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What: Every day at the end of class, students will be given five minutes to write down in their own words something new they learned in class that day. This could be recorded in a notebook, or on slips of paper that are turned into the teacher on their way out the door.

Why: This gives students an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned about in class and also restate what they learned in their own words. This strategy will also help students better remember what they have learned in class. If these answers are recorded in a journal, students can also reference these notes throughout the class.

How: Every day at the end of class, the whole class will individually answer the prompt, "What did you learn in class today?" or "What is something interesting you learned in class today that you would share with your friends or family?" in a journal.

Relate: I think this strategy would be most helpful in a middle or high school general music classroom. For example, during a unit on music from different cultures, a student may journal about a specific culture they learned about that day, or talk about a song they found interesting from class. This could also sometimes be used in a choir or band setting to help students reflect on how they improved that day in class.

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What: Students will discuss a topic with a partner for a few minutes, then they will paraphrase what their partner talked about.

Why: This strategy allows students to engage in discussion with each other and also allows them to practice writing. Instead of having students journal their own thoughts, students have to listen carefully to what their peers are saying and practice paraphrasing. Students will probably not remember exactly what their partner said, so they will have to do their best to jot down the main points their partner was making. Students can also practice taking notes while their partner is speaking.

How: During or before a lesson, the teacher will have students partner up in groups of two or three. They will be given a topic of discussion and all students in a group will discuss their opinions about the question for two to five minutes. After time for discussion has elapsed, students will individually write down what one of their peers talked about for about five minutes.

Relate: This strategy would be a good activity after a teacher plays a song or several different songs. The teacher would have the students discuss what their favorite song was and why, or what they thought about the song in general. In a choir or band setting, this will help students become more connected to the music they are learning. In a general music setting, this will help students reflect about what they are learning in class.

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What: Students write about what a musical about their life would look like

Why: This strategy helps students recall what they know about musicals and also allows them to reflect on their own lives. They are making connections and refreshing prior knowledge while also practicing their writing skills.

How: Students will individually write about what a musical centered around their life would look like for about 5-10 minutes. Some questions that might help guide them in their writing are: What major events from your life would you include in your musical? What style of singing would the songs include? What characters would you have? Where would the musical be set?

Relate: This activity could be used in a general music classroom or choir class. I think it would work best as a prior knowledge writing assignment before learning about musicals or singing a musical piece. However, it could also be used as an informal assessment after learning about musicals. Students could write about what their lives would look like as musicals, or even what musicals about historical figures or fictional characters might look like.

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What: Students create playlists that have songs that somehow relate to whatever topic they are learning in class. They should also explain how and why they chose those songs.

Why: This activity helps students make connections between songs they know and the concepts they learn in class. It is possible for students to work together to create a playlist so, it also allows them to collaborate with their peers. They might find easy connections, or they might find connections you would not have thought of right away.

How: The teacher would have students gather in groups of three or four, and ask them to create a playlist of 5-10 songs that somehow relate to the concept they are learning in class. The teacher would also ask each group to have a short, written explanation for why they chose each song. Students would have an opportunity to share some of the songs and why they chose them with the class at the end of the activity.

Relate: This could be used in any kind of music classroom setting. For example, if students are learning about the components of songs in a general classroom, they might choose songs with a really catchy bridge or chorus. In a choir or band setting, the teacher could ask students to come up with a playlist of songs that deal with a similar theme as the song they are currently learning.

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What: Students chose a song and explain in writing how the song connects to current events.

Why: A lot of time, we do not pay attention to the lyrics or a meaning of a song. This activity allows students to reflect on the songs they know and what they might be talking about. This might help them find a song that has a connection to their personal life, or a current event in the world. Writing a paragraph about the connection they found will also help students to further explore the connection. Additionally, students might gain further appreciation or respect for a particular song or artist.

How: Teachers could pick a list of songs for students to chose from, or ask them to pick a song written by a particular singer or composer. Students would then individually write about how the song of their choice relates to current events, a current event from when the song was written, or even how it relates to their own life. This activity should take about 10 minutes.

Relate: This could be used as an activity in the classroom, or even a test question. It could be used as a more informal activity, like asking students to pick a song and how it relates to their own life. This activity could also require more critical thinking if teachers ask their students to connect a song from a certain time period to the events of that time. It could be modified into a research project if the teacher did not go over the context of the song in class. In a choir or band setting at the end of the semester, teachers could ask their students to write about the song from that semester that they had the most connection with and why.