Poets of History Unit Plan Introduction: This unit plan is based on the poetry genres and the poets

of history. The students will learn to detect and differentiate the different styles of poetry and also take away an insight into the lives of the poets. The students will be able to recognize the relationship of literary elements such as plot and perspective. They will be able to understand and use in their own writing the literary devices of symbols, similes, meter, and others. Also the students will be able to use these new skills in their own writing to share with peers, and use in peer review. I. Analyzing Learners The students for this unit will be a 9th grade English class. Most should have some previous knowledge of poetry but nothing in depth. In this lesson will expand on their knowledge of poetic genres and poetry vocabulary, with emphasis on the ability to use it in their own writing. State Objectives

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RLA.S.9.1Reading Students will apply reading skills and strategies to inform, to perform a task and to read for literacy experience by: identifying and using grade appropriate essential reading components (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, written application) and selecting a wide variety of literature and diverse media to develop independence as readers. RLA.O.9.1.1 Examine the social, historical, cultural and biographical influences on literary and informational texts. RLA.O.9.1.2 Recognize literary styles according to genre. RLA.O.9.1.5 Locate and analyze authors use of specific language in text. RLA.O.9.1.7 Explain the literary devices used to construct meaning and define the authors/readers purpose. o o o o o o o Symbolism Imagery Simile Humor Rhythm Meter Assonance

RLA.O.9.1.8 Recognize the relationship of the literary elements

RLA.O.9.1.10 Extend Vocabulary by developing and using new terms through various literary and informational texts through various strategies. o o o o o o o Context Clues Prefixes Affixes Multiple Meanings Origin History Evolution

RLA.S.9.3 Listening, Speaking and Media Literacy Students will: Apply listening, speaking and media literacy skills and strategies to communicate with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. RLA.O.9.3.1 plan, prepare appropriate background information on a specific topic and communicate effectively in different settings.

RLA.O.9.3.4 Use active listening strategies to analyze the message, formulate a response and react to o Determine purpose o Make predictions o Differentiate fact from opinion o Construct meaning of discussion, speech, or media

RLA.O.9.3.7. Plan, create, organize, and present an age appropriate media product that demonstrates an understanding of format, purpose, and audience.

Grade 9-12 Standards for 21st Century Learning 21C.S.9-12.1 Standard 1: Information and Communication Skills. The student will: access, analyze, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in a variety of forms using appropriate technology skills And communicate that information in an appropriate oral, written, or multimedia format. 21C.O.9-12.1.LS.1 Student recognizes information needed for problem solving, can efficiently browse, search and navigate online to access relevant information, evaluates information based on credibility, social, economic, political and/or ethical issues, and presents findings clearly and persuasively using a range of technology tools and media.

21C.S.9-12.3 Standard 3: Personal and Workplace Skills the student will: exhibit leadership, ethical behavior, respect for others; accept responsibility for personal actions considering the impact on others; take the initiative to plan and execute tasks; and interact productively as a member of a group. 21C.O.9-12.3.TT.2 Student works collaboratively to acquire information from electronic resources, conducts online research, and evaluates information as to validity, appropriateness, usefulness, comprehensiveness and bias. 21C.O.9-12.3.LS.5 Student exhibits positive leadership through interpersonal and problem-solving skills that contribute to achieving the goal. He/she helps others stay focused, distributes tasks and responsibilities effectively, and monitors group progress toward the goal without undermining the efforts of others. 21C.O.9-12.3.TT.6 Student evaluates and applies technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, content learning, decision making, and lifelong learning. Select Media and Materials Teacher Resources: o http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/6 o http://www.webenglishteacher.com/poetrygeneral.html o http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/poetrymonth.shtml o http://teacher.scholastic.com/poetry/ Student Resources: o http://wordpress.com/ o http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/58 o http://www.brainyquote.com/ o http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/406

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Materials: o Smart Board o Word press accounts (already made) o Tablets o Worksheets 1-3 o Poets of History Timeline

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Utilize Media and Materials Day 1, April 16: I will start by introducing the new Unit. The students will explain that April is national Poetry month. I will explain that April 26th is poetry in your Pocket day, and they will all be advised to have a favorite poem ready for recital. I will explain what we will be doing in this lesson, and how we will do a group project. Now to get there attention and get them excited for national poetry month we will play a game called fold a poem. I will have all the students go to the collaborative work tables, and then I will explain the rules. The first person is to write one line of poetry and then fold the paper along the dotted lines and pass to the next person who will read only the writing of the person in front of them and add either a one word end or start a new line. After that we will read it out loud and have it projected on the smart board. By this time it should be nearing the end of the first 45 minute class period so I will advise all the students to have a partner in mind for tomorrow at the beginning of class I will then hand out a list of useful vocabulary word that are due for the next day. Day 2, April 17: Today I will start the lesson off by checking to see who has their worksheet completed for todays class. They will get homework points for it if it is complete. Now I will ask them to get with the partner they would like to do their project with at the front tables. Then I will ask for everyone to pick out the word they had the most trouble with or might have been confused about. We will go over these words and I will give examples of poems they are used in to help clarify their meanings. Then I will have the students use the tablets that are on the tables and each group will be prompted to go to poetry.org, there the group will start a search for a poet they both enjoy or may enjoy reading, and that is who they will be doing their project on. I will then explain the project. Each group is to have one poet picked out. We will be using Wordpress.com to keep a daily journal of our poet. In this journal the groups are to collaboratively write One 3-4 sentence paragraph about the author, each one will be on a different aspect they will have a Rubric with the details as to the paragraph for each day. Then a 3-4 sentence paragraph from each student in the group about a poem that they have read of that poet and why they enjoyed it, next a 3-4 sentence paragraph about what the author might have been trying to convey with at least one example from the poem. Yes, they may do the same poem. I will let them know that this is okay and even encouraged for their blog/journal because it allows two potential perspectives on the poem. This assignment will be one part of the project the second part will be a PowerPoint using each day of the journal as one PowerPoint slide. There will not be a time limit for this exercise because there will be an equal amount of slides for each group. I will then hand out the rubric for this part of the project also. This project will be due on the last day of the unit which will be April 27th.

Day 3, April 18: o 1st journal/blog due Today we will start on the history of poets; this will cover poets and their different genres. I will explain how we will be covering one poet a day and learn about what genres most of their poetry fit into and also a brief biography of the poet. I will have my poets time line hanging on the wall and we will use this as a resource with the tablets to take us straight to that poets biography page on poets.org. I will be integrating the vocabulary words we are learning into the lesson so the students become more familiar with them and their meanings. The first poet will be Shakespeare. The students will be instructed to use the tablets on their tables to scan the QR code of the first date on the time line; I will do the same and have my tablet linked with the Smart Board so that I can highlight main points that I would like the students to remember about Shakespeare. At the end of the period I will remind students about their second blog post that is due the next day.

Day 4, April 19: o 2nd blog/journal due Today we will cover poet two which will be Edgar Allen Poe. We will discus this poet and cover what genre that most of their poetry would fit in. Again I will be highlighting main points on the Smart Board for the students. During the second half of the class I will hand out worksheet one and the students will get with their group member at the collaborative table so that all the students may discuss and talk out the worksheet if they have question, I will also be there to answer questions, but I have instructed the students to try to work as collaboratively as possibly with their peers. They are not allowed to use their vocabulary word sheet for this worksheet but they may use their collaborative group knowledge to help fellow classmates. If it is not done in class it is take home and due by class tomorrow. Also I will remind them of their third blog response due the next day. Day 5, April 20: o 3rd blog/journal due o First worksheet due Today we will cover our first women poet Emily Dickinson, like the last two days we will use our tablets to scan the QR code on the timeline which will take us to Poetry.orgs Page on Emily Dickinson. We will discuss what type of genre her poetry fits in and we will be going over her Biography page, while I highlight key points with the Smart Board. Again during the second half of the class period we will be doing a worksheet, worksheet 2. Again, the students will be able to use only their peers as a resource to answer the questions on the crossword puzzle. If it is not finished by the end of class it will be taken home and brought back the next class day finished. I will also remind them of their fourth blog post that is due the next day.

Day 6, April 23: o 4th blog/journal due o Second worksheet due Today we will discuss a great Author Mark Twain. We will discuss how his works of literature can classify as poetry and what genre he would fit in. We will do over his biography page and learn the authors real name. I will be using the Smart Board at the front of the class for highlighting purposes. Again the second half of the class period will be for the students to work on worksheet 3. This one will require the tablets for the QR scanner. The students will get into groups of two for this worksheet with their project partner; they will use the QR scanners to complete the worksheet. Each student will turn in a worksheet. It will be due by the end of class. At the end of the period I will remind them of their fifth blog post that is due the next day. Day 7, April 24: o 5thblog/journal due Today we will cover our fifth poet which is Robert Frost we will cover some of his more famous poems, and discuss what genre his poetry falls into. Also we will be going over his biography page in class. I will use the Smart Board for highlighting key points the students should remember. If we have time at the end of class I will allow the students to break up into groups to work on their projects with their partners. Before they leave I will remind them of their sixth blog on Word Press that is due the next day. Day 8, April 25: o 6th blog/journal due Today we will cover the poet E. E. Cummings in our class, we will read some of the poems from Poetry.org and we will discuss how they fit in with a certain genre of poetry. We will also read his biography page and discuss it in class. I will be using thee Smart Board for highlighting purposes. After this we will use the QR code on the top of the poster to take us to BrainyQuotes.com and the students will each pick a favorite quote from the author they are doing their project on. I will have this pulled up on the Smart Board also, so that the students can share which quotes they have picked with the class. They will then be encouraged to use the stage to tell the class their quote, and why they picked it. They will be reminded before they leave of their seventh Word Press Blog that is due the next day. Day 9, April 26: o 7th blog/journal due Today is Pocket Poem day! Today the class period will be devoted to each student reading their poem and then giving a brief explanation as to why they chose that poem by that author. I will demonstrate and get the class started by reading a poem I have selected and telling why I picked that poem. The students will use the small stage in the back of the room while their peers sit and listen. They are

allowed to ask questions of each speaker when he/she is done reading and explaining their poem. Before class is over I will remind them that their collaborative projects are due tomorrow, and they should each be at least eight slides for the power point including a cover slide. Day 10, April 27: o PowerPoint presentations due Today the students will be presenting their projects with the partner he/she chose using the Smart board. The students will have a chance after the presentation to ask their peers questions concerning their project, or to clarify things that may have been confusing. I will be grading the presentations as they are given so but will also be asking for a hard copy to be printed off and turned in for a grading purpose. V. Require Learner Participation The students will be engaged from the beginning of the lesson by having them work collaboratively with their peers to create a class poem. This will peek their interest in poetry, we will then start to build on their previous knowledge of poetry vocabulary by having them work as a class on a vocabulary building worksheets. By having them use only each other for reference it will help build communication and collaboration skills among the students while working toward a common goal. This will help them stay focused on the lesson even though they will be working with their peers, because they are all working together to reach a common goal. They will be kept interested by the integration of technology into the lesson plan, with the use of the Tablets and the QR codes. Also by doing a project that involves using the internet to create their own blog instead of being given a traditional test will help them stay interested but also stay focused on what the purpose of the lesson is. It is also a good way of building computer and technical skills while not straying form the purpose of the lesson for them. VI. Evaluate and Revise RLA.O.9.1.1 This content standard was achieved by incorporating the histories and Biographies of the Authors and Poets into the projects and also into the class discussions. RLA.O.9.1.2 This content standard was achieved by discussing the poetry genre which each specific author fit into. Also, by learning about the different genres of poetry in our vocabulary lesson so as to include ones that we were not able to cover in class discussion. RLA.O.9.1.5 this content standard was achieved by the explications of poetry in the classroom discussions. This was also used in the Word Press blogs when telling why a poem was picked and what the authors meaning was. RLA.O.9.1.7 Students used this when explaining their poem picks in the Word Press blogs, and also when explaining the poem that they chose to read

out loud to the class. This was used in the discussions of poetry during class, and also was part of the learned vocabulary. RLA.O.9.1.8 this content standard was implemented in the classroom when they students worked out what made parts made certain poems fit into a specific genre. RLA.O.9.1.10 This content standard was achieved by learning new poetry vocabulary and implementing it into the dissection and understanding of poems in the classroom and out of the classroom. RLA.O.9.3.1 Students implemented this content standard by being able to do research on a specific topic and use it in different settings: a blog, a PowerPoint, and on stage in oral format. RLA.O.9.3.4 This content standard was achieved by the student led discussions after each presentation. They were able to listen affectively and ask appropriate questions based on what they had learned. RLA.O.9.3.7. This content standard was achieved by the use of PowerPoint Presentations and the Word Press blogs as end projects to the lesson. 21C.O.9-12.1.LS.1 This content standard was implemented in the use of research by the groups on a specific poet, also by using the internet for the biography pages for the poets and authors. 21C.O.9-12.3.TT.2 This content standard was achieved by the students doing a group project; also it was used in the open group discussion by the students about the works of poetry we covered in class. 21C.O.9-12.3.LS.5 This standard of content was used in the lesson plan by the students working together to complete the worksheets as a class, also by the use of a group project to test their knowledge of the lesson. 21C.O.9-12.3.TT.6 this content standard was implemented in the classroom setting by the use of the QR codes and scanners for information on the poets. Also, it was used in the research for the group projects, Power Points, and Word press blogs.