Integrating Music and Songs Into PBL

When you think of the United States’ Civil Rights Movement, do you think of hits like “Roar,” by Katy Perry, “Shake It Off,” by Taylor Swift, or “Defying Gravity,” from the Broadway musical Wicked? Likely not, but these were the songs that my students used to analyze key events, people, and places during the Civil Rights Movement. As educators, we continuously seek engaging and innovative ways to bridge the gap between students’ experiences and our curriculum, and one of the most versatile and accessible tools in achieving this connection is music.

When integrated into project-based learning (PBL), music can personalize previously distant content, provide scaffolding, and encourage students to take ownership of their voices. 

Why Music Belongs in Learning

Music is universal. Every student in our classroom has a relationship with music. They may have a favorite song, a family anthem, or a study playlist. While other learning materials may feel abstract, music is comfortable and familiar. In addition, music crosses languages, learning disabilities, and socioeconomic statuses. This makes music a culturally responsive tool that allows students to bring their identities and perspectives into the learning environment. When I use music in the classroom, it results in my highest levels of student engagement. For example, I love the original songs that my students create when arguing for or against prohibition during the Roaring Twenties.

Music also tells a story. Music adds a dimension to the narrative of life, allowing for easy connection between students and the content they are studying. Lyrics, rhythms, instrumentation, and music videos all cultivate human emotions that textbooks simply cannot. Students can analyze song lyrics as primary sources investigating the social, political, and cultural contexts in which they were written. For example, my world history students examine the traditional British folk song from World War I, “Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire,” which uses sarcasm to expose the hypocrisy of trench warfare. Students then research a United States Vietnam-era song, comparing and contrasting the social contexts in which the songs were created.

Music fosters civic engagement. Throughout history, music has been a vessel for activism. “Strange Fruit,” recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939, hauntingly articulates the brutality of lynching, drawing attention to the heinous reality of a Jim Crow America. Studying and creating music allows students to see how artists have shaped and responded to civic movements, helping them understand their own potential role as trailblazers.

Students can compose original songs, lyrics, and raps from the perspectives of historical or fictional characters. For example, students in my world history class create epic raps embodying the complexities of the French Revolution. They create these music pieces from the perspective of Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, Maximilien Robespierre, or the common people of Paris. The students face off in the “rap battle” to see who will reign supreme in the French Revolution.

Civic engagement is not limited to the past. Students can use music as a way to connect classroom learning with real-world audiences about important issues. For example, government students could collaborate with local politicians to create a set list for a community rally on voter registration. Lastly, music can be used to highlight diversity within a community. World cultures students can promote a cultural heritage night, where families bring music that reflects their traditions. Students could serve as hosts, giving historical and cultural context for each piece and building cross-cultural understanding.

Civil Rights Playlist

Every year, I am continually impressed by my students’ outstanding PBL Civil Rights Playlist. This project invites students on a virtual road trip through the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. First, I provide students a list, and they select five major events, people, or places. The list includes topics such as the March on Washington, the Little Rock Nine, the lynching of Emmett Till, the Freedom Riders, and the Delano grape strike in California.

Then, students thoroughly research each event using informational texts, primary sources, and other resources linked in our learning platform. Finally, students pair each with a modern-day song that reflects the movement’s themes. The songs often reflect themes of change, empowerment, and struggle.

I encourage my students to be creative. There is no singular answer or correct song choice, so students may select any song, as long as the connection that they foster promotes a deeper understanding of that civil rights event. They are not permitted to select songs that degrade or make fun of the topic. One challenge is that some students select songs with profanity, so I request that they use a clean version if available.

Students create a Google Slide show where they include an image of the topic, the date, the location, and a link to the song. The bulk of the slide contains a written explanation consisting of a summary of the original song, the historical background of the topic, and how the music or lyrics reflect the spirit of the issue. This reaches the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy, as students analyze Civil Rights Movement events, evaluate modern-day music, and create a unique playlist that showcases their personal perspective.

Finally, students design a playlist cover that visually represents their journey, uniting the historical and musical components into a cohesive product. Some of my favorite connections include comparing Rosa Parks’s courageous refusal to give up her bus seat to Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song,” or comparing the Greensboro Four’s heroic lunch counter sit-ins to Eminem’s “Not Afraid.”

Overall, incorporating music into PBL is both easy and valuable. Students are able to build meaningful connections between challenging topics and familiar songs. In addition, each student’s personality and experience truly shines through.