1. What is the Soundtrack of your life?

2. Step One – What makes you, you? List several (10 or more) events, people, or places from your life that you believe have made you who you are. Example: -Broken collarbone -Evil step-mother -7 th grade football -Newspaper reporter -First date—Ginger Bell -Parents reunite -Married -Woooo Pig Soooie

3. Step Two – Make Song Connections Select songs which represent or connect to your different events/people/places. Consider the following tips: -Start with events that have songs playing during them -If you have chosen a person, does that person have a favorite song or a song that you associate with her? -Does a place you’ve picked have a song associated with it? Is anybody going to San Antone?

4. Step Three – Tell the story Connect the song and event/person/place in a “paragraphish” length piece of writing -tell the story -explain the song -use lyrics if you want (remember them) -describe the connection or association

5. Step Four–Publish  Book cover  Create album art and post those around the classroom or in the hallway  Facilitate a way that students can share their writing with each other

6. Let’s do some unpacking As I use this assignment with my students, it is an eleven + paragraph personal narrative, including at least eight events/people/places matched with songs, an introduction, personal statement, and conclusion. I use this assignment early in the year to both assess my students’ writing strengths and learn more about them as people. Personal narrative is a softer place to start but can also provide a basis for other modes of writing, skills. 1/509 students failed to complete this, he wanted to do a “film score of his life.”

7. CLASSROOM Timeline Begin with one track Help students select events/people/places and then make the connections Green Book of Songs by Subject as a resource; students are their own/each others’ resources Provide examples of different genres in which to explain each/describe/justify each connection Writing/listening time Presentation/album art

8. VALUE Affective domain – helps students feel more comfortable with each other, the classroom, the teacher, the curriculum Cathartic and Therapeutic potential (is being used in hospice and social work environments) Raises expectations for writing – often the longest piece of writing students ever completed Narrative skills are at the heart of good expository writing—consider the NWP research record Chance to discuss issues of confidentiality/appropriateness/copyright

9. Other Uses for SOYL Follows the same process as SOYL except with a work of fiction or non-fiction—soundtrack of the novel Connect songs to mood or tone Used to teach historical events or people Defend connections to any content area using academic language

10. Resources Supporting documents and handouts available on LitTunes.com and at nwp.org http://www.greenbookofsongs.com Login: littunes Password: gbdb1159 Anything else, including this presentation, available for free from me at