Lesson Plan Template

Subject / Course: ELA 8 TC Name: Tanya Smithson

Grade Level: 8 Date: Nov 30
Topic: Blackout poetry Time of Class: 10:00-11:00
Cooperating Teacher Name: Matt Vedress Room # / Location: Aberdeen School

1. Broad Areas of Learning and Cross Curricular Competencies

a) Outcomes: Students will understand the process involved in creating blackout poetry using recycled
books, newpapers, magazine. Students will understand that words can evoke feelings and work to create mental
images.
CC8.4 Use pragmatic (e.g., use appropriate language register), textual (e.g., use artistic devices such as figurative
language), syntactical (e.g., combine sentences to form compound and complex sentences for variety, interest, and
effect), semantic/lexical/ morphological (e.g., use words to capture a particular aspect of meaning), graphophonic
(e.g., correctly pronounce words with proper emphasis), and other cues (e.g, arrange and balance words and visuals
as well as fonts) to construct and to communicate meaning.
CC8.9 Experiment with a variety of text forms (e.g., Readers Theatre, role play, humourous instructions, an electronic
presentation, a dramatization, a mini-debate) and techniques (e.g., imagery, music, graphics and statistics in a
multimedia presentation).

b) Indicators: Students will choose an appropriate page of text from a variety of source choices and create their own
piece of blackout poetry using the techniques discussed in class. Students will think about and give reason for
their choice of the words used in their piece. Additionally some students will create visual imagery within their
piece. Plan and organize ideas to fit format and purpose (blackout poetry that contains meaningful words that
communicate a message) Create descriptive texts to present a clear and colourful picture of a person, event,
moment or feeling including sensory details, related/appropriate words and logical order

c) Cross Curricular Competencies: (approx. 2+ other learning expectations not assessed, eg. learning that
happens as a result of the lesson, organization, group work, listening, co-operation, reading, writing skills etc.)
Students will interact with text unrelated to poetry and think about it critically and creatively. Using this
text students will look beyond its literal meaning by scanning for and selecting words to use in order to
creatively express their own thoughts and ideas. Students will construct an understanding that literacy
is a multi-faceted domain and there are many ways to look at it, understand it and use it for
expression.

d) Professional Growth Portfolio Goal(s):

2.2 proficiency in the language of instruction
3.2 Ability to use a wide variety of responsive instructional strategies and methodologies to
accommodate learning styles of individual learners and support their growth as social, intellectual,
physical and spiritual being.

2. Assessment and Evaluation:

(What assessment and/or evaluation strategies do you need to have to ensure you are accountable for students
learning and addressing curriculum outcomes? What formative and summative assessment should you include?
e.g., sample questions, activities or attach tests, homework, rubrics, evaluation schemes, answer keys etc.)

At the end of class students will have completed a minimum of one piece of blackout poetry that demonstrates their
understanding of the process including the aesthetic components of blackout poetry (highlighted words, removal of
other unused words with black or colour) as well they will be able to give a short written answer to the question I
believe the words in my poem were the best choice because. which will be answered on the back of their poetry
piece (one).

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 3. Preassessment and Accommodations/Modifications
a) Students
(consider the students you will be teaching and anything that will affect their learning or your teaching strategies (e.g.,
include cognitive, social/emotional, physical and diversity needs,+ provide accommodations/modifications - how you will
differentiate learning for each student and/or type of need N.B. use initials of students rather than full names)

Preassessment: Accommodation/Modification:

One student is not engaged with most ELA activities so

Class can be very talkative and interrupting. I want to ensuring I check in with that student.
make sure I am allowing them some freedom to talk but
ensuring it happens at a level that is appropriate.
Watching for behaviour issues before they occur.

b) Learning Environment:
(describe the learning environment such as the set up/location of desks, where audio-visual equipment will
be, where the teacher stands, where the students are working etc. you may wish to include a map/layout of
the classroom on a separate sheet and reference it with modifications if lesson changes)
The lesson will take place in the regular classroom. Students will begin the lesson at their tables and
after the opening 2 minute hook they will be instructed to walk through the classroom to the different
stations (6) and choose the poem that they liked best. They will then return to seats and begin working
on their poetry piece.

4. Required Resources
(list ALL resources required to conduct this lesson with detailed specifics such as textbook titles, chapters, page
numbers, author/publishers, website URLs, resources like paper, pencils, protractors, chalk, rulers, paint, specimens,
books, maps, videos, posters, lab materials, handouts include name of handout and number of copies, etc.)

-Exemplars of blackout poetry ranging from very basic to more elaborately creative (4 stations)
-variety of different books (age range, topics, fact/fiction, type size)
-pencils and markers (can use colour markers or just black markers)
-Prezi and iphone (to control prezi as I walk freely during instruction)
-some preselected pages for students who cant find a page

5. Content and Teaching Strategies of Lesson

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a) Overview/Agenda/Review
(consider a quick overview of the lesson and/or list key elements in lesson which may be written on white/blackboard
as an agenda for students and you to follow, you may also choose to consider a review of previous days work)
1. Words evoke feelings: 1 word description of how they describe basketball, art
2. View, choose, and discuss with partner (preferred poem)
3. Prezi about blackout poetry
4. Get a book and begin making their own poetry
5. Finish sentence: I believe these words were the best choice because.

b) Introduction (motivational start, minds-on, hook, etc.)

(describe how you will motivate students, get their attention, relate the lesson to their lives, such as a minds-on activity,
a hook or something that will pull learners into lesson)

Ask everyone to come up with one word to describe basketball, one word for art (ask for a few examples),.
Talk about how the words we heard all evoked a different feeling or created a different mental image.
(2min)
How many have read poetry? Written poetry? What do we know about poetry? (2min)

c) Subject Content and Teaching Strategies

(include the subject content - what you are teaching; detail the instructional strategies / teaching strategies for
teaching the subject content - how you are teaching it; write some guiding questions - actual questions (variety of
thinking levels) and suggested and anticipated answers; possibly include time approximations/timelines such as 10:00
10:30 a.m. or 25 minutes; and include application activities/components - how the content will be applied such as an
activity, problems to solve, worksheets etc.).

-Instruct students they will have 2 minutes to walk to the 4 poems in the room, read them and then
go to the poem they like best. (give minute countdowns)
-I ask individuals at each of the four poems to explain why they chose that poem.
-Back to desks. has anyone heard of blackout poetry?
-Go through the prezi, explain steps and elaborate where needed. (10 minutes)
-no right or wrong way to do it
-find the anchor word
-sometimes a page just doesnt work
-their poem can be serious, funny, goofy, sentimental, emotional, or any other theme they choose
.-when viewing the creative poem exemplars, explain that this is where they can create anything they want,
they can draw with their poems, make paths, make shapes, use colour, leave lines of white, draw pictures

After the video plays let the students know it is their turn to create their own masterpiece. They will have 40
minutes to complete one piece. When they are finished they are to answer the question I believe the
words in my poem were the best choice because__________________________________ (feelings
evoked, mental imagery I thought of, my thinking behind the words, the meaning I made of them) which I
will pass around to each student. They are to put their name on it and we will tape it to the back of their
piece.

(30 min)
--Students can pick a book from the pile of books on their table to use for finding their page of text. Give
them a time limit of 6 minutes to find their text page. Give them updates two minutes left, you should be
close picking out a page to use
--Remind students there is no right and wrong way to do this, just look for a page with one or more anchor
words they would like to use in their poem. What evokes a feeling or a mental image for you
--Once they have found a page they can begin to use pencil to select and underline/circle the words for
their poem. When most are starting to work on the word selection let them know that they may initially pick
a word they like but as they find more words, they will realize that word doesnt fit. That is why we are using
pencil first

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--Continue moving throughout. There will likely be chatter as they are doing this, let them know this is great
but to keep it at a reasonable inside level.
--Give them a 20 minute warning. Ten minutes left to complete your piece. For those who are close to
being done, you can choose to do another one, or add design to your poem
--Keep walking through class and quickly addressing catches that students might encounter and take a
30second class stop and address anything that comes up and move on.
--5 minute warning. Time to make finishing touches on their poem and then fill in their reflection question
and tape to back of the poem.

d) Consolidation
(indicate how you will review concepts taught, wrap up lesson, confirm students know what next tasks are e.g.,
having class to give you feedback on what was taught, review key application of concepts this is important in
terms of assessing the effectiveness of the lesson)

5min Debrief:
-what worked?
-what was challenging?
-what did I learn about poetry from doing this?
-was I able to effectively communicate a message using this format?
-Show a few examples (from volunteers)
Clean up

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 6. Reflections
a) Effectiveness of Lesson
What was effective / ineffective in your lesson? include at least 3 lesson elements that were ineffective /
effective? or What went well in your lesson? Or What did not go so well? Or What did the students enjoy? How
did your planning or delivery turn out? Did your teaching / learning strategies work effectively or not for subject
content and class? Consider the entire lesson and the reaction of students.
How do you know? Provide evidence from student work, student questions asked and informal assessment.
Think about examples of how the lesson progressed, engagement of students, flow of delivery, time management.
Next steps? Indicate what steps you are going to take to continue to work on your three elements identified.

What was effective / How do you know? Next steps for improvement?
ineffective in your lesson?

Comments from students, asking

-they were engaged with the to do more than one, quiet
blackout poetry creation process. engaged focus, all students
Interesting material/interactions handed in at least one, many

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 more

The assessment question they

-they were thoughtful about the all included on the back of one
selection of words to use poem showed some thoughtful
responses

Students who hate drawing

-the material seemed interesting actually added creative drawing,
to them and it stretched their blacking out on their poetry
creativity

b) Effectiveness as a Teacher
What was effective / ineffective about you as a teacher? include at least 3 teacher elements that you did that
were effective or ineffective. Did you ask good questions? Did you motivate students? What did YOU do well?
This would be a section describing your strengths and areas for improvement volume, eye contact, body
language, questioning skills, responding to questions, comfort with material, confidence, delivery, use of
technology, vocabulary.
How do you know? What evidence do you have that you, as a teacher, were or were not effective? Think about
examples of what you said, did, reacted to, felt as examples of your three elements.

Next steps? Indicate what steps you are going to take to continue to work on your three elements identified.

What was effective / How do you know? Next steps for improvement?
ineffective about you as a
teacher?

Very few questions about the Ensure that instructions have a

-clear instructions
-good student engagement
process, all knew what they were clear message. Ensure students
to do. Got right to work after I are aware of the outcome.
stopped talking
Students all produced one piece
in the time allotted and some did
several pieces

It seemed like I rushed through

-felt a little bit rushed in my some of the steps and had to
presentation, worried about time stop the students during the
lesson to mention ones I forgot

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