UNIT: Poetry TIME FRAME: 4 to 5 Weeks GRADE: 8 th Unit Summary and Rationale: The poetry study aligns with the instructional shifts in the common core state standards for English/ Language Arts. The rational for the unit is to develop the student s ability to respond to literature. Having the ability to analyze and respond to literature will profoundly influence how we hear the language of our families and friends, how we weight the terminology used by public figures, and how we interpret the images that appear on television, on the internet, and in theaters. Unit Connection College and Career Ready Descriptions: Students will demonstrate independence. Students will value evidence. Students will build strong content knowledge. Students will respond to the varying demands of audience, task, and discipline. Students will critique as well as comprehend. Students will use technology and digital media strategically and capably. Students will develop an understanding of other perspectives and cultures. Unit Standards: Reading (Including Foundational Skills) RI 8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI 8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. Rl 8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. Rl 8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. Writing Speaking and Listening Language W 8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1 3 above.) a. Produce text (print or nonprint) that explores a variety of cultures and perspectives. W 8.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. SL 8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others questions and comments with relevant L 8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood. L 8.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly. L 8.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve 1
Reading (Including Foundational Skills) RI 8.6 Determine an author s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints. RI 8.9 Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new. Rl. 8.10 By the end of the year read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6 8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. Rl 8.11 Interpret, analyze, and evaluate narratives, poetry, and drama, artistically and ethically by making connections to: other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events, and situations. a. Self-select text to develop personal preferences. b. Establish and use criteria to classify, select, and evaluate texts to make informed judgments about the quality of the pieces. Writing Speaking and Listening Language W 8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new ). W 8.11 Create a presentation, art work, or text in response to a literary work with a commentary that identifies connections and explains divergences from the original. a. Make well-supported personal, cultural, textual, and thematic connections across genres. evidence, observations, and ideas. d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. e. Seek to understand other perspectives and cultures and communicate effectively with audiences or individuals from varied backgrounds. SL 8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. SL 8.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact). L 8.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). L 8.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context b. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations L 8.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 2
Essential Questions/Learning Objectives 1) How does figurative language and poetic structure affect the theme, moral, or meaning of a poem? 2) How do writers use elements of poetry to shape our feelings, responses, insights, and opinions? 3) How are the steps of the writing process adapted to meet the needs of the audience and writing assignment? 4) How do students use the elements of literary response purposefully to assert positions in a strong authentic voice, to develop idea rationally, and to convince others to take their analyses and interpretations seriously? Learning Tasks: Big Ideas/ Expected Learning As a result of the study, students will learn: 1) Poetic and figurative language and the structure of poems through the deep and extensive reading in the genre. 2) Elements of literary response. 3) How to analyze a poem for content and clarity. Reading Tasks Writing Tasks Discussion Tasks Language/Vocabulary Tasks Reading Poems Ongoing Establish ritual and routines In class discussion of poems Conventions of poetry See lesson throughout the unit Set up Writer s notebook and meaning Ongoing 7 page 61 Comprehending Complex Poems independent writing throughout the unit Revising See lesson 20 page 119 See lesson 4 page 45 in the Drafting the poetry introduction - See Conventions of poetry Editing See lesson 21 page 125 Response to Literature: Poetry manual lesson 3 page 43 in the Response to Literature: Poetry manual presentations See lesson 9 page 71 Annotating Poetry - See lesson 4 page 45 Develop and discuss rubric in the Response to Literature: Poetry manual to grade comparison essay See rubric on page 133 Paragraph(s) detailing the meaning and Give and receive feedback structure of a poem See notes section from peers for details Poetry Portfolio: Poetry Introduction Reading Log (have students highlight two favorites and explain their choices) Poetry Analysis Paragraph (Include worksheet and poem as well) Comparing two poems essay 3
Assessments: DIAGNOSTIC FORMATIVE SUMMATIVE AIMS Web Testing NWEA Testing Final of argument essay Text (s) Selection: Conferencing Ongoing throughout the unit Annotating Poetry See lesson 4 page 45 Paragraph analysis of poetry See notes section for details Exit Slips Informal Binder Checks Poetry Portfolio Conventions of poetry presentations Optional: Tests on literary terms Use Test Wiz or old ELA examples On Being A Senior Those Winter Sundays Ode to My Socks Happiness Two for the Mag There are numerous quality poems in the student reader. Feel free to add additional poems after lesson 4, lesson 9, and/or lesson 10. 4
Lesson Order for Poetry Unit: Lesson 2: What Is Poetry? Lesson 1: The Poetry Portfolio Lesson 3: Drafting the Introduction Lesson 4: Annotating and Writing First Thoughts See optional complex poems worksheet in the Poetry Resource Section to simplify the lesson Add in addition analyses of poems based on Lesson 4 as needed There are many great poems not covered in lesson that can be found in the student reader. Lesson 7: Conventions of Poetry Lesson 8: Working on the Portfolio Lesson 9: The Presentation Add in lesson in which student write analyses of poetry Have students construct a paragraph in which they tell the meaning of the poem Those Winter Sundays based on the figurative language included and the structure of the poem. This task may be applied to other poems covered by this point Lesson 10: Comparing Two Poems See optional comparing poems worksheet in the Poetry Resource Section to simplify the lesson Add in addition comparisons of poems based on Lesson 10 as needed There are many great poems not covered in lesson that can be found in the student reader. Lesson 11: Selecting Poems for Evaluation Additional time may be needed to analyze the poems Lesson 12: Writing an Initial Draft Lesson 13: Responding and Revising Lesson 14: Revising for Clarity and Coherence Lesson 15: Citing and Embedding Quotations Lesson 19: Examining an Essay with the Rubric Lesson 20: Reviewing and Revising the Essay Lesson 21: Editing for Correctness Lesson 22: Completing the Poetry Portfolio Lesson 23: Using the Poetry Portfolio Rubric 5
Notes: Additional Lessons Poetry Reading Log See reading log assignment in the Poetry Resource Section Analysis of additional poems from the student reading log Close examination of a text Complete after lesson 4 or lesson 9 using poems from the student reader. Analysis of specific lines in a text Complete after lesson 4 or lesson 9 using poems from the student reader. How do lines connect to a whole piece Complete after lesson 4 or lesson 9 using poems from the student reader. Author s purpose Ongoing throughout the unit Genre elements Ongoing throughout the unit 6