This town is great

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Writing

"CHICAGO", originally performed by Frank Sinatra, is about the city and its qualities. It's a great opportunity for students to reflect on the qualities of their own city and what makes it a special place. Simple task: First, students engage into a brief discussion about the city and after that, they listen to the song and identify the qualities the author thinks the city has. In the end, students write about the qualities of a city they like.

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Are you an optimist?

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Reflection & Discussion


Short and simple activity: The song "BEAUTIFUL LIFE"  by Ace of Base gives students the opportunity to reflect whether they are optimistic or pessimistic about life. First, they discuss and share what they think and why. Then, they listen to the song and identify elements that represent being optimistic about life. Finally, they engage into a discussion about their attitude towards life in general.

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Can I marry your daughter?

Age: Teens and Adults
Focus: First Conditionals

The activity proposed here is for the song "RUDE" by Magic. Although the song doesn't have the first conditional, it can be used for that purpose, so you can show students the slide with the lyrics but you don't necessarily need photocopies.

TEENS 

First, students fill in speech bubbles in pictures taped to the wall. Then, they are assigned a role in a group of three.

Student 1: The boyfriend
Student 2: The girlfriend (or the girl's mother)
Student 3: The father

Assuming students have been exposed to the first conditional and practiced for some weeks, in groups of three, they engage in a conversation in which the boyfriend asks his girlfriend's father to marry her. In case the girls in class don't feel comfortable playing the girlfriend, they can play the girl's mother.

The boyfriend is supposed to use the first conditional in the conversation and convince the girl's father (or mother) that their marriage will work out.  IF YOU GIVE ME YOUR PERMISSION, WE WILL… / IF WE DON'T GET MARRIED, WE WILL… etc. (The same with the adults below)

ADULTS

First, male married students share with everyone how they proposed to their wives and female married students share how their husbands proposed to them. Then, they are assigned a role and engage in the same conversation proposed above.

NOTE: For both age groups, teacher monitors students and provides them with vocabulary and feedback.

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Hazard - Creative Writing

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Creative Writing

The activity below has also been designed for the song "HAZARD" by Richard Marx. First, students work on a word search task. Then, they listen to the song and fill in the blanks with the simple past form of the verbs given. FInally, they create a story using the verbs suggested. 

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Super Women

Age: Adults
Focus: Reflection and Discussion/ Simple Present (Routines)

The activity that follows has been designed for the song "SUPER WOMAN". Unlike other activities from the wiki, two songs sung by two different performers are used in this one. Because they coincidently have the same title and, of course, are about strong women, we decided to put the two together in one single activity. First, students list and share in pairs what qualities a woman must have to be a super woman. Then, they listen to the song and compare the two. After that, they have to say which of the two women portrayed in the songs is a real super woman and why. This activity is super simple for there is no writing but some reflection on the message presented in the song and some speaking practice. 

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In case you choose to work with Alicia Key's version only, here is our suggestion for an activity. 

Family Issues

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Reflection and Discussion / Modals of Speculation

The activity below has been designed for the song "FAMILY PORTRAIT" by Pink. It's suitable for a group of older teens or an adult group. First, students speculate about what the singer was like as a child  and her family based on a picture. Students are supposed to use modals of speculation (I think she may have been rebellious), although they might use Would/Used To (I think she used to be funny and talkative) or Simple Past (I think she used bad language). After they discuss, they will listen to the song and find in the lyrics information that describes her family and how she feels. In the end, students say what they think they would do in her shoes. 

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Hazard - Narrative Writing & Trial

The two last activities proposed for the song HAZARD are the ones that follow. I hope you like them. I'd be glad to know what you think, so leave a comment.


HAZARD (OPTIONS 6)

NARRATIVE WRITING

Here, students will first reflect and discuss about a few questions provided by the teacher. Then, they will watch the video of the song and finally engage into a writing task, in which they will narrate what happened. They will write an introduction, a body and a conclusion. In the end, students read their narratives to their peers. Here is an opportunity for them to use their writing skills and also their imagination since they are to come up with an ending for the story.

HAZARD (OPTION 7)

 TRIAL

Students are arranged in two groups. Then, based on the video, they reflect and discuss in order to find evidence for determining whether the man is innocent or guilty of the crime he's being accused of.

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Hazard - Tic Tac Toe

Age: Teens & Adults

Focus: Simple Past & Passive Voice

HAZARD (OPTION 5)

Another possible activity for the song "HAZARD" by Richard Marx is Tic Tac Toe. There are also a few other tasks to be performed. However, they don't have to be done ALL TOGETHER. They're just suggestions. Choose whatever you think is appropriate for your group. The focus here is the Passive Voice, so first students look at some pictures and discuss what the items can be used for. After that, they listen to the song/watch the video and underline the verbs in the past. Then, they play Tic Tac Toe by answering questions about the song/video. When they finish, they work on an activity in which they will practice the passive voice and finally, they write a short piece of news using the Simple Past and the Passive Voice. 

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We are more beautiful than we think

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Reflection & Discussion

The activity below has been designed for the song "BEAUTIFUL" by Christina Aguilera. First, students describe themselves to the person sitting next to them and then they listen to their partner's description. After that, they watch a TV commercial by Dove and say what aspect of the video they found interesting. Then, they listen to the song and find 10 vocabulary mistakes. Finally, they engage into a discussion about beauty. 

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What did the author mean?

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Modas Of Speculation


The activity below has been designed for the song "APRIL COME SHE WILL" by Paul Simon. First, students talk about their favorite season of the year. Then, they listen to the song and fill in some blanks. After that, they speculate what the author meant when he wrote the song. 

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Hazard - Rhyming

HAZARD   (OPTION 4)

Another possible activity for the song "HAZARD" by Richard Marx is Rhyming. First of all, students will have some minutes to guess what the song is about by choosing from 3 options in 5 different items.  Then, they listen to the song and fill in the blanks with words that rhyme other words in the song. After that, they discuss what they think happened.

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Hazard - Wondering what may have happened

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Modals os Speculation


HAZARD (OPTION 3)

The activity below has also been designed for the song "HAZARD" by Richard Marx. First, students discuss what they would do if they were wrongly accused of a crime. Then, they watch the video of the song, which is about a man who is accused of a crime. Finally, they come up with sentences using Modals of Speculation.

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Living in the Ghetto

Age: Teens & Adults

Focus: If Clauses

The activity below has been designed for the song "IN THE GHETTO" by Elvis Presley. First, students guess what the song is about based on five words given. Then, they listen to the song and identify the difficulties of living in the ghetto. After that, they put some sentences in a chronological order. Finally, a quick review on Conditional Sentences is provided, so students practice it by writing a few sentences based on the song.

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Hazard - Find 10 Mistakes

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Synonyms & Opposites


HAZARD  (OPTION 2)

The activity below has been designed for the song "HAZARD" by Richard Marx. First, students guess what the song is about by reading a quote taken from the song. Then, they listen to the song and find ten mistakes. After that, they discuss whether they were right or wrong about their guessing.

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Relative Clauses

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Relative Clauses

The activity below has been designed for the song "I'M BLUE" by Eiffel 65. After having practiced the structure consistently, students work on a puzzle. Then, they listen to the song and underline the relative clauses. Finally, they write relative clauses about themselves.

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Hazard - Bingo

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Vocabulary


HAZARD ( OPTION 1)

The activity below has been designed for the song "HAZARD" by Richard Marx. First, students guess what the song is about based on a list of words given. Then, they choose 9 words from the list and write them on a BINGO grid. After that, they listen to the song and check the words they hear. Finally, they read the lyrics and check whether their guessing was right or not. (Only then will the video be used.)

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Wishes & Regrets

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: I Wish.../I regret...



The activity below has been designed for the song "NOBODY IS PERFECT" by Jessie J. After practicing the structure I wish… / I regret… , students start the activity by recollecting and sharing a few of their own regrets. Then, the teacher shows them the Top 5 I wish List. After that, they listen to the song and find out what the author regrets and discuss whether they related to that. Finally students engage into a discussion on people's flaws and indiscretions and the consequences of their actions.

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Describing Clothes

Age: Teens and Adults
Fucus: Adjectives for Clothes


The activity below has been designed for the song "THE ONLY THING THAT LOOKS GOOD ON ME IS YOU" by Brian Adams. First, students are introduced to vocabulary used to describe clothes. Then, they watch the video and write as many phrases as possible using the words learned. Finally, students describe their favorite outfit.

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Prejudice

Age: Teens & Adults
Focus: Reflection & Discussion


The song below has been designed for the song "YOU'LL BE IN MY HEART" by Phil Collins. First students have a little discussion about cartoons and whether it is possible to learn a lesson from them. Then, they listen to the song and guess what the song is about. Finally, they engage into a discussion on prejudice. 

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Used To

Age: Teens and Adults

Focus: Would & Used to

The activity below has been designed for the song "THE USED TO SONG" by Daughtry. After practicing the grammar point for a few classes, students list three things they did in the past and now they don't. Then, they share their lists in pairs. After that, they listen to the song and identify what the author did in the past and now he doesn't. In the end, they engage into a discussion about the things they liked doing but now they don't and why they stopped doing them. As a wrap up, they write about it.

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