ACTIVITY 1: Life Reflections Through Songwriting

Objectives:

• Students will analyze, discuss and compare sources of inspiration, use of words and imagery, and other differences in writing styles between two featured songwriters.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

One 60-minute session

Notes:

We suggest you read the lyrics prior to working with your class. Topics may or may not be appropriate for your age level or community.You may choose to use lyrics from other songwriters in place of or in addition to the lyrics included here. Possibilities might include Paul Simon's "Sounds of Silence," Lennon & McCartney's "Eleanor Rigby," or lyrics of current and compelling songwriters of today. Please check copyrights before doing so.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

• Encourage students to look at songwriters from diverse countries and how their lyrics reflect their cultural background and traditions.

Materials Needed for this Activity:

• Student handouts of lyrics to songs chosen OR teacher's transparency for overhead projector.

Additional Resources:

• Carter:
  
• “Tanglewood Tree” (high school only – please make sure lyrics are appropriate for the student age group).
• “Gentle Arms of Eden.”
• “When I Go.”
• Jose:
  
• “Rain, Rain Come Again.”

Procedure:

1. View Donna Jose video
2. Follow-up discussion:
3. What are Donna's sources of inspiration?
4. Where does she get her ideas?
5. Is her job as a nurse practitioner helpful or detrimental to her music? Give examples to support your answer.
6. Can there be pros AND cons in life's situations?
7. How do you create a balance?
8. Read lyrics to "Rain, Rain Come Again."
9. Analyze her writing in terms of writing techniques, imagery, etc. (Please see addendum for lyrics.)
10. Songwriters often try to generalize their feelings and experiences, making it something that anyone can relate to.
11. Is she able to achieve this? Why or why not?
12. View Dave & Tracy video
13. Follow-up discussion:
14. What does Dave mean by this quote:
• "Our every day life is...a mythological existence...our routine worlds are...always informed by history, which is in turn informed by mythology and legend."
15. What does it mean to "mythologize" daily life?
16. Read through the lyrics of a selected Dave Carter song. (Please see addendum for lyrics.)
17. What writing techniques does Dave use in his songwriting, (e.g., use of imagery, allusion, symbolism, other literary devices.
18. Is it effective?
19. Is his style similar or different to Donna's? Explain your reasoning.
20. Donna says, "This is what I'm supposed to be doing." Do you think Dave and Tracy feel the same way? Why?

Assessment

• Use the Group Discussion Scoring Guide to assess this activity.

Extensions and Adaptations

• This lesson may be incorporated into an existing poetry unit on use of writing techniques, use of symbolism, imagery, etc.
  

ACTIVITY 2: Reflective Journal

Objectives:

• Students create a journal to documents their life experiences for one month.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

Class time may be used for this activity (20 minutes each time), or assign it as homework.

Notes:

You may wish to have students turn in their journals on a weekly basis, to encourage journal entries created over a period of time, rather than written just before the final due date.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

• Encourage students to share insights into their family's culture, or similarities and differences between their lives and the lives of their peers. These might be reflections on culture, religious practices, hobbies, travel, or other dynamics which influence their activities or lifestyle.

Materials Needed for this Activity:

• Spiral notebook for journal
• Pen or pencil

Additional Resources:

• An article on Dialogue Journals as an activity between teacher and student may be found at the online resource:
• The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) at http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed354789.html
• A number of books on journaling are available, including these specifically for teens and younger:
• Capacchione, Ph.D., Lucia. The Creative Journal for Teens: Making Friends With Yourself. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Career Press, Inc. Second Edition, 2002.
• Dahlstrom, M.A., Lorraine M. Writing Down the Days: 365 Creative Journaling Ideas for Young People. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, 2000. Recommended for upper elementary; some ideas good for middle school.

Procedure:

1. If videos have not yet been viewed, you may wish to have the students view the Donna Jose and Dave Carter/Tracy Grammer videos.
2. Afterwards, briefly discuss where the songwriters get their inspiration for their songs (life experience).
3. See Activity #1 for sample questions.
4. Ask students to keep a journal for one month.
   
5. Writing might reflect upon their daily activities, their reactions to world events, and/or feelings of exhilaration or frustration about life.
   
6. Journal should consist of a minimum of three-four entries a week over a four-week period for a minimum total of sixteen entries.
   
7. You may also wish to require a minimum length of an entry as well.

Assessment

• Use the Writing Scoring Guide to assess this activity.

Extensions and Adaptations

This lesson may be incorporated into an existing poetry unit on use of writing techniques, use of symbolism, imagery, etc.

ACTIVITY 3: Expressions

Objectives:

Each student will create a poem or song which reflects or is inspired by a life experience, personal feeling, current event or other topic upon which they wish to reflect.

Estimated Time Needed for Activity:

One 25-30 minute session plus time (class time or homework) for writing poem or song

Notes:

You may wish to have the students participate in Activity #1 (Analyzing different writing styles) and Activity #2 (Journal Writing) prior to this activity. Ideally, the finished poem or song will be written in a way that generalizes a feeling or storyline, allowing audiences to empathize and relate it to their own experiences. Therefore, by definition the song need not be strictly autobiographical or factually accurate.

Addressing Cultural Diversity in the Learning Environment:

• Students may wish to write a poem or song which reflects and integrates their cultural background and perspective.

Materials Needed for this Activity:

• If possible, student's own journal writing (see Activity #2)
• Writing material (pens and paper)

Procedure:

1. If videos have not yet been viewed, you may wish to have the students view the Donna Jose and Dave Carter/Tracy Grammer videos.
   
2. Afterwards, briefly discuss where the songwriters get their inspiration for their songs (life experience).
   
3. See Activity #1 for sample questions.
4. Discuss how a personal experience can be generalized to increase audience identification with the feeling. On the board, briefly list examples of personal experiences
1. Getting a bad grade or not making the team; a fight with a parent, your dog dies
2. Give sample ideas of how to "generalize" those experiences:
   
3. (I try hard and still can't win; why won't you accept me for who I am/listen to me; I'll miss you now you've gone away).
5. Students read through their journal entries from the past month, and find an incident, reflection, series or pattern of events, or feelings to "elevate" in poetry or song.
   
6. If possible, write in a general rather than specific way, to increase the audience ability to identify with the
   feeling or event.
7. If class did not participate in a journal writing activity (Activity #2), students would choose an incident from their life, or recent reflection, for inspiration.
8. You may wish to see a rough draft of the poem or song.
9. Give additional feedback, if needed, on how to "universalize" the topic.

Assessment

• Use the Creation Scoring Guide to assess this activity.

Extensions and Adaptations

• See film scoring activities, including combining background music for
• written poetry, in lessons for film scorer Cal Scott.
• Teachers may also wish to integrate this lesson into a poetry unit. For
• example, poems might be written as haiku, cinquain, free verse, or other
• forms studied.