Here�s one way I used a song in a larger context, I called it the �Fast Food Nation� Lesson:

2 years ago, I had some students in China romanticize about playing music on the streets for a living so I decided to base one of my "song" lessons on that idea...First I talked briefly about �busking�, (What it meant? Would anybody like to be buskers? Has anyone ever seen buskers? Where? Talked a bit about my experiences busking. Etc.) and then immediately went into a role-play where the students became buskers... (I taught them the song "Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips" by John and Nancy Cassidy)...Then I randomly went around the room and asked half the students to sing the song, recite the lyrics back to me or answer a question based on the song. Depending on how well they sang and remembered the lyrics, I �d throw a fake $10 in their cup...Then we had our break....After the break, I told them they were lucky because today was the "grand opening" of my new fast food restaurant, "Mickey D �s" in China.....I asked them if they were excited...Then I began with a discussion about fast food restaurants...The discussion on fast food was serious and we focused on the good and bad advantages of fast food...(What kinds of fast food is there? What is fast food culture? I asked them if there was a connection between poverty and fast food? Between obesity and fast food? etc)...I also had a hand-out that included some statistics...Then I partnered up those students who had made ten bucks, telling them, "Well on the streets, money makes friends quick and easy...You never knew how many friends you had until you have money...And it �s weird how those "friends" will sometimes seem more like a burden to you"...I told them all they had was ten bucks to spend between them and since they were on the streets they �d probably elect to dine at a fast food restaurant because it was cheap food in the US. Then I handed out my �Mickey D�s� fast food menus, (full of bizarre food akin to "Chicken Lips"...stuff like "monkey eggs" and "beetle juice") and we did a role play on taking and giving orders at a fast food restaurant�I gave the students about 5 minutes to decide between them and their partner on what they would spend their 10 bucks on, then I took the first order, (as I was the manager), at the new franchise, "Mickey D �s", (a short �Grand Opening� ceremony was optional based on time constraints). The first pair of busker�s and their buddies came up to me and spent their $10 they way they felt wisest and if they ordered correctly I gave them their �food�. �Giving them their food� consisted of the �buddy� drawing a slip of paper out of my hat that either read �Delicious� or �Not Delicious� on it. If it read �Delicious� I had bought a bag of snacks that the lucky students could select from...If it read �Not Delicious� then the students went away unsatisfied and empty handed.  After the first order, I then began �hiring� busker�s telling them they now had to get �a real job". We continued switching roles back and forth until all the class had a chance to play both roles of taking and giving orders at a fast food restaurant. Sometimes as the �manager�, I would discontinue items on the menu and so the students would have to think on their feet and make all the necessary changes. It was pretty fun....at least, as a role-play.