Songs of Our Lives: Using Lyrics to Write Stories

Materials and Technology

Student Interactives

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon by Dorren Rappaport (Hyperion, 2004)
  
• Book making/binding supplies (as well as heavy-weight paper/cardstock for book pages)
• Art supplies for book making

back to top

 

STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   3 – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Organizing & Summarizing

Graphic Map

The Graphic Map assists teachers and students in reading and writing activities by charting the high and low points related to a particular item or group of items, such as events during a day or chapters in a book.

 

Grades   K – 8  |  Student Interactive  |  Writing & Publishing Prose

Book Cover Creator

The Book Cover Creator is designed to allow users to type and illustrate front book covers, front and back covers, and full dust jackets. Students can use the tool to create new covers for books that they read as well as to create covers for books they write individually or as a class.

 

back to top

 

PRINTOUTS

• Three Ways to Bind a Handmade Book
• Editing Checklist for Self- and Peer Editing
• Self-Reflection questions
• Essay Rubric
• Qualities of Good Storytelling
• Song Lyrics Notes

 

back to top

 

WEBSITES

• Doreen Rappaport-John’s Secret Dreams
  

  This site provides information on the author, Doreen Rappaport, as well as a learning guide for the book.

• John Lennon
  

  The official John Lennon website, courtesy of Yoko Ono, features the latest news, downloads, videos, and more.

• Song Lyrics.com
  

  This searchable, browsable free song lyrics archive allows the user to search for the lyrics to songs from a variety of artists, albums, and genres.

back to top

 

PREPARATION

1. Locate a copy of John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon (Hyperion, 2004) from your classroom collection, a bookstore, or your local library.  Review the book and the uses of Lennon’s song lyrics throughout.
2. Acquire the supplies necessary to make a classroom book.  These may include heavy-weight paper, binding materials, and other art supplies needed for the front and back cover.
3. Make enough copies of the following for each student:
   • Three Ways to Bind a Handmade Book
   • Editing Checklist for Self- and Peer Editing
   • Self-Reflection questions
   • Essay Rubric
   • Qualities of Good Storytelling
   • Song Lyrics Notes
4. Test the Graphic Map interactive and Book Cover Creator tools and familiarize yourself with the content and layout. Ensure that you have the proper Flash plug-ins installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

 

back to top