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10 Song Analysis Lessons for Teachers

July 22, 2023 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   Leave a Comment

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One of the positive shifts that happened as a result of PARCC becoming a short-lived focus in my district and state was that attention shifted to paired text analysis of shorter texts. Even as Illinois shifted to IAR and parted ways with yet another educational acronym, the idea of quick-hit analysis with short texts stuck with me. I will always keep song analysis and poem analysis with paired texts as a part of my classroom routine thanks to PARCC.

It is easy to scaffold and differentiate song analysis lessons. I can integrate poems as mentor texts, as well. But the BIGGEST benefit is that these short texts engage students and build a foundation for the analysis of longer novels such as Their Eyes Were Watching God or Great Expectations .

Song Analysis & Poem Analysis: Building a Foundation

I begin the year with a review of essential reading, writing, and close reading skills.

We spend time breaking down and discussing various poems such as “ Nikki Rosa “, “ Tattoo “, and “ Ode to my Socks .” I play songs for them and we unpack the meaning behind the lyrics. Songs like “ Dig ” and “ Anti-Hero ” and “ Hotel California .”

As we engage in poem analysis and song analysis, we talk about word choice, connotations, pattern-hunting, and review common poetic and literary devices organically as they come up in our texts.

Then, we practice analyzing the songs and poems to prove a claim. It’s one step forward to notice an important word or a connotation , but it’s a higher-level skill to unpack and explain how the author’s choices are designed to convey a message.

And it’s even more complex to put it all down in writing : thesis statements and topic sentences, using evidence to prove a claim, paragraph structure, and idea development.

All of this happens in cycles, with a lot of modeling and discussion – we go slow to go fast.

After students are comfortable analyzing a single text, I pair multiple texts for a larger conversation, asking students analyze these texts as cultural critics and to apply literary lenses .

Students discuss and synthesize texts and ideas as they bring different texts into conversation with each other as we explore an essential question such as:

• What is the meaning of “love” in society?
• What can “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift teach us about the Hero’s Journey?
• How can the songs “Cry Pretty” and “Growing Up” guide a discussion about gender roles and norms?

Skill Integration

The skills that students review and expand upon in the poem and song analysis learning cycles will serve them well throughout the school year.

As we read short stories and novels, t he text complexity increases , and we fold in character and plot discussions, but the foundation for in-depth and analytical thinking is there.

Plus, it’s a lot easier for students to reflect and revise (and a lot easier for me to provide formative feedback ) when the stakes are lower and the texts and analysis writing are short and focused.

That’s how my students find themselves writing 12-15 page literary analysis papers during second semester. For this assignment, they engage in college-level analysis, critiquing a literary critic’s perspective on a novel and using their own thinking and evidence from the text to prove and disprove that critic’s claims.

Yet… students, once the lightbulb goes on that this is simply a rinse and repeat of poem and song analysis to build an overall argument, they find that they can do it. I hear comments that “I just had so much to say” and that “it was easier than I expected.”

All thanks to a solid foundation that we add to throughout the year.

Song Analysis Lesson Plans

Because song analysis and poem analysis is a passion of mine, I decided to create pop-culture paired text song and poem analysis lessons to share with other English teachers.

Build a strong foundation for full-length novel study or use these lessons as a part of your novel or short story unit.

Make close reading, textual analysis and literary analysis  less intimidating  with 10 lesson sequences…that’s 31 CCSS-aligned  song analysis and poetry analysis lesson plans for paired texts . Integrated close reading, text-based writing, speaking, research, and inquiry skills, make these pop culture lessons both  engaging and worthwhile.

When you purchase the product bundle , you’ll receive  10 Detailed, CCSS-Aligned Lesson Plan Sequences  (That’s 31 total lesson plans!) and Teacher Notes (41 Pages) that each provide an opener, writer’s notebook activity, poem + song analysis, and writing activity options.

But because I love you and would never leave you hanging…these lesson plans come with digital and print versions of all of the handouts and activities you need. Digital & Print Lesson Handouts  (238 Pages/Slides) correspond with lesson plan activities and are designed to help students practice core skills as they engage with the texts.

10 Song Analysis Lesson Packs

Click HER E to grab all 10 lesson packs at a 30% discount!

• Carrie Underwood’s song “Cry Pretty” & Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ song “Growing Up”
• William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” & Imagine Dragons’ song “Whatever it Takes”
• Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” and Tupac’s song “Still I Rise”
• Stephen Dobyns’ poem “Loud Music” and Incubus’ song “Dig”
• “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
• “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day and “Brick by Boring Brick” by Paramore
• “Hotel California” by the Eagles and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
• Protest Songs
• “Mad World” by Tears for Fears and “A Million Dreams” sung by Pink / The Greatest Showman

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 18 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Making Music Song Analysis Easy with these 5 Simple Steps

We all know that teaching song analysis to your middle school and general music students can be a bit of a rollercoaster. But it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences, especially when you can see when they “get it”! 

Music students in grades 6-9, are at a crucial age for musical and literacy development, and they benefit immensely from understanding the intricacies of music song analysis, especially through the lens of the Elements of Music. 

The challenge, of course, is to keep them engaged throughout the process. The good news is that there is a solution for you. In this blog post, you will be guided through the steps to make song analysis not just accessible but also enjoyable for your students, all thanks to these fantastic music song analysis teaching resources.

Are looking for other ways that you can keep your music students engaged in the music classroom, then grab yourself a FREE copy of the 25 page eBook called – 5 Simple Ways to Makeover your Music Curriculum here

Prior Preparation

Preparing your students for the exciting task of conducting their own song analysis requires laying a solid foundation in music terms and vocabulary. To kickstart this process, make certain that you’ve taught your music students the necessary terminology that is crucial for their achievement in music classroom song analysis. For an in-depth guide on teaching music terms to your students, feel free to delve into the details offered in this blog post.

Link to the Teaching Music Terms Blog Post

Step 1 – Starting with Song Analysis Worksheets

Before you even think about starting any sort of song analysis with your students, you first need to decide a few things.

• What Elements of Music will you focus on?
• What is the Music Topic that you are studying?
• What do my students already know?
• What sort of music do my students enjoy listening to?
• What are the literacy skills of my students?

Once you have your answers to these questions, it will make the rest of the song analysis process much easier!

The answers to these questions are like the foundation stones for your analysis journey. They bring structure to the learning process, helping your students get a grip on those fundamental music concepts. 

Once you have decided on where to start and what music to focus on for your song analysis, you might need some resources to help and guide you and your students through the process. 

No need to reinvent the wheel! Check out our Music Song Analysis Project Bundle . In this Bundle of Elements of Music Song Analysis resources, you’ll find task descriptions, marking rubrics, biography graphic organizers for research, and guided song analysis worksheets covering each of the Elements of Music –  Melody, Rhythm, Timbre, Harmony, Texture, Structure/Form, Dynamics, and Tonality. It’s like having a complete toolkit for song analysis right at your fingertips.

Link to the Song Analysis Bundle here

Step 2 – Picking the Right Song for Analysis

Choosing the right song for analysis can make a world of difference for both you and your music students. The song you select can either ignite that spark in your students or leave them scratching their heads. It’s crucial to find songs that align with your curriculum and engage your students. 

To find the right music for analysis, first research a few options for your students, play them in class and then ask them to vote on which one they would like to study during the song analysis process. HINT when you start this with your students, choose songs that are more simple in nature, it will be much easier for your students to “hear” the answers to the song analysis questions.

Step 3- Classroom Modeling of Song Analysis

Incorporating a classroom modeling of the song analysis process means giving your students a live demo of how it’s done. It’s a hands-on approach that makes the song analysis process tangible and easier for them to know what to do when they start to work independently. Whether you’re diving into melody, rhythm, or tonality, our teaching resources provide support for classroom modeling. It’s all about making it more accessible for both you and your students.

To model the song analysis process follow these steps

• Choose an Element of Music and set of questions to use for the song analysis.
• Choose a song to study.
• Show your students the song analysis questions and discuss what each question means. Check for understanding of any terms that they might be struggling with.
• Discuss possible music terms that could be used for each question. You might want to record these music terms somewhere for your students to refer to and use. 
• Play the music and let your students listen for the answers. You might need to play the music a couple of times, even if it is only a small section of the music.
• Discuss the answers to the questions and model a correct response with your students by recording it for all students to see.
• If needed, listen to the music again and check the answers to each song analysis question.
• Discuss the answers and check for student understanding.

Step 4 – Setting Students Up for Success with Song Analysis Samples

Once you have modeled the song analysis process with your class, you will need to think of other ways to set your students up for success. One way is by providing them with song analysis samples. It is important to give your students a wide variety of samples, both good and bad! Through the study of song analysis samples, your student will hopefully find their own ‘aha’ moment that can boost their confidence. The Song Analysis Bundle comes with sample analyses, but, with AI and tools like CHAT GPT, you can easily create other samples for your students to use.

Step 5 – Independent Song Analysis Listening Assignment

Now that you have walked your students through the song analysis process, it is time for them to complete their own independent song analysis assignments. This is where your students will put their newfound song analysis skills to the test. They get to express their understanding of the Elements of Music through analysis. The Song Analysis Bundle resource even offers ideas for assessing and evaluating their work, making your job a little easier!

Teaching song analysis does not need to be an uphill battle in your music classroom. With the right resources and teaching approach, it can be the highlight of your middle school music appreciation curriculum. Our teaching resources, including the Music Song Analysis Project Bundle, are classroom tested and have been tailor-made to simplify the process for both you and your music students. Whether you’re starting with the listening and song analysis worksheets, picking engaging songs, using the song analysis writing samples, modeling in the classroom, or setting independent assignments, you’ll find everything you need included on the bundle. 

Until next time

Happy Teaching

Julia from Jooya

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