Shared Reading Poetry on Self-Image - Grade 5

Title of Lesson: Understanding Poetry: Me by Walter De La Mare

Key Understandings:
-The importance of visualizing while reading to create mental images that will help to understand the text
- Making links to personal experience to help us further understand the text
Assessment:
How will I know when my students are successful?
-Students will be successful when they are able to identify words and language that help them to visualize
the text. (Make illustrations beside each stanza)
-They can make personal connections that relate to the context of the poem (self-image).
-They can discuss what the poet is suggesting about self-image.
Prior Knowledge:
What prior knowledge do my students need in order to be successful with this lesson's focus?
-Students should be familiar with reading poems
-Students should have some background knowledge of self-esteem
Teaching Focus / Curriculum Expectations:
What will I teach? Which expectations will I address?
I will teach students how to use words to create a visual of what the poem is about to further understand
the poems meaning, make personal connections to the poem, and understand the poets message about
self-image
Curriculum Expectations:
Students will:
1.3 identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and
after reading to understand texts
1.4demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by summarizing important ideas and citing supporting
details
1.5 use stated and implied ideas in texts to make inferences and construct meaning
1.6extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and
insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them
1.8 make judgements and draw conclusions about the ideas and information in texts and cite stated or
implied evidence from the text to support their views
Teaching Strategies:
How will I teach this?
Making predictions
Graphic Organizer
Read Aloud
Question and answer
Modeling
Discussions (Group and Class)
Written responses
Independent work
Think/Pair/Share

Materials/Preparation for Teaching:

What do I need to know, have, and be able to do before I can begin the lesson?

Large copy of the poem on Smartboard and pointer

Art supplies
Pens/Pencils
Student copies of the poem Me by Walter De La Mare

Differentiated Instruction:
How can I assure that all my students are learning?
Smartboard (use of technology)
Flexible Grouping (considering special needs and ELL)
Modelling
Discussions
Instruction: Shared Reading
Day 1:
Before Reading:
On the smartboard create a brainstorm web (graphic organizer) with the word me in the
center cloud. Students will develop the web by coming up and writing their suggestions
of what me means to them.
Read the title of the poem Me, and ask students to predict what the poem will be about.
During Reading:
Read the entire poem to the students highlighting important words from each stanza on
the smartboard always be Myself (stanza 1)
After Reading:
Discuss why we highlighted those words and their importance (descriptive, helps create a
mental image, tells us something important)
Instruction: Shared Reading
Day 2:
Before Reading:
Have the poem up on the smartboard with the highlighted words
During Reading:
Students re-read poem aloud and pause after each stanza
Draw attention to the highlighted words
Ask questions/prompts such as what do these important highlighted words in stanza one
make me think about?
Model using the highlighted words in the first stanza to create a visual/drawing beside the
first stanza (drawing of me being happy with me)
After Reading:
Students use the important highlighted descriptive words to create a visual of their own

beside each stanza

They engage in a think/pair/share with the class to discuss their visuals and discuss what
each stanza is about (understanding of the content)

Instruction: Shared Reading

Day 3:
Before Reading:
Revise our understanding of the poem based on visuals
During Reading:
Re-read the entire poem
Reflect on how the poem made me feel and what came to mind (me being proud of how I
look and finding beauty in me)
After Reading:
Students write a short paragraph on their handout based on how the poem made them feel
about themselves and what the poet is writing about
Students may share with the class
Discussion on self-image and being happy with the way you look and being proud of
uniqueness.
Reflection:
Were my students successful? Did my instructional decisions meet the needs of all students? What
worked well? What will I do differently in the future? What are my next steps?
Were my students able to use descriptive language to create a visual and share their thoughts?
Were they able to make personal connections to the poem through writing and sharing?
Were they able to communicate what the poet was writing about?
Modelling worked well
Next steps: students will create a poem on self image

Me
As long as I live
I shall always be
My Selfand no other, Just me.
Like a tree. Willow, elder, Aspen, thorn,
Or Cypress forlorn.
Like a flower,
For its hour
Primrose, or pink,
Or a violet
Sunned by the sun,
And with dewdrops wet.
Always just me.

by Walter de la Mare