Music has arguably impacted every person on the planet. Most people have their own favorite singers or composers who have profoundly influenced or touched them. According to a 2003 Gallup poll, 97 percent of respondents said that playing music is a good hobby. Music and songs in the classroom have a litany of benefits for students, including helping them overcome language difficulties, understand themes and topics better, and discover new vocabulary. Utilizing songs in the classroom requires close analysis and full participation from students and teachers

Have your students perform a focusing activity to get them thinking about the song's subject. For example, they could listen to the song and spend a few minutes trying to figure out the song's meaning. Let them think about the song's title and the connection to its subject. Use an item linked to the song, such as a picture, and have them make further connections between the two. This teaches them how to analyze things, a crucial ability in life.

Put specific words from the song on a board. Split up students into pairs and have them figure out the definitions and how they connect to the song. Consider having them create another story using those words. Allow your students to unlock their creative potential and see what they can come up with.

Take the creative aspect of the lesson to another level by organizing a class idol show. Have your students come up and lip-sync the song's words while it plays in the background. This helps acclimate them to the song's rhythm and intonation. Have them sing out the words for real afterwards.

Cut a copy of the song's lyrics into paper strips and give one strip to each student. Organize a game where they walk around the classroom, telling other students their part of the song without showing it. Have them try to organize the strips into the correct order. This promotes teamwork, since all students have to work together to properly sequence the song's lyrics.