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ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH WRITING USING
SONG LYRICS &
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE
The goal of this lesson is to build analytical writing skills with a structured paragraph format using the film and the students' own selected song.
- Students select a theme from the film and then select a song that they feel thematically connects to the film Bowling for Columbine.
- Students bring in the typed lyrics of their song (editing out inappropriate language).
- Following the paragraph format shown below, the students write an analytical response that thematically compares their song to the film through specific examples from the song lyrics and the film.
- The students should title their paragraph with the theme they selected.
- Write a paragraph together as a class first before sending the students home to work on their own analytical paragraph.
Analytical Paragraph Structure (Each English department might call each part of the paragraph a different name than the ones listed below; please use the names the students in your department are used to using.)
- Topic Sentence (introduce the theme)
- Specific Statement #1 (introducing the evidence from the film and the song)
- Text Evidence #1 (a paraphrase from the film connecting to lyrics from the song)
- Analysis (2-3 sentences analyzing the thematic connection - proving the point)
- Transition Word Or Phrase (Another example, or however, or Also)
- Specific Statement #2 (introducing the evidence from the film and the song)
- Text Evidence #2 (a paraphrase from the film connecting to lyrics from the song)
- Analysis (2-3 sentences analyzing the thematic connection - proving the point)
- Closing Sentence (bring closure to the thematic topic)
The students should bring in a rough draft of their paragraph and go through a peer editing process of their paragraphs in groups of 3-4 before turning in the final typed version of their paragraph.
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