Title: The Poetry of Songwriting

Grade Level: 9-12

Objective: Students will be able to identify and analyze poetic techniques used in song lyrics and understand how they contribute to the overall meaning and theme of a song.

Materials: - A variety of song lyrics (chosen by the teacher or brought in by students) - Whiteboard and markers - Audio equipment (speakers, computer, etc.) - Handouts with definitions of poetic techniques (e.g. metaphor, simile, alliteration, etc.) - Instruments (optional)

Procedure:

Introduction (10 minutes): 1. Begin by playing a popular song that students are likely to know and enjoy. 2. Ask students to listen to the lyrics and think about what the song is about. 3. Ask students to share their thoughts and interpretations of the song.

Direct Instruction (20 minutes): 1. Explain to students that songwriting is a form of poetry and that many of the same techniques used in traditional poetry are also used in song lyrics. 2. Provide handouts with definitions of poetic techniques and go over each one with the class. 3. Using a whiteboard, write out a few lines from a song and ask students to identify any poetic techniques used in the lyrics. 4. Repeat this process with a few different songs, encouraging students to work in pairs or small groups to analyze the lyrics.

Guided Practice (30 minutes): 1. Divide students into small groups and provide each group with a different song. 2. Ask each group to analyze the lyrics of their assigned song, identifying any poetic techniques used and discussing how they contribute to the overall meaning and theme of the song. 3. Each group should then present their findings to the class, playing a short clip of the song and highlighting the poetic techniques they identified.

Independent Practice (30 minutes): 1. Have students work individually to write their own song lyrics, incorporating at least three different poetic techniques. 2. Students can work with instruments (if available) or simply write lyrics on their own. 3. Once students have completed their lyrics, they should share them with the class and discuss how they used poetic techniques to convey their message.

Closure (10 minutes): 1. Ask students to reflect on what they learned about the relationship between poetry and songwriting. 2. Play a song that uses a variety of poetic techniques and ask students to identify them. 3. Encourage students to continue exploring the use of poetic techniques in songwriting on their own.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their ability to identify and analyze poetic techniques used in song lyrics and their understanding of how these techniques contribute to the overall meaning and theme of a song. This can be done through class participation, group presentations, and individual songwriting assignments.