“Underdog”

Alicia Keys, 2020

There are a number of reasons that this song is a good choice for the  classroom: It has legally licensed lyric videos with subtitles in many languages; it invites class discussions on two related topics; and grammar lessons could be built around the past-tense verbs or participial phrases in the song.  Additionally, it has an inspirational, uplifting message.

Choose from the following activities:

  • Listening Watch the official lyric video  in your students’ native language/s, if available. (Search “Alicia Keys Underdog lyric video” + the language you’re looking for.)
  • Listening Watch the official lyric video in English.
  • Grammar Focus on the forms in the past tense with the gap-fill exercise below. Lyrics intended for nonprofit educational use only.

        Underdog, simple past.pdf                 Underdog, simple past (webpage)

  • Grammar Focus on the participial phrases in the third verse (hustlers trading at the bus stop, single mothers waiting on a check, sons on the frontline knowing they don’t get to run). Permission granted to duplicate the worksheets below for classroom use.

participial phrases, part 1.docx      participial phrases, part 1.pdf

participial phrases, part 1 (webpage)

participial phrases, part 2.docx      participial phrases, part 2.pdf

participial phrases, part 2 (webpage)

  • Discussion The singer says, “The only dream that I’ve been chasing is my own.” Structure a class discussion on “dreams” with the activity below. Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use.

your dream.pdf          your dream (webpage)

  • Discussion The singer advises to keep on doing what you love, and you will “rise up.” Structure a class discussion on that topic with the activity below. Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use.

do what you love.docx      do what you love.pdf      do what you love (webpage)

  • Reading If you use the True Stories reading series, you could follow up with one of these stories about people who persevered when faced with a challenge: “Try, Try Again” or “The Champion” (True Stories 2); “Margaret Patrick… Meet Ruth Eisenberg” or “The School and the Stamp” (True Stories 3); “How You Finish” or “Love Under Siege” (True Stories 4); “The Chef” (True Stories 5); “745 Miles on a Pink Bike” (Pop-Up Story 1, 3 levels).

Margaret and Ruth, True Stories 3