lenny

Your Personal Soundtrack

user image

Lesson Plan

Your Personal Soundtrack

Students will select and analyze a song that represents their personal journey to identify and articulate their strengths and resources.

Music is a powerful tool for self-expression and understanding. By connecting with songs that resonate with their experiences, students can gain insight into their emotions, strengths, and personal narrative, fostering self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

Audience

8th Grade

Time

25 minutes

Approach

Through musical selection and lyrical analysis, students will connect personal experiences with expressive art.

Materials

Headphones & Music Device (personal or provided by school), Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet, Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck, and Your Personal Soundtrack Script

Prep

Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Welcome & Check-in

3 minutes

Step 2

Introduce the Expressive Modality

5 minutes

Step 3

Listen & Connect

10 minutes

  • Instruct students to select one song that deeply resonates with their personal journey, focusing on identifying their strengths and resources.
    - Provide time for students to listen to their chosen song using their headphones and devices.
    - While listening, students should begin to fill out the Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet, analyzing lyrics and reflecting on how the song connects to their personal narrative and identifies their strengths.
    - Teacher Tip: Circulate to offer support and answer questions. Encourage deep reflection.

Step 4

Reflect & Close

7 minutes

  • Bring the class back together for a brief sharing session (optional, based on comfort level). Ask for volunteers to share a line or feeling from their song, or one strength they identified.
    - Emphasize that music can be a continuous source of self-discovery and strength.
    - Collect the Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet for review or allow students to keep them as a personal reflection.
    - Teacher Tip: Conclude by reinforcing the power of personal expression and the value of self-reflection. Use the Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck and Your Personal Soundtrack Script for closing remarks.
lenny
0 educators
use Lenny to create lessons.

No credit card needed

Slide Deck

Your Personal Soundtrack

What song tells YOUR story?

Welcome students and set a positive, reflective tone. Briefly introduce the idea of music as a personal journey.

Music: A Window to Your Soul

Music helps us:

  • Express feelings
  • Share experiences
  • Understand ourselves

Today, we'll discover your personal story through song!

Explain that music is more than just entertainment; it's a way to express feelings, share experiences, and understand ourselves. Introduce the core idea of connecting music to personal strengths.

Find Your Anthem

Choose ONE song that:

  • Represents your personal journey.
  • Helps you identify your strengths.
  • Reflects your inner resources.

(Use your Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet to guide your thoughts!)

Introduce the worksheet and explain its purpose: to guide their song selection and reflection. Encourage them to think deeply about strengths and resources.

Listen & Connect

  1. Put on your headphones.
  2. Listen closely to your chosen song.
  3. Fill out your Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet.

Focus on: What strengths does this song highlight in you?

Provide clear instructions for the listening and reflection phase. Emphasize focused, individual work.

Your Song, Your Strength

Let's share (if you feel comfortable):

  • A powerful lyric?
  • A feeling your song evokes?
  • A strength you identified?

Music is always there for you on your journey!

Facilitate a brief, optional sharing opportunity. Reinforce the main takeaways about self-discovery and music's role in it.

lenny

Worksheet

Soundtrack of My Life

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

My Anthem

  1. What is the title of the song you chose?




  2. Who is the artist?




  3. Why did you choose this song? What about it resonates with your personal journey?











Lyrical Analysis

  1. Write down a few key lyrics or phrases from the song that stand out to you. Explain why these specific words are important.












  2. How do these lyrics connect to your experiences, feelings, or challenges?












My Strengths & Resources

  1. What strengths or positive qualities do you see in yourself that this song helps you recognize or celebrate?











  2. What resources (people, skills, beliefs, etc.) in your life does this song remind you of that help you on your journey?











Reflection

  1. How does connecting your personal journey to music make you feel? What did you learn about yourself today?












lenny
lenny

Script

Your Personal Soundtrack Script

Welcome & Check-in (3 minutes)

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to dive into something really cool: how music connects to you. We all have songs that mean a lot to us, right? Songs that make us feel something, or remind us of an important moment. Today, we're going to explore what our personal soundtrack sounds like, and what it tells us about our own strengths and resources."

(Display Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck - Slide 1)

Introduce the Expressive Modality (5 minutes)

"Think about it: music is one of the most powerful ways humans express themselves. It can tell a story without a single word, or it can use words to hit you right in the heart. It helps us express feelings, share experiences, and truly understand ourselves."

(Display Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck - Slide 2)

"Today, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find your anthem. This isn't just any song; it's a song that represents your personal journey, helps you identify your strengths, and reflects the inner resources you rely on."

"I'm handing out the Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet. This worksheet will help guide your thinking as you choose your song and reflect on its meaning to you."

Listen & Connect (10 minutes)

(Display Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck - Slide 3)

"Now, here's the fun part. I want you to take out your headphones and music device. If you don't have one, don't worry, I have some alternatives. I want you to spend the next 10 minutes finding that song. Once you've found it, put on your headphones and really listen. Let the music wash over you."

(Display Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck - Slide 4)

"As you listen, start filling out your Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet. Think about the lyrics. What message is the artist trying to convey? How does that message connect to your life? Most importantly, I want you to focus on this question: What strengths does this song highlight in you? What does it say about your resilience, your creativity, your kindness, your determination?"

(Circulate around the room, providing support and answering questions. Ensure students are focused on the task and reflecting thoughtfully. Remind them to use the worksheet as a guide.)

Reflect & Close (7 minutes)

"Alright, let's bring it back together. I hope you had some time to really connect with your chosen song and reflect on your strengths. Does anyone feel comfortable sharing a powerful lyric from their song, a feeling it evokes, or a strength they identified?"

(Allow 2-3 volunteers to share if they are comfortable. Emphasize that sharing is optional and personal reflection is the primary goal.)

(Display Your Personal Soundtrack Slide Deck - Slide 5)

"Fantastic. Remember, music is always there for you on your journey. It can be a source of comfort, inspiration, and a powerful tool for self-discovery. Keep exploring your personal soundtrack, because it's uniquely yours, and it tells an incredible story – your story."

"Please hand in your Soundtrack of My Life Worksheet or keep it as a personal reflection, whichever you prefer. Great work today, everyone!"

lenny
lenny
Your Personal Soundtrack • Lenny Learning