Music in the Social Studies Classroom - Joe Adragna

How do we, as teachers, help students make meaning of social studies content? In particular, how do we foster the development of historical empathy in the classroom? One way of doing this is to use music as a tool to deepen students’ engagement and understanding of the content. By having students connect with music while delving into the historical importance of different musical compositions, we can help them create an emotional attachment to the content. In turn, students will deepen their understanding of history and teachers can assess their historical thinking in ways that move beyond the traditional multiple-choice test.