Using Pop Culture To Teach Reading Concepts (Minilesson suggestions included!)

I have been in many classrooms where the introduction to a reading skill consists of copying notes, maybe reading a short story together, and then practice worksheets. While I know the teachers who are creating these lessons are intelligent, creative, and hardworking educators who do many wonderful things in their classrooms once they get past this introductory stage, even I find myself drifting off during these lessons. I can only imagine what this experience is like for students who hate reading and fail to see its relevance to their lives.

To battle this boredom and make introductory lessons more meaningful, I use pop culture to introduce my lessons. Here’s why:

1. It keeps students engaged.

I have been asked if using music videos to introduce theme or a documentary to introduce main idea dilutes students' understanding of the concepts. My response is always to ask if stories that are sung don't have themes that are as important. I think my students' understanding is actually enhanced by using these media, because everyone gets actively engaged in these introductory lessons.

2. It provides access for struggling readers.

For students who have to dedicate all their energy to just decoding the words on a page, giving them a story to begin learning a new skill with almost guarantees their failure. These students don't have any extra mental energy to give to practicing a new skill. Therefore, if I allow them to learn a new concept away from the printed page, they are more likely to grasp the concept and therefore be able to later apply it to printed stories.

3. It shows students that they can apply their skills anywhere.

If my students learn theme from a music video or point of view from watching clips from The Lorax, they begin to see that the skills they thought were just for reading apply everywhere. Many even begin noticing themes, main ideas, and evidence outside of school. One of the greatest joys of my last  school year was when a student came to me after watching one of the presidential debates and explained how disappointed she was that, "neither of them used any text evidence to prove their ideas!"

 To help you get started using pop culture in your own classroom, I have created this chart of suggested artifacts that you can use to discuss both reading skills and real-world topics. I hope it is useful to you!

ELA Concept	SEL or Real-World Topic	Pop Culture Artifact	Notes
Theme	Finding where you belong	“Wake Me Up” music video, by Avicii	Make sure you are using the video that has the two sisters who move from a rural to an urban area. Stop the video periodically to discuss setting, conflict, and changes that the characters experience.
Point of view/Civil War	Different perspectives	“Some Nights” music video, by Fun.	This video shows the contrasting points of view of a Union soldier and a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. Make sure to stop the video before 3:45, when the content becomes inappropriate for students.
Point of view	Environmentalism	Selected clips from The Lorax: http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/the-lorax/how-bad-can-i-be http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/the-lorax/nothing-will-stop-me http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/the-lorax/plant-the-seed	Discuss how the Once-ler’s point of view with regard to the trees changes throughout the movie.
Characteriza-tion, motives, and summary	Doing what's right in the face of great odds, heroism	“Waiting for Superman” music video by Daughtry "The General" lyric video by Dispatch	The two main characters in "Waiting for Superman" are interesting to characterize, but this video is best reserved for older students, as it does feature a man attempting to jump out of a building.
Text and visual analysis	The cost of freedom	“Hey, Brother” music video by Avicii	Discuss how the video's images contribute to an understanding of its message.
Author's purpose	Kindness	"Humble and Kind" music video, by Tim McGraw	Discuss who this video is written for, and for what purpose.
Theme, figurative language	Noncomformity, bravery	"Brave" music video, by Sara Bareilles "Road Less Traveled" music video, by Lauren Alaina	"Road Less Traveled" has some especially interesting figurative language to discuss.

Happy learning!

Cheers,