Activity

How to Write a Silly Song Parody

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—and it's a great way to learn about poetic structure! Young poets use familiar tunes to write a song parody based on straightforward guidelines.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Assign over a holiday weekend for extra credit; host a poetry slam for those who want to present their songs to the class
  • Connect to social studies, science, or math by using domain-specific content for learners to use in their poems 
  • Play age-appropriate examples of song parodies (including those by Weird Al Yankovic)
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires access to the Internet
  • Learners may not be familiar with all of the listed traditional songs; play samples of each or choose more familiar songs
Pros
  • Fun and engaging for writers of all skill levels
  • Steps are easy to follow
  • Includes links to examples of song parodies by Alan Katz
Cons
  • None