What is poetry?

This lesson introduces students to the poetic process. They will be able to connect poetry to life in a meaningful way become more careful readers of poetry.

A lesson plan for grade 10 English Language Arts

By Teachers Connect

Learn more

• Shel Silverstein: The Official Site for Kids Activities, some poems, ideas for parents and teachers, and tons of fun

Related pages

• Great endings: Sometimes authors end their stories with a memory, a feeling, a wish, or a hope. Other times they end the story by referring back to the language of the beginning. In this lesson, students will examine the characteristics of good endings by reading good endings of narrative picture books. They will then practice writing good endings for their own narratives.

Related topics

• Learn more about English language arts.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• become engaged in the poetic process and will be able to connect poetry to life in a meaningful way.
• become more careful readers of poetry and increase his/her level of understanding.
• take responsibility for his/her own learning in a creative, supportive environment.
• relate prior knowledge to the lesson of the day.
• integrate ideas from more than one work of literature.
• recognize and record literary elements found in writing.
• express personal reactions through journal writing.
• respond to the observations and questions of peers.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• Any funny poem which can be acted out by a small group
• Written copy and Poetry Alive tape or teacher-made tape of poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
• Filmstrip on Greek heroes, Odysseus, or the Trojan War
• Textbooks containing The Odyssey

Pre-activities

The word poetry will be written in large letters on the board. Students will be asked to write down a definition of poetry. Open discussion will follow, during which students will mention words such as rhythm, rhyme, metaphor, etc. and teacher will write those words, along with other pertinent terms, on the board, while reviewing their meanings with the class.

Moving students into small groups, teacher will give out several short, typed examples of writing, including part of a hymn, a short lyric poem, a greeting card verse, a sports cheer, a jingle for a product, a bumper sticker slogan, and a political campaign slogan. Groups will be asked to classify each example as POETRY or NOT POETRY, giving reasons for their decisions. Full group discussion will follow.

Activities

1. Teacher will call on volunteers to perform a short, humorous poem (I use the one by Shel Silverstein about “too many kids in this tub.”) teaching the poem one line at a time. Then the whole class will participate in the performance of the poem (standing beside their desks) with the volunteers as leaders.
2. Teacher will hand students copies of the short poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks and ask them to read the poem silently and write a response. Then, the teacher will play the taped Poetry Alive version of the poem and ask students to write a second response. Class discussion will follow about similarities or differences between the two responses and possible reasons for any differences. Students will discuss the mental images they received from the poem during each reading.
3. Teacher will tell students that they will read and write a variety of types of poems in the poetry unit, ranging from some “fun” poems to more serious poems, beginning with the epic poem The Odyssey.
4. Teacher will read the focus question for The Odyssey, “Writing individually, name a modern-day hero (cartoon, fictional, or real-life) and list several characteristics of that hero. Tell what the hero values in life; then, tell how the general population relates to him/her.” General discussion will follow. Teacher will present Odysseus as an epic hero, reviewing that definition.
5. Teacher will present a short clip from a audio or video recording about the Trojan War and will give a very brief biographical sketch of Homer. (Students will have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses from previous study, so they will need only to be reminded about the interaction of the gods and goddesses with the humans in Greek literature.)
6. Teacher will begin study of The Odyssey by reading “I Am Odysseus” aloud to students to set up the situation for their reading assignment. Then, students will be asked to read “The Lotus Eaters” and “The Cyclops” at home. Teacher will suggest that, because it is poetry, students might read the assignment aloud to themselves, paying close attention to the marginal notes in their textbooks. Students will be asked to write a response at the end of each adventure. First, fold a sheet of loose-leaf paper in half vertically. On the left-hand side of the paper, do the following things:
   • Quote a passage from the poem that caught your attention and explain your choice.
   • Make a personal connection with something or someone in the poem.
   • Write a question you would like to ask about the poem, characters, style of writing, etc.
7. Peer readers will respond to the log entries during the next day’s class period, writing on the right-hand side of the log entry.

Assessment

Teacher will note the following things from observation of class activities:

• Familiarity with literary terms in oral discussion and group activity.
• Ability of students to recognize and discuss literary devices used in poems.
• Level of personal interaction with the reading and discussion.
• Evidence of understanding of subject matter after teacher’s oral reading is completed

Teacher will note the following things in the writing/drawing assignment:

• Evidence of ability to relate the situation in the poems to personal experience.
• Evidence of understanding of reading material from journal entry and question raised.
• Level of response made in written peer interaction.