Name: Analyzing Diction Through Pop Music Song Lessons
SKU: 623228e2e8dcec671cb212ac
Price: 39.99 USD
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About this resource

What's inside this resource

Teach students how to analyze literature with these engaging music activities!

Inspired by Nancy Dean’s Voice Lessons, Song Lessons uses pop music (country, rock, pop, and folk) to teach the impact of literary devices in literature. A perfect bell ringer or Friday afternoon activity, this section asks students to analyze music lyrics through the literary device of diction.

This activity is so easy and fun to implement with your students! Simply start by introducing the literary device with the provided definition, then use the copy/paste directions to create and then print any of the five provided song discussion activities. When students walk into their next class and hear a song playing over your speakers, they will be so excited to get started analyzing the lyrics with each worksheets questions and annotation activity. Once students are comfortable with song discussions, you can provide them with the opportunity to create their own! They will have a blast sharing the literary power of their favorite song!

Each Song Lesson section contains the following:

- An introduction with lesson planning advice and the definitions of 5 literary devices (Detail, Diction, Imagery, Point of View, and Tone)
- 5 short song lessons. Each lesson includes a pop song (music and lyrics available via included web link), an annotation activity, and three close reading analysis questions that ask students to examine the selected song through the lens of the literary concept of diction
- An answer key for each included song
A Create Your Own Song Lesson Assignment that allows students to share their favorite music while also demonstrating their understanding of the literary device of diction. This assignment worksheet includes a rubric tied to the ELA Common Core Standards CCRA.W.4 and CCRA.SL.2

Lyrics analyzed in song lessons: diction:

"Romeo and Juliet," by Dire Straits; "Directions," by Josh Rouse; "Look at Miss Ohio," by Gillian Welch; "Rock Hard Times," by The Eels, "Lost in the Supermarket," by The Clash.

Although this resource can be fitted for any secondary Language Arts classroom, it has been carefully designed to work best in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. The included activities and rubric are subtly but specifically tied to Common Core ELA Standards for Language (3, 4, and 5), Speaking and Listening (2), and Writing (4). This resource is provided as a Microsoft PowerPoint template file.

This resource contains 11 pages.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Skills covered

Diction analysis — marking notable word choices in pasted song lyrics

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Curriculum

Standards, concepts & topics

Standards

CCSS.L.9.3 — Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian’s Manual for Writers) appropriate for the discipline and writing type.
CCSS.L.10.3 — Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian’s Manual for Writers) appropriate for the discipline and writing type.
CCSS.L.11.3 — Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
CCSS.L.12.3 — Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
CCSS.SL.9.2 — Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
CCSS.SL.10.2 — Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
CCSS.SL.11.2 — Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
CCSS.SL.12.2 — Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
CCSS.L.9.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.L.9.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
CCSS.L.10.4 — Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
CCSS.L.10.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
CCSS.L.11.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.L.11.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text. b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
CCSS.L.12.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.L.12.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text. b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
CCSS.W.9.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
CCSS.W.10.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
CCSS.W.11.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
CCSS.W.12.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)