I ask students to write for 10-15 minutes in their journal (listing and brainstorming) about icons they identify with and why. Then, I ask them if any of the icons they wrote about are people. (Actors, Musicians, Sports figures, etc.) Usually, they will have chosen to write about some people in their journal, and if not, I have them write down a few. Next, I ask them write about how and why they think these people have influenced their lives. With journals in hand, I put students into groups of three or four to share their “icon stories� with each other. I walk around and remind them to think about how and why these people made a significant impression on them. Then, as a class, we look through the photos in the chapter of people and try to figure out why they were considered icons. I ask questions like, Why were people so hung up on Marilyn Monroe? We can tie this question, to the Sharon Olds poem, “The Death of Marilyn Monroe.� After this discussion, I hand out photocopies of the song “Eleanor Rigby� by the Beatles. Then we listen to the song, and we compare reading it to listening to it. This works well for discussions about tone. Next, I talk to the class about how influential the Beatles and their music were. Then, we look at particular meanings in the song. Finally, we discuss the connection between the song and writing an essay. Discussion questions. Can you think of a musical icon that affected your generation to the extent that the Beatles affected the youth during the 60’s? What about someone from another popular culture form, such as a sports figure or television actor? Are there any particular films or TV shows that seem iconic? How? What do you know about the Beatles? What associations do you have with the band? Do you know any of their other songs? What is the main point in “Eleanor Rigby�? What are the specific examples brought forth in the song? Do you think the Beatles are trying to say something about being famous? Do you think the song “Eleanor Rigby� counters the experience of being an icon? Are the two, main figures icons? What details in the song show this? Writing assignments.

• Write an essay about a popular icon and their influence on your generation.
• Write an essay explaining the paradoxical nature of a particular icon.
• Write an essay explaining why you believe a particular icon experienced a downfall in their career (suicide, etc.).
• Prepare a short essay or presentation on an icon not mentioned in the book (any kind) showing how that icon influenced the culture it came from.

Note. I stole this idea about this particular song from another textbook, but making a connection with it and the icons chapter was my idea. I suppose using any song by any major music icon (Elvis, Dylan, Marley, Cobain) would work in the same way.