CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.

4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Students will select a song of their liking (must be first approved by teacher as well as age level
appropriate) and bring in a copy of the lyrics to class. Students will then select 3-5 lines to
analyze intently. Students will then paste lyrics to a word cloud, a class generated word cloud
and will be asked individually why those lyrics were chosen as well as intent of music and lyrics.
Students will be allowed to work in groups to briefly explain to peers about lyrical selection
before explaining to class overall. This will help students learn importance of word selection and
having a diverse vocabulary to express self in a variety of ways and forms.
http://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/#%2F%2Fwww.jasondavies.com%2Fwordtree%2Fcatin-the-hat.txt