Music with Donna Tatum-Johns

I think this might be my first time seeing Donna present, because she is usually presenting the newbie track.  I love using music in the classroom, so I was excited to get some new ideas for how to use music in my class.

These activities are related to the French song: Je veux by Zaz

Before the song:

• Donna brings a bunch of random things to class, including some bags of candy.  She starts with a bag of Hershey's Kisses and asks a student, "Tu en veux?" (Do you want some?)  The student of course says yes, so she asks how many?  Then, she'll say, Joe en veux 10 (Joe wants 10 of them).  She gives Joe the ten kisses and moves on to another kid.  She pulls out something random, like paper clips, and asks the next student, "Do you want some?"  Of course, s/he will probably say no, and Donna replies with "Tu n'en veux pas?" (You don't want any?)  This continues with most students getting good things and the Target student always getting offered random things.  
• Then, she has students write something that they want to be happy on a post-it note.  She takes the notes and reads it "Someone in the class wants ____" and puts it on the board strategically so that monetary things are on one side and non-monetary are on the other.  During this activity, she is asking PQA and checking in for comprehension.
• Finally, she hands out her song sheet which includes the French (maybe with cloze and maybe not) and the English translation and they listen to the song.  She tells the students they are NOT allowed to sing, only gesture at the appropriate time (could be the whole song, a single verse, or the refrain).  Of course, eventually the kids can't help it and will start singing along.

Donna talked about using a song to enhance a storyline, using a line from a song as dialogue.  I've done this before with Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel (Don't leave me), but Donna's example was Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkle.

You can also use a song as a movie talk, particularly if the video follows a story.  I have done this with Nantes by Renan Luce and Je Suis Jalouse by Emily Loizeau.  I plan to do more of this in the future.

Donna also tries to find thematic songs to go along with the novels, for example using Comme des Enfants by Coeur de Pirate during Les Pirates by Mira Canion because not only does the singer have the word Pirate in her name, but the song is about a love triangle not unlike the love triangle in the novel.  

She loves to find the songs other places, like finding Je ne regrette rien by Edith Piaf in Madagascar 3, which she also uses at the end of Pirates.  She then has the students write an essay about which song better reflects the themes of the book and why.  LOVE THIS!!!!  Prepares students for IB-type questions without feeling overwhelming.

Great stuff here!