Issue #14 - June 3, 2025.

Hi there, .

What if students could score their learning—like a movie?

This week’s strategy, Soundtrack My Learning, invites students to reflect on what they’ve learned by choosing (or composing) music that captures the mood, tone, or meaning of a topic, character, process, or event.

It’s surprisingly deep, wildly creative, and works for everything from history units to math problem-solving. 

This Week's Strategy: Soundtrack My Learning

1. Choose Your Focus
   Have students select a topic they’ve explored: a historical figure, scientific process, character, theme, math concept—anything.

2. Assign the Soundtrack
   Students pick 1–3 songs (or sounds) that represent their learning. They should consider tempo, tone, lyrics, instruments, and mood.

3. Justify the Choices
   Here’s the key: students must explain why each track fits. What emotion or idea does the song capture? What specific moment or step is it connected to?

4. Share & Discuss
   Students present their playlists or sound bites to peers—either live, through a gallery walk, or as a digital share. Invite discussion and comparisons.

Alternatives:

🔁 Use sound effects instead of full songs (great for younger learners or limited tech).

🧠 Make it a reflection tool: “What’s your learning theme song this week—and why?”

📱 Try platforms like Padlet or Canva to build collaborative class playlists.

Ways to Make Connections:

You can use this strategy to enhance:

• ELA – Score a character’s journey or theme in a novel.

• Social Studies – Choose tracks for major historical events or eras (“Soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement”).

• Science – Represent a process (like metamorphosis or photosynthesis) using music that matches the phases.

• Math – Pair different operations or problem-solving steps with musical moods (e.g., tension during problem setup, resolution at solution).

• Visual Arts – Set a curated soundtrack for an artwork, artist, or movement.

• Music – Remix a learning concept into an original beat or explore sound design to build atmosphere.

Happy creating and connecting,

Susan

Psst...if you find these strategies useful, you'll love what's being shared at this year's National Arts Integration and STEAM Conference. Tickets close in 1 week!