Molly Vass

Ed 360

Unit Plan: Poetry and Fine Arts

1. Background

a. I am developing an integrated unit plan. I am double majoring in dance education and

English education, and there are many ways in which these areas of fine arts can

overlap. This lesson unit will be geared towards a seventh grade English classroom but

will include aspects from other fine arts, including visual art, music, drama, and dance.

This integrated unit will enhance the principals of writing and literature while also

encouraging students to engage in the creative process across different genres. By

integrating different areas of fine arts, the unit can engage visual, auditory,

reading/writing, and kinesthetic learners in a number of ways.

b. This unit is in level 4 integration. It is an interdisciplinary unit which overlaps with

curriculum being taught in dance class as well as visual art and music. While the

emphasis of this unit lies in English, the concepts of poetry taught in class are used to

inspire choreography as well as visual art. This level of integration works with this unit

because it ties in the different areas of fine arts which students participate in at school.

It draws a connection between disciplines and gives students more learning tools to

understand content.

c. This unit is on poetry. It looks into the structure, meter, language, and writing of poetry.

All of these concepts are also connected with an area of fine arts, either creative

movement, visual art, or music. Students learn concepts of written language, such as

simile, metaphor, hyperbole, etc., while also engaging in arts activities which enhance

learning. These interdisciplinary lessons engage students in creative thinking and

approaching poetry in a new way.

d. This unit will be presented to a seventh grade English class. The classes are 60 minutes

long. The unit will last four weeks during the month of April, National Poetry Month

(April 9, 2011 through May 4, 2011).

2. Overview

a. Rationale: The poetry unit fits in to the writing section of the class. Students learn how

to write as well as appreciate what they read. The unit also introduces concepts of

figurative language and writing devices which they can use in other forms of writing

later on. This unit also falls immediately after the students return from spring break.

The weather will be changing, providing some visual and spiritual changes which may

inspire the creative process. The unit will end in publication of their poetry, a concept

which will carry over into their final creative writing in the next unit.

b. Goals and Objectives:

i. The learner will identify different types of poems, including couplets, quatrains,

limericks, haiku, tanka, concrete, and ABC poems.

ii. The learner will participate in creative movement exercises which illustrate

aspects of writing poetry.

iii. The learner will distinguish between true rhyme and slant rhyme and will

identify rhyme scheme of a poem.

iv. The learner will write a wide variety of poems incorporating figurative language.

v. The learner will read poetry aloud with confidence and vocal inflection.

vi. The learner will create a chapbook collection of poetry to publish.

c. English Language Arts Core Standards:

i. RL.7.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,

including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes

and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of

a poem or section of a story or drama

ii. RL.7.5.. Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy,

sonnet) contributes to its meaning.

iii. W.7.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,

organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

iv. L.7.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar

and usage when writing or speaking.

v. L.7.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships,

and nuances in word meanings.

d. Concepts to be taught

i. Figurative language: Simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, etc. These

concepts all involve creating comparisons between words and ideas.

Accompanied with visual art, students can literally draw connections between

words and ideas. Students will be able to identify figurative language in a text

as well as write their own examples.

ii. Poetic devices: imagery, repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia, word sounds,

etc. These devices will be taught through creative movement. Students will use

their bodies to demonstrate these poetic devices. For example, repetition

might be repeating steps in a certain order. Onomatopoeia could involve

making noises with feet or hands. Students will be able to identify and use

these devices in poetry.

iii. True rhyme vs. slant rhyme. When words have true rhyme, they end with the

same sound. Slant rhyme ends with similar sounds. This will be taught through

body shapes. Creating the same shape as a partner creates true rhyme.

Creating a similar shape creates slant rhyme, whereas creating a completely

different shape signifies no rhyme.

iv. Rhymed poems: Couplets, quatrains, limericks, sonnets. These poems all utilize

a different rhyme scheme and structure depending on the number of lines in

the poem. Students will read these poems and write their own.

v. Meter and rhythm and music: Students will identify syllabic patterns within

lines of poems. This can be accompanied by clapping out rhythms or using

musical instruments to demonstrate different word rhythms. Students will

apply rhythmic patterns to their own writing.

vi. Free verse poems: ABC, concrete, found poems. Students will follow a number

of different formats to create their own free verse poems. This can be

incorporated with visual art by allowing students to illustrate poems and

bringing in professional works of art as inspiration.

vii. Publication: Students will have several opportunities to read poems aloud to the

class. Students will also hold on to the poems they write throughout the unit.

They will type and illustrate these poems as if they would be published in a

book. Each student will create their own chapbook collection of their favorite

poems they have written throughout the class.

3. Daily Objectives

a. Weekly topic/theme

i. April 9-13: Poetic Devices and Language. Students will create a definition of

“poetry,” and take a closer look at poetic language. This includes figurative

language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification), imagery, word sounds

(alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance, assonance, repetition), and rhyme.

ii. April 16-20: Rhymed Poetry. Students will read and write a variety of rhymed

poems, including couplets, quatrains, limericks, and narrative/ballad poems.

Students will also understand rhythm and meter and will practice reading

poems aloud.

iii. April 23-27: Free Verse/Unrhymed Poetry. Students will read and write a

variety of free verse poems, including haiku, tanka, found poems, concrete

poems, ABC poems, list poems, etc. Students will learn how write creatively and

how to make choices as writers.

iv. April 30-May 4: Publication. Students will compile all of the poetry they have

written. They will choose their favorite poems to edit and publish. Students

may also choose to illustrate these poems. Each student will compile their own

chapbook project which will be bound into a book. These publications will be

shared with the class.

b. Daily Objectives

i. Week I: Poetic Devices and Language

Monday: The Learner Will (TLW) write a definition of “poetry.” The

learner will identify simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and personification

and write 2-3 examples of each. TLW illustrate an example of a simile,

metaphor, hyperbole, and personification.

Tuesday: TLW create a list of sensory descriptive words about an object

of his or her choice. TLW look at a painting and create a list of words

appealing to all five senses based on the painting.

Wednesday: TLW read poem aloud with the whole class. TLW vocally

identify alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance, assonance, and

repetition of word sounds within a poem. TLW write a short piece of

prose utilizing 5-10 examples of word sounds.

Thursday: TLW participate in creative movement activities. TLW

choreograph a short movement phrase with a partner demonstrating

repetition of body shapes. TLW use movement to demonstrate either a

simile, metaphor, or personification.

Friday: TLW identify examples of true rhyme and slant rhyme within a

poem. TLW use creative movement to demonstrate true rhyme vs.

slant rhyme through body shapes. TLW generate a list of rhyming

action words to be used to prompt movement exploration.

ii. Week II: Rhymed Poetry

Monday: TLW participate in a brainstorming activity. TLW write four

rhymed couplets. TLW write four rhymed quatrains utilizing at least two

different rhyme scheme patterns.

Tuesday: TLW mark stressed and unstressed syllables in an example of

a limerick. TLW write a limerick and mark the stressed and unstressed

syllables used. TLW edit quatrains and couplets from the previous day

to utilize proper rhythm by marking stressed and unstressed syllables

and creating a pattern.

Wednesday: TLW work in a small group. TLW read and listen to

examples of narrative poems/ballads. TLW select a poem to interpret

as a group.

Thursday: TLW work with a partner to write a ballad. TLW identify

rhyme scheme used within his or her poem. TLW practice dramatic

reading of a ballad poem in a small group.

Friday: TLW do a dramatic interpretation of a poem in a small group in

front of the class. TLW read with inflection. TLW write a reflection on

his or her experiences in the unit thus far.

iii. Week III: Free-Verse/Unrhymed Poetry

Monday: TLW correctly identify number of syllables per line in examples

of haiku, and tanka. TLW create a list of 10 sensory words describing a

scene in nature. TLW write at least two haiku, senryu, and tanka

poems. TLW illustrate at least one of his or her written poems.

Tuesday: TLW cut out words and phrases from newspapers/magazines

and explain why he or she chose those words/phrases. TLW use these

cut outs to compose a new poem. TLW paste these words and illustrate

the poem.

Wednesday: TLW look at several examples of concrete poems. TLW

draw his or her own word art/concrete poems. TLW work with a

partner to create body shapes and movement to accompany their

written concrete poems. TLW choreograph a brief movement phrase to

demonstrate their written concrete poems.

Thursday: TLW respond to two different writing prompts as guided by

the teacher. TLW circle common/cliché word choices in own writing

and create a list of 2-3 other word options.

Friday: TLW write an acrostic poem using the letters of his or her name.

TLW write an acrostic ABC poem which carries thoughts from one line to

the next.

iv. Week IV: Publishing

Monday: TLW select at least 15 of his or her poems to publish. TLW

create a title page and a table of contents.

Tuesday: TLW illustrate at least 5 of his or her poems. TLW organize

and submit poems for publication.

Wednesday: TLW participate in poetry scavenger hunt activity. TLW

work with a partner to find examples of poetic devices, structure, and

word choice. TLW write 3-5 questions about poetry.

Thursday: TLW take a cumulative test on information from throughout

the unit.

Friday: TLW verbally share his or her favorite poem from his or her

chapbook. TLW provide written feedback on 2-3 other students’

chapbooks, connecting concepts discussed in class.

4. Daily Plans

a. Week I: Poetic Devices

i. Monday, April 9: What is poetry? Figurative Language

Brainstorming: What is poetry? Define individually in 25 words or

less and write on a sticky note. Work in pairs to compare ideas

and write a new definition. Share ideas as a class and create a

class definition of poetry. Write definition on poster board and

place on the wall somewhere where all can see. Attach individual

sticky notes to this poster Affinity diagram of poetry. This

definition can grow and change as the unit progresses.

Throughout other lessons, make references to this affinity

diagram and allow students to add new definitions.

Discussion questions: Besides books, where might you

find/hear/see poems? What makes poetry different from other

things we read? How is the language of poetry different from our

everyday language? transition into figurative language

Direct instruction: Define and give concrete examples of simile

(comparison using “like” or “as”), metaphor (comparison saying

one thing IS another), hyperbole (over exaggeration), and

personification (giving human qualities to something non-human).

Independent practice: Students can use poetry anthologies such

as Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson or Poetry for Young

People: Robert Frost to find examples of simile, metaphor,

hyperbole, and personification. They can generate a list and write

their own. From this list, student will draw an example of each

type of figurative language.

Tell students to bring an object to class tomorrow. It can be

something from home, something from their locker, etc. Tell

them to keep it hidden when they enter the room and not to tell

anyone what it is. It will be used for tomorrow’s lesson.

ii. Tuesday, April 10: Imagery

Anticipatory activity: respond without thinking:

“As red as… as dark as… as cold as… as blue as… as hard

as… as soft as… as slippery as… as hot as… as sour

as… as sweet as… as stinky as…”

Share answers, see how many were similar, discuss speed of

writing and thinking. When forced to write too quickly, all writers

tend to fall back on the easiest, most common idea. It takes time

to reach deeper and get to an original way of seeing. Go back

through the list slowly, take 5 minutes to think and come up with

some new unique ideas. Share aloud again, see what new

creative word choices students could come up with.

Objective: This exercise is one way of sharpening sensory

awareness in any writer. Writers learn originality takes time,

focus, and sustained concentration.

Imagery exploration, no-show and tell: Students may describe

their show and tell object in any way without saying what it is.

They must describe the object using all 5 senses. (If they did not

bring an object, have them pick something within the classroom.)

They may generate a list of words for each of the 5 senses.

Students will verbally describe their objects while the rest of the

class closes their eyes and tries to figure out what the mystery

object is. This demonstrates how words can create a picture in

the mind imagery!

Independent practice: Display a piece of artwork on the

projector. Students will pretend like they are inside the scene.

They will write a description of all five senses within that scene.

They will write a brief piece of prose creating imagery of the

scene.

iii. Wednesday, April 11: Word sounds

Anticipatory Activity: Read a poem aloud, such as “Mister Pfister

Gristlewist” by Jack Prelutsky, which demonstrates a variety of

word sounds. Read it slowly the first time. Read the poem again,

pausing from time to time to ask students to make the sounds

they hear. For instance, during the first two lines of the poem,

students should make an “issst” noise because that sound

appears a lot. This will help auditory learners.

Repeat the activity with shared reading, so students have a copy of the

poem being used. As students notice similar sounds, they may

underline or highlight the sounds as they appear in the poem.

Direct Instruction: Define the words sounds that students had

identified: alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance, assonance, and

repetition.

Written practice: Students will describe an event that took place over

spring break. They must use at least 10 examples of word sounds from

the previous list. If there is time at the end of class, have students read

these writing samples aloud, emphasizing the examples of word sounds

within the writing.

iv. Thursday, April 12: Poetic Language in Motion

Lead the class in a brief warm up before beginning exploration,

development, and creation of movement.

Hyperbole

Explore: After giving some verbal examples of hyperboles, have

the students write down several examples. One good example is

“A Pizza The Size of the Sun” by Jack Prelutsky. This may be a good

activity to do in partners or small groups. Once they have

generated a list, have students pick their favorite hyperboles to

share with the class.

DEVELOP: Use the common hyperboles as a scene for an improv

session. For example, one scenario could be “I’m so tired I could

sleep for a year.” The students will then have to figure out why

they are so tired, how they would move to represent this

exhaustion, etc. Try several different scenarios and use many

student examples.

CREATE: Combine the exaggerated locomotor movements from

the exploration with the written hyperboles. Try to use as much

space as possible to create an exaggerated locomotor movement

phrase. This phrase should include multiple locomotor

movements. Once the movements have been set, try creating

different pathways for the movement so that it takes up more

space. For different variations you can exaggerate in the opposite

way, making the movements as small as possible. Have the

students brainstorm other exaggerated variations.

Personification

Explore/Develop: Have each student think back to their show and

tell object from the imagery lesson. Give students a chance to

explore their show and tell objects by applying the idea of

personification. If this object were human, how would it walk?

How would it move? How would it communicate? What kind of

energy would it have?

CREATE: Create a short movement phrase. Each student is their

personified object. After creating these phrases, split the class in

half. Have one half perform while the other half watches, and

then switch roles. Bring back the objects and explain how certain

movements represented the objects.

Cool down/reflection: Imagery. Have students close their eyes.

Picture a very tranquil spot, such as a field of flowers. Ask

students what they see, feel, taste, smell, hear. Prompt cool

down movements, such as a soft breeze cause the body to sway

gently side to side. Challenge students to create the image in

their mind and share descriptive words to help prompt the

movement and generate that image.

v. Friday, April 13: Rhyme

Anticipatory set: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-

dLuu-ErnI “What rhymes with purple?”

Shared Reading: “Sarah Cynthis Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the

Garbage Out.” (Prentice Hall anthology page 582). Highlight word

choices, sounds, and end rhyme. Distinguish between true rhyme

and slant rhyme. Have students find examples of each within the

poem.

Movement exploration: Divide the class into three-four groups.

Each group will have a different rhyming sound. They will work

together to generate a list of action words which all end in the

same rhyme. These words will be written on different index

cards. Come back together as a group and mix up the cards. Each

person will get one card and they will have to do whatever the

card says. Without speaking, students must find the rhyming

action words and group together. For instance, one student many

have “hop” while another has “drop.” They will have to find each

other through the activity. This activity can be repeated by mixing

up cards and adding more action words.

Rhyming Shapes: Have the class breakup into pairs. One will be

the leader, and the other is the follower. The leader will create a

shape. The follower has three options: True rhyme- create exactly

the same shape; slant rhyme- create a similar shape; or no rhyme-

create a completely different shape. This can be prompted by the

teacher or the students can decide. The teacher may also read a

poem aloud to the class to prompt the activity- students have to

listen to decide what kind of shape to make.

Exit Slip: Students will fill out a short review exit slip before

leaving to recap some of the ideas from the week. (See handouts)

b. Week II: Rhymed Poetry

i. Monday, April 16: Couplets and Quatrains

Anticipatory set: brainstorming topics.

Make a list of 5 most important things in your life. Now pretend

you are 5 years old. Make a list of your 5 most important things in

your life. Pretend you are 88, repeat. Pretend you are an animal,

repeat. Look at the lists. Are there things in common? Does the

language change at all? Pick one thing from the first list. Write

for 5 minutes about that one thing.

Objective: see how writing goes from list to a jumble of new

images and ideas for poetry topics.

Direct Instruction: Teach structure of couplets and quatrains.

Show examples from “I am Writing a Poem About…”

demonstrating how you can write many different poems from the

same inspiration. Show different end rhyme patterns of

quatrains: AABB, AAAA, ABAB, ABCB.

Guided practice: Use the list generated from the anticipatory

activity as inspiration for these poems. Write 4 couplets and 4

quatrains using at least 2 different end rhyme patterns. See how

poems are similar/different to each other coming from the same

list of topics. Pick at least one poem to illustrate.

ii. Tuesday, April 17: Meter, Rhythm, and Limericks

Anticipatory activity: Try to conduct this activity without speaking.

Have the class clap a slow steady beat. Have half of the class try

clapping the offbeat quietly. Pick a small group to try clapping a

triple rhythm on top. Get some students to clap louder than

others. Play around with different rhythms and sounds and have

students trade parts. Then take time to briefly talk about the

different layers and accents within the rhythm. How does this

relate to poetry? How do words have rhythm?

“Looking at Syllables” handout Limericks.

Direct Instruction: accented and unaccented syllables, rhythmic

patterns: iambic, trochaic, anapestic, and dactylic.

Handout: Pg 32-34. Guided practice: Do the first couple

examples on page 33 together. Have students work

independently or with a partner to complete the rest of the

worksheet identifying stressed and unstressed syllables.

pg. 34- Read the limerick together. Explain what limericks are and

how they are constructed. Carry out the activities on pg 34-35,

then write 2-3 limericks independently.

If time allows, go back to the couplets and quatrains from the

previous class. Mark the stressed and unstressed syllables and

look for syllabic patterns. If there is no pattern present, try

rewriting the poems so they have a consistent rhythm.

iii. Wednesday, April 18: Ballads

Define a ballad: a poem that tells a story, often tells of love or

loss, heroes or tragedies, war or destruction, etc. Has its origins in

song when minstrels would sing stories.

Shared Reading: “Annabel Lee” –Edgar Allan Poe (Prentice Hall pg

598). Ask students to identify literary devices and word sounds

which have already been discussed, i.e. rhyme scheme, metaphor,

imagery, etc. Have students write independently for 5 minutes to

summarize the story told in the poem.

Listening: “Three” by La Dispute is based on the poem “Annabel

Lee.” Have students listen to the song twice and draw

connections to Poe’s version. How does the music support the

themes from the poem? Which version is more effective? Why?

How does the singer’s voice contribute to the telling of the story?

dramatic interpretation

Students will work in groups of three. Each group will pick a

different ballad/narrative poem to share with the class. First,

work together to complete worksheet pg 75 as it applies to the

ballad the group picked, not “The Wreck of the Hesperus.” Then

the groups will plan a dramatic interpretation of their ballad.

Each group will decide who reads which lines, how to use voice

and motion to illustrate the meaning of the story, etc. These will

be performed for the class on Friday. Here are some guiding

questions: Which lines will be read in unison? How will lines be

divided among group members? What voice will you use to bring

meaning to the presentation? What gestures, sounds, rhythms

can you add to your presentation? How will you begin and end?

What other elements of fine arts will you add to your

performance? They must incorporate either body movement,

music, or art/drawing to add to the performance. Students must

also be able to explain why they made such performance choices.

They will have time in class today as well as the next day to

rehearse.

iv. Thursday, April 19: Writing Ballads

Work in pairs to brainstorm topics/stories for writing ballads. Fill

out worksheets 76 and 78. Then try turning the story into a

ballad. The ballad must adopt a steady rhythm and consistent

rhyme scheme. It should be written as a series of quatrains. They

must be at least four stanzas long.

Students may have the remainder of the class hour to prepare for

the dramatic interpretation performances for the next day.

There will be a collection check on Friday: Students should have

all of the poems they have written thus far in a clean, typed

format to be filed in the folders for later use.

v. Friday, April 20: Coffee Shop Sharing

Set the stage: Create a coffee-shop-like atmosphere in the

classroom. Move the desks back to create a “stage” at the front

of the room. Dim the lights and use lamps/projector light to set

the stage area. Serve tea or hot chocolate. Allow students to sit

on the floor.

Dramatic interpretations: Each group will present their rehearsed

dramatic interpretations. Allow several minutes at the beginning

of class for groups to meet and organize their

thoughts/costumes/props, etc. Have students pair up with

another group to provide feedback. When each group is done

presenting, the class will snap their fingers instead of clapping.

Once all the groups have presented, give partner groups a few

minutes to discuss and provide feedback.

Save the last 10 minutes of class for students to write a short

reflection. They will write a new definition for poetry, explain

something they learned from reading poetry, and something they

learned from writing poetry. These will be collected as an exit slip

for the day.

c. Week III: Free Verse/Unrhymed Poetry

i. Monday, April 23: Haiku and Tanka

Anticipatory set: read several examples of haiku from “I Am

Writing a Poem About…”

Direct Instruction: Counting syllables, what is haiku? What is a

tanka? Written about scenes in nature/rural life.

Go outside if the weather allows! Otherwise, go on a “field trip”

to a different part of the building. Sit in that space and observe

your surroundings. Write down sensory words to describe the

scene. Use your surroundings as inspiration for writing haiku and

tanka. Write at least three of each. Take time to share these with

the class. Notice which words appear in multiple poems. Take a

closer look at word choice and images within the poems.

ii. Tuesday, April 24: Found Poems

Discussion: How do you know what to write about? Where can

you find inspiration?

Introduce found poetry- show examples.

Cut and paste activity: Students will look through newspapers

and magazines and cut out words and phrases which stand out to

them. They will then take these words and rearrange them into a

brand new poem. They will paste the words onto a poster board

and may illustrate the poem when finished. Divide a separate

sheet of paper into two columns. One side should read “Words I

chose:” and the other should read, “Why I chose them:” so

students can explain their choices.

These posters will be collected and put on display somewhere in

the classroom or in the hallway.

iii. Wednesday, April 25: Concrete Poetry

Tape up several examples of concrete poetry around the

classroom, as if it were an art gallery. Have students walk around

and look at the examples of concrete poetry. Ask for their

thoughts/reactions about these poems. How are they

different/similar to other forms of poetry we have looked at? Are

they considered literature or art?

Try writing your own: handout page 83-84. Try writing/drawing 3-

5 concrete poems. Illustrate each on a separate sheet of paper,

use different colors.

Body shape concrete poetry: add movement to these poems. Pick

one poem and create that shape with your body. How can you

bring the words and shape to life? Pair up with a partner to

compose a brief movement phrase for one or two concrete

poems.

iv. Thursday, April 26: Free Verse Prompts

Poetic Brain Exercise: respond without thinking, write the first

thing that comes to your head. Do not judge your writing as you

go along. You are not allowed to erase, just go along with

whatever you write. Don’t reread what you’ve written until the

exercise is complete.

Moon Poem: Answer the following prompts with the first thing

that comes to mind:

Beg for something.

“With one eye closed I see ______. With the other eye closed I

see __________.”

Ask your neighbor two questions.

Ask a question about food.

Tell a believable lie about yourself.

Tell an unbelievable lie about your family.

Tell a truth about yourself using your nickname.

Apologize to someone for something they don’t know you did.

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like ______.

Take one line and write the opposite.

Write a number between 15 and 33.

Write a compliment to yourself as if you were your mother.

Shout something from the top of your rooftop.

Greet your pet in baby-talk.

Write whatever song lyrics are stuck in your head at the moment.

Repeat a line you’ve already written.

Write different song lyrics that come to your head.

Answer the questions you asked on line 3.

Ask your future self a question.

Answer the question.

Give students a couple minutes to look over their writing. Then

have a brief discussion. What did you expect from this exercise?

Was it easy or difficult? Do your lines make sense? Do they have

to? Is this a poem? Why do you think we did this activity? Did

any of your answers surprise you?

“I used to, but now…” prompt. Show example. Whatever number

written between 15 and 33 is the number of lines this poem will

be. Think outside the box and think back to word choice

exercises.

Writing check tomorrow: All poems up to this point should be

typed or in a clean presentable format.

v. Friday, April 27: Acrostic and ABC poems

Anticipatory brainstorm: Write down a noun on a notecard. Fold

the card in half and trade with a partner. Unfold the notecard and

write independently about that noun for about five minutes. This

will be the topic for the first poem of the day.

Acrostic poems: Whatever noun you have drawn, write it down

the side of the page. Each starting letter should start a new

thought about the object. Then trade noun cards with someone

else and repeat the activity.

ABC poems: Write the alphabet down the side of the paper. *You

do not need to start at “A,” but the poem must follow the

alphabet from wherever you choose to start. This poem should

connect thoughts between lines so that ideas flow from one letter

to the next.

Give students time at the end of class to organize poetry

collections and do any typing that still needs to be done.

d. Week IV: Publishing

i. Monday, April 30-Tuesday, May 1: Designing Chapbooks

Explain publishing assignments. Students should have all of their

work printed or in a clean format at this point. Students are to

pick at least 15 poems to publish into their own personal

chapbooks. The student may choose the types of poems to

include, the order of the poems, as well as how to arrange and

illustrate the poems. They must include at least five illustrations.

The selected works must include a variety of course concepts.

The chapbook must also have a cover/title page and a table of

contents.

Students will have class time to type/correct poems, create

illustrations, and design their chapbooks. If they run out of things

to work on, have students peer edit each other’s work. They may

also include any other poems they wrote outside of class. All final

materials are due in an organized format by the beginning of class

on Wednesday, May 2.

ii. Wednesday, May 2: Poetry Review Scavenger Hunt

All chapbook materials are due today!

This is a review day to get ready for the poetry exam on Thursday.

Students may work independently or with a partner. They must

use their text book as well as the classroom library of poetry

books to locate examples of different writing features and types

of poems. (See handout)

iii. Thursday, May 3: Poetry Exam

Students will take a cumulative exam covering all aspects and

types of poetry discussed in this unit. As students finish they may

read silently.

iv. Friday, May 4: Chapbook Presentations

Students will receive their finished bound chapbooks. They will

have time to read through their own and look at others.

Each student will pick a favorite poem of their own to share aloud

with the class.

Students will have time to go around the room and read others’

chapbooks. They will have 4 blank note cards to write feedback to

the authors. As they notice good writing, they will write the line

on the notecard or leave a positive comment to the author. They

may choose to do this anonymously or they may write their name

on the card. They will leave the card under the chapbook before

moving on to read another.

5. Materials

a. Handouts: Handouts are all included in separate attachments. This includes:

review exit slip, limerick/rhythm/meter worksheet, ballad worksheet, concrete

poem worksheet, I Used to But Now example, chapbook guidelines, and

scavenger hunt review.

b. Equipment and Technology: Many lessons call for examples to be projected

either with an ELMO projector or smartboard. An internet video clip is used on

Friday, April 13. Students will need to use the computer lab to type poems at

several points throughout the unit. Music is also used at several points

throughout the unit, so a CD player or sound system is needed. A variety of

poetry books should be in the classroom library for student use. Printed

examples of concrete poems as well as specific types of poems should be placed

on the board or in a place where students can easily see and read them. It is also

necessary to keep colored pencils, crayons, or markers on hand so students are

able to illustrate their work as they go along. One particular activity on Tuesday,

April 24 also calls for magazines, newspapers, scissors, glue sticks, and poster

boards.

c. Works Cited

Booth, David W., and Bill Moore. Poems Please!: Sharing Poetry with Children. Markham, Ont.: Pembroke, 2003. Print.

Dickinson, Emily, Frances Schoonmaker, and Chi Chung. Poetry for Young People: Emily

Dickinson. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print. Fitch, Sheree, and Larry Swartz. The Poetry Experience: Choosing and Using Poetry in the

Classroom. Markham, Ont.: Pembroke, 2008. Print. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-dLuu-ErnI. Youtube, 2011. Net. Janeczko, Paul B. Teaching 10 Fabulous Forms of Poetry. New York: Scholastic Professional,

2000. Print. La Dispute. "Three." Here, Hear. No Sleep Records, 2009. CD. Livingston, Myra Cohn. I Am Writing a Poem About-- a Game of Poetry. New York: McElderry,

1997. Print. Mora, Pat. "Unit 4: Poetry." Prentice Hall Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. 7. Boston: Prentice Hall and

Penguin USA, 2007. 502-641. Print. Prelutsky, Jack, and James Stevenson. A Pizza the Size of the Sun: Poems. New York:

Greenwillow, 1996. Print. Schmidt, Gary D. Ed. Poetry For Young People Robert Frost. New York: Sterling, 1994. Print.

6. Modifications: There are several lessons which call for body movement and kinesthetic learning.

These activities may require more space than is available in the classroom. If possible, these

lessons should take place on the school stage, dance room, gym, or multipurpose room with

ample space to move around. If a student is physically unable to participate in these activities,

the student may try creating similar shapes with clay or by drawing pictures in order to engage

in a hands-on activity. It is also important to have many examples of different types of poetry,

so keeping a classroom poetry library is essential and helpful to draw from. Students will not be

graded on quality of artwork, dance technique, or musical abilities- this is an English class, and

they are encouraged to put forth their best effort in these other areas of the arts, but they will

be graded only on the quality of their English assignments. ELL students may need to work with

a partner for some activities, especially when examining word choice. They may not be required

to write as many examples of each type of poem. For example, they may write only one or two

couplets instead of four. Students may also use rhyming dictionaries to assist them in writing

rhymed poems. Students with learning disabilities may require similar accommodations, such as

shorter writing requirements, working with a partner, etc. Their chapbooks also would not

require 15 pieces, but may be shortened depending on the number and quality of poems

written.

7. Assessment

a. Pre-assessment: Affinity diagram. This takes place in the first lesson of the unit. Each

student will write his or her own definition of poetry. This will give me an idea of prior

knowledge on the subject. I expect students to mention qualities such as language,

rhyme, and structure in their definitions. This will also be a good way to get the class to

the same starting point for the unit.

b. Formative assessment: This takes place through a number of handouts and daily writing

assignments. Students are dancing, moving, drawing, and writing all along the way to

show understanding of course concepts. Some handout examples are available in

separate attachments. Students will also write and submit their own poems. There are

several checkpoints throughout the unit to make sure students are writing and typing

these poems in order to include them in their final chapbook. Exit slips and personal

reflections are also used to gauge student learning.

c. Summative assessment: The poetry exam covers a variety of concepts taught

throughout the unit, including poetic devices and language, rhythm and meter, rhymed

poems, unrhymed and free verse poems, etc. The final chapbook will also include

examples of all of these concepts and will demonstrate students’ creative writing as well

as their grasp on the rules of writing poetry. Both of these assessment tools are

summative because they cover material that has been presented throughout the entire

unit. It measures what students have learned and accomplished by the end of the

poetry unit.

d. Rubrics: In separate attachments you will find rubrics for the dramatic interpretations

as well as for the final chapbook project.