Modern Day Sonnets: A Poetry Lesson for Today s High School Student By: Terri Lynn Talbot October 16 th 2012 Grade level: 12 (twelve) Approximate number of 60-minute classes required: 3. (Three) If the assignment is not completed in class, it will be due as homework after the three assigned periods have passed. GCOs and SCOs: GCO 5: Students will be expected to interpret, select and combine information using a variety of strategies, resources and technologies. - Access, select and research, in systematic ways, specific information to meet personal and individual learning needs. GCO 6: Students will be expected to respond personally to a range of texts. - Make connections between their own values, beliefs and cultures and those reflected in literary and media texts. - Articulate an understanding of the universality of many themes. GCO 7: Students will be expected to respond critically to a range of texts, applying their understanding of language, form and genre. - Show the relationships among language, topic, purpose, context and audience. - Describe, discuss and evaluate the language, ideas and other significant characteristics of a variety of texts and genres.
- Examine how textual features help a reader and viewer to create meaning of the texts. GCO 8: Students will be expected to use writing and other forms of representation to explore, clarify and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences and learnings and to use their imaginations. - Use writing and other ways of representing to explore, extend and reflect on: o The writing processes and strategies they use o Their achievements as language learners and users - Make effective choices of language and techniques to enhance the impact of imaginative writing and other ways of representing. GCO 9: Students will be expected to create texts collaboratively and independently, using a variety of forms for a range of audiences and purposes. - Produce writing and other forms of representation characterized by increasing complexity of thought, structure and conventions. - Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which the construction of texts can create, enhance or control meaning. Description of Activity: This is a multi-purpose activity. The goal of this activity is to teach the students how to interpret and create sonnets, which are a specific type of poem, made famous during the time of Shakespearean literature. The activity will also introduce the students to some very well-known sonnets, which will be used as examples and guidelines as an introduction before the students start the activity of writing their own sonnets.
After the teacher has read and discussed original sonnets with the class, they will explain that sonnets are usually written about people or things that are very dear to the poet. Sonnets must also follow very specific guidelines. (Each sonnet is fourteen lines, separated into four stanzas, with the most popular rhyme scheme being ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.) Once the students understand how to construct a sonnet, and why we write them, we will ask each student to write a collection of six to eight sonnets. These sonnets can be written in modern English, but there must be a theme that runs through all six to eight sonnets. Once the students have chosen a theme (examples being: A day at school, your family, your favourite sports, summer vacation, etc.) and written their six to eight sonnets, they must type up final drafts which include a title page and a table of contents linking to each poem. Each poem should be on a separate page. Students may be given an opportunity to read their poems aloud, but this is not required as part of their mark. NB: As a class, we will discuss proper rhyme schemes, syllable counts, and material for the sonnets. The students should have a very clear idea on how to produce their sonnets before starting the assignment. List of necessary materials: - Pens, pencils, pencil crayons and markers - Student journals or notebooks - A broad selection of original sonnets - Nova Scotia ELA curriculum guide 10-12 - Computers or computer access to type the final copies List of pedagogical supports: - Modern-day sonnets written by the teacher, as an example
- A How-To on the creation of sonnets - A list of GCOs and SCOs to help students identify their goals - Discussion questions to go along with the activity (Annex A) Assessment/Evaluation Instruments - Students will have a rubric to follow precisely: o Did they include ten sonnets? (20 points) o Does each sonnet have fourteen lines? (20 points) o Does each sonnet follow the rhyme scheme? (20 points) o Did they include a cover page and table of contents? (20 points) o Is there a prominent theme throughout the collection? (20 points) - Students will also complete discussion questions provided by the teacher before, during, and after the activity is completed.
ANNEX A: Discussion Questions Before starting this activity, quickly answer the following questions (background information): 1. What is a sonnet? 2. Have you ever written a sonnet? 3. What would you like to discover about sonnets? While working on the activity, take a minute to reflect on and answer the following questions: 4. Is it easy to follow the rhyme scheme? 5. Is it easy to express your thoughts through poetry? Or in writing at all?
6. Does reading original sonnets help with the production of your own modern day sonnets? After finishing the activity, take one more minute to respond to these concluding questions: 7. Is a collection of six to eight sonnets too much to produce? Too little? 8. What was the most challenging part of this project? 9. What was the easiest part of this project? 10. What have you learned about sonnets (or poetry in general) that you did not know beforehand? 11. Would you enjoy another project of this genre? Examples? 12. Would you recommend this project to other English teachers?