Warm-Up 2/10/2014Take out your song analysis draftGet a green, blue, pink, and yellow

highlighter from the bins up front. You may need to share blue highlighters at your table.

Song Analysis Essay Self-Review

FormattingTimes New Roman12 point fontLeft alignment (NOT centered)1 inch margins

Header1. Name2. Teacher Name3. Class, Period4. Date

1. Day, Month, Year

Clark SampleMs. IngrahamEnglish 12, Period 310 February 2014

Page numberingUpper right corner

of EVERY pageName #

Ingraham 1

LabelingMake a key at the top of your paper using your

highlightersSample:

Blue=StatementPink=ProofYellow=CommentaryGreen= Green Words in the thesis

Label the topic sentences at the beginning of each section

Label the transitions at the end of each sectionHighlight the body paragraphs for statement,

proof, and commentary using your key

Eyeballing PercentagesLook at what you highlighted. Is more than

15-20% of what you wrote pink?You need to shorten quotes, develop

commentary, or both.Write which one(s) you think you need to do

If quotes are too long, cross out the part(s) of the quotes you think you don’t need

Proof formatLines should not be centered. Integrate

them.“Today I don’t feel like doing anything/ I just

want to lay in my bed/ Don’t feel like picking up my phone/so leave a message at the tone/Cuz today I swear I’m not doing anything” (Mars 1-5).

CitationsName of the band and line number(s)

(The Format 30-32) Last name of artist and line number(s)

(Paisley 30-32)If the artist has only one name, like Madonna:

(Madonna 30-32)If artist or song is mentioned in paper then followed

by your lyrics, add line numbers in parentheses.In the song “On Your Porch,” the chorus expresses the

artist’s opinion that “blah blah insert lyrics here” (10-15).

Change citations now (if needed)

Thesis StatementHighlight green words

in greenCheck that they are

“green” and NOUNSMake sure it isn’t

three-prongShouldn’t just list

green wordsWrite yourself some

notes now. You may take out your green words list if you need it.

Example:“On Your Porch” speaks to the bravery it takes to have compassion for myself, and the solitude I have sometimes faced in search of hope for a better future.

Claim CheckMust make a claim about how that song:

If it looks like this, they do not have a claim:

Reflects your archetype

made an impact on you

truly reflects who you are or some aspect of your being

holds a special meaning for you in some way

“On Your Porch” reflects the warrior archetype

“On Your Porch” reflects who I am.

“On Your Porch” is the most meaningful song to me for a number of reasons.

Commentary Check

Should: Should Not:Explain how the song

connects to the qualities of your archetype

Explain what the chosen lyrics mean to you

Connect the song to you through concrete (specific) examples from your life

Prove your thesis and green words

Focus on anything other than yourself or your life

Be vague and lack detail

Check thesis against claims made in the essay. Does it match or

does it contradict what you say about your song(s)?

Check the Introduction’s GrabberDo you have one?Is it effective?

Did you use a random quote that may seems out of place?

If you start off with a question, does it work or does it seem out of place or unrelated?

Is the title of the song in the intro? Is it italicized or in quotation marks?

Did you name the artist?

Sample Intro:

The first time I saw The Format in concert was at Edgefest 2004. After a

long, sun-baked day of endless bands, the sky had darkened to the dirty blue of all

rainclouds. It threatened all the electrical equipment of the stage and sound controls,

and yet the last band refused to give up taking the stage. Nate, Sam, and the other

“Formatters” came up, and the crowd, now dotted with rain sprinkles, grew louder

and louder until Nate took the microphone. When he announced the show would go

on, the crowd erupted in approval. There is nothing quite like a Format crowd. We

sang along to both fast and slow songs, and as we sang a shared camaraderie built

between crowd members, the band, and the rain that turns to sheets and blinded us

all. We left that night running through the rain, soaked and thrilled with the

performance, racing through the parking lot to my car to recount, time and again,

that last, wondrous performance. Since then my love of the band only grew, and with

each album Nate Ruess (now the lead singer of Fun.) writes, I feel that he has written

the soundtrack to my life. The song that defined my senior year of high school was

The Format’s “On Your Porch.” To me, “On Your Porch” speaks to the bravery it takes

to have compassion for myself, and the solitude I have sometimes faced in search of

hope for a better future.

Mechanics CheckThe moment you’ve all been waiting for! Check for:Comma usagePlural vs. Possessive (One Republic’s vs. One

Republics)Capitalization of proper nounsRun-on sentences and sentence fragmentsSpellingWord choice that isn’t quite rightAnything else you seeEven if you aren’t sure, mark it. You know when something doesn’t look or sound quite right. You will double-check later

Language Register CheckAre you staying in formal register? Look

back at notes to check.Use a pen or a pencil to circle any register

drops and write “register” next to these circled areas.

You may use personal pronouns like “I,” “me,” and “my.”Absolutely no “you” or “your” unless it is in

one of the lyrics you are using.

On Wednesday:Final copyThis workshopped draftApproved song lyricsTurnitin.com receipt.Even if you are not here, it is due. You will

need to make arrangements to have it to me by the beginning of your class period.

If you are missing your turnitin.com receipt, it is considered late, even if you have everything else with you.