Unit Duration___Sept 5-Oct. 13_______________________________________
1. Unit Overview – Critical Inquiry Question
Why do we study poetry?
2. Focusing Questions for Lessons (Related questions)
-What is poetry's purpose? -What is poetry? -How long has poetry been around? -Why is it important to our lives? -What are different elements of poetry? -Why use poetry? -What are poetic devices?
3. Specific Learning Outcomes for Unit
1.1: -extend understanding by taking different points of view when rereading and reflecting on oral, print and other media texts -reflect on own growth in language learning and use, by considering progress over time and the attainment of personal goals 1.2: -integrate own perspectives and interpretations with new understandings developed through discussing and through experiencing a variety of oral, print and other media texts 2.4: -create oral, print and other media texts on common literary themes 4.1: -share sample treatments of a topic with peers, and ask for feedback on the relative effectiveness of each -work collaboratively to make appropriate revisions based on feedback provided by peers 4.2: -demonstrate the deliberate, conscientious and independent application of a variety of editing and proofreading strategies to confirm spellings in own writing -identify and use variant spellings for particular effects, depending on audience, purpose, content and context
Date Lesson Lesson Overview Assessment
Question/Topic Sept. 5 What is poetry? This class will be an introduction to There will be no the new school year, to their assessment for this 2
classmates and myself. We will go class.
over classroom expectations and what the class will be all about, and we will begin our poetry unit by discussing what poetry is and having the students come up with their own definition. Sept. 6 What is poetry? We will start the class by having the The only assessment students free write their opinions will be class and ideas about poetry, and if participation, and students want to share their thoughts whether the students they can--if not, that is something bring a poem in the we will work up to. Using Emily next day. Dickinson's poem "A Word is Dead" we will read through the poem and have the students discuss in small groups their reactions and ideas, then will bring it to a group discussion. The students will also be asked to bring in their favourite poem for tomorrow, or to find one that they like. At the end of class we will also spend some time discussing their poetry portfolio, and explain that the poem they bring in will be the first piece. Sept. 7 What is poetry? We will begin by having the The assessment for students explain to a partner why this class will be they chose the poem that they did, participation why they like it, what meaning it has to them, how they found it. Next, the students will receive a handout on poetic devices and different types of poems (focusing on the different types of poems today). They will have some time to read through the material, then we will begin to discuss it all as a class. As a fun activity to do at the end of class, we will create a "found poem" as a class. Sept. 8 What is poetic Today we will be focusing on poetic The assessment will terminology? terminology, and will start by be the poetry response investigating rhyme scheme by that the students hand looking at a few different poems. I in for completion. will introduce a poetry response sheet for the students, and they will have to complete one before the end 3
of class using one of the poems.
Students will try to find patterns in the poems we look at to see if any follow a specific rhyming scheme. Sept. 11 What are rhyming We will continue working with the The assessment will schemes? new vocabulary terms from last be participation in the week so the students can continue to class activity, and familiarize themselves with them. whether they can Working in small groups, they will successfully use the be giving three poems and then vocabulary words so must try and identify the rhyme far. scheme, and all the vocabulary words they can. Afterwards we will complete them as a class and see how many we can find altogether. Sept. 12 What are poetic Today's class will be dedicated to The assessment will devices? filling out their vocabulary sheet be a check done on with definitions and examples so their vocabulary that they can successfully write their sheets before they own poems, and are prepared for the leave for the day. quiz that will be on the 24th. Sept. 13 What is a sonnet? This class will focus on learning The assessment will about sonnets--their history, what be the sonnet they makes them sonnets, the rules create. behind them. We will also look at some examples of sonnets that Shakespeare wrote. The students will have time to work on their own sonnets. Sept. 14 What is a haiku? This class will focus on learning The assessment will about haikus, their history, what be the haiku they classifies them as haikus, and we create. will also spend some time discussing other types of poems that involve syllables. The students will have time to work on their own haikus. Sept. 15 What is a limerick? This class will focus on limericks-- The assessment will what makes a poem a limerick? The be the limerick they students will have time to work on create. their own limerick after we write one together as a class. Sept. 17 What is a couplet? The class will learn about couplets-- The assessment will we will look at some famous ones be the couplet they and will discuss why people would create. write them. In pairs the students will write a few couplets, then they will pair up with another group to 4
share their ideas.
Sept. 18 What is free verse? The class will learn about free verse The assessment will poems. We will spend time looking be the free verse they at some together to understand what create. qualifies a poem as free verse. Then the students will have time to work on their own free verse poem. Sept. 19 What are concrete We will spend today looking at The assessment will poems? what concrete poems are, and will be the concrete poems look at examples as a class. The they create. students will then have time to brainstorm with a partner for their own concrete poem. Sept. 20 What are concrete The students will continue working The assessment will poems? on their own concrete poem today, be the concrete poems and if we have time we will spend it they create. studying for the quiz they have on Monday. Sept. 21 Quiz The class will be given a quiz on The assessment will what they have learned about poetic be the quiz. devices, their vocabulary words, and the types of poems we have discussed so far. After the quiz the students will have time to work on their poetry portfolios and the poems in their formula workbooks. Sept. 24 How long has poetry Give the students two different The assessment will been around for? poems from two different eras and be their first poem ask them to identify the similarities using the poetry and differences, and if they know formula. when each poem was written. Let them work in partners or small groups to discuss, then have a class discussion. I will also hand out the Poetry Formula assignment and explain to the class what we will be doing with those. They will then have some time to work on their first poem. Sept. 25 Why use poetry? In today's class we will spend time The assessment will discussing why people choose to use be their participation poetry, and what feelings it can in today's class. convey that might not work with other mediums. We will use a combination of different kinds of poems and lyrics, and the students will work in partners to discuss what they think each poem means. 5
We will then have a class discussion
about what each poem means and see if there is a group consensus. Do they think it would be easier to just write down this ideas in a narrative? Sept. 26 The students will have some time The assessment will today to work on their poetry be their ability to peer formulas, and will have to share one edit using a checklist, of their completed poems with a and their class partner who will then provide them participation. will feedback using a checklist provided. This will help to prepare them for the peer editing portion of the slam poetry. Sept. 27 Is music poetry? We will be looking at music lyrics The assessment will today, and whether they are poetry be participation within or not. The students will do a think, the group, and the pair, share on what they have song lyrics they bring learned so far and if they feel music tomorrow for their would fit in to our working portfolio. definition of poetry from the first day. I will read out lyrics to a song, then play the song for them. We will discuss if it is easier for them to hear and understand the lyrics when there is music or not, and if they think the lyrics are poetry. Next, we will split the class into two, and give them lyrics to popular songs. The teams will have to try and identify the poetic devices used in each song line, and if there is a rhyme scheme. For homework they will have to bring in their favourite school appropriate song lyrics. Sept. 28 What is slam poetry? The class will receive their final The assessment will assignment--slam poetry that they be their participation will have to perform in front of the for today's class. class. We will spend the class watching slam poetry and discussing what makes it slam poetry. The students will then have some time to brainstorm ideas. Sept. 29 How to write slam The students will get time to work No assessment for poetry? on their slam poetry today. We will today. take some breaks in the middle of class to see if there are any 6
questions and to check the overall
progress of the class. Oct. 2 How to write slam The students will get more time to The assessment will poetry? work on their poems, and will be be their completed given the opportunity to peer edit peer editing each other's work (using a checklists. checklist). We will also create a lineup for the class for the following two days Oct. 3 Poetry Slam Class! We will use today and possibly The assessment will tomorrow's class so the students can be their performances perform their slam poetry. Oct. 4 Poetry Slam Class! If needed, we will use today to The assessment will finish up the slam poetry. If we still be their performances. have time, I will introduce the next unit of suspense narrative writing.