Music: Exploring Broadway: Musicals & Soundtracks

Note: Although I'm using this idea while teaching children, I think any age group can appreciate musicals!

Kids love music and stories, so why not mix both together with a Broadway musical or other kind of soundtrack (eg. Disney)? You can go with the familiar and bring in a "Lion King" soundtrack, or try something new with "Mary Poppins" or "Sound of Music." If you have a favorite musical yourself (I love "Ragtime"), you could introduce it to your students if you feel that it is age-appropriate.

Go through the songs in the order of appearance in the musical, taking a look at 2 or 3 songs a day as the story unfolds over the course of several days or even weeks. If you're lucky, the students will become interested in the characters and storyline and will be excited to come to class to hear what happens next!

One idea for a lesson plan is to first read the lyrics of the song and discuss those lyrics (discuss tricky expressions, play a game with the words, talk about what the character might be feeling or if we've ever experienced it, etc). Then listen to the music and hear the words from the page come to life! After you've finished the album, perhaps you could find the movie (such as with "Lion King" or "Mary Poppins") and watch it together with popcorn as a special treat.

Have fun!
Colleen, Seoul Korea.