It's My Life

1. Play the song, We Didn't Start the Fire, for students. Ask them to listen the first time. The song may be found at www.its.caltech.edu/~yel/Fire.html (Cover up the computer screen as it has pictures to go with the lyrics.)
2. Discuss Billy Joel and the phase of his life (1949-89) covered in the song. Review the Billy Joel PowerPoint.
3. Have student listen to the song again. This time allow them to take notes, listing persons, places, events, things, etc.
4. Have students create an individual timeline reflecting what they heard in the song. (a minimum of 2 places, 2 events, 2 people, 2 things will be required for most students.)
5. Have students exchange timelines and using search engines, check the timeline for accuracy.
6. Using Timeliner or one of the above timeline web sites, have students enter the selected item and year from the song. Print this item for the class to view in perspective.
7 Group students cooperatively, have each group select one year from the 1949-1989 time span. Each individual in that group will choose one item from the song from that year.
8. In a computer lab, students will use search engines to locate information on their chose topic. They will fill in the research guide answering the questions: who, what, why, when/where.
9. The group will complete the Time/Order chart for selections from the chosen year.
10. The group will give a presentation to the class.