Name: Molly Heck Lesson Topic/Lesson Length: “Song of Ourselves”/ 25

minutes

Content Area: English Language Grade Level(s): Grade 9

Arts

Class Context:

The class context is a ninth grade English class. The class is composed of 17 students- seven
males and ten females. Students in this class are diverse in personal backgrounds and academic
readiness. They are generally engaged and motivated to participate in instruction and learning.

Lesson Content

Background Information/ Relevance/ Context/ Rationale (Purpose) – Please be clear about how
this particular lesson is situated within the current instructional sequence (i.e., unit), why this content important for
students to learn, and how you will convey the relevance and significance of this lesson to students.

This lesson falls on the fourth day of the “American Me” unit, which examines how past and
present experiences and culture shape one’s identity. This unit is the first of the school year and
will cultivate students’ ability to “Write to Express.” Additionally, the unit aims to cultivate a
positive classroom environment, by encouraging students to learn more about their peers and
their own identities.

In this lesson, students will analyze Lana Del Ray’s song “Looking for America”(Appendix 1) and
its corresponding cover art (Appendix 2). The purpose of this lesson is to cultivate students’ ability
to examine a variety of texts and make connections between the texts and their own lives, with
the particular focus on identity expression. Students will be able to translate this skill to the unit’s
summative assessment, in which they will create their own collage pieces to express their
identities.

The relevance of this lesson will be communicated to students by stating that the texts we
encounter shape our culture, as we understand the world and ourselves.
Relevant VSOLs/CCSSs – Include only the standards addressed by this particular lesson
9.4 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze a variety of literary texts including narratives, narrative
nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

a) Identify author’s main idea and purpose.

f) Compare and contrast the use of rhyme, rhythm, sound, imagery, and other literary devices to convey a message and
elicit the reader’s emotion.
g) Analyze the cultural or social function of a literary text.

Learning Targets -- Please reference these learning targets throughout your lesson plan.
As a result of this lesson, students will…

U3: Understand that one’s culture shapes one’s identity.

K4: Know how to form connections across differences and similarities.
D1: Explain how their culture has shaped their identity.

Assessments: – How will you know if students have met/made progress towards the learning targets? Be sure these
assessments are integrated throughout the procedures and steps in the lesson outlined below.

Diagnosti Formative Summativ

c e
 Method of assessment:
Class discussion

Description of assessment:
Students will participate in a class discussion on Lana Del Ray’s song
“Looking for America,” in which they analyze how the lyrics express a search
for identity, and the power of art to cultivate one’s understanding.

Aligned with which Learning Target(s):

U3, K4, D1

Criteria for assessment:

Students should be able to identify how the lyrics in the song express a
search for identity, and also express the difficulty of self-discovery in context
of modern America. Additionally, students should be able to identify that art
can capture and shape one’s emotions and understanding of the world,
oneself, and others.

How data will be used:

If students seem to enjoy and be engaged in the analysis of the music and
video, I will incorporate more lessons that analyze music or video clips into my
instruction. If they do not, I will try to find other forms of texts that engage and
spark interest in my students.

Materials/ Supplies/ Sources/ Digital and Interactive Instructional Technology (if

appropriate): – Please list all necessary instructional supplies, materials, and sources. Make sure that these are
clearly labeled and referenced throughout the lesson plan to enhance clarity.

Appendix 1: “Looking for America” by Lana Del Ray lyrics and audio video

Appendix 2: “Looking for America” cover art

Beginning Room Set Up: -How is the room set up when the students enter? Is there anything written on the
board or projected on the screen? Are their handouts, books, etc. that are laid out for students to pick up as they enter?

The room will be set up in a large semi- circle, with the desks facing the front of the classroom. At the front of the
classroom, Lana Del Ray’s song and lyric video of “Looking for America” will be projecting, so that it is ready to roll for the
lesson. The corresponding cover art will be cued, to pull up for the discussion. The board by the backpack zone will let
students know that they will need their journals and a writing utensil.
Proactive Planning for Learning Differences: – What planned supports have you included to make the
content accessible for all learners (i.e., groups of students and/or specific students) and to build upon learners’ diversity?
Be sure any modifications are explicitly explained in the procedures/steps outlined below.

As the text for today’s examination is a song, the corresponding lyrics of the song will be projected so that students can
read and listen in order to understand and follow along more easily.

Procedures/Steps in the Lesson: -- May follow a specific model (i.e., Direct Instruction, Jigsaw) or be more
open-ended. Be sure to think about what students will be doing during each step, in addition to what you are doing.
Scripting and/or estimated time frames may or may not be included, but the plan should be clear and explicit enough that
another person would be able to teach from it.

Step 1: Introduction (3 minutes)

· Welcome students into the class
· Ask students if they are familiar with Lana Del Ray’s music, and if they enjoy listening to music/ if
music is important to them.
· Let them know that we will be studying “Looking for America” by Lana Del Ray. In this song, Lana
expresses her personal journey to discover a definition of America. This text connects with the other texts in the
lesson, as it expresses a search for American identity in a multidimensional format.
· Relay the relevance of this lesson, as it will strengthen their skills to analyze the texts that surround
our daily lives, such as music, in order to understand more about our society and our own identities.
· Ask students to focus on the tone of the music and the lyrics. Additionally, they will be encouraged to
jot down thoughts and ideas into their journals, as we will have a class discussion.

Step 2: Listen to “Looking for America” (3 minutes)

· Students will listen to the lyrics and watch the corresponding lyrics in the music video.
· As students listen, they will jot down notes about their thoughts and ideas.

Step 3: Individual Processing (3 minutes)

· When the song is over, I will pull up the cover art that corresponds to the song onto the projector.
· I will ask students to reflect upon the cover art and the song in their journals for three minutes.
· I will write these guiding questions on the board to help them think and reflect, in order to prepare
them for the following class discussion:
What is Lana expressing about the search for American identity? How does art capture the emotions that words cannot?

Step 4: Class Discussion (15 minutes)

· Break into a whole class discussion, with an initial focus on the song and cover art. Students will be
asked about the tone of the song, and what it is saying about American society and identity.
· About halfway through the discussion, I will transition the conversation into a broader discussion
about identity in the context of American culture. Students will be asked to connect the song with their own
understanding of American culture and identity. I will hand out graphic organizers for them to reflect their
thoughts and ideas related to their American identities (Appendix 3).

Materials Appendix (if appropriate):-Please include the slides, images, links to texts, handouts, etc. that are
used in this lesson. They should be “Student Ready”

Appendix 1: “Looking for America” lyrics and audio video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoganJIrSas

Appendix 2: “Looking for America” cover art:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81e+lAgQjnL._SS500_.jpg

Appendix 3: “American Me” graphic organizer:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bpZqlGT8sfJ2FGestTMoGpTPb2w9rH3Rr4jT0NdeBk
4/edit?usp=sharing