Poetry “How-To”
English
10th Grade
Unit Rationale:
Often times a student will enter high school
or even college and not know how to go about reading, writing, or analyzing
poetry. This unit is created to teach
and inform students on how to properly read, dissect, and interpret
poetry. Also, the influence poetry has
on present-day society.
State standard 2.1D – identify simile,
metaphor, and personification in poetry.
State standard 2.1A – discern an implied main
idea from a passage.
State standard 2.3B – differentiate between mood and tone in poetry.
Goals – The Student
Will:
1.
Describe and demonstrate the proper approach to reading poetry.
2.
Interpret any particular theme in a poem.
3.
Understand the importance of poetry in present day society.
4.
Understand the importance of poetry in past societies.
5.
Examine three different poetry vices (simile, metaphor,
personification, etc.) and explain the value of each in poetry.
Objectives – The
Student Will:
1.
Describe the proper procedures for reading poetry (i.e. – not stopping
unless punctuation is visible, slowing down, tone, mood, etc.). (Goal 1)
2.
Define metaphor. (Goal 5)
3.
Identify a metaphor in the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore
Roethke. (Goal 5)
4.
Define theme. (Goal 5).
5.
Identify one theme in “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
(Goal 2).
6.
List three avenues where poetry is still prevalent today. (Goal
3)
7.
Analyze the importance of poetry in song. (Goal 3)
8.
Explain how “Minstrel Man” by Langston Hughes connects with the
society in the early 1900s. (Goal 4)
9.
Define simile. (Goal 5).
10.
Identify a simile in a poem. (Goal 5)
11.
Define personification. (Goal 5)
12.
Identify personification in a poem. (Goal 5)
Instructional
Procedures
Lesson 1: “How-To Read Poetry”
Quickly read poem which proves the
improbability of discerning true meaning from a poem without properly reading
it. Describe the proper way to read and
dissect a poem. Go line by line with the
class on “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
Then, allow students in groups to examine “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore
Roethke. Afterwards, discuss, as a
class, the different interpretations of the poem and the importance of properly
reading poetry.
Lesson 2: “Historical and
Present-Day Importance of Poetry”
Begin with a quick discussion of poetry in
modern day societies. Is it
important? Why is it important? Play half of “Stop This Train” and give
handouts of only the lyrics heard.
Allow, in groups, the students to discuss the meaning. Discuss as a large group and afterwards play
the remainder of the song. Once again,
discuss the meaning in small groups and then bring it to the entire class. Read “Minstrel Man” by Langston Hughes,
discuss, and give historical importance of the poem.
Lesson 3: “Poetry Takes the Main Stage”
Begin with a short introduction on
webquests. Allow students to get in
groups of four and begin the webquest.
Two poems must be read at the “Grammy’s” and students must pick the
four. Students are to roleplay a character picked from a handout. Also, a list of six poems and two songs are
will be picked from to either be performed or read.
List of Sources:
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore
Roethke
“Stop This Train” by John Mayer
“Minstrel Man” by Langston Hughes
“’Round Here” by Adam Duritz
”The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot
Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare
“Ulysses” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
List of Materials:
Handouts with lyrics for “Stop This
Train”
CD player audible to all students
Computer access for students
Lesson Plans:
“Historical and Present-Day
Importance of Poetry”
(click the above to view lesson
plans)
Addressing Student
Needs:
This unit plan lends itself to a majority of
troubled readers, writers, or ESL students because of the many different
teaching methods. Group work and
discussion highlights the unit which allows students of all intelligences to
discuss and work together to form educated answers. If a troubled reader groups with an advanced
reader, the advanced reader can easily help the troubled reader comprehend the
reading. The same goes for ESL students.
Also, by playing music ESL students and troubled readers are shown a
different avenue in which poetry can be listened to. The webquest is done in much the same way by
allowing students to concentrate on a particular roleplay and not the
individual learning disabilities.
Philosophy of
Teaching Relationship:
Students learn in many different ways and
this unit plan lends itself to allow auditory, visual, musical, and other
learning avenues to be reached. Also,
the unit becomes personal because of homework that is personal, a webquest that
is geared toward individuality, and interesting lectures that teach the basics.