From Homer to Hip-Hop: Using Popular Music to Teach Composition
type: CreativeWork
description: In more than forty years, not much has changed: engaging students remains one of the biggest challenges composition teachers face. Frequently, students are indifferent about assigned topics, and as a result, they are also indifferent about the writing process. Because capturing students’ attention is crucial to teaching them how to write, teachers should design assignments with students’ interests in mind. One of the best ways teachers can encourage students to write about something they care about is to use popular culture, particularly music, as a basis for writing assignments.
abstract: In more than forty years, not much has changed: engaging students remains one of the biggest challenges composition teachers face. Frequently, students are indifferent about assigned topics, and as a result, they are also indifferent about the writing process. Because capturing students’ attention is crucial to teaching them how to write, teachers should design assignments with students’ interests in mind. One of the best ways teachers can encourage students to write about something they care about is to use popular culture, particularly music, as a basis for writing assignments.
author: Kraegel, Rebecca
keywords: teaching, composition, popular music, education history, English Language and Literature
date published: 2012-07-01T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:42:45Z
provider: Kennesaw State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Kennesaw State University