Class Song Creation

Overview

In this lesson (7 of 10), the class collaboratively writes lyrics for an original song. Students use ideas from the unit’s themes and apply music concepts (rhythm, phrasing, and structure) to make lyrics that will “fit” when sung.

Learning intentions

• WALT collaboratively generate song ideas and agree on a theme and message.
• WALT write lyrics with clear wording that supports singing (singable lines, repeated phrases, and a structure that matches our song plan).
• WALT justify why certain lines are included or left out, considering how the lyrics affect listeners.
• WALT reflect on how our lyrics connect to musical choices (for example, rhythm and phrasing) we are preparing to use later.

Success criteria

• I can contribute ideas and listen to others to reach a shared decision about the song theme and key lines.
• I can write singable lyric lines that suit the song’s structure (for example, verse/chorus) and include at least one repeated phrase.
• I can explain one choice I made (or one line we removed) and link it to audience impact (what it makes people feel/understand).
• I can read and practise my lyric lines with the group, staying in time with the music plan.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho English (Writing): Audience, purpose, and language choice — practise justifying choices about content included/left out.
• Te Mātaiaho Music: Communicating and presenting through performance—using musical elements and structure to convey meaning with others.
• Key competencies: Thinking (generating and refining ideas), Relating to others (collaboration and listening), Participating and contributing (shared roles and decisions), Managing self (preparing and practising lyrics).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook (video). Teacher plays a short YouTube clip (under 2 minutes) showing lyric-writing for a class song or a simple example of verse + chorus; students do a quick “notice and wonder” (What repeats? What changes?).

2. 3–8 min · Warm-up: sing + speak rhythm. Teacher leads a group warm-up using a simple rhythmic chant (teacher taps a steady beat) and then turns it into a short call-and-response line; students practise speaking lyrics-to-be in time, focusing on clear syllables.

3. 8–15 min · Revisit our song plan. Teacher displays (or reads) the class decisions from earlier lessons: tempo/beat, chosen chords or strumming pattern plan, and the structure (intro/verse/chorus or verse/chorus). Students turn-and-talk: “What message should our chorus deliver?” Teacher takes 4–6 quick responses.

4. 15–25 min · Co-create lyric “building blocks”. Teacher models writing on a class chart:

• Choose a theme statement (one sentence).
• Brainstorm “verse lines” (2–4 lines) that add details.
• Create a “chorus hook” (1 repeated line or short couplet). Students work in 4 mixed groups (5–6 students each) with roles: lyric starter, listener/recorder, rhythm checker (counts syllables), and share reporter. Groups draft 2 verse lines and 1 chorus line.

5. 25–33 min · Share, test for singability, and decide. Each group shares one line; teacher leads a rapid “sing-test”: students try the line over the beat (teacher taps) and check: Does it sound natural? Can we say it clearly at tempo? Teacher asks: “Why include this line?” “What will it make listeners feel or understand?” The class votes to keep, tweak, or remove lines.

6. 33–40 min · Finalise the lyric draft (whole class). Teacher and class produce the final lyric version for today’s draft on the board or shared document format:

• Verse (exact lines)
• Chorus (exact repeated line(s))
• Optional intro cue line if the structure includes it Students copy the agreed lyrics into their notebooks and underline the repeated chorus phrase.

7. 40–45 min · Exit rehearsal + quick reflection. Students rehearse the verse into chorus once together (teacher keeps the beat). Then each student completes a 2-sentence reflection:

• “One line we kept and why…”
• “One change we made to help it sing/impact the audience…”

Resources

• Short YouTube clip for class song lyric examples (under 2 minutes)
• Class chart paper or interactive board/whiteboard
• Notebook and pencil for each student
• Beat-keeping tools (metronome app or teacher tapping; optional hand claps)
• Role cards for group collaboration (starter, listener/recorder, rhythm checker, reporter)
• A simple music plan reference (structure + beat/tempo or chord/strum reminder)

Assessment

• Teacher observes group collaboration: contributions, listening, and decision-making.
• Teacher listens during the sing-test: students’ syllable clarity and whether lyrics fit the beat and phrasing.
• Exit reflection checks understanding of “include/leave out” justification and audience impact.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for lyrics (for example, “We will…”, “When we…”, “Together we…”) and a chorus template with a placeholder repeated phrase.
• Support: Rhythm checker uses a syllable-count method (count each clap) to adjust line length.
• Extension: Students suggest an extra repeated phrase (a second hook) or add one vivid image word that strengthens the message.
• EAL/SEN: Allow students to write in smaller chunks (one line at a time) and rehearse silently-first, then in pairs before whole-class testing. Use visual cues (verse/chorus headings).