Also include: Why the issue is important to you, why it is relevant in your school or community, and what message you would want your song to share.вЂќДЎ2. Then write a paragraph about the song and the issue youвЂ™ve chosen. Pick the issue youвЂ™re most interested in. Next, invite students: вЂњImagine you are a songwriter who has been asked to write a song about one of these issues. Say, вЂњThink about tolerance of other groups including those with disabilities, those of different religions, ethnic backgrounds, or viewpoints, or those who come from different neighborhoods.вЂќДЎ1. Ask each group to brainstorm about other messages that songwriters could sing about that would be relevant to tolerance in your school or community. Break the class down into small groups of four or five. After they have done so, tell them that these songs were written many years apart and ask, вЂњWhat similar messages do these songs share, even though they written at different times? What conclusions can you draw about their message? How does this message apply to your school? Your community?вЂќДЎ0.

Invite children to read the lyrics to a couple of songs. Distribute song lyrics or provide Web links for the other songs, and give out the Song Analysis handout. Ask students: What message might Paul McCartney have wanted to communicate in writing the words to the song? Would that same message be important or relevant today? Why or why not?Д©. Next, read this definition: вЂњA metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word of phrase that ordinarily represents one thing is used to represent something else.вЂќ Then ask: вЂњCan you identify any metaphors in the song? What do you think ebony could be a metaphor for? Ivory? The piano keyboard?вЂќ ДЁ. Tell the class that the song uses something called a metaphor. Instruct students: вЂњAfter you listen to the song or read the lyrics, draw a picture or write a few sentences about what you think the message of the song is.вЂќД§. Discuss how the ebony and ivory in the songвЂ™s title refer to keys on a piano -that black keys are often made of ebony and white keys have been made of ivory. Tell the class that McCartney not only wrote songs but was also one of the four musicians in the famous band, The Beatles. Distribute printed lyrics or provide a Web link to the song, вЂњEbony and Ivory.вЂќ Explain that, вЂњEbony and IvoryвЂќ was written in 1982 by Paul McCartney. Ask: вЂњCan you think a song that conveys a songwriterвЂ™s message?вЂќ Instruct students to refer back to the list they created at the beginning of the lesson for possible examples.Д¦. Many songwriters want to share a message or point of view with the audience. Other times, one person composes the music, another writes the words, and a third person may sing the song.

Present this question: вЂњWhen you listen to a song, do you really hear its words or are you just hearing the music?вЂќ Explain that sometimes the same person who sings a song writes the words (lyrics) and music. Ask students: What do you think makes a good song - catchy music? interesting words? something else?ДҐ. Is it okay to have different musical choices than your friends? How might you describe a favorite song to a friend? Would you be open and willing to listen to a new song if a friend recommended it?вЂќД¤. Then check with your partner to see if you listed similar or different choices. Offer these instructions: вЂњIвЂ™d like each one of you to list at least five of your favorite songs. What are the reasons you listen to music?ДЈ. How many of you like listening to music?Д«. Pose the following questions to students, and record their answers on an easel pad or whiteboard:ДЄ. Ask: вЂњWhat makes you enjoy a song? A good sound? Interesting words? When you listen to a song, do you really listen to the words? How often do you think about the meaning of a song?Дў. Introduce the lesson by playing a song from the above list. Metaphor (met-uh-for) (noun) a word or phrase is used to refer to compare something with another thing to show or suggest that they are similar without using the words вЂњlikeвЂќ or вЂњasвЂќДЎ. Lyrics (lir-iks) (noun) the words of a song Tolerance (tol-er-uh-ns) (noun) a fair, open, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own Stereoptype (ster-ee-uh-type) (noun) an unfair belief or idea that some people have particular characteristics or are the same Relevant (rel-uh-vuhnt) (adjective) related or connected to a subject or matter

Ebony and ivory lyrics