Collecting Poems Tied To A Short Story Theme - Author(s):Terri Stewart - Grades10-12 - Subject Area:ELA: Standard 2 -- Language for Literary Response and Expression - Students will put together a collection of poems around a common theme. Later these poems will be used in writing an essay explaining the similarities and/or differences to a short story already read in class.

COLLECTING POEMS TIED TO A SHORT STORY THEME

TITLE COLLECTING POEMS TIED TO A SHORT STORY THEME	Terri Stewart
Grades10-12	Frankfort-Schuyler Central School
	Final Copy - After Peer Review

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What literary techniques and elements must a poem possess to be able to compare/contrast it to another piece of literature?

LEARNING CONTEXT

Students will put together a collection of poems around a common theme. Later these poems will be used in writing an essay explaining the similarities and/or differences to a short story already read in class.

This ties into the English Regents and the Grade 8 ELA Assessment where students need to read two pieces of literature and discus a common theme using literary elements and techniques.

ELA: Standard 2 -- Language for Literary Response and Expression

recognize and understand the significance of theme
evaluate literary merit based on an understanding of poetry and theme -- using literary elements and techniques (similes, imagery, symbolism)
produce literary interpretation that explicates the multiple layers of meaning

MST: Standard 2 – Information Systems

will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies

MST: Standard 5 – Technology

will apply technological knowledge and skills to use and evaluate products (poems) to satisfy human needs (regents)

PROCEDURE:

Students will be given a situation that will help in preparing for the essay for the new Grade 8 ElA Assessment and the English regents. They will do this by using the Internet to find three poems that have the same theme as a short story they have read. A list of web sites will be given to each student. The teacher will assign teams to work together on this task. A graphic organizer will be provided in helping to determine if the poems are relevant. The teacher will model how to use this organizer. Once they have found and printed three poem, they will choose one poem that they feel will be most beneficial for students to use later in writing an essay explaining the similarities and/or differences to the short story they have chosen.

3. INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS:

Students with no Internet knowledge will be paired with students who have working knowledge with the Internet
Resource students and Title I students will have the option of working together with these teachers
Students that do not have access to the Internet will be allowed to use books found in the Media Center

TIME REQUIRED:
- Teacher will spend two class periods explaining the task, using the graphic organizer, and the rubric used in grading the essay
- Students will have 5 days to finish this assignment
- two class periods
- three days on their own
- Teacher will spend two class periods conferencing with the students
RESOURCES:
- Internet with web sites
- www.bibliomania.com
- www.bibliomania.com/poetry/OxfordEnglishVerse/
- Graphic organizer for comparing/contrasting
- 11^th grade English Regents rubric for Part
ASSESSMENT PLAN:
- Students will be given a performance checklist to help them keep track of what the requirements are for this task.
- Students will need to fill out the graphic organizer on each poem. They must complete each box for the poem they have selected to use.
- Students will use a rubric/reflection for their grade.

Reflection:

* I have not had a chance to try this activity with a class. I hope to do this before the end of the school year with several students. I feel that this lesson allows the students to be actively involved with the Internet and with poetry. I feel the checklist will help to keep the students on track. I also hope that using a "situation" will be more meaningful -- setting up a purpose, audience, and format.

SITUATION:

You and your friend have just been contracted by the State Education Department for New York State to find poetry that will be used on the new state assessments. You will need to find poems that are not commonly used in classrooms. These poems must have three or more literary techniques that will be used in writing a comparing/contrasting essay. You will be provided with graphic organizers that students will be using on the exams.

The State Education Department is in desperate need for these poems. You only have five working days to find the poems, fill out the graphic organizers, and e-mail these to our testing department.

They are confident that you will not let them down. If you have any questions, you may talk to Mrs. Stewart, liaison for this department.

Graphic Organizer: Poem

Poem’s Title: ______________________________________________________________________

Author: ______________________________________________________________________

Theme: ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Summary: ______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Speaker of the poem: _____________________________

Inferences About the Speaker

Evidence from Poem to Support Inference

* _______________________________ * ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

* ________________________________ * ___________________________________________

__________________________________________

* _________________________________ * __________________________________________

__________________________________________

Literary Techniques Used In Poems

images	hyperbole	understatement	onomatopoeia
setting	irony	antithesis	rhythm
mood	metaphor	parallelism	rhyme
character	simile	repetition	free verse
tone	personification	rhetorical question	metrical verse
voice	symbol	alliteration	stanza form

Literary Technique

Example from Poem

_____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

GRADING CHECKLIST

	POINTS:	Self:	Teacher:
Three poems related to the short story theme	10
Completed Graphic Organizer on each poem:	75
Reflection:	15
TOTAL	100

Three poems related to the short story theme:

	no	kind of			excellent
Poems Have the Same Theme:	1	2	3	4	5
Poems Neatly Typed or Copied Including Title & Author	1	2	3	4	5

Graphic Organizers:

	no	kind of			excellent
Summarized Each Poem:	1	2	3	4	5
Identified Inferences About Speaker:	1	2	3	4	5
Evidence Supported Inferences:	1	2	3	4	5
Identified Literary Techniques:	1	2	3	4	5
Example From Poem to Show Literary Techniques	1	2	3	4	5

Multiply by 3

_____________________________________________________________________________________

REFLECTION: Tell what you learned from this experience. Explain what you felt was easy and hard. Please attach your reflection to this grading sheet.

	no	kind of			excellent
Described What I Learned:	1	2	3	4	5
Explained What Was Easy	1	2	3	4	5
Explained What Was Hard:	1	2	3	4	5