CURTAINS 4th Period English FINAL PROJECT - SONG LYRIC ANALYSIS

Due: January 15th

Assignment: o EVALUATE a song, by carefully answering the questions (on the back) and typing them up (4 sentence minimum) o TYPE a 5 Paragraph Essay, discussing the impact of music on the African-American community. o CREATE A POWERPOINT SLIDESHOW ANALYZING SONG LYRICS. (15 Slide Minimum) o PRESENT POWERPOINT TO THE CLASS. Objectives o That students will be able to define and identify various different rhetorical devices in a songs lyrics. o That students will be able to analyze the authors point of view on the subject matter of the song. o That students will be able to appraise, whether or not, the lyrics would have a positive or negative impact on the impressionable minds of todays youth. o STUDENTS WILL PRESENT A DOCUMENT THAT: o IS TYPED, PRINTED, and STAPLED (BEFOREHAND) o Contains the LYRICS of the song with curse words, or other offensive terms blanked out. o Contains the answers of each question, in order. Written in numbered short essay responses. o Contains the URL of the website in which the lyrics were found.
Standards Reading Applications: Literary Text #8 Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony, tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific examples from text to support analysis. Reading Applications: Literary Text 1. Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters confronting similar conflicts (e.g., individual vs. nature, freedom vs. responsibility, individual vs. society), using specific examples of characters thoughts, words and actions. 2. Analyze the historical, social and cultural context of setting. 3. Explain how voice and narrator affect the characterization, plot and credibility. 4. Evaluate an authors use of point of view in a literary text. 5. Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts. Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text 1. Analyze the rhetorical devices used in public documents, including state or school policy statements, newspaper editorials and speeches. 2. Analyze and critique organizational patterns and techniques including repetition of ideas, appeals to authority, reason and emotion, syntax and word choice that authors use to accomplish their purpose and reach their intended audience. 3. Analyze and compile information from several sources on a single issue or written by a single author, clarifying ideas and connecting them to other sources and related topics. 4. Distinguish between valid and invalid inferences and provide evidence to support the findings, noting instances of unsupported inferences, fallacious reasoning, propaganda techniques, bias and stereotyping. 5. Examine an authors implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs about a subject. 6. Evaluate the effectiveness and validity of arguments in public documents and their appeal to various audiences. Communication: Oral and Visual: #4 Evaluate language choice, diction, and syntax and delivery style

QUESTIONS 1. What is the name of the song? 2. What is the running time of the song? a. What is the Title of the Album that it appears on? b. What was the release date of the album, or single? i. What is ONE relevant world event that was going on at the time of the release? (in the months before) c. What is the name of the producer? 3. Is the cover picture of the album, consistent with the message of the song and album? Why or Why not? 4. What is the chorus of the song? a. How many times was it repeated? 5. What is the tone that is established by the chorus? 6. What are some clichs that are used? 7. What are the most frequent words heard? (outside of the chorus) 8. What is the tone that is established by the frequent words? 9. Is the overall tone of the song, consistent with the lyrics of the song? Why or Why not? 10. Is the message of the song consistent with the title of the song? Why or Why not? 11. Is the message of the song consistent with the messages in the other song on the same Album? Why or Why not? 12. Is the message of the song consistent with the lifestyle of the Artist? Why or Why not? a. What is ONE contradiction? / or what is ONE similarity? 13. What are THREE rhetorical devices that are apparent in the lyrics? a. What purpose do these devices serve within the lyrics of the song? 14. Would the message of the song have a positive or negative impact on the impressionable minds? Why or Why not? 15. Would you allow your child (8-13) listen to this song? Why or Why not?