Mr. Tony Konrardy’s Essential Questions

Essential Questions

What is poetry?

Essential Questions

What is poetry?

Why does poetry matter?

How can performance in poetry enhance understanding?

How does knowing about a poet’s experiences help understand the meaning of poems?

How do the techniques in poetry help bring a poem to life?

Loras College English Methods Class

Ms. Molly Cain

Ms. Katie Kasten

Ms. Holly Krien

Ms. Megan Redmond

Ms. Kristin Reuter

Mr. Ben Savory

Ms. Anna Speltz

Ms. Desiree Tamez

Ms. Nora Zerante

Poetry Unit

October 29, 2013-November 21, 2013

Mr. Tony Konrardy’s 7th Grade Honors

Language Arts

Day One: October 29, 2013

Iowa Core Standards

(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.

(W.7.4.) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and

style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

21st Century Skill(s)

Think Creatively

o Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)

Work Creatively with Others

o Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively

o Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input

and feedback into the work

Essential Questions

What is poetry?

What are some of the characteristics of poetry?

Objectives

By the end of class today, students will be able to define poetry.

By the end of class today, students will be able to recognize common characteristics of

poetry.

Anticipatory Set

Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to make a name tent.

Teaching Activities

Answer Garden: What is poetry? (10 minutes)

Facilitators: Anna and Katie

http://answergarden.ch/view/72050

Ask/Go over Responses:

o Does anyone have a similar idea about (this—point to something)

o Do all poems need to rhyme?

o What do you think the purpose of Poetry is?

o What are examples of poetry in everyday life/why are we studying poetry?

Teaching Activities (15 minutes)

Performance of Poetry (teachers perform a series—about 5 poems, they will be standing at

different ends of the room and students will have the words in front of them. They will be

thinking about which poems stand out to them/patterns they notice. At the end of the

performances we will ask and discuss the

1. We Real Cool (Desiree)

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

2. Wake me Up by Avacci (Holly and Nora)

I tried carrying the weight of the world

But I only have two hands

Hope I get the chance to travel the world

But I don't have any plans

Wish that I could stay forever this young

Not afraid to close my eyes

Life's a game made for everyone

And love is the prize

So wake me up when it's all over

When I'm wiser and I'm older

All this time I was finding myself

And I didn't know I was lost

3. Mrs. Mitchell's Underwear (Anna)

Mrs. Mitchell's underwear

Is dancing on the line;


Has never looked so fine

Mrs. Mitchell's hates to dance

She says it's not refined.

But Mrs. Mitchell's underwear

Is prancing on the line.

With a polka-dotted polka

And a tangled tango too,


Is like a frilly zoo!

- Dennis Lee

4. Every Time I Climb a Tree (Megan and Kristen)

Every time I climb a tree



I scrape a leg

Or skin a knee

And every time I climb a tree

I find some ants

Or dodge a bee

And get the ants

All over me.

And every time I climb a tree

Where have you been?

They say to me

But don't they know that I am free

Every time I climb a tree?

I like it best

To spot a nest

That has an egg

Or maybe three.

And then I skin

The other leg

But every time I climb a tree

I see a lot of things to see

Swallows rooftops and TV

And all the fields and farms there be


Though climbing may be good for ants

It isn't awfully good for pants

But still it's pretty good for me


by David McCord

5. The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt (Molly and Katie)

from the book "A Light in the Attic" (1981)

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Me!

Me who?

That's right!

What's right?

Meehoo!

That's what I want to know!

What's what you want to know?

Me, who?

Yes, exactly!

Exactly what?

Yes, I have an Exactlywatt on a chain!

Exactly what on a chain?

Yes!

Yes what?

No, Exactlywatt!

That's what I want to know!

I told you - Exactlywatt!

Exactly what?

Yes!

Yes what?

Yes, it's with me!

What's with you?

Exactlywatt - that's what's with me.

Me who?

Yes!

Go away!

Knock knock...

6. US (Dr. Welsh and Ben)

by Shel Silverstein

Me and him

Him and me,

We're always together

As you can see.

I wish he'd leave

So I'd be free

I'm getting a little bit

Tired of he,

And he may be a bit

Bored with me.

On movies and ladies

We cannot agree.

I like to dance

He loves to ski.

He likes the mountains

I love the sea.

I like hot chocolate

He wants his tea.

I want to sleep

He has to pee.

He's meaner and duller

And fatter than me.

But I guess there's worse things

We could be—

Instead of two we could be three,

Me and him

Him and me.

Group Poems (15 minutes)

Break the class into groups.

1. Holly and Nora

2. Megan, Des and Molly

3. Kristen and Ben

4. Anna and Katie

5. Class Sample

6. Class Sample #2

Assign each group a two-line poem.

Have everyone write two opening lines to a poem at the top sheet of paper

Fold the sheet back so only the second line shows

Pass it to the next poet, who, only being able to read your second line, adds her own two

lines to the poem

Fold the paper again so only the next poets second line shows, and this continues until

everyone has had a turn

Everyone throws the paper to the middle and then picks up a poem- each person reads

one!

[Back-Up Plan] (5 minutes)

Name Poem

o Have students add to their name plates by writing a name poem

E.g. ANNA. Awesome, Nifty, Nuanced, Altruistic. Anna.

o Have students share.

Closure (5 minutes)

Return to Answer Garden.

o How has your definition of poetry changed after today?

o What is and is not poetry?

Song lyrics, one line verse, haiku, single stanza, shape poem, etc.

Materials

Paper for name plates

Copies of poems

Independent Practice

None

Assessment

By the end of class today, students will be able to define poetry.

o We will assess this objective using the pre-assessment Answer Garden activity, as

well as the post-assessment and a comparing the two.

By the end of class today, students will be able to recognize common characteristics

of poetry.

o We will assess this objective through the performance debrief, where students will

reflect on the poems they have heard and how they are defined as poetry, as well

as the group poem activity where they will exhibit their understanding of the

characteristics of poetry through their writing.

Duration

50 Minutes

“I Can” Statement

I can define poetry

I can recognize common characteristics of poetry.

Day Two: October 31, 2013

Day Three: November 5, 2013

Note: Students will participate in two stations on Oct. 31. Then they will participate in two

different stations of Nov. 5.

Station One: Imagery

Iowa Core Standards

(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

(W.7.4) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and


21st Century Skills

Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)

Essential Questions:

How does imagery enhance a poem?

How can I incorporate imagery in my writing?

Objectives:

By the end of this station today, students will be able to interpret poems, paying close

attention to word usage, setting, and the senses.

By the end of this station today, students will understand the definition of imagery and

why poets use imagery in their poems.

Anticipatory Set (4 minutes):

Play the song “Firework” by Katy Perry for the students, and provide them with the

lyrics. Have students write/draw what they hear from the song. Literally paint a picture

for the rest of the group. Discuss how songwriters use imagery in their lyrics.

Teaching Activities (8-10 minutes):

Provide students with a handout of the senses and give students a list of words and

instruct students to place the words under the heading of the appropriate sense (these

words will be taken from the poem read)Mr. Savory or Ms. Klein will read the poem

aloud to the group after the students have read the poem silently to themselves

The Poem read for this station will be “Noise Day” by Shel Silverstein

After reading the poem silently and listening to Savory or Klein read the poem, students

will then need to draw and write down the setting of the poem, what visual images

appears in their mind, what they think the poet is talking about.

Savory and Klein will lead a short discussion about how Silverstein’s use of imagery

helps paint a picture and the purpose for doing so. Teachers will ask students if they can

think of other authors or musicians who do a particularly good job of using imagery.

Students will need to set a location of the poem (describe in their own words what they

see, hear, smell, what it is like to be there, and create their own background to the poem).

Closure (4-6 minutes):

Students will create a poem based on an image in the classroom or on an object outside of

the classroom; however, this object should be something that everyone should know.

o The poem should be a few lines long, every student does not need to write on the

same object

o After students have written, they will underline specific word that are descriptive

o Students will then have a minute or two to present their short poem, and give

some background information about it (why they chose this object and how their

poem incorporates imagery.


o There will be no independent practice after this station

Assessment

Students will be assessed by their ability to speak about the poem and their ability to

write about an object in the classroom

This will be assessed through their presentation, their participation, and Ms. Klein and

Mr. Savory checking on students to see who is engaged and who is not

Listening for accuracy of students’ responses to discussion questions, and how they

incorporate imagery into their poem

Materials

Students will need a pen or pencil for this lesson

Students will be provided the lyrics to the song as well as the poem used

Duration

This station will last 20 minutes


I can describe the setting, images, and what is happening in a poem. I can paint a mental

picture based off of a poet’s words.

Station Two: Alliteration and Onomatopoeia

Iowa Core Standards

(RL.9-10.4.) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,

including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific

word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and

place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).


Creativity and Innovation: Think Creatively:

Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize

creative efforts Work Creatively with Others

Essential Question

How do you identify and use alliteration and onomatopoeia within poetry?

Objectives

Students will be able to identify and use alliteration and onomatopoeia within poetry.

Anticipatory Set: (3 minutes)

1. Performance by the teachers:)

Tennis Match

Thousands of pairs of eyes

Follow the fuzzy yellow ball.

Back and forth, back and forth,

Like bobble head dolls they turn

Back and forth.

Whack! The serve, 90 miles per hour.

Thump! The ball hits the ground.

Thwack! The racket returns the serve.

The volley continues:

Thump! Thwack! Thump! Thwack!

The crowd is hypnotized while watching the ball.

Thump! Thwack! Thump! Thwack!

Grr! Huh! The players give it their all.

Suddenly, silence.

Then a collective intake of breath

HHHHUUUUHHHHH!?

Could it be?

The top seed fell!

2. Questions to brief the poem and call attention to patterns:

• What stood out to you?

• What did you notice about sound?

i. If the poem didn’t include whack, thump, thwack- we wouldn’t really have the

mood of the poem- less intensity, less action/active

ii. Wouldn’t appeal to your senses as much

iii. The purpose of alliteration and onomatopoeia is to engage your senses and

authentically replicate feelings from the situation that poems reference

Teaching: Activities (7 minutes)

Give students the following poem and have them highlight alliteration and onomatopoeia:

1. The Game:

Clap! Clap!

Stomp! Stomp!

Swish! Swish!

This is the way we get through

Our games.

The crowd shouts,

”Yahoo!”

The ball soars through the air.

Then, bounce, bounce, bounce.

The audience holds its breath.

SWISH!

The ball goes in;

We win!

2. Where the Sidewalk Ends

by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.

Closure: (10 minutes) Use the assigned object to write a poem using the following:

Objects Include:

Basketball, computer keyboard, hairspray, flyswatter, and garbage bag

• Three or more stanzas long

• Two or more examples of alliteration

• Three or more examples of onomatopoeia

Share the Poems with the group!!

Assessment:

Objective: Students will be able to identify and use alliteration and onomatopoeia within poetry.

We will assess this objective by making sure students are accurate in the highlighting

activity. We will look for correct answers and active participation by all group members

in our discussion. When students write their poems, we will make sure students

incorporate alliteration and onomatopoeia.

Materials

Tennis Poem (7 copies)

Highlighters/markers

Outline of Closure/Assessment Activity (25 copies)

Teaching Poems (25 copies)

Duration 20 minute stations


I can use and identify alliteration and onomatopoeia within poetry!

Station Three: Form and Rhythm

Iowa Core State Standards

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

contributes to its meaning.

(SL.7.1.) Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in

groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues,

building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

(SL.7.4.) Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent

manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye

contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

(IA.6.) Participate in public performances.


Work Creatively with Others

o Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams

o Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary

compromises to accomplish a common goal

Interact Effectively with Others

o Know when it is appropriate to listen and when to speak.

Essential Question

What are rhythm and form and how do they apply to poetry?

Objectives

By the end of class today, students will know the meaning of rhythm and form in poetry

By the end of class today, students will be able to identify different forms and rhythms

By the end of class today, students will be able to incorporate the use of form and

rhythms in their own work

Anticipatory Set

None

Teaching: Activities

Introduction (3 minutes)

Handing out and showing students to how to use Dixie cups

Define rhythm and form

Rhythm: the beat created by the sounds of words a poem

Form: the appearance of the words on the page

Rhythm Activity ( 6 minutes)

We will give student the following passages to read silently

First Train Passing

The train makes a clickity-clack noise

on the track

You can see ducks and geese from the window

and they fly up when the train goes by

I can see a big, heavy suitcase

on the rack. It doesn't look very safe.

The train is going into a tunnel and when it does, everything goes dark

Second Train Passing

Clickity-clack, clickity-clack

Ducklings and geese, fly from the track

Big heavy case, rocks on the rack

Tunnel ahead, everything's black

Clickity-clack, quickity quack

Clickity-clack, rickety-rack

Clickity-clack, blickity-black

Clickity-clackity trickity-track

Meter : stressed and unstressed

Then we will ask the student to use their Dixie cups to sound out what they think is the

rhythm in each of the passages, or the pattern of stressed and unstressed sounds.

Then one of us will read the passage and have the whole group sound out the rhythm with

their Dixie cups.

Ask student to identify the difference between the two passages.

Say: “the rhythm is like the heartbeat of the poem and is created by meter, rhyme,

alliteration and refrain.”

Form Activity (6 minutes)

Line: a group of words arranged into a row

Stanza: a group of lines

Refrain: a line that repeats throughout the poem

Show examples

Concrete or Shape

Free Verse

Pancake

Our class made a pancake

with finely-ground flour

and cheese and tomatoes

wrapped in it.

It had a crinkly edge

with lots of little holes

for the steam to escape.

Then Billy knocked the whole lot over

but our teacher rescued it

Then we cooked it under a flame

and put it in the fridge for later.

It was a real work of art.

It was our

milled, filled, frilled, drilled, spilled, grilled, chilled, skilled pancake

Closure (5 minutes)

Give students time to incorporate elements of form and rhythm into their own poems and

write information on their graphic organizers.


None

Assessment

Know the meaning of rhythm and form in poetry

We will assess this objective through the use of a graphic organizer that provides

them with the definitions and examples of rhythm and form.

Be able to identify different forms and rhythms

We will assess this objective through student participation in cup rhythm activity

and the form revision activity.

Be able to incorporate the use of form and rhythms in their own work We will assess this objective by asking students to incorporate these elements of

poetry into their own work.

Materials

Dixie Cups

Tri-Fold

Duration

20 minutes


I can identify form and rhythm and apply them to my own poetry.

Station Four: Similes and Metaphors

Iowa Core Standards

(W.7.4) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and



Think Creatively:

o Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts)

o Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and

maximize creative efforts

Work Creatively with Others:

Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively

Essential Question

How can metaphors and similes help me convey my message more powerfully?

Objectives After the station work today, students will be able to:

1. Identify similes and metaphors.

2. Understand how they contribute to the message of a poem.

3. Demonstrate using similes and metaphors in their own poetry.

Anticipatory Set

We will play a video of a collage of popular songs today that include metaphors and

similes. They will not watch the video, but just listen and try to identify the similes

and metaphors. (2-3 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGY_3sOFXhg

We will ask the students if they think they know what a simile or metaphor

is…leading us into our teaching activities.

Teaching: Activities

We will talk about the role of similes and metaphors by asking what their definition is

and then supplementing what they say. (2-3 minutes)

o Make your writing more powerful

o Similes and metaphors can make your language and writing stronger, more

descriptive, and more enjoyable. They can add depth and emphasis to your

message. They can be funny, serious, or creative, etc.

o Simile: a comparison between two unlike things using like or as

o Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike things without using like or as

We will give the students a worksheet of approximately 10 different similes and

metaphors. The students will identify which are which. (2-3 minutes) (We will assess

this by watching while they do them, how long it takes them, and how accurate they

are.)

1. The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at all the cans on the grocery store shelves.

2. As the teacher entered the room she exclaimed, "This class is like a three-ring circus!"

3. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack.

4. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day.

5. I am as fast as a rocket.

6. Those two are like two peas in a pod.

7. The fluorescent light was the sun during our test.

8. No one invites Harold to parties because he’s a wet blanket.

9. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog’s bath.

10. Ted was as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs.

11. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze

After they have all completed the worksheet, we will have a short discussion about a

few of the sentences and ask the students what they are comparing and why it is a

metaphor or simile. (5 minutes) (This will assess their understanding of similes and

metaphors in poetry/language)

We will play a recording of Langston Hughes reading his poem “Mother to Son”

while the students follow along on printed out versions. (4-5 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGY_3sOFXhg

o We will ask the students to be listening for similes and/or metaphors in the

poem. We will ask the students how they think it makes the poem more

powerful than just saying something like “My life was really hard.”

o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX9tHuI7zVo

Students can then rewrite one simile and one metaphor from the list as the opposite

(simile as a metaphor, metaphor as a simile). Then students can write an original

simile and an original metaphor. (2-4 minutes) (We will assess this rewriting by

checking their sentences and having them go around in a circle and read them out

loud.)

Closure

The students will use what they have learned in this station to write three lines of

poetry using a simile and/or metaphor.

Assessment

Assessment is listed next to the activities.

Materials Computers for audio

“Mother to Son” poem

Worksheet of metaphors and similes

Duration In total, approximately 20 minutes


I can identify similes and metaphors.

I can effectively use similes and metaphors in my own writing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX9tHuI7zVo

Documents

Mr. Tony Konrardy’s Essential Questions