This
English unit addresses the common elements of poetry and explores how these
may be applied to shape poems, limericks, odes and simple ballads.
|
Lesson 1 : Poetry Defined
Tuning
In
•
Display
and discuss slide 4 of the Elements of Poetry PowerPoint. Encourage the students to share any thoughts or
prior knowledge they have about what constitutes poetry.
•
As a
class, read the five texts displayed on slides 5-9. Discuss whether the
students consider each text to be a poem and why.
•
Once
the five poems have been discussed, ask the students:
. What did the texts we considered to be poems have
in common?
. What was different about the texts we did not
consider to be poems?
. Is it possible to define poetry?
Teacher
Instruction
•
Place
the students into pairs. Using the ideas from the tuning in activity, encourage
each pair to write a one sentence definition of what constitutes poetry.
Place a reasonable time limit on the task e.g. five minutes.
•
Allow
each pair to share their definitions with the class. Draw out the common
elements from each definition and list these on the board. Once everyone has
shared their ideas, use the common elements from the list to create a class
definition of what constitutes poetry.
•
Alternative
clip.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x7saqOf6_Q
.
What
were the common elements in the six dictionary definitions of poetry used in
the video?
.
What
did the word 'poetry' originally mean?
.
Why
is poetry described in the video as 'the almighty describer'?
Guided/Independent
Learning
•
Display
and discuss slides 10-11. Compare the definition of poetry on the slide with
the definition from the YouTube video and the definition created by the
class.
•
Introduce
the concept of the poetry reflection journal. Explain to the students that
they will use the journal throughout the unit to record their thoughts and
feelings about poems and poetry in general. In order to record the students'
initial understanding of what constitutes poetry, ask them to answer the
following questions in their journals.
• Which of the three definitions of
poetry (the PowerPoint definition, the YouTube video definition and the class
definition) most appeals to you and why?
• Do you agree that artworks, music,
dance performances and nature can be described as poetry? Why or why not?
•
List
five words which best sum up your own understanding of what constitutes poetry.
Wrapping
Up
•
Revisit the five texts from the tuning in activity. Using the various
definitions of poetry examined in the lesson, ask the students if they have
changed their minds about whether they consider each text to be a poem.
Differentiation
Extending Students
• Encourage fast finishers to do some research on
the etymology of the word 'poetry'.
Supporting
Students
• Encourage students with lower literacy levels
to discuss their ideas about poetry with a teacher
or teacher aide before recording them in their
journal.
|
Lesson 2: The Poet's Lament
Tuning In
•
Watch the Why Do We Create Poetry? video
on the ABC Splash website. After watching, ask the students:
•
What are some of the reasons for writing a
poem?
•
What should you do when you read a poem for
the first time?
•
What might you need to think about if you
wanted to write a poem of your own?
Teacher Instruction
•
Project a copy of the poem, The Poet's Lament, (slide
10 Notebook) on the board. Read the poem aloud to the class and discuss the
main idea of the text. Ask volunteers to describe how the poem makes them
feel.
•
Ask the students whether they agree with the
point of view expressed by the poet. Have the students who agree with the poet
move to one side of the classroom and the students who disagree with the poet
move to the other side of the classroom. Allow students from each side of the
room to share their feelings about reading and writing poetry (either
positive or negative) with the class. As the students share their thoughts,
encourage them to justify these with supporting reasons.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Provide the students with a copy of The Poet's Lament -
Comprehension. (slides 11,12,13 Notebook slides) Answer
any questions, then monitor and support the students as they independently
complete the comprehension task.
•
Discuss the answers of the comprehension task
as a class. Encourage volunteers to share their thoughts from the brainstorm
in Question 9 and note any commonalities.
Wrapping Up
• In
order to record the students' preconceived ideas and attitudes towards
poetry, ask them to
answer
the following questions in their poetry reflection journals.
•
How do you feel about reading and writing
poetry?
•
Which experiences from the past have shaped
your attitudes towards poetry?
•
What are your feelings about the upcoming
poetry unit?
Differentiation
Extending Students
•
Encourage fast finishers to use a dictionary to define some of the key poetry
vocabulary mentioned in the poem.
Supporting Students
•
Allow students with lower literacy levels to work on the comprehension task
in a small group with the support of a teacher or teacher aide.
|
Lesson
3: Elements of Poetry
Tuning In
What are some of the reasons why people might
avoid reading and writing poetry?
What comes to mind when you think about the
'rules' of poetry?
How does the presenter in the video describe
what constitutes poetry?
Teacher Instruction
•
Display and discuss slide 12 of the Elements of Poetry PowerPoint. Explain to the students that these elements
are probably what comes to mind when people think about the 'rules' of
poetry.
•
Examine each element of poetry (structure,
rhythm, rhyme, sound devices and figurative language), as outlined on slides
13-24. Discuss the example poems which demonstrate each element in context.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Project a copy of the poem, In My Eyes, (Slide
16 Notbook) on the board. Read the poem aloud to the class and discuss the
main idea of the text. Ask volunteers to describe how the poem makes them
feel.
•
Place the students into five groups and
provide each group with a copy of the poem. Assign each group a poetic
element (structure, rhythm, rhyme, sound devices or figurative language). As
a group, ask the students to investigate and describe how the element of poetry
assigned to them is used in the poem.
• Allow
each group to report back to the class. If time permits, provide the students
with their own copy of the text and encourage them to takes notes about how
the various elements of poetry work in the poem.
Wrapping Up
•
Ask the students to answer the following
questions in their poetry reflection journal.
Do you think having rules for poems makes the
writing process easier or harder?
Which do you think is harder to write: fixed
verse or free verse? Why?
Do you prefer poems that rhyme over poems
with no rhyming pattern? Why or why not?
Differentiation
Extending Students
•
Encourage more confident students to take on an active role during group work
e.g. scribe o
reporter.
Supporting Students
• Encourage less confident students to
participate in group work at a level at which they feel
comfortable.
Lesson 4: Structure, Rhyme and Rhythm
Tuning In
•
Revisit slides 13, 17 and 19 of the Elements of Poetry PowerPoint. Ensure that the students understand the
meaning of structure, rhyme and rhythm as elements of
Show video clip of Poetic Techniques - Sound
Devices and Graphic Elements
Teacher
Instruction
What gives a poem rhythm?
What is iambic pentameter?
Why do poets like writing rhythmic poetry?
•
Revisit the example poems on slide 14
(structure), slide 18 (rhythm) and slide 20 (rhyme). Ensure that the students
understand the following concepts:
Poems with a set structure are known as
'fixed verse'.
Stressed syllables create the rhythm in
poems.
Letters are used to describe the rhyming
pattern in poems.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Provide the students with a copy of the Elements of Poetry Workbook. Read through the questions on pages 2-3 of
the workbook and answer any questions the students may have.
• Monitor
and support the students as they independently complete the structure, rhythm
and rhyme activities in the workbook. Once the students have finished,
discuss the answers as a class.
Wrapping Up
• Ask
the students to reflect upon the poem, The
Poet's Lament, by answering the following
questions
in their poetry reflection journal.
•
Do you like this poem? Why or why not?
•
Can you think of a time in your life when you
thought a particular activity was a waste of time?
•
Who might this poem appeal to and why?
|
Lesson
5: Sound Devices
Tuning In
meaning
of sound devices as an element of poetry.
Teacher Instruction
How might sounds have power over our
emotions?
Why is every word important when writing a
poem?
How might poets play with sounds when writing
a poem?
•
Revisit the example poem on slide 22.
Encourage the students to suggest additional examples of alliteration,
assonance, consonance and onomatopoeia that could have been used in the poem.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Ask the students to open their copy of the Elements of Poetry Workbook to page 4. Read the poem, The Thunderstorm, to the class.
Discuss the main idea of the text and ask volunteers to describe how the poem
makes them feel.
•
Read through the questions on pages 5-6 of
the workbook and answer any questions the students may have.
•
Monitor and support the students as they
independently complete the sound devices activities in the workbook. Once the
students have finished, discuss the answers as a class.
Wrapping Up
• Ask
the students to reflect upon the poem, The
Thunderstorm, by answering the following questions in their poetry
reflection journal.
•
Do you like this poem? Why or why not?
•
Have you ever experienced a thunderstorm?
What was it like?
•
Why might a poet decide to write a poem about
a natural phenomenon?
Differentiation
Extending Students
•
Encourage fast finishers to brainstorm additional onomatopoeic words that
could be used in a poem about a thunderstorm.
Supporting
Students
•
Allow students with lower literacy levels to work through the workbook
questions in a small group with the support of a teacher or teacher aide.
|
Lesson
6: Figurative Language
Tuning In
meaning
of figurative language as an element of poetry.
Teacher Instruction
What is a simile?
What is a metaphor?
Why are comparisons commonly used in poetry?
•
Revisit the example poem on slide 24.
Encourage the students to suggest additional examples of simile and metaphor
that could have been used in the poem.
Listen to Firework by Katy Perry
Highlight the Figurative language you hear in the song. Make a key at the side to organise your highlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BtI43kqkOI
Guided/Independent Learning
• Ask
the students to open their copy of the Elements of Poetry Workbook to page 7. Read the poem, One Rotation, aloud to the class.
Discuss the main idea of the text and ask volunteers to describe how the poem
makes them feel.
•
Read through the questions on page 8 of the
workbook and answer any questions the students may have.
•
Monitor and support the students as they
independently complete the figurative language activities in the workbook.
Once the students have finished, discuss the answers as a class.
Wrapping Up
•
Ask the students to reflect upon the poem, One Rotation, by answering the following questions in their
poetry reflection journal.
•
Do you like this poem? Why or why not?
•
Which verse of the poem resonated most
strongly with you and why?
•
Why do you think the poet decided not to
follow a rhyming pattern?
|
Lesson
7: Idioms
Tuning In
• Ask
the students to open their copy of the Elements of Poetry Workbook to page 9. Read the poem, The Brave Babysitter and the Boys,
aloud to the class. After reading, ask the students:
•
What do you notice about the language used in
this poem?
•
How does the language affect the tone of the
poem? Is it formal or informal?
•
Why might a poet choose to use figures of
speech in a poem?
Teacher Instruction
What is an idiom?
What are some commonly used idioms mentioned
in the song?
Why are idioms considered to be a form of
figurative language?
• Display
the Individual Idioms Posters.
Discuss how the figurative meaning of the idiom differs greatly from the
literal meaning. Encourage the students to suggest additional examples of
idioms they are familiar with.
•
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Ask the students to reread the poem silently
to themselves. After reading, discuss the main idea of the text and ask
volunteers to describe how the poem makes them feel.
•
Read through the questions on page 10 of the
workbook and answer any questions the students may have.
•
Monitor and support the students as they
independently complete the idiom activities in the workbook. Once the
students have finished, discuss the answers as a class.
Wrapping Up
•
Allow volunteers to share their idiom illustrations with the class. Challenge
the students to guess the idiom from the illustration.
|
Lesson
8: Forms of Poetry
Tuning In
•
Revise the content of the unit so far. Revisit the class definition of what
constitutes poetry, as well as the role that structure, rhyme, rhythm, sound
devices and figurative language play in the process of writing a poem.
Teacher Instruction
•
Display and discuss slide 4 of the Forms of Poetry PowerPoint. Ask the students to share any forms of
poetry that they are already familiar with and list these on the board.
•
Examine each form of poetry (acrostic,
kennings, haiku, cinquain, shape poem, ode, limerick and ballad), as outlined
on slides 5-28. Discuss the example poems for each form.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Choose a simple topic to be used as
inspiration for a poem e.g. a cat, an apple, a star. If possible, project an image
of the chosen topic on the board. As a class, create a word bank of
descriptive vocabulary which could be used in a poem about the chosen topic.
Encourage the students to include some sound devices and figurative language
where possible.
•
Place the students into eight groups. Assign
each group a form of poetry. As a group, ask the students to write a short
poem about the chosen topic in the form that has been assigned to them.
Encourage
the use of the word bank as inspiration, as well as their own ideas. Ensure
that the
Forms of Poetry Posters with
Annotations are accessible for the students to
refer to during this activity.
Wrapping Up
•
Allow each group to share their poem. Discuss the similarities and
differences in the poems presented. If time permits, allow the students to
creatively present their poem so that it may be displayed in the classroom.
|
Lesson
9: Concrete Poetry - Shape Poems
Tuning In
•
Revise the content of the previous lesson (forms of poetry). Explain to the
students that, over the coming lessons, they are going to 'experiment' with
poetry by writing poems in some of these well-known forms.
Teacher Instruction
• Display
the Shape Poems Poster on the board. Discuss the purpose, structure
and rhyming pattern of shape poems and read the example poem provided.
Encourage the students to suggest which particular elements of poetry are the
focus when writing a shape poem e.g. structure is of great importance whereas
rhyme is of lesser importance. Reinforce the fact that shape poems work best
when they are short and precise, otherwise the words become too small and
difficult to read.
• Use
the example of lightning as a topic for a shape poem. If possible, project
some images of lightning on the board. As a class, brainstorm a list of verbs
which could be used in a poem about lightning e.g. flashes, zig-zags,
pierces. Then, add some adverbs to the verbs to build a more detailed
description e.g. violently, forcefully, brutally.
•
Using the descriptions from the class
brainstorm, assist the students in creating three or four descriptive
sentences. Use these sentences to construct a shape poem about lightning as a
class.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Provide the students with a copy of the Writing a Shape Poem Worksheet.
Teachers may wish to set a topic for the shape poem, or they may allow the
students to choose their own topic.
• Monitor
and support the students as they independently plan and write their shape
poems. Encourage the students to follow a similar planning process as the one
used in the joint construction.
Wrapping Up
•
Encourage volunteers to share their shape poems. Allow the class to provide
positive feedback, as well as helpful suggestions for improvement.
Differentiation
Extending Students
•
Encourage more capable students to incorporate some sound devices and
figurative language into their shape poems.
Supporting Students
•
Allow less confident students to work in pairs, or in a small group, when
writing their shape poems.
|
Lesson 10: Limericks
Tuning In
What is the structure of a limerick?
What is the rhyming pattern of a limerick?
What is particularly clever about this song?
Teacher Instruction
•
Display the Limerick Poster on the board. Discuss the purpose, structure
and rhyming pattern of limericks and read the example poem provided. Encourage
the students to suggest which particular elements of poetry are the focus
when writing a limerick e.g. structure, rhyme and rhythm are of great
importance whereas sound devices and figurative language are of lesser
importance. Reinforce the fact that limericks work best when they are simple
and funny.
• Use
the example of a teacher from France as a topic for a limerick. As a class,
create a rhyming dictionary listing as many words as possible that rhyme with
France e.g. dance, chance, stance. Once a description of the main character
has been formed, brainstorm some possible humorous situations that the
character might encounter.
•
Using the rhyming dictionary and the list of
potential scenarios from the class brainstorm, construct a limerick about a
teacher from France as a class.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Provide the students with a copy of the Writing a Limerick Worksheet.
Teachers may wish to set a topic for the limerick, or they may allow the
students to choose their own topic.
• Monitor
and support the students as they independently plan and write their
limericks. Encourage the students to follow a similar planning process as the
one used in the joint construction.
Wrapping Up
•
Encourage volunteers to share their limericks. Allow the class to provide
positive feedback, as well as helpful suggestions for improvement.
|
Lesson
11: Descriptive Poetry - Odes
Tuning In
•
Place an everyday item at the front of the classroom e.g. a vase of flowers,
a bowl of fruit or a stuffed toy. Ask the class to look carefully at the
object. Encourage the students to look past the object's 'everyday-ness' and
consider it as something beautiful and unique (this may seem strange to the
students initially; however, seeing an everyday object as 'art' is an
important part of the process of planning and writing an ode). Ask the
students:
•
What are the best qualities of this object?
•
How would you describe what this object looks
like? Feels like? Sounds like? Smells like?
•
How could we use figurative language to
compare this object to another?
Teacher Instruction
•
Display the Ode Poster on the board. Discuss the purpose, structure
and rhyming pattern of odes and read the example poem provided. Encourage the
students to suggest which particular elements of poetry are the focus when
writing an ode e.g. figurative language is of great importance whereas
structure, rhythm and rhyme are of lesser importance. Reinforce the fact that
odes have fewer 'rules' to follow than many other forms of fixed verse,
giving more freedom and 'creative license' to the poet.
•
Use the example object from the tuning in
activity as a topic for an ode. Project page 2 of the
Writing an Ode Worksheet on the board (this provides some
structure for the poem). As a class, brainstorm a list of similes,
metaphors and personifications that could be used in an ode about the object.
Allow the students to collectively choose which of the brainstormed examples
they would like to include in the ode.
•
Using the figurative language from the class brainstorm and the scaffold on
the worksheet, construct an ode about the everyday object as a class.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Provide the students with a copy of the Writing an Ode Worksheet.
Teachers may wish to set a topic for the ode, or they may allow the students
to choose their own topic.
• Monitor
and support the students as they independently plan and write their odes.
Encourage the students to follow a similar planning process as the one used
in the joint construction.
|
Lesson
12: Narrative Poetry - Simple Ballads
Tuning In
•
Watch The Cat Came Back video on YouTube. Although this song is
intended for a younger audience, it is a great example of a simple ballad (it
has a humorous story and a very catchy refrain!) After watching, ask the
students:
•
What is this song about? Does it tell a
story?
•
What elements of poetry do you notice when
listening to the song?
•
Can songs be poems? Why or why not?
Teacher Instruction
•
Display the Ballads Poster on the board. Discuss the purpose, structure
and rhyming pattern of ballads and read the example poem provided. Encourage
the students to suggest which particular elements of poetry are the focus
when writing a ballad e.g. structure, rhyme and rhythm are of great
importance whereas sound devices and figurative language are of lesser
importance. Reinforce the fact that ballads for children are usually short,
humorous and tell a simple story.
Use
the example of forgotten homework as a topic for a ballad. As a class,
brainstorm some possible (humorous) reasons why a student might forget their
homework. In addition to this, create a list• Allow the students to
collectively choose which of the brainstormed scenarios they would like to
include in the ballad. Using the list of rhyming pairs as inspiration,
construct a simple ballad about forgotten homework as a class.
Guided/Independent Learning
•
Provide the students with a copy of the Writing a Ballad Worksheet. Teachers may wish to set a topic for the
ballad, or they may allow the students to choose their own topic.
• Monitor
and support the students as they independently plan and write their simple
ballads. Encourage the students to follow a similar planning process as the
one used in the joint construction.
• of rhyming pairs which could be used in the
poem e.g. school/fool, trouble/double, class/pass.
|
Antarctica Brochure
http://aurora.uberflip.com/i/834006-antarctica-activity-guide
https://www.thetravelspecialists.net.au/product/antarctic-cruise-sea-spirit/
https://www.thetravelspecialists.net.au/product/antarctic-cruise-sea-spirit/
Helicopter Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhNm_yBR3bY (smaller video show all)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcIux22bLtY (larger, skip to crevasses and end part of ship)
Your Task: In your diary entry, you must include the following:
6-10 emotions that you feel over the two days (e.g. scared being a passenger on the helicopter)
3-5 facts about Antarctica
3-5 facts about an Antarctic animal
2-4 facts about helicopters
5 - 10 pieces of vital equipment that you would need to take (this does not include clothes)
Bus Stop Activity:
Students form groups of 3
or 4
Watch the adds below and
fill out the grid answering the questions. The last two adds are your choice.
Group 5: Your choice
Group 6: Your choice
Questions
What
visual devices has the producer used to persuade or influence the viewer?
What
auditory devices has the producer used to persuade or influence the viewer?
What
emotions are felt when viewing this advertisement?
What
message is the producer trying to portray in this advertisement?
● Students spend 6min on each
station analysing the advertisements and recording their ideas. When students
are finished come together to discuss their findings and highlight the key
elements that indicate persuasion. Students will share their findings with the
class.
No comments:
Post a Comment