Summer's Gone Lesson Plan

"Summer" by Buffalo Tom is a great song to use in the classroom at the start of the school year.

It's a song that always make me sad that summer is coming to an end. I play it every Labour Day weekend as I prepare to go back to school.

This year, I used the song as a listening activity for my instrumental music classes. I even developed a great resource worksheet package to go with it. Even better, this resource can be used for any musical selection you would like your students to respond to.

I adapted the concept of Literature Circles to fit musical selections as opposed to text ones. As such, we have Musical Circles.

I have three rows of five students on either side of the classroom. My seating plan looks like this

x x x x x            x x x x x
x x x x x            x x x x x
x x x x x            x x x x x

Each grouping is assigned one of these jobs.

1. Discussion Director - develops open-ended questions that will promote discussion within your group.
2. Connector - explores the connections between what you hear and your personal experiences, connections to other songs or musicians, and/or to global events or issues
3. Illustrator - creates something visual about this musical selection. You can use a picture, sketch, comic, graphic organizer, chart, or any other visual representation. Consider choosing a part of the musical selection that created strong visual images in your mind as you listened.
4. Facilitator - helps the group function smoothly and productively. 
5. Passage Picker - chooses a portion of the musical selection that you felt was particularly interesting or significant.
6. Recorder - to record the main points of today’s discussion. Try to record at least one point that each group member makes. Your notes may be in point form. Just remember that you will be asked to share this list at the end of today’s music circle.

Download Music Circles worksheet package

Once each row of students is familiar with their job, we listen to the song together. I also provide them with a copy of the lyrics.

Press play and follow along with the lyrics.



Sight unseen, sadder seas
Summer song sung all along
Dragged across the seven seas
To the beach come follow me

Summer's gone a summer song
You've wasted every day, every day

Cellophane, a grandma's town
Summer's letters on the ground
Seven pins, the fall begins
When the leaves burn, summer ends

Summer's gone a summer song
You've wasted every day, every day
Summer's gone, can't wipe it off my hands
Write it in the sand, in the sand

Where've my heroes gone today?
Mick and Keith and Willie Mays
Broken windows trails outside
I can take you for a ride

Summer's gone a summer song
You've wasted every day, every day
Summer's gone, can't wipe it off my hands
Write it in the sand, in the sand
In the sand

Summer's gone a summer song
You've wasted every day, every day
Summer's gone, can't wipe it off my hands
Write it in the sand, in the sand
In the sand
In the sand
In the sand
In the sand

Then give the students time to complete their worksheet. They can discuss with the students in their row to get ideas, inspiration, and help in completing their job.

After that number the students according to where they are sitting.

1 2 3 4 5         1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5         1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5         1 2 3 4 5

Have them move to their new groups, play the song as they move, and then have them discuss and share their work. Each group now has one person fulfilling each job. They should have something to say and hopefully the "Recorder" will get a lot of great ideas written down.

Music Circles Worksheet Package

I hope you find this lesson and resource useful.

Thank you for joining me for this Teaching Tip Tuesday series.