Music Playlist as Identity

Grade 4

3/16/22

Students will create a personal playlist that represents their journey. They will select 5
songs to reflect their journey, their family, their identity, and their experiences. They will
compile the playlist as an “unlisted” YouTube playlist and e-mail the link to three
classmates and the teacher for viewing, along with justifications for each song selection
(an annotated playlist). As a cautionary note, inviting students to share their
experiences in this way could bring difficult experiences to the surface. In implementing
this kind of lesson, recognize that possibility. If you think that challenging experiences
may arise in a way that isn’t productive, you might want to delimit this activity to
students’ musical journey rather than life journey.

Key Concepts/Central Focus

 Students will explore how music can reflect their journey in different ways.
 Students will explore how music can speak to issues of identity and their
experiences.

Previous Knowledge

Students will draw on their own knowledge of music they listen to for this activity.

Steps

1. As a class example, I will use an experience that many of the students may have
encountered (learning to ride a biycyle). Through use of YouTube, I will ask students to
identify a song that matches the experience. Working together, we will select 5 songs as
a sample playlist. From the large group work, students will transition into working
individually.

Middle of the Lesson

2. Students identify significant experiences they have had and qualities about their
identity that they believe are important.
3. Using technology, students will strategically search and select 5 songs that they
believe musically represent their experiences and identities well.
4. On YouTube, students will create an “unlisted” playlist with a title that identifies
the issue the collected videos address.
5. YouTube only allows a very brief note on playlist videos, so annotations will be
done off-line in Pages. Once students have selected 5 videos that speak to their
chosen issue, they will write a 50- 100 word justification for each video,
explaining their rationale for choosing each song.
Closing

6. Upon completion, students will share their playlists in groups of four. They will send
the link to the unlisted playlist to the teacher and three classmates. Students will listen
to and analyze each playlist and discuss how each song connects to students’
experiences and identities. The playlist creators will provide their justifications for each
song when it is their turn to share their playlist. Upon finishing discussion of a playlist,
students will write a reflection about the similar and different ways that their peers
completed the assignment. Each student will write a paragraph for each group member.

7. Playlists will remain accessible to the students throughout this unit.

Materials Needed

• Access to YouTube via iPad, Pages via iPad, Seesaw via iPad

Differentiation

Students will have the option of expressing their 50-100 word justification and their peer
review aurally instead of through writing, through recording via Seesaw.

Assessment

 The quality of the justifications in explaining how each song connects to students’
identities and experiences
 The level of analysis/critique of how their peers handled the assignment
 Following school conduct using technology.