Poetry:

I know, but since we're here why don't we find out why
people love it, hate it, and continue to write so much of it.

Margaret Nelson
December 10, 2010
ECI 430/435 Fall 2010
Young/Lee
Part I: Unit Title and Preface
Unit Title: Poetry: I know, but since we're here why don't we find out why people love it, hate it, and
continue to write so much of it.

Introduction:
This unit is intended for a sixth grade Language Arts class with mixed ability levels. Ideally,
there would be twenty-five students, between eleven and twelve years old, ranging from average ability
to high ability level. The gender make-up of the class would have a slight majority of females, around
55-60% and males at around 40-45%. In regards to diversity, there would be an equal mix of Asian and
Hispanic students, and a slightly higher percentage of African-American and Caucasian students. Most
students will come from middle-class families with only a small number of students living in a low-
income household. Their interests are varied and numbered, including, but certainly not limited to,
music of all genres, sports, reading, drama, and art.

Organizational Principle: Theme:

Emotion and Identity are two topics that seem to plague every student at some point in his/her
middle school career. Whether it's about peer pressure, hormones, or self-discovery, students struggle
every day with who they are and what that means in their school environment. Because poetry covers
so many different cultures and lives, I wanted to make sure that my topics were broad, and yet would
be relevant to each student in some way. I want students to be have the opportunity to write whatever
they feel is important to them and I think that Emotion and Identity were two themes that could give
direction while also giving freedom. Even though they are broad, I think Emotion and Identity get at
the heart of what is revered and emulated in poetry and will give students the opportunity to not only
understand themselves better, but may give them a window to see their peers through that they may
never have noticed.

Primary Subject Matter Focus: Content:

The content focus of this unit is Poetry and the elements of poetry. This includes not only
literary terms like alliteration, rhyme, and meter, but also theme, plot, and voice. Students will see
poetry used in several different contexts, such as literature, music, and advertising in order to show the
versatility and universal thread of poetry throughout the world. Students will also be given the
opportunity to write and perform their own work in class, putting the elements into practice. Even
though I've heard the groans from students when poetry is introduced into the classroom, I think the
universal aspect of poetry keeps students connected to each other and globally to others, which will
always be an important aspect of education. Poetry spans time and culture, bringing political, social,
and personal ideals together into verse and I think it's an element of the curriculum that should continue
its presence in the classroom.

Organizing Questions:
● How would you describe poetry? What words do you associate with poetry?
● How has poetry changed history? How has history changed poetry?
● What are some of the similarities/differences in poetry around the world?
● How can poetry help writers express themselves/their identity?
● What are the different ways to show emotion through poetry?
Goals:
● Students will appreciate works from poets around the world
● Students will recognize poetry in the world around them (ads, music, literature)
● Students will appreciate/respect the work of their peers
● Students will build confidence in their own writing and performance of their work

General Unit Objectives:

SWBAT:
[Cognitive]:
1. Identify poetic elements in verse and prose
2. Better understand poetic elements
3. Write a collection of creative poetry
4. Critique peers' poetry constructively
5. Revise work based on peer review

[Affective]
1. Listen attentively to peers/poets
2. Discuss poems in group setting
3. Participate in peer feedback sessions

[Performance]
1. Explain poetic elements in context
2. Demonstrate oral recitation
3. Produce video performances

North Carolina Standard Course of Study Objectives:

Language Arts(Grade 6):
1.03-Interact appropriately in group settings by: listening attentively, showing empathy, contributing
relevant comments connecting personal experiences to content, and monitoring own understanding of
the discussion and seeking clarification as needed.
5.02-Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry)
4.01-Determine the purpose of the author or creator by: analyzing the effects of author's craft on the
reader/viewer/listener.

Social Studies(Grade 6):

8.01- Describe the role of key historical figures and evaluate their impact on past and present societies
in South America and Europe.
10.01-Trace the development of relationships between individuals and their governments in selected
cultures of South America and Europe, and evaluate the changes that have evolved over time.
11.01- Identify the concepts associated with culture such as language, religion, family, and ethnic
identity, and analyze how they both link and separate societies.
Possible Materials and Supplementary Texts:

General Materials:
● Pencils*
● Journals*
● Whiteboard/Markers*
● Folders
Novels/Anthologies:
● Shakespeare Bats Clean-up by Ron Koertge (YA Novel written in poetry form)*
● What My Mom Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones (YA Novel written in poetry form)
● Crank by Ellen Hopkins
● Cool Salsa by Lori Carlson (Collection of Bilingual Poems)
● Excerpts from The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry(Poe, Whitman, Wheatley, Frost)*
● Excerpts from Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology*
Technology:
● Flip Cam(s)*
● Computers for Digital Videos
● CD Player/ Computer music player*
● Projector/Doc Cam
Multimedia:
● Various Pastoral/Natural Paintings
● Movie “Slamnation”
● Songs from Artists around the world*
○ Pink Floyd
○ House of Pain
○ U2
○ Selena
○ Enrique Iglesias
○ The White Stripes
○ Enya
○ Pelican
○ August Burns Red
○ Broken Social Scene
○ Keith Forsey/Gary Chang
● Jingles from various advertisements*
○ Freecreditreport.com
○ Oscar Mayer
○ Dr. Pepper

Possible Activities/Strategies:
1. Poetry Slam(Use of Flip Cams)
2. Poetry Critiques (Peer and Known Authors)
3. Free-writes with various topics
4. Open Discussions about various Poems
5. Digital Workshops for videos/works
6. Crafting Days (For students to revise and rework that poems)
7. Journaling
8. Small group discussion/critiques—learning teams
9. Student presentations of lyrical poetry
 10. Lecture
11. Discussion of musical/lyrical poetry
12. “Slamnation”
13. Poetic Elements Quiz
14. Exit Passes
15. Poetry Portfolios

Narrative Overview:
(All Referenced Materials are located in the Appendix)
Day 1: Introduction to Poetry (Lesson Plan)
Because of the resistance that is usually found with students during a poetry unit, I want to
introduce students to the topic informally, so they don't feel overwhelmed or trapped by the unit. I will
have written on the board a few of the focus questions that will frame the unit, including “How would
you describe poetry?” and “Why do people write poetry?” Students will begin the class by first writing
in their journals for the first fifteen minutes of class and then discuss together what they consider
poetry and what they do not. For the majority of the class time, I will introduce a wide range of
authors, and styles, focused on the themes of emotion and identity giving students the opportunity to
see different elements that makes each piece unique. We will talk about what types of poems we will
be studying in the next few weeks and answer any questions they have about the unit. During this time
I would also give them an idea about the poetry slam and poetry portfolio that they will turn in at the
end of the unit, but specifics will come later. I will give each student a folder where they are to keep all
of their poetry work for the unit that will eventually make up their poetry portfolio. For homework,
students are given the assignment to free write for 15 minutes to come up with ideas for poems.
Day 2: Introduction to Poetic Devices
Students will free-write in their journals for 10 minutes at the beginning of class. I would open
the class up for any student who wished to share his/her free write, with students giving positive
feedback to whomever shares. I would ask a few students to share what we discussed the day before,
specifically what our unit was on and what type of things we already knew. From there, I would
introduce Elements of Poetry to the students through a guided handout, including alliteration, rhyme,
mood, tone, simile, metaphor, and poetic examples of each. Once we have finished going over the
notes, I will put up different poems on the overhead/projector and as a class, we will discuss what
elements we can see in each of the poems and what the elements add to the poems. Students will be
informed that the next Wednesday they will be having a quiz based on the literary elements we've
covered. For homework, students will take one of the poetic terms we talked about and write a poem
using that element.
Day 3: Haiku
I will have haikus either written on the board or projected on the board from American,
European, and Japanese authors. Students will read the haikus and write briefly in their journals what
they notice about the poems I have listed, including length and themes. I will introduce the elements
and notable authors of the genre, giving the cultural history of the haiku and how it's progressed, which
should not take more than 10-15 minutes. Once I've covered the history, we will move to the activities
for the period. Students will take out a scrap piece of paper, write down one of the four seasons, a two
syllable word associated with that season, and then students will trade papers and be given 10 minutes
to write a haiku based on what they are given by their classmate. When the 10 minutes are up, students
will be given the opportunity to share if they would like. Another possible activity, students are taken
outside to observe nature and write haikus based on what they see around them. If the weather is not
conducive to going outside, I will project pastoral/natural pictures on the board and students will write
haikus based on the pictures. The students and I will share our haikus for the last part of class, giving
positive feedback and then I will announce the topic for the next day at the conclusion of the class,
which will be sonnets. Homework will be to free-write and come up with at least two to three haikus
for tomorrow.
Day 4: Sonnets
For the first 10 minutes of class, students are asked to write in their journals anything they know
about sonnets, and then what they would like to know about sonnets. Before sharing journal entries I
will give students the opportunity to share the haikus they wrote for homework and encourage students
to continue to share in the coming weeks. Because sonnets are usually very difficult for students, we
will cover the material over two class periods, which I will tell the students at the beginning of the
period. I will have students volunteer to read from their journals what they know about sonnets, which
will lead our initial discussion of the form. Continuing from there, I will take a solid 20 minutes
introducing the elements and notable authors of the genre through examples from history. This would
include examples from Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and more contemporary poets' work.
For the main activity, students will be put into a small group and given two lines of Shakespeare's
Sonnet IX, cut into separate words, and asked to put the lines together based on iambic pentameter. The
groups will have 15 minutes to try and put the words into order. As a class, we will see the poem in it's
entirety and see how the students put the lines together to form a sonnet. Students are assigned for
tomorrow to attempt two stanzas for their sonnet, which will go into their portfolio at the end of the
unit. I let the students know that we will be continuing to look at sonnets in class tomorrow and
working on what they've written at home.
Day 5: Sonnets Cont.
At the beginning of class, we will review as a class the information that was introduced the day
before with regards to iambic pentameter and other elements of sonnets. Students will be put into their
workshop groups, which they will work in throughout the rest of the unit, and share with those in their
group what they had written at home. I will have students in discussion for 15 minutes, so that each
student can share with his/her group. After giving each other feedback on what they have written, the
students will take another 15 minutes to continue working on their sonnets, while I walk around and
answer any questions. We will come back together as a class to discuss what we've learned through
listening to our classmates and if there are any more questions, I will discuss them with the class.
Students are then assigned to continue working on the remainder of their sonnet and will turn in their
draft the next day, so I'm able to give them feedback on what they've done.
Day 6: Free Verse (Lesson Plan)
Students will free write for the first 15 or so minutes of class based on the prompt, which will
be written on the board, “What is a free verse poem and what does it look like?” Students will then
attempt to create what they believe is a free verse poem and during this time I will return their sonnet
drafts to the, with my feedback. Once the 15 minutes is up, students can share their poems with the
class and then I will show them a few examples of free verse poetry. Because there is no structure to
free verse, I will focus more on themes and examples in different contexts. For the main activity,
students will get into their workshop groups and I will hand out one line of a poem, song, book, etc. (In
appendix) to each group and they will be given the next 20 minutes to write a free verse poem
collaboratively, in any way they choose, based on the line that I give them. They can each write one
line, building on the person's line above them, each writing one word, or just collaborating on the
images and ideas for the poem. Once all groups are done, each group will share their poem with the
class and talk about what elements and themes they had in their poems. I will post their poems up on
the board, or my website so parents and students in other classes can see each other's work. I will
remind students that they will have their quiz on the poetic elements on Wednesday. For homework, I
will have students make sure all of their poems /work thus far are in their folder, because I will be
collecting it the next day to see their progress.
Day 7: Poetry in Music (Lesson Plan)
Students will journal for the first ten minutes of class based on the prompt written on the board,
“What is your favorite song/musical artist?” At this point, I will come around and collect their work
folders and make sure I have all of the available folders before addressing the prompt. Once I've
collected everyone's work I will ask students to share what they've written in their journals about their
musical interests. Once a number of students have shared I will ask them whether or not they believe
that music is poetry and ask why people write music. Hopefully they will tell me yes and make some
reference to expressing one's self or an experience. Ideally, I will be able to use some of their journal
responses to transition into the content of poetry in the context of music. I will share with students
some European/South American songs/artists, pointing out some of the different poetic elements and
themes that can be found in the lyrics, displaying the lyrics on an overhead or projected on the board.
We would also talk about how someone's identity and culture could be shown through their
songs/poetry. Then, students will get into their workshop groups and each group will be given a
popular song and as a group they will have 15-20 minutes to find and label poetic terms and themes
and then discuss what those elements do within the song and how it helps show the theme. In the last
few minutes, we will have a few groups share what they found and learned from the activity and those
who do not have time to share will be able to share the next day, because we will finish our discussion
of poetry and music the next day. As class finishes, I will remind students of their quiz tomorrow and
they will be given an exit pass as a review. The exit pass will have 3-5 questions on different poetic
terms that they will turn in to me as they leave class. For homework, students are to find one
(appropriate) song and pick out at least five poetic devices in the lyrics and will hand in the lyrics, with
either the poetic terms highlighted or the terms write down on the lyrics page, or on a separate sheet.
Day 8: Music Cont. / Poetry Elements Quiz (Lesson Plan)
Students will free-write for the first ten minutes of class. The prompt will be to write two things
they learned from class yesterday, one thing they learned from their homework with music, and one
question about music and poetry. I will have students share their writing, and with that I will have
students volunteer to share their songs and the kinds of elements they found in the lyrics. I will then
use their songs and lyrics to lead a ~15 minute discussion about what the elements did in their songs
and how it helped show the themes in the song. The students will then have the rest of the class period
to complete the Poetry Elements Quiz and will be asked to journal or read when they have finished
until the class period is over. As students finish with the quiz I will return their poetry folders, giving
them a grade for their effort thus far. Students will be asked for homework to free-write and work on
poems for their portfolios.
Day 9: Poetry in Advertising
Students will journal for the first ten minutes of class, responding to the prompt on the board,
which will give them the option between five different products and they must write a poem persuading
someone to buy that product. I will then have students volunteer to read their poems and explain what
kinds of words and poetic elements they used to make their product sound more appealing. From there,
I will go into an instruction/discussion for the majority of the period, projecting different jingles and
commercials for various products including credit score websites, Dr. Pepper, and Oscar Mayer on the
board. We will then discuss as a class what they notice about the advertisements that share
characteristics with poetry and what effect that has on the writing and its audience. At the end of class I
will pass back their Poetic Elements quizzes and we will go over the answers together and answer any
questions and clear up any confusion surrounding the quiz and its answers. For homework, students
are to work on their poems for portfolios and think of any other places in society they might find
poetry.
Day 10: Poetry in Literature/Everywhere
Students will free-write for the first ten minutes of class, writing on where they think they can
see poetry in the world around them as well as writing any poetry they are led to during their thinking.
After the ten minutes I will have students share their ideas and/or their poems produced during their
writing time. I will introduce three different novels written in verse, Crank by Ellen Hopkins,
Shakespeare Bats Clean-Up by Ron Koertge, and What My Mom Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones, but
focusing mostly on Shakespeare Bats Clean-Up. I will have excerpts from each of these novels and
have students respond to them by telling me what elements and themes they can pick up in the lines
and how the elements make the themes clearer to the audience, whoever that may be. From there, we
will discuss where we can see poetry in pop culture today, whether in raps, advertisements, movies, etc
and for the remaining time in class, I will show clips from the movie, “Slamnation”, giving students an
opportunity to see oral readings of poetry, as well as get a taste for what they will do next week at our
own poetry celebration.
Day 11: Free-write Day
This will most likely be the students and my favorite day of the unit. The entire class period
will be spent with different prompts from music and ideas given for free-writing. For most of the class
we will have the lights off, with enough light for people to see, and we will write in the dark, listening
to different kinds of music, hopefully to invoke different emotions out of the students. During this time
they are free to write, draw, doodle, as long as their pencils are moving on paper in some meaningful
way, then it's what I'm looking for. Students can right in any form they would like, whether haiku,
sonnet, free verse, or any other form they would like. I would ideally have students spaced around the
room so they can be alone with their thoughts and writing, as well being able to be comfortable while
writing. As the class came to a close, I would have students turn in an informal exit slip writing one
emotion they felt during the class or wrote about during the class period. Their homework will be to
continue to create poems and keep them in their folders.
Day 12: Class Critiques
Because the previous day was only free-writing, I will have students get to work, getting into
their workshop groups. Each group will be given copies of American, European, and South American
poets' work and will critique the poem based on an outline I give them. They will fill out one outline
and will be given the bulk of the class to work on it. In the last 15 minutes or so of class I will have the
groups present their findings to the class. We will debrief, and bring everything the different groups
talked about together, so students can see what goes into the writing process and how even published
works can be critiqued and analyzed. For homework, students will need to remember to bring their
poetry folder so we can have a productive craft day!
Day 13: Craft Day
Students will be in their workshop groups for most of the class period working on all the poems of the
past two weeks and exchanging poems with their group members, giving and receiving feedback on
what they've done thus far. I will be walking around the room making sure the groups are on task and
available for students who have questions or would like me to take a look at certain poems and give
feedback. At this point in the unit, students will be choosing the poem they would like to recite during
the Poetry Celebration and practice performing it. I tell the students to continue working on their
poems and encouraging them to come up with new poems to work on and to narrow down their choices
for poems for the Slam. Students will turn in any poems they would like for me to look at it and
receive feedback, to be returned to them for the next class period.
Day 14: Craft Day—Wrap Up/Celebration
The students and I will be able to use this day to continue to prepare for the poetry celebration
the next day. Students can conference with me about their poems, making final adjustments and
revisions. Students will also have the opportunity to type of their poems on the computer during this
class period. I will also give students the opportunity to make posters and art work to hang in the room
and the hallway to give a more coffee shop feel to the room for the celebration. Homework is just to
practice reading their poems aloud and make sure to bring their final portfolios to turn in.
Day 15: Poetry Celebration! (Poetry Slam/Recordings)
After a quick introduction from me, students will be performing their poems for their parents
and peers. There will be a video camera set up to record the Slam, given the permission by students
and parents. Each student will perform one poem from their portfolio or any other piece he/she has
written. After the performances, the parents can look around at the collaborative poems each workshop
group has done and look through their child's portfolio at all their different poetry genres. At the end of
the performances/class, students will hand in their portfolios to me for grading. I will thank the parents
for coming and thank the students for their hard work for the past few weeks and tell them that I can't
wait to read through their work!

Part II: The Daily Lesson Plans

Day 1 Lesson Plan:

Unit/Lesson Title: Poetry: Is That Really Poetry?!

Context: This is my kick-off day for my poetry unit. This lesson will focus on a wide range of authors,
forms, topics, but will all focus around the ideas of emotion and identity. This will hopefully serve as a
non-threatening way for students to interact with poetry and get a feel for what they will be learning
about throughout the unit. This will also give me the opportunity to find out what they already know
about poetry, which can help guide my lessons and revisions of lessons later on in the unit.

Plan Number: Day 1 of 15

Instructional Objectives and Related NC Course of Study Standard:

Objectives: SWBAT
[Cognitive] 1.2 Identify poetic elements in structured formats
[Affective] 2.1 Discuss prior knowledge of Poetry

NCSCOS (Language Arts):

5.02-Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry)

Materials:
Projector/Doc Cam
Whiteboard
Folders
Journals
Excerpts from The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry(Poe, Whitman, Wheatley, Frost)
(Appendix)
Excerpts from Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology (Appendix)
“Baby Brother” by The White Stripes

Time: 55 minutes
Instructional Steps:

Hook/Journal(15 min): I will have a prompt written on the board and as students walk in they are to
grab their journals and begin free-writing based on the prompt for the first 15 minutes of class. While
the class is journaling, I will be walking around giving each student the folder they will use to keep all
of their poetry in for the unit.
Prompts: “How would you describe poetry?”
“Why do people write poetry?”
Once the 15 minutes are up, I will call on a few students to share what they've written in their journals,
and tying their responses into the themes of identity and emotion in poetry.

Activity(30 min): For the activity, the class will be introduced to a number of different poems from
European, American, and Latino heritage. I will lead a discussion into simple questions about each
poem, “What do you think it's about?” “Who is the audience?” “Why do you think the author wrote this
way?” and then hopefully move into questions students come up with amidst discussion. I will attempt
to slip in elements of poetry in the discussion to get a base idea of what students have encountered
before and how comfortable they are with the material.

Wrap Up/Conclusion(5min): As the class starts to wind down, I tell the students about the poetry
portfolio and poetry celebration that we will be having at the end of the unit , but tell them not to worry
about it yet, details will come later. I write their homework on the board, which is to free-write for 15
minutes at home, to get an idea of the kinds of things they would like to write about.

Evaluation: I will be collecting the students journals periodically throughout the unit, which will give
me a better idea of where they are and what concepts they understand and which ones they are
struggling with.

Day 6 Lesson Plan:

Unit/Lesson Title: Poetry/Free Verse

Context: This lesson will begin the second week of the unit on Poetry. After the first week of elements
and strict forms, I wanted to start the week giving students the opportunity to write some free verse.
After getting back from the weekend, it will be a way to ease students back into the subject of poetry
and our themes. This lesson correlates slightly with lesson one, in the sense that students will be able
to see a wide range of poetry, all in free verse form.

Plan Number: Day 6 of 15

Instructional Objectives and Related NC Course of Study Standard:

Objectives: SWBAT
[Cognitive] 1. Identify poetic elements in verse
2.1 Label Poetic elements in published poems
[Affective] 2. Discuss poems in group setting
 2.2 Write collaboratively
[Performance] 2.1 Demonstrate Poetic Recitation

NCSCOS (Language Arts):

4.01-Determine the purpose of the author or creator by: analyzing the effects of author's craft on the
reader/viewer/listener.
5.02-Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry)
(Social Studies):
11.01- Identify the concepts associated with culture such as language, religion, family, and ethnic
identity, and analyze how they both link and separate societies.

Materials:
Projector/Doc Cam
Whiteboard
Folders
Journals
Excerpts from The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry(Poe, Whitman, Wheatley, Frost)
(Appendix)
Excerpts from Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology (Appendix)
“Well It's True That We Love One Another” by The White Stripes

Time: 55 minutes

Instructional Steps:

Hook/Opener(15 min): Students will be given the first 15 minutes in class to journal on the prompt
written on the white-board.
Prompt: “What is a free verse poem and what does it look like?”
From there students will attempt to write what they believe is a free verse poem. Once the 15 minutes
are up, I will cal on any volunteers who want to share what they've written, either a definition or poem.

Activity(35 min): Because there is no real structure involved in free verse poetry, I will get right into the
activity, giving students the opportunity to write collaboratively and make their own choices on free
verse style. I will focus the topics towards identity and emotion. Students will get into their workshop
groups and I will hand each group a line from a poem, prose, or song, and together they will write a
free verse poem based on that line. They are free to write it however they choose, whether each person
writes a line, or a few words, or they use their ideas collectively to write it together. Once I see that all
the groups are finished, or close, I will have each group project/read their poem aloud to the class.
Using the Doc Cam, explain to the class how they collectively wrote the poem and what different
elements could be found in their poem. I will collect their poems and post them on a bulletin board or
on my website, so parents will have the opportunity to see some of their progress.

Wrap Up/Conclusion(5 min): Students will be reminded of their quiz on Wednesday, which is day 8 of
the unit. I will write their homework up on the board, which is to make sure that all of their poetry
work is in their folders, because I will be collecting them the next day.

Evaluation: Students will get a participation grade for their work in groups, depending on their level of
involvement with the writing and/or reading of their poem.
Day 7 Lesson Plan:

Unit/Lesson Title: Poetry/Music in Poetry

Context: I really wanted to do a lesson on poetry in music, because I know middle schoolers are
reluctant to listen or write poetry, but I don't know too many that don't like music. I think it will be a
comfortable way for students to see certain poetic elements in a less erudite context.

Plan Number: Day 7 of 15

Instructional Objectives and Related NC Course of Study Standard:

Objectives: SWBAT
[Cognitive] 1. Identify poetic elements in verse
2. 1 Label Poetic elements in published poems
[Affective] 2. Discuss poems in group setting
[Performance] 1.1 Explain poetic elements in Context of Music

NCSCOS (Language Arts):

4.01-Determine the purpose of the author or creator by: analyzing the effects of author's craft on the
reader/viewer/listener.
5.02-Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry)
(Social Studies):
11.01- Identify the concepts associated with culture such as language, religion, family, and ethnic
identity, and analyze how they both link and separate societies.

Materials:
Projector/Doc Cam
Whiteboard
Folders
Journals
“We're Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes
“I Could Fall In Love” by Selena
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “One” by U2

Time: 55 minutes

Instructional Steps:

Hook/Opener(15 min): Students will be given the first 15 minutes in class to journal on the prompt
written on the white-board.
Prompt: “What is your favorite song/musical artist?”
While students are journaling, I will be going around collecting their poetry portfolios thus far. Once I
have collected all of the available portfolios, I will have students volunteer to tell me who they wrote
about. Ideally, I will be able to use students' journal entries as a bridge to the content of the day. I will
then introduce the class to some notable European and South American artists and their work. We will
discuss together the kinds of elements they can pick out of the song, and how those elements help the
artist express their identity or emotions.

Activity(35min): Students will be put into their workshop groups and given a song(some groups will
have the same song). They are to label/highlight all of the poetic elements they can find, and discuss
together what impact those elements have on the poem's themes and artists' themes. Once groups have
finished up, I will have a few groups come up and present their findings to the class. We will most
likely not have time to hear from all the groups that day, but I make sure to tell them that whichever
groups didn't go today would be sharing first thing tomorrow.

Wrap Up/Conclusion(5 min):As class finishes, I will remind students of their quiz tomorrow and they
will be given an exit pass as a review. The exit pass will have 3-5 questions on different poetic terms
that they will turn in to me as they leave class. Along with their exit passes, they will turn in their
poetry folders with all their work thus far. For homework, students are to find one (appropriate) song
and pick out at least five poetic devices in the lyrics and will hand in the lyrics, with either the poetic
terms highlighted or the terms write down on the lyrics page, or on a separate sheet.

Evaluation: Students will get a participation grade for their work in groups and then I will grade the
exit passes, which will hopefully keep the terms on their minds and was a review. If I see that students
struggled with certain items on the exit pass, I will make sure to give a quick review before the quiz.

Day 8 Lesson Plan:

Unit/Lesson Title: Poetry/Music in Poetry Continued

Context: This will be a follow-up to the lesson the day before regarding poetry through music. This
was to give students an opportunity to share and tie up any loose ends involving the previous day's
lesson. This is also a chance for my to evaluate the students' knowledge thus far and to go back to
anything students may be struggling with in terms of the poetic elements.

Plan Number: Day 8 of 15

Instructional Objectives and Related NC Course of Study Standard:

Objectives: SWBAT
[Cognitive] 1. Identify poetic elements in verse
2.1 Label Poetic elements in published poems
[Affective] 2.1 Discuss personal writing in group setting
[Performance] 1.1 Explain poetic elements in context of music

NCSCOS (Language Arts):

4.01-Determine the purpose of the author or creator by: analyzing the effects of author's craft on the
reader/viewer/listener.
5.02-Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry)
(Social Studies):
11.01- Identify the concepts associated with culture such as language, religion, family, and ethnic
identity, and analyze how they both link and separate societies.

Materials:
Projector/Doc Cam
Whiteboard
Folders
Journals
“Well It's True That We Love One Another” by The White Stripes
“I Could Fall In Love” by Selena
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “One” by U2
Poetic Elements Quiz (Appendix)

Time: 55 minutes

Instructional Steps:

Hook/Opener(10 min):Students will be given the first 10 minutes of class to free-write on the prompt
written on the board.
Prompt: Write two things you learned from class yesterday, one thing you learned from your
homework with music, and one question about music and poetry. Once the ten minutes are up, I will
have students share their journal entries, and hopefully that sharing will lead into a wrap-up
conversation on music and the presence of poetic elements in music from every culture.

Activity(35min): I will answer any last minute questions students have about the poetic elements, and
then I will pass out their quizzes. Students will have the rest of the period to complete the Poetic
Elements Quiz. Students are to work independently and when they are finished they are instructed to
read silently or work on poems for their portfolios until the end of class.

Wrap Up/Conclusion(5 min):As students finish up their quizzes, I will hand back their folders, which
will have a grade on it for their work and effort thus far. I will try to conference with students who had
little to no work in their folders to understand why and what I can do to help. Homework is just to
free-write and continue working on their poems.

Evaluation: Students will be given a grade for their quizzes, as well as their portfolios.

Part III: Evaluation

My Philosophy of Evaluation:
Due to the subjective nature of my unit, I didn't want students to feel as though I was judging or
grading the content of their work. I want students to understand a few structured elements of poetry,
but overall I just want the students to be able to express themselves through poetry and creative writing.
There are a few formal assessments that are graded using the standard alphabetical grading system
(A,B,C,D,F), which would include the use of structures in their formed poetry, as well as their work in
the final culminating activity of the Poetry Celebration. Overall, I found informal assessments to be
more important for me in this unit than formal, shown through drafts and peer feedback of work.
I want students to focus as much on the process as they would the product, which is why I have
check-ins with students based on their journal writing and portfolio progress. I want them to know that
poetry is just like any other piece of writing in that it can and should be revised and “crafted” in order
to present the best writing possible. In the classroom, I wanted to keep crafting in mind, which is why I
have multiple days for students to work with their peers and myself, working and processing every
piece of their work. I think for students, if I ask for them to put in the effort to process and write
poetry, they expect me as the teacher to put in the effort to understand the content and context of their
writing, rather than simply looking at the rhythm, rhyme, etc.
I love Poetry units because it lends itself to all possibilities, in activities as well as evaluation.
Students are able to present formative assessments in their writing in process as well as using their
works of poetry to perform a summative assessment in the form of a poetry portfolio or recitation of
their own work.

Evaluation Strategies:
I mostly had a grading system of complete or incomplete for check-ins, with feedback given to
help guide students on certain poetry pieces. My formal assessments were graded with a letter grade,
with the culminating assessment being given a grade based on a rubric.

Informal:
Participation:
In group discussions
In class discussions
Completion:
Journal entries
Homework/portfolio entries
Feedback:
Work with peers
Exit Slips

Formal:
Formative:
Elements Quiz
Summative:
Poetry Portfolio
Participation in Poetry Celebration
(Rubrics in Appendix)
Part IV: Internal References and Works Cited:
Works Cited:

Koertge, R. (2003). Shakespeare Bats Clean-Up. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

(2004). NC Standard Course of Study: Sixth Grade Language Arts .Retrieved October 28,
2010, from Public Schools of NorthCarolina, Raleigh, NC.Website:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/languagearts/scos/2004/24grade6

(2004). NC Standard Course of Study: Sixth Grade Social Studies. Retrieved October 28,
2010, from Public Schools of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC.Website:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/scos/2004/24grade6

Parini, J. (1995). The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry. New York: Columbia University Press.

Tapscott, S. (1996). Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology. Texas:

University of Texas Press.
Appendix of Materials Used (By Day):
Day 1:
“Alabanza” by Martin Espada
for the 43 members of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 100, working at the
Windows on the World restaurant, who lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center

Alabanza. Praise the cook with the shaven head

and a tattoo on his shoulder that said Oye,
a blue-eyed Puerto Rican with people from Fajardo,
the harbor of pirates centuries ago.
Praise the lighthouse in Fajardo, candle
glimmering white to worship the dark saint of the sea.
Alabanza. Praise the cook's yellow Pirates cap
worn in the name of Roberto Clemente, his plane
that flamed into the ocean loaded with cans for Nicaragua,
for all the mouths chewing the ash of earthquakes.
Alabanza. Praise the kitchen radio, dial clicked
even before the dial on the oven, so that music and Spanish
rose before bread. Praise the bread. Alabanza.

Praise Manhattan from a hundred and seven flights up,

like Atlantis glimpsed through the windows of an ancient aquarium.
Praise the great windows where immigrants from the kitchen
could squint and almost see their world, hear the chant of nations:
Ecuador, México, Republica Dominicana,
Haiti, Yemen, Ghana, Bangladesh.
Alabanza. Praise the kitchen in the morning,
where the gas burned blue on every stove
and exhaust fans fired their diminutive propellers,
hands cracked eggs with quick thumbs
or sliced open cartons to build an altar of cans.
Alabanza. Praise the busboy's music, the chime-chime
of his dishes and silverware in the tub.
Alabanza. Praise the dish-dog, the dishwasher
who worked that morning because another dishwasher
could not stop coughing, or because he needed overtime
to pile the sacks of rice and beans for a family
floating away on some Caribbean island plagued by frogs.
Alabanza. Praise the waitress who heard the radio in the kitchen
and sang to herself about a man gone. Alabanza.

After the thunder wilder than thunder,

after the booming ice storm of glass from the great windows,
after the radio stopped singing like a tree full of terrified frogs,
after night burst the dam of day and flooded the kitchen,
for a time the stoves glowed in darkness like the lighthouse in
Fajardo,
like a cook's soul. Soul I say, even if the dead cannot tell us
about the bristles of God's beard because God has no face,
soul I say, to name the smoke-beings flung in constellations
across the night sky of this city and cities to come.
Alabanza I say, even if God has no face.

Alabanza. When the war began, from Manhattan to Kabul

two constellations of smoke rose and drifted to each other,
mingling in icy air, and one said with an Afghan tongue:
Teach me to dance. We have no music here.
And the other said with a Spanish tongue:
I will teach you. Music is all we have.

“Ghazal on Ghazals” by John Hollander

For couplets the ghazal is prime; at the end
Of each one's a refrain like a chime: "at the end."

But in subsequent couplets throughout the whole poem,

It's this second line only will rhyme at the end.

On a string of such strange, unpronounceable fruits,

How fine the familiar old lime at the end!

All our writing is silent, the dance of the hand,

So that what it comes down to's all mime, at the end.

There are so many sounds! A poem having one rhyme?

--A good life with a sad, minor crime at the end.

Each new couplet's a different ascent: no great peak,

But a low hill quite easy to climb at the end.

Two armed bandits: start out with a great wad of green

Thoughts, but you're left with a dime at the end.

Each assertion's a knot which must shorten, alas,

This long-worded rope of which I'm at the end.

Now Qafia Radif has grown weary, like life,

At the game he's been wasting his time at. THE END.

Haiku
By:Matsuo Basho
The old pond;
A frog jumps in -
The sound of the water.
Day 3:
Example Haikus:

By: Larry Bullock

A tree with white leaves
snowy branches reaching down
hiding from winter

By:Margaret Nelson
Red, Orange, Yellow
Harvesting only enough
Frost is imminent.

Paintings:

Day 4:
Sonnets:
Shakespeare's Sonnet IX
Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye
That thou consumest thyself in single life?
Ah! if thou issueless shalt hap to die,
The world will wail thee, like a makeless wife;
The world will be thy widow and still weep
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
When every private widow well may keep
By children's eyes her husband's shape in mind.
Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,
And kept unused, the user so destroys it.
No love toward others in that bosom sits
That on himself such murderous shame commits.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning XLIII: “How Do I love thee, Let Me Count the Ways...”
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Day 5:

Kevin Cawley
IRRITABLE TALENT
Irritation means intelligence.
Vegetables don't suffer from it much.
Granite eyeballs, absolutely senseless,
can't recoil from a snail's touch.
Only animals appreciate.
If talent for affection parallels
irritability, then even the greatest
devotees must have their testy spells.
From now on when I grumble like a cougar
or draw my head back like a terrapin,
admire my capacity for rudeness
And if your own control is wearing thin
annoy me with some higher primate brooding,
scare me with your mad gorilla grin.

Day 6:
Lines for Free Verse Activity:
“I have tried so hard to do right” --Last words of President Grover Cleveland
“Alone,there is only one person inside. I’ve grown to like her better than the stuck up husk of me.”
--Crank
“I want to scream until no sound comes out and you've learned your lesson.” --Boys Like Girls
“And I think to myself what a wonderful world.” --Louis Armstrong
Day 7:
Songs:
“Sunday Bloody Sunday” By U2
I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away
How long, how long must we sing this song?
How long? How long?
'Cause tonight we can be as one, tonight

Broken bottles under children's feet

Bodies strewn across the dead end streets
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

And the battle's just begun

There's many lost but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

How long, how long must we sing this song?

How long? How long?
'Cause tonight we can be as one
Tonight, tonight

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Wipe the tears from your eyes

Wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your blood shot eyes

Sunday, Bloody Sunday(2x)

And it's true we are immune when fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die
The real battle just begun to claim the victory Jesus won on

Sunday Bloody Sunday(2x)

“I Could Fall in Love” by Selena
I could lose my heart tonight
If you don't turn and walk away
'Cause the way I feel I might
Lose control and let you stay

'Cause I could take in my arms

And never let go

I could fall in love with you

I could fall in love with you

I can only wonder how

Touching you would make me feel
But if I take that chance right now
Tomorrow will you want me still

So I should keep this to myself

And never let you know

I could fall in love with you

I could fall in love with you

And I know it's not right

And I guess I should try to do what I should do
But I could fall in love, fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you

Siempre estoy sonando en ti

Besando mis labios, acariciando mi piel
Abrazandome con ansias locas
Imaginando que me amas
Como yo podia amar a ti.

So I should keep this to myself

And never let you know

I could fall in love with you

I could fall in love with you

I could fall in love, I could fall in love

With you...
“We're going to be Friends” The White Stripes
Fall is here,hear the yell
back to school,ring the bell
brand new shoes,walking blues
climb the fence,books and pens
I can tell that we're going to be friends

Walk with me,Suzy Lee

through the park and by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
and look at all the bugs we found
then safely walk to school
without a sound

Well here we are,no one else

we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
we clean up and now its time to learn

Numbers,letters,learn to spell
nouns,and books,and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class,through the hall
teacher marks our height
against the wall

And we don't notice any time pass

we don't notice anything
we sit side by side in every class
teacher thinks that I sound funny
but she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed

when silly thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphabet
and when I wake tomorrow I'll bet
that you and I will walk together again
cause I can tell that we're going to be friends
Exit Pass:
Name: Date:

1. Haiku is written in a _______ syllable pattern.

(a) 2-3-2 (b) 5-7-5 (c) there is no syllable pattern

2. Give an example or a simile and a metaphor.

3. Which of these is alliteration:

(a) a slithering snake slowly stops (b) a goose and a moose are loose (c) pie in the sky
Day 8:
Poetic Elements Quiz:
Matching
There are numbered examples and definitions on the left that match the lettered answers on the right.
Write the letter of the answer to the corresponding number. All words are used only once.

__1.A Japanese poem composed of three unrhymed lines

of five, seven, and five syllables. A. Simile
__2.The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the
end of two or more words most often at the ends of lines B. Metaphor
__3. “His voice was a dagger.” C. Alliteration
__4. This poetic form has rhyming stanzas each made up of two lines. D. Imagery
__5.“Her eyes were like the ocean at night” E. Haiku
__6.The feeling or atmosphere of a piece F. Couplet
__7. “The mouse in the house got in my blouse.” G. Rhyme
__8. “Purple flowers on a rolling green hill” H. Mood
__9. The poet's attitude toward the subject. I. Tone
__10. “Jack Jumped joyfully in January” J. Assonance

Short Answer:
1. Give one example of metaphor and one example of simile.

2. In the space below, write a haiku on any topic.

3. Compare and Contrast Assonance and Alliteration.

4. Define Iambic Pentameter and give the name of one poet known for using it.

5. Where did the haiku originate and how has it changed over time?

Answer Key:
Matching: 1-E, 2-G, 3-B, 4-F, 5-A, 6-H, 7-J, 8-D, 9-I, 10-C
Short Answer: Dependent on Student Answers
Day 9:
Jingles:
Oscar Mayer:
Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener,
that is what I'd truly like to be,
'cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener,
everyone would be in love with me.

Dr. Pepper:
"I drink Dr Pepper and I'm proud. I used to be alone in a crowd. But now you look around these days,
There seems to be a Dr Pepper craze. (Oh Pepper) I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, we're a
Pepper, Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too? I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, we're a
Pepper, Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too? If you drink Dr Pepper you're a Pepper too" "Us Peppers
are an interesting breed, an original taste is what we need. Ask any Pepper, and he'll say Only Dr
Pepper tastes that way. I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper, Wouldn't you like to
be a Pepper too? I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper, Wouldn't you like to be a
Pepper too? Be a Pepper, Drink Dr Pepper. Be a Pepper, Drink Dr Pepper...

Credit Report:
Dream Girl
Well, I married my dream girl
I married my dream girl
But she didn't tell me her credit was bad
So now instead of living in a pleasant suburb
We're living in the basement at her mom and dad's
No we can't get a loan
For a respectable home
Just because my girl defaulted on some old credit card
If we'd gone to free credit report dot com
I'd be a happy bachelor with a dog and a yard.

Day 10:
Various Excerpts used from novels, Shakespeare Bats Clean-Up, Glass, and What My Mom Doesn't
Know
Day 15:

Rubric For Portfolio and Celebration:

• Poems (70pts.) Total Poem Points: ___/70

○ Sonnet (15pts.) Sonnet Total:___/15

■ 14 lines (4pts.) Comments:
■ Rhyme Scheme (5pts.)
■ Iambic Pentameter (6pts.)

○ Identity Poem (15pts.) Identity Total: ___/15

■ Use of simile (5 pts.) Comments:
■ Use of metaphor (5 pts.)
■ Imagery (5pts.)

○ Haiku (15pts.) Haiku Total:___/15

■ 5-7-5 (10 points) Comments:
■ Nature Imagery (5 pts.)

○ Free Verse(2) (15pts. Each) Free Verse Total:__/30

■ Poem 1(15 pts.) Comments:

■ Poem 2 (15 pts.)

• Poetry Celebration (30pts.) Total Celebration Points: ___/30

Comments:
○ Voice (10 pts.)
■ Projection (5pts.)
■ Enthusiasm (5pts.) Voice:___/10

○ Eye Contact( 10pts.) Eye Contact:___/10

○ Respect for Other Poets (10pts.) Respect:___/10