Music can be used in a variety of ways to enhance the teaching and learning
experience. Music can be used to help develop a sense of period, may be
written about an event, could be useful as a memory prompt to help students
recall of knowledge or might simply be used to create a certain atmosphere
in lessons.
This page is intended to be one that will develop over a period of time.
Initially it consists of a simple list of songs and ideas for their use
in the classroom. This will then be extended to incorporate resources
where practical or possible. Suggestions about additions to this page
are welcomed.
| Number |
Topic |
Music |
Use |
| 1 |
Norman Conquest |
William the conqueror - DMX
Krew |
The lyrics of this song tell the story of the Norman
Conquest. I use the song alongside images from the Bayeux Tapestry
to act as an introduction to the Norman Invasion. This video file
can also be used alongside sequencing tasks.
Link to video:
Youtube
Teachertube |
| 2 |
Consequences of the
Black Death |
Where have all the good times
gone - The Kinks |
I use this alongside images and text to tell a story
of a 'typical' family in the months after the Black Death has ravaged
their village. Students use the resource to identify a range of consequences
of the Black Death which leads into a classification exercise. |
| 3 |
Dissolution of the Monasteries |
Gregorian Chants - various
sources of these! |
The Gregorian Chants are used to help instill a sense
of period. I use the music with a range of photographs from Kirkstall
Abbey to provide students with an awareness of what monasteries looked
like. This is part of a build up to using Ian Dawson's excellent excellent
exercise on the dissolution of the monasteries. |
| 4 |
King Henry VIII |
D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Tammy Wynette |
Backing track to a storyboard about Henry VIII's six
wives and the split with Rome. |
| 5 |
King Henry VIII |
I'm Henry the eight I am -
Herman's Hermits |
Used in a video montage outlining the life and times
of Henry VIII. I often use the Simpson's episode in which Marge tells
the story of Henry VIII as a follow up to the clip. This has provided
to be highly engaging for pupils and is a rather 'different' way of
getting students to consider the accuracy of sources. |
| |
Elizabeth I |
Tudor music |
18 portraits of Elizabeth I with music typical of the
age. An excellent introduction to a study of portraits and imagery
in the Tudor era. Teachertube. |
| 6 |
Life in Elizabethan times |
Dancing Queen - Abba |
Backing track to a powerpoint about courtly life in
Elizabethan England. |
| 7 |
Causes of the English Civil Wars |
Dedicated follower of fashion
- The Kinks |
Backing track to a powerpoint that introduces some
of the causes of the English Civil Wars. Pupils have a true / false
checking task to complete whilst watching the slide show, which focuses
on the excesses of Charles I. |
| 8 |
The Diggers |
The World turned upside down
- various artists have done this |
Lyric analysis task.
Link
to lyrics |
| 9 |
Napoleonic Wars |
Waterloo - Abba |
I use this as part of an audio-visual introduction
in lessons about the significance of Napoleon. |
| 10 |
Industrial Revolution |
Children of the Revolution
- Marc Bolan and T Rex |
Used as audio in a slide show about child labour in
the Industrial Revolution. Youtube. |
| 11 |
Industrial Revolution |
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable
Now - The Smiths |
I first used this as part of a training session I led
on making audio-visual starter activities. It was devised to show
delegates how to insert images and text 'in time' with lyrics. The
results was quite a useful interpretation of the Industrial Revolution,
so I've carried on using it! |
| 12 |
British Empire |
Victoria - The Kinks |
Played alongside a Google earth flyover that traces
the expansion of the British Empire.
New - video covering expansion of the Empire during Victoria's
life and reign. Youtube. |
| 13 |
British Empire |
Rule Britannia |
John D Clare has used Rule Britannia to great effect
in a
presentation about the British Empire. A great introduction to
any study of the British Empire. |
| 14 |
Civil Rights |
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday |
Lyric analysis task. (Link
to lyrics)
Also used as backing to a slide show |
| 15 |
Civil Rights |
Get up, Stand up - Bob Marley |
Pupils use the song as backing to a powerpoint or movie
they make about the Civil Rights movement. |
| 16 |
Civil Rights |
Redemption Song - Bob Marley |
As above, though I use Redemption Song when demonstrating
how to make the movie etc. |
| |
Civil Rights |
The death of Emmett Till -
Bob Dylan |
Tony Fox has created an excellent and extremely moving
video about the death of Emmett Till, maiking use of the Dylan song.
Youtube.
|
| 17 |
Causes of Russian Revolution |
Rasputin - Boney M |
Used as backing to a powerpoint about the short
term causes of the Russian Revolution.
Addition: I'm working on a video about Rasputin sing the same song.
An early draft of this is on youtube,
here. The final version will be rather different to this, less
use of lyrics, fewer images but more relevance and a more specific
classroom purpose. |
| 18 |
Assassination in Sarajevo |
Take me out - Franz Ferdinand |
Can be used in a number of ways. My own use of it is
simply to play it as an alternative timing device as pupils do a quick
evidence finding exercise. I've had one trainee telling me about a
lyric analysis task they've done with the song... but I wasn't all
that convinced it worked! |
| 19 |
Assassination in Sarajevo |
Bang bang - Franz Ferdinand |
Used as the soundtrack for a short movie, 1914,
that I've put together for Year 9 students. The movie provides a
chronology of the events of 1914, showing how the assassination
led to war.
Link to video
Youtube |
| 20 |
First World War |
Altogether Now - The Farm |
I use Altogether Now as a backing track to a powerpoint
presentation I've put together about the impact of the First World
War on local sport. The presentation lists major honours won by
local sportsmen, dates of their injuries and deaths and notes any
sporting honours that they won prior to the war. Most of the information
comes from the fantastic bantamspast
website.
A video version of this is available from:
Youtube |
| |
Inter-War years |
Not for the First Time - Vin
Garbutt |
Tony Fox has created an excellent video recounting
the Jarrow Crusade with Vin Garbutt's song as backing. Youtube. |
| |
Inter-War years |
Blackleg Miner - Steeleye
Span |
Another excellent Foxburg production. Tony uses the
Steeleye Span song to help tell the story of Blackleg miners. Youtube.
|
| |
Inter-War years |
Trimdon Grange |
Tony Fox has put together a short video about the Trimdon
Grange disaster, using a local folk song as backing. Youtube. |
| 21 |
Second World War |
Two Tribes - Frankie goes
to Hollywood |
Used as backing music in part of an exercise on whether
or not the dropping of the atomic bombs was justified. |
| 22 |
20th Century conflict |
Masters of War - Bob Dylan |
Tony Fox has created an excellent video with Masters
of War as the soundtrack.
Youtube |
| 23 |
Appeasement |
God bless you Mr Chamberlain |
Song and lyrics used as part of an assessment of popular
public attitudes towards the policy of appeasement at the time. |
| 24 |
The Holocaust |
Theme from Schindler's List |
Used as part of Holocaust Memorial Day assemblies.
|
| 25 |
Atomic Bomb |
Enola Gay - OMD |
Built into a powerpoint in which images, text and lyrics
are intertwined to tell the story of the dropping of the first atomic
bomb. Leads into further tasks of whether the dropping of the bomb
was justified. |
| 26 |
Second World War |
Brothers in Arms - Dire Straights |
Used in a presentation about D Day. |
| 27 |
Espionage in the Second World War |
Nobody does it better - Carly
Simon |
Backing track to an introductory presentation about
the role of espionage and counter espionage in the Second World War. |
| 28 |
The Depression |
Ghost Town - The Specials |
Used alongside an image slide show illustrating the
ill effects of the depression. |
| 29 |
The Depression |
Dustbowl Blues - Woody Guthrie |
Played in the background whilst pupils work. It would
work well alongside a slide show |
| 30 |
The Depression |
I cried for you - Katie Melua |
Used as backing to a presentation about the homeless
during the Depression. |
| 31 |
Cold War |
Russians - Sting |
Used as part of an overview of the Cold War. |
| 32 |
Cold War |
Leningrad - Billy Joel |
Used as part of an overview of the Cold War.
Youtube |
| 33 |
Vietnam |
I feel like I'm fixing to
Die Rag - Country Joe and the Fish |
Music played and lyrics analysed when looking at
changing attitudes towards the Vietnam War.
Link to lyrics
Country Joe performing the song at Woodstock (Youtube
link) |
| 34 |
Vietnam |
-Vietnam protest song (name?)
Credence Clearwater Revival |
I've put together a video montage that has this
as the backing track. It starts off with JFK outlining the reasons
why US involvement in Vietnam is necessary and goes on to show a
range of images and clips from the war. Pupils complete a bingo
sheet whilst watching and listening.
Youtube |
| 35 |
Vietnam |
Jefferson Airplane |
Another video montage. This video is used as the
starter activity in a lesson that looks at the ways in which the
US addressed the problem of Guerilla warfare.
Youtube |
| 36 |
Vietnam |
War, what is it good for?
Edwin Collins |
I found a great video on youtube
that uses the music and lyrics alongside a range of photographs from
Vietnam. |
| 37 |
USA Post WW2 |
We didn't start the fire -
Billy Joel |
Scott Allsop has created a fantastic video that
visualises every name / event noted in the song - quite an achievement!
An excellent introduction to Post WW2 studies.
Link to file
Youtube |
| 38 |
Women's Rights |
Power of the Equality - Red
Hot Chilli Peppers |
Used as backing track to a powerpoint that lists a
'first' for women in every one of the last 100 years. |
| 39 |
Women's Rights |
Sister Suffragette - Mary
Poppins soundtrack |
I use a video with the song as backing that was put
together by Tony Fox. Available on youtube. |
| 40 |
Women's Rights |
Sufferin' til suffrage - from
Schoolhouse rocks |
Found on Youtube. Used as a starter activity. |
| 41 |
Women's Rights |
Baby I'm yours (Not sure!)
and Smack your ***ch up (Prodigy) |
These are in a video I found on Youtube.
The video shows traditional roles of women in the 40's / 50's with
'Baby I'm yours' as backing then asks whether things have got any
better. This section of the video has Smack you ***ch up as backing
and looks at modern portrayals of women. An excellent video that really
gets students thinking about changes in the role of women. |
| 42 |
Women's Rights |
Suffragette City - David Bowie |
Used as a timing device as students complete a classification
task. |
| 43 |
Bloody Sunday |
Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 |
Used as part of an interpretations lesson. |
| 44 |
Troubles in Northern Ireland |
Belfast Child - Simple Minds |
Played alongside an image slide show |
| 45 |
|
Whole lotta history - Girls
Aloud |
Ouch, did I really play Girls aloud in a lesson? Horrible
to admit such things and it'll probably never darken the door of my
classroom again - it was played in the background during an artefact
handling lesson. |
| 46 |
Discovery of DNA |
Jean Genie - David Bowie |
Used in a powerpoint presentation about the work of
Crick and Watson. |
| 47 |
Medicine through time |
A Spoonful of Sugar - Mary
Poppins soundtrack |
Used in a revision presentation. |
| 48 |
Medicine through time |
Changes - David Bowie |
Used as the backing track to a video that shows a range
of changes in surgical techniques, from Trephining to modern Open
Heart Surgery. Chorus of the song is combined with visual re enforcement
of the main factors that have led to change. |
| 49 |
Various possibilities |
The Refugee - U2 |
Used as a backing track when showing a slide show of
images relating to the advance of the Wehrmacht in the Second World
War. Easily transferable to pretty much any conflict or natural disaster
that has created a refugee crisis. |
| 50 |
Various possibilities |
No Bravery - James Blunt |
I've seen / heard this used several times. The best
was as backing to a slide show about the consequences of modern warfare.
Youtube has lots of videos making use of this tune, mostly critical
of the war on Iraq. For
example. |
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| 51 |
Rise of Nazism |
Get it on - Marc Bolan and
T Rex |
|
| 52 |
Demobilisation of troops |
Super Trooper - Abba |
|
| 53 |
|
Blowing in the wind - Joan
Baez |
|
| 54 |
Cold War |
All along the watchtower -
Jimi Hendrix |
|
| 55 |
|
One tin soldier - Joan Baez |
|
| 56 |
Vietnam |
Hurt - Johnny Cash |
Video compiled by one of my students. Available on
youtube.
|
| 57 |
Vietnam |
Vietnam - Johnny Cash |
|
| 58 |
Vietnam |
Give Peace a Chance - John
lennon |
|
| 59 |
Vietnam |
War is Over (Merry Christmas)
JOhn Lennon |
|
| 60 |
Vietnam |
Flight of the Valkryies -
Wagner |
|
| 61 |
Vietnam |
Paint it Black - Rolling Stones |
|
| 62 |
Vietnam |
12 months in Vietnam - Sgt
Barry Sadler |
|
| 63 |
Vietnam |
Unknown Soldier - The Doors |
|
| 64 |
Vietnam |
The End - The Doors |
|
| 65 |
Blitzkrieg / Dunkirk |
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones |
Video on youtube.
|
| 66 |
Beliefs about the cause of Disease - flaggelation |
Crucify - Tori Amos |
|
| 67 |
Iraq War |
Let's bomb Iraq - Weird Al
Yankovich |
|
| 68 |
Modern Medicine |
Rehab - Amy Winehouse |
|
| 69 |
Women at work in the War |
Working 9 til 5 - erm, can't
remember! |
|
| 70 |
Impact of war on children |
You are so beautiful to me
- Joe Cocker |
|
| 71 |
Protest movements of the 19th century |
I predict a riot - kaiser
Chiefs |
|
| 72 |
The Depression |
Castles Burning - Neil Young |
|
| 73 |
The British Empire |
Jerusalem |
|
| 74 |
Oliver Cromwell |
Oliver Cromwell - Monty Python |
|
| 75 |
Industrial Revolution |
Gresford Miners Hymn |
|
| 76 |
Life in Tudor England |
Tudor courtly dances |
|
| 77 |
The Manhattan Project |
The Scientist - Coldplay |
|
| 78 |
Norman Conquest |
The Battle of Hastings - The
Art of the Monologue |
|
| 79 |
King John / Magna Carta / Power of Medieval
monarchs |
The Magna Charter - The Art
of the Monologue |
|
| 80 |
American Independence |
Battle Hymn of the Republic |
|
| |
Slavery |
One Love - Johnny Cash |
This video is based on one that I found a few months
ago. Tony Fox spotted a few improvements that could be made - the
result is excellent! Youtube.
|
| 81 |
Slavery |
Bos Man cut my chains |
|
| 82 |
USA in the 1920's |
KKK Blues |
|
| 83 |
Slavery |
No more auction block |
|
| 84 |
Slavery |
The man who sold his own -
Chris Rea |
Tony Fox's excellent video. See it on youtube.
|
| 85 |
Slavery |
White Man Coming |
|
| 86 |
First World War |
It's a long way to Tipperary |
|
| 87 |
The Depression |
Hooverville - The Christians |
|
| 88 |
Espionage in the Second World War |
Licence to kill - Gladys Knight |
|
| 89 |
Vietnam |
Bullet the blue sky - U2 |
|
| 90 |
American Civil War |
Yankee Doodle Dandy |
|
| 91 |
The Development of Nursing |
Let it be - The Beatles |
|
| 92 |
Civil Rights |
Knocking on Heaven's door
- Clapton version |
|
| 93 |
The six wives of Henry VIII |
It ain't over til it's over
- Lenny Kravitz |
|
| 94 |
Education in Nazi Germany |
Another brick in the wall
- Pink Floyd |
|
| 95 |
Medicine in the Renaissance |
If I ever lose my faith in
you - Sting |
|
| 96 |
Holocaust |
Angels among us - Alabama |
|
| 97 |
Crime and Punishment |
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie |
|
| 98 |
Norman Conquest |
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton |
|
| 99 |
Wall Street Crash |
Money - Pink Floyd |
|
| 100 |
Jack the Ripper |
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads |
|
| 101 |
Welfare State |
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones |
|
| 102 |
Rebellion and protest movements |
Men they couldn't hang - The
Colours |
|
| 103 |
Napoleonic Wars |
1812 Overture |
|
| 104 |
Nazi Germany |
Riders on the Storm - The
Doors |
|
| 105 |
Cuban Missile Crisis |
Hanging on the telephone -
Blondie |
|
| 106 |
American in the 1920's |
Gansters Paradise - Coolio |
|
| 107 |
Nazi Germany |
Swastika Eyes - primal Scream
(Chemical Brothers remix) |
|
| 108 |
Nazi Germany |
The Intense Humming of Evil
- Manic Street Preachers |
|
| 109 |
Ireland |
The rebellion of 1916 - irish
folk song |
|
| 110 |
Ireland |
Sea chanties - Irish folk
song |
|
| 111 |
Ireland |
Prisoners anthem - Irish folk
song |
|
| 112 |
Ireland |
I am a catholic lad and true
- irish folk song |
|
| 113 |
Ireland |
Irish republican jail song
- the Wolfetones |
|
| 114 |
Ireland |
Give ireland back to the irish
- Paul McCartney and Wings |
|
| 115 |
Ireland |
New Years Day - U2 |
|
| 116 |
Ireland |
Irish Blood, English Heart
- Morrissey |
|
| 117 |
Ireland |
Under pressure - Queen and
David Bowie |
|
| 118 |
Jacobite Rebellion |
Syke Boat Song |
|
| 119 |
English Civil Wars |
The English Civil War - The
Clash |
|
| 120 |
Cold War |
Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello |
|
| 121 |
King John |
Oo-de-lally - Robin Hood (Disney) |
|
| 122 |
Medicine through time |
Spirit in the sky - Dr Hook
and the Medicine Show |
|
| 123 |
Medicine through time |
Theme tune to ER |
|
| 124 |
King John |
The Phony King of England
- Robin Hood (Disney) |
|
| 125 |
King John |
Not in Nottingham - Robin
Hood (Disney) |
|
| 126 |
Medieval warfare |
Chainmail - James |
|
| 127 |
Anglo-Scottish wars |
Braveheart theme - Enya |
|
| 128 |
Medieval crime and punishment |
The Gallows Pole - leadbely |
|
| 129 |
Medieval church |
Cantos Gregorianos - Enigma |
|
| 130 |
Modern Warfare |
Miss Sarajevo - U2 |
|
| 131 |
Various |
The Muppett Show theme tune |
|
| 132 |
Political systems and structures |
Imagine - John Lennon |
|
| 133 |
Vietnam |
The bartender and the thief
- Stereophonics |
|
| 134 |
Warfare in 20th century |
Theme from MASH - Manic Street
Preachers version |
|
| 135 |
First World War |
I didn't raise my boy to be
a soldier - Morton Harvey |
|
| 136 |
First World War |
Ballad of the soldiers Wife
- Coldplay |
|
| 137 |
Second World War |
The Great Escape |
|
| 138 |
Second World War |
The guns of Navarone - Band
of the Royal marines |
|
| 139 |
D Day |
Saving Private Ryan theme
- John Wiliams |
|
| 140 |
Second World War |
The Gunners Dream - Pink Floyd |
|
| 141 |
Persecution |
If you tolerate this - Manic
Street Preachers |
|
| 142 |
Warfare - Iraq |
Happy Birthday War! |
John D Clare's video on youtube.
|
| 143 |
Armistice |
Mad World - Gary Jules |
Remembrance
Day video compiled by one of my students for use in assembly.
|
| 144 |
Wall Street Crash |
The Wall Street shuffle -
10CC |
|
| |
Global Terrorism |
Living on the edge(?) |
Neil McDonald has put this video together as a prompt
for students beginning a coursework study of global terrorism in the
modern world. The coursework unit looks at 9/11 and its aftermath.
Teachertube.
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