Song of the Day- Amazing Grace

This Song of the Day (SOTD) is designed to be used in a Civil War/Reconstruction lesson. It asks students to explore the cultural context in which the song is song, and gives students the chance to discover the background of the song. A teacher resource is included; please feel free to email me if you have additional questions about the material. I used a SOTD in class every day of the year, and found it to be effective as a "hook," and it reached a variety of learners in ways that a traditional "Do Now" did not.

I recommend that you listen to the song as a class, then answer the questions/have a discussion, and then sing the song together as a class. Singing the song will impact students on a deeper level. If they are resistant, give them the following example: When we listen to the Star Spangled Banner we hear it. But when we sing the Star Spangled Banner, we feel it. This is why we sing the songs; to better understand the context of the music and the era that we are studying.

I have playlists for American history classes from Westward Expansion to the 1980's, they can be found on my Spotify under the name "Jill Studnicki." Email me if you need support! I'm happy to help!