Mind Map Instructions
Requirements
- song title and theme in the center
- at least 4 branches (poetic devices)
- each branch includes: 1-2 quotes as examples of poetic device, explanation of significance and meaning, visuals to pair with analysis, other thoughts to deepend understanding
- uses color-coding/labels for each branch
Rubric
- Purposeful Annotations = 30 pts
- Analysis Depth = 30 pts
- Evidence (4+ quotes) = 20 pts
- Organization (4+ brances) = 10 pts
- Creativity & Clarity = 10 pts
Song Options (choose one):Choose one of the songs below. You may listen to it, but remember that your focus for analysis is the lyrics. Analyze how understanding the speaker and intended audience affects both the tone and the theme. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
How does Swift use point-of-view to develop or change tone and theme?
Your Task: Analyze who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and why. Swift is the author, but she isn't always the speaker. You are the reader, but you aren't her audience. You won't identify a specific person for these but what you find out about them through the song. For example, in "Love Stoy," the speaker is a teenage girl who is speaking to the boy she likes, but her father doesn't approve. Knowing this helps me better understand the speaker's attitude throughout the song, as well as the theme. You must:
- Identify and describe the speaker/persona
- Identify the intended audience
- Analyze 3-4 key moments that reveal motivation or conflict
- Explain the central message (theme)
- Explain how the speaker wants their audience to feel or respond
Helpful Tip: Consider how Swift uses reflection (looking back at a time later) and how that changes her speaker's perspective.
Betty (2020)
Dear John (2009)
Ruin the Friendship (2025)
Marjorie (2021)
How does Swift use visuals to deepen or change the meaning of her song lyrics?
Song Options (choose one):Choose one of the songs below. After reading the lyrics, watch the music video. Analyze how the visuals in the video deepen, complicate, or change the meaning of the lyrics. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
Your Task Analyze how a music video's visuals deepen, complicate, or change the meaning of the lyrics. You must:
- Identify 3–4 key visual moments from the video
- Pair each chosen moment with a specific lyric
- Explain how the visual adds symbolism, irony, characterization, etc...
- Make a clear claim about the overall meaning created by lyrics and visuals together
Think about:
- color symbolism
- costume choices
- camera angles
Mean (2011)
You Belong With Me (2009)
Opalite (2025)
Willow (2020)
- setting changes
- repeated imagery
- character relationships
Song Options (choose one):Choose one of the songs below. You may listen to it, but remember that your focus for analysis is the lyrics. Analyze how word choice and poetic devices, such as imagery, figurative language, and symbolism, affect the speaker's attitude (tone) about a subject. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
How does Swift use poetic devices to develop a specific attitude or tone?
Your TaskAnalyze how Taylor Swift uses poetic devices to create a specific tone or attitude.You must:
- Identify at least 4-5 poetic devices
- Explain how each device builds tone -- be specific
- Track anywhere the tone changes
- Make a claim about the speaker’s emotional journey
Sentence Stems:
- At first, the speaker feels __________ because __________, but when __________, the speaker realizes __________.
- The author uses words like "_____" and "_____" to develop an attitude of __________ about __________.
Our Song (2006)
My Tears Ricochet (2020)
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? (2024)
The Great War (2022)
Tone Word List
Poetic Devices Chart
One Pager Instructions
Requirements
- central statement related to prompt clearly visible
- at least 4 quotes
- labeled poetic/visual techniques
- 2+ symbolic visuals
- concise written commentary connected to each quote
- Limited blank space on the page
Rubric
- Purposeful Annotations = 30 pts
- Depth of Analysis = 30 pts
- Evidence (4+ quotes) = 20 pts
- Visual Symbolism = 10 pts
- Design & Clarity = 10 pts
Song Options (choose one):Choose one of the options below. You may listen to it, but remember that your focus for analysis is the lyrics. Analyze how connections betwen songs affects themes, conflict, or perspective. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
How does Swift’s connections between songs affect her themes, conflict, or perspective?
Your Task: Compare two Taylor Swift songs that connect in theme, message, or perspective. Explain how analyzing them together deepens the meaning of each song individually. You must:
- Identify the shared theme or idea
- Use 2–3 key lyrics from EACH song
- Explain whether the songs:
- reinforce each other
- challenge each other
- show growth over time
- Make a claim about what the pairing reveals about theme, conflict, or perspective
Love Triangle
Deconstructing Fairy Tale Love
Adolescent Growing Pains
It's Me — I'm the Problem
Trading Cards Instructions
Requirements
- design 5 cards (use notecards or cut paper to size)
- each card must include:
- category title (analytical focus)
- 1 quote
- 1 visual symbol and color
- 2-3 sentence analysis
- 1 final summary card with central theme
Rubric
- Purposeful Annotations = 30 pts
- Analysis Depth (4 cards total) = 40 pts
- Evidence (4+ quotes) = 20 pts
- Creativity & Visuals = 10 pts
Podcast Instructions
Requirements
- Clear central claim stated in the introduction
- At least 4 references to quotes
- Explanation of how poetic devices, tone, perspective, or visuals create meaning
- Explanation of the overall theme/message
Rubric
- Purposeful Annotations = 30 pts
- Length (3-5 min) = 10 pts
- Analysis Depth = 30 pts
- Evidence (4+ quotes) = 20 pts
- Delivery = 10 pts
How To Use:
- Go to ClassLink and open Adobe Express.
- Scroll down and click "Create a Podcast."
- Allow it to use your microphone and video.
- Record your podcast. I recommend writing a script first.
- Edit your podcast to remove mistakes, add new audio, enhance the sound, and add music.
- Click export and upload the saved file to Canvas or add it to Google drive and share it with me.
Video Tutorial
Example Podcast
Taylor Swift Choice Board
Ashley Teague
Created on February 15, 2026
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Transcript
Mind Map Instructions
Requirements
- song title and theme in the center
- at least 4 branches (poetic devices)
- each branch includes: 1-2 quotes as examples of poetic device, explanation of significance and meaning, visuals to pair with analysis, other thoughts to deepend understanding
- uses color-coding/labels for each branch
RubricSong Options (choose one):Choose one of the songs below. You may listen to it, but remember that your focus for analysis is the lyrics. Analyze how understanding the speaker and intended audience affects both the tone and the theme. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
How does Swift use point-of-view to develop or change tone and theme?
Your Task: Analyze who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and why. Swift is the author, but she isn't always the speaker. You are the reader, but you aren't her audience. You won't identify a specific person for these but what you find out about them through the song. For example, in "Love Stoy," the speaker is a teenage girl who is speaking to the boy she likes, but her father doesn't approve. Knowing this helps me better understand the speaker's attitude throughout the song, as well as the theme. You must:
- Identify and describe the speaker/persona
- Identify the intended audience
- Analyze 3-4 key moments that reveal motivation or conflict
- Explain the central message (theme)
- Explain how the speaker wants their audience to feel or respond
Helpful Tip: Consider how Swift uses reflection (looking back at a time later) and how that changes her speaker's perspective.Betty (2020)
Dear John (2009)
Ruin the Friendship (2025)
Marjorie (2021)
How does Swift use visuals to deepen or change the meaning of her song lyrics?
Song Options (choose one):Choose one of the songs below. After reading the lyrics, watch the music video. Analyze how the visuals in the video deepen, complicate, or change the meaning of the lyrics. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
Your Task Analyze how a music video's visuals deepen, complicate, or change the meaning of the lyrics. You must:
- Identify 3–4 key visual moments from the video
- Pair each chosen moment with a specific lyric
- Explain how the visual adds symbolism, irony, characterization, etc...
- Make a clear claim about the overall meaning created by lyrics and visuals together
Think about:Mean (2011)
You Belong With Me (2009)
Opalite (2025)
Willow (2020)
Song Options (choose one):Choose one of the songs below. You may listen to it, but remember that your focus for analysis is the lyrics. Analyze how word choice and poetic devices, such as imagery, figurative language, and symbolism, affect the speaker's attitude (tone) about a subject. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
How does Swift use poetic devices to develop a specific attitude or tone?
Your TaskAnalyze how Taylor Swift uses poetic devices to create a specific tone or attitude.You must:
- Identify at least 4-5 poetic devices
- Explain how each device builds tone -- be specific
- Track anywhere the tone changes
- Make a claim about the speaker’s emotional journey
Sentence Stems:Our Song (2006)
My Tears Ricochet (2020)
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? (2024)
The Great War (2022)
Tone Word List
Poetic Devices Chart
One Pager Instructions
Requirements
- central statement related to prompt clearly visible
- at least 4 quotes
- labeled poetic/visual techniques
- 2+ symbolic visuals
- concise written commentary connected to each quote
- Limited blank space on the page
RubricSong Options (choose one):Choose one of the options below. You may listen to it, but remember that your focus for analysis is the lyrics. Analyze how connections betwen songs affects themes, conflict, or perspective. Hover over a photo to open up resources for the song.
How does Swift’s connections between songs affect her themes, conflict, or perspective?
Your Task: Compare two Taylor Swift songs that connect in theme, message, or perspective. Explain how analyzing them together deepens the meaning of each song individually. You must:
Love Triangle
Deconstructing Fairy Tale Love
Adolescent Growing Pains
It's Me — I'm the Problem
Trading Cards Instructions
Requirements
- design 5 cards (use notecards or cut paper to size)
- each card must include:
- category title (analytical focus)
- 1 quote
- 1 visual symbol and color
- 2-3 sentence analysis
- 1 final summary card with central theme
RubricPodcast Instructions
Requirements
- Clear central claim stated in the introduction
- At least 4 references to quotes
- Explanation of how poetic devices, tone, perspective, or visuals create meaning
- Explanation of the overall theme/message
RubricHow To Use:
Video Tutorial
Example Podcast