Rachel Platten is a talented and bright songwriter, however her music wasn't getting the recognition that she wanted. It wasn't until she created this anthemic piece from her heart that her voice was finally heard.
We analyzed Rachel Platten's Fight Song by close reading, discussing, drawing, writing, and acting. We thought about the GRIT that this artist used to reach her dreams. Being smart and talented are not enough to achieve great things. Everyone has moments when they want to give up. If you believe in yourself, work hard and persevere nothing can stop you!
Below are just a few wonderful responses taken directly from my students writing. All of my students wrote thoughtful responses and I am extremely proud of their effort and maturity while studying this poetic and inspirational song.
When asked about the meaning of "Like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion."
"A person who feels small can make a big difference. She starts to realize that she is important."
"It tells the reader that even though you feel sad or alone you can still make a big impact. And you should realize that you are very important."
"It is the first lyric in the song because a small boat sounds like a person crying all over the ocean making all the waves come into motion. Or it may be like if you're sad or alone on your own boat on the ocean thinking that you're nothing. There probably is a difference that you can make."
How is the author feeling and how do you know?
"She feels sad and alone. She feels like she is going to explode because no one believed in her."
"She was scared but she persevered and she feels proud because of her song."
"I think she feels like happiness and I love it. She is smart because she listened to the good side of her brain."
"The author is feeling sad and alone because there must be a lot of hard things going on in her life. Like people are telling her she can't do it or a voice in her head telling her to stop because she will mess up."
What is the message of this song?
"The message of the song was anyone can make a difference in the world. The theme is bravery. A phrase that tells me that is I only have one match but I can make an explosion."
"The message of the story is to be strong and not give up."
"Be kind because it says a single word can make a heart open."
"The message of this song is if you are feeling sad or alone you can change and make a difference. I think the theme could be courage because she was confident that her song was going to be good even though some people said it wasn't going to be."
I know my team inspired me throughout these lessons and while creating our video. We hope you enjoy it.
Throughout these learning experiences students met the following standards.:
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
What do you think about our work and the message of this song? Please leave us a comment below.
