART 1 – Warm-up + Video Match
Step 1 (7 min)
Challenge your students to see How many words they can form from HALLOWEEN! Give them 2 – 3 min to see who can find more!
RULES:
- The minimum is three-letter words. Example: the word NO is not acceptable because it only has 2 letters.
- The word NONE is not acceptable because it uses two letters N, and Halloween has only one letter N.
HALLOWEEN (Here are some words I found myself!)
Hello, One, Owe, Won, Hall, Halo, Low, All, Hole, Whole, New, Now, When, Who, How, Hen, Alone, Well, Wall, Hell, Wane, Allow, Own, Ale, Lane, Law, Wheel, Eel, heel
TIP: Make it a friendly competition, as students often enjoy a little challenge. You can offer small rewards or recognition for the students who find the most words.
SUGGESTION: Encourage students to work in pairs or groups, so they can help each other discover more words. It’s also an excellent opportunity for them to discuss and justify their choices.
Step 2 (10 min)
Slide 01. Tell your students they are going to work with videos and song extracts. Have students describe the videos.
TIP: Tell students to focus on details like the setting, characters, and actions in the videos. It’s essential for them to develop their observation skills.
SUGGESTION: After watching the videos, ask students to write down their observations and share them with the class. This can promote discussion and different perspectives.
Step 3 (10 min)
Slide 01. Video match.
Tell them to imagine they are video editors and their task is to choose 3 different songs for three videos. This part is to be done individually.
Play each song 2 or 3 times, and give them time to make their choices.
TIP: Emphasize that there’s no right or wrong choice. Their goal is to connect the song with a video based on their interpretation and emotions.
SUGGESTION: Encourage them to listen actively, paying attention to lyrics, rhythm, and mood. This can help them make informed decisions.
Step 4 (10 min)
Explaining their choices. Pair work (breakout rooms):
In pairs, students share their choices and their reasons. After some time, have the pairs share their differences in the main room.
TIP: Foster a collaborative environment. Ask students to discuss why they chose certain songs for specific videos. This not only enhances their critical thinking but also their communication skills.
SUGGESTION: To promote peer learning, you can also organize a small debate where students defend their choices and try to convince others.
PART 2 – Video Narrative
Step 5 (10 – 15 min)
Lyrics and writing a short narrative.
Slide 02. Have students read the lyrics of the three song extracts. Help them with the vocabulary.
Divide the class into trios (breakout rooms). Now, students are going to write a short narrative which connects the three videos, in any order they want. They must also use words and sentences from the song extracts in their narrative (slide 2). Give them 10 – 15 min to do that.
TIP: Tell students to use their creativity to connect the videos through a storyline. Encourage them to incorporate elements from the songs and maintain a logical flow.
SUGGESTION: Provide vocabulary assistance and guide them to use the words and sentences from the song extracts effectively. This can be a chance to expand their vocabulary.
Step 6 (10 min)
The groups read their narratives. Have a vote on the most interesting, creative, funniest, etc.
TIP: Make sure to create a safe and inclusive environment where all narratives are respected. Emphasize the value of creativity over perfection.
SUGGESTION: Instead of declaring a single winner, you can have categories for different aspects of creativity: the most imaginative, the funniest, the most suspenseful, etc.
Step 7 (5 min)
Ask students to say which song they thought was the scariest and why.
You can play all songs if you have time.
Song 01 – Painted Smile LINK
Song 02 – They’re coming to take me away LINK
Song 03 – Slendy’s lullaby LINK
Song 04 – Cannibal – Kesha LINK
TIP: Explain that “scary” can vary from person to person. Encourage students to think about what elements in a song or its lyrics make them feel scared.
SUGGESTION: You can create a simple rating system or poll to determine which song received the most votes for being the scariest. This can be a fun and engaging way to conclude the lesson.
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!
EXPLORE MORE SONG ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR ENGLISH TEACHING HERE
That’s it for this week! I hope this activity is helpful and enjoyable!
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Happy teaching!
