A New National Anthem
Overview
Students analyze the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner, then investigate how a 1991 musical rendition of the song by Whitney Houston and a poem by Ada Limón provide them with deeper insights and understanding of the U.S. National Anthem. After, students create a new version of the national anthem by either creating an erasure poem from the lyrics or writing a response to Limón’s poem or the original anthem.
Related Resources
Grade
High School, Middle School
Subjects
Civics, English Language Arts, Music
Length
80-100 minutes
Topics
Ada Limón, America, citizenship, identity, national anthem, poem, poetry, star spangled banner
Author
Academy of American Poets