Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Hannah Leong

Date November 17, 2015

Subject/ Topic/ Theme Introduction to Poetry

Grade 1st

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
Students will be introduced to poetry as a genre of literature and writing. They will soon apply what they learn to creating their own
poems throughout the unit
Learners will be able to:
Explain what poetry is and its features
Tell what they learned about the works of some Hispanic and/or American childrens poets

Summarize poems we read in class

Consider and discuss their favorite poems which we read in class
Tell what they liked about a poem
Draw pictures that match poems read aloud

cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

physical
development

socioemotional

U
U
U
X
X
U

*Objectives are lower on Blooms Taxonomy because it is an introductory lesson. Must build
background knowledge first!
Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
- Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4).
-Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly (CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1.4).
-Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings (CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1.5).
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

Information from the pre-assessment poetry word web we did on October 30th
Pre-assessment (for learning):
Poetry word web
Formative (for learning):

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Discussion questions:
-Do you think poetry is only written in English?
-How did that poem make you feel?
-What was it about?
Adding to our concept map/word web on Popplet

Formative (as learning):

Summative (of learning):

Look back at and add to concept map on Popplet. What have we learned?

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What barriers might this

lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?

Provide Multiple Means of

Representation

Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement

Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible

Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction

Provide options for recruiting

interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats

-Reading poetry aloud

-Audio recording of poem read in
Spanish
-Spanish and English text shown on
ELMO
-Add new facts and findings to
Popplett

-oral feedback/discussion questions

-drawing pictures to show what the
poem is about

Provide options for language,

mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

Provide options for expression and

communication- increase medium
of expression

-audio recordings of poems

read in Spanish and English
-pictures to go along with
poems and concepts on Popplett

Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

-drawing picture of what they

hear in the poem
-discussion questions
explaining what the poem is
about or what they like about it

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?

How will your classroom

be set up for this lesson?

-add new facts and findings to

Popplett with pictures
-oral feedback/discussion questions
-drawing pictures to show what the
poem is about
-audio recordings of poems read in
Spanish
-read poems aloud in English
-read from big book
-show pictures with the poems
Provide options for executive
functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies

-short term goal of drawing a

picture for Jack Prelutsky poem
-long term goal of continually
adding to concept map and
learning more about poetry

-students choose pictures to draw

-relevance - Csar Chvez poem
and Learning English poem
-authenticity - How did the poem
make you feel?

Provide options for sustaining

effort and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

-collaborate on concept map

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection

-students think about their

experiences learning English

-Audio recordings of A Tree for Csar Chvez by Francisco X. Alarcn and Apprender en Ingls
by Luis A. Ambroggio
-Text of these poems in Spanish and English to show on the projector (Cool Salsa book and Alarcns
book Laughing Tomatoes)
-ELMO document camera
-Blank paper for students to draw pictures of what they hear
-pencils
-Mrs. Andersons poetry poster (shows differences among meanings of words poetry, poet, and poem)
-Jack Prelutskys A Turkey Shot out of the Oven from Something Big Has Been Here
-Word web from pre assessment
-Meish Goldishs Crocodile from Poetry Big Book: Animals
-Shel Silversteins A Tree House from Where the Sidewalk Ends
-Computer and projector to work on and show Popplet concept map http://popplet.com/app/#/2793821

Large group on the rug

3 long table groups

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III. The Plan

Time

5 min

Components

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Say: Welcome to writing workshop, writers! Id
like to start by reading you a poem today. Ill give
you a piece of paper and as I read, draw a picture of
what you hear.

Students sit at desks

Pass out blank sheets of paper.

Say: This is a poem by one of my favorite poets, or
writers of poetry, named Jack Prelutsky.
Read The Turkey Shot out of the Oven
Allow a couple minutes for students to finish
drawings.

Students listen and draw.

Ask: So what is this poem about? What did you

draw?

Students respond and show pictures: A turkey

flying out of the oven and getting all over the
kitchen!

Ask follow up questions: Was it a real live turkey

or a cooked turkey? Why did it fly out of the oven?
Did you draw a messy kitchen? How did you know
to draw a messy kitchen?
Say: Those are some great pictures! How did that
poem make you feel? Was it a sad poem or?

25 -30
min

Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

Students respond. Answers will vary.

Students respond: Crazy, silly etc.

Right. So now we know that poems can be funny

and tell us silly stories. Did you like that poem? I
love that poem because the poet uses good
descriptive words like smeared, splattered, boom,
stuck etc.
Instruct students to sit on the rug.
Say: Do you remember when we made a word web
about poetry? (Briefly show word web poster) Well
I took the poster and all the ideas we had about
poetry and made them into a word web on this
computer program called Popplet!
Show Popplet on projector.
Say: Lets read what we have so far together.

Students sit.

Students oooh and ahhh.

Read with students

Students read each idea on the concept map.

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Now for the next few weeks we can add to our

word web everything we learn about poetry! Lets
see how big we can make our word web in that
time! So what did we learn when we read The
Turkey Shot Out of the Oven?
Add to concept map as students respond.
Ask: Do you think poetry can only be written in
English?

Say: Right. Just like people can write and tell

stories in different languages all over the world,
they can write and read poetry in different
languages too. How many of you speak Spanish?
How many of you can read in Spanish? Great!
Lets listen to this poem in Spanish by a MexicanAmerican poet named Francisco Alarcn.

Students respond: Poems can tell a story, they can

be funny, they use describing words etc.
No!

Students raise hands accordingly.

Play the recording and show poems pictures in the

Laughing Tomatoes poetry book.
Read the poem in English.
Ask: Who is this poem about?
Say: Yeah! You guys know him! Why do you think
Francisco Alarcn wrote a poem about him? What
did Csar Chvez do? (scaffold if necessary by
explaining Chvezs work founder of United
Farm Workers of America, peaceful protests until
farmers were given fair pay etc.)

Csar Chvez!

Students respond: He helped farmers and made

sure they got paid for their work.

Say: Yes, this poem is about planting a tree to help

people remember what Csar Chvez did to help
farmers in the United States. So poems dont have
to be silly. They can tell us about people in history
and remind us to show respect or to be thankful of
what that person did.
How about another poem? Lets listen to this poem
called Apprender en Ingls by Luis Ambroggio
who is a poet from Argentina. Is anyone from
Argentina or do you have family from Argentina?
Play the recording and show the text in Spanish on
the ELMO. Read the poem in English.
Say: This poem is about what it is like for some
people to learn English. How do you feel about
learning English? Do you like it? Is it sometimes
hard for you to switch between Spanish and
English?

Students raise hands accordingly.

Students share experiences.

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*For two students who arent ELLs, are there some

things that are hard for you as writers? Is it
sometimes hard to know what words to use when
you are writing a story?
Say: So this poem isnt about a silly turkey or
about a person in history. How does this poem
make you feel? Sometimes it can be hard to learn
new things, but Im glad were here at school
where we can learn together! And you guys are so
smart you can learn about the world in English
AND Spanish! Thats pretty cool.
Lets read another poem!
Read Crocodile by Meish Goldish from the big
book.
Ask discussion questions: What do you notice
about this poem? Does it rhyme? Do all poems
need to rhyme? Did the Spanish poems we read
rhyme? How do you think the poet feels and wants
us to feel about crocodiles?

Students respond:
Not all poems need to rhyme, but this poem does.
Crocodiles are dangerous! Stay far away!
Rhyming words: smile/crocodile, long/strong,
too/you, say/away, swamp/chomp

*If time permits, read Shel Silversteins A Tree

House, and ask similar discussion questions as
before. What do you notice?
10
min

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

Review with students and add to concept map on

Popplet. Ask: What did you learn about poetry
today?

Students share what they have learned: poetry

comes in different languages, shows how we feel,
can be happy, funny, sad, thankful etc.

Conclude that a poem is a group of words that

express feeling.

Conclude that a poem is a group of words that

express feeling.

Say: How exciting! We learned a lot about poetry

and our word web is getting bigger and bigger!
Heres a poster that can help us remember some of
what weve learned.
Show Mrs. Andersons poetry poster and explain
difference between poetry, poem, and poet.
Use hand motions:
-Poetry is the WHOLE type of writing (circle arms
to indicate whole)
-A poem is the words we write on paper (put hand
out, palm up like you are reading a poem)
-The poet is the person! (touch head, shoulders,
knees, and toes)

Students say definitions and do hand motions along

with teacher Poetry is the type of writing, poem is
the words we write, poet is the person who writes.

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Lesson Reflection
This lesson was an introduction to poetry as a type of writing. We read four different poems as a class to gain exposure
to poetry and build background knowledge. Students seemed to enjoy hearing different poems, but they certainly noticed
that we were not writing. At one point, Areyna walked over to me and asked, Is this writing? I kept explaining to
students that poetry is a type of writing and that in the next few days they will get a chance to be poets and write their
own poems. Since poetry, poet, and poem are difficult words to differentiate from each other, I showed Mrs. Andersons
poster of these words and had students stand up to do hand motions for each word. I think it was good that I concluded
the lesson with these definitions to give students a main takeaway from the introductory lesson.
I began the lesson by having students draw pictures of what they heard as I read Jack Prelutskys The Turkey Shot Out
of the Oven. I was surprised to find that students struggled to draw pictures for the poem even after I read the poem
twice. All the students drew live turkeys rather than cooked turkeys. This is understandable though because they would
have to pull from background knowledge or context to note that a turkey that was in an oven would surely not be alive.
And of course, cooked turkeys are much harder to draw than live turkeys. I especially loved Vinnys picture of a live
turkey walking out of an oven, hanging on a ceiling, and sitting on a table. The purpose of reading this poem was simply
to engage students by showing an example of a silly poem, and students were able to point out how silly it was.
However, much of the vocabulary was too advanced for them (e.g. ricocheted, smeared, splattered).
When we listened to poems read in Spanish, it was so cool to see the kids eyes light up. They looked around the room
excitedly as the Spanish words came through the speakers. I was surprised that when I read the poem about Csar E.
Chvez, students were not able to tell me who Chvez is. They named him as the person who their school is named after,
but I needed to tell them what Chvez did for farmers in America. I knew that Aprender en Ingls would be hard for
them to grasp, but I felt it was again important exposure to poems that are more serious and tell about feelings. I
explained what the poem was about right away rather than having them try to guess that it was about the hardships of
learning English. When I asked if it was hard for students to learn English and switch between languages sometimes,
five or six students said No and shared that they were confident in both languages. I continued to ask probing
questions that applied to both Spanish and English speakers, noting that there will always be things that are sometimes
hard for us to learn in school. After admitting that I often struggle with knowing what words to write in English even
though I dont speak Spanish, students were more responsive and willing to admit that writing in English can be
difficult. I praised students for their ability to learn about the world in not one, but two languages. They seemed proud of
this, and Im glad I was able to show them that their home language and background knowledge of Spanish is valued.
Students loved the final poem I read from the big book. Crocodile by Meish Goldish was certainly more
understandable for them since it used less complex ideas and lower level vocabulary than the other poems we read.
However, I still feel like the other poems were a vital part of students exposure to poetry. I did not expect them to grasp
the nuances of every poem we read today. Instead, I wanted them to develop background knowledge of poetry as a type
of writing that expresses different feelings and tonessilly, honoring, serious, cautionary etc.
Students really liked the Popplet concept map we worked on. At first, when we were reading what we had discussed
during the pre-assessment, students did not seem very engaged. As I started adding their own ideas on the map though,
they were eager to participate. I saw evidence of learning as they told me what they learned todaypoems can be silly,
poems come in different languages, and so on. I made the mistake of asking students what color we should make one of
the popples, and everyone started shouting out colors at once. Then for each popple we added to the map, they kept
shouting out colors until I told them I would not let them pick unless I saw quietly raised hands.
I was exhausted after teaching this lesson because the kids were so squirrely the whole time. Even after taking a brain
break they were very talkative and could not sit still on the rug. I think the lesson was successful in that they did develop
a basic knowledge of poetry, but it could have gone much more smoothly. Although I had set up the technology elements
ahead of time, every time I had to switch between computers or adjust the document camera, I lost students for those few
seconds. Each time it became harder and harder for me to pull them back in. I think tomorrow will be better because I
plan to be more persistent about having students sit quietly with raised hands and to only use one computer in order to
limit distractions. I also think it will be better because we will actually be writing tomorrow and the activities are more
varied.

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Resources:
Alarcn, F. X. (1997). A tree for Csar Chvez. In Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems. (pp. 24-25).
Ambroggio, L. A. (1994). Aprender el ingls. In L. M. Carlson (Ed.), Cool salsa: Bilingual poems on growing up latino in the united
states (pp. 16-17). New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Cesar Chavez (2009). In History.com. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/cesar-chavez
Goldish, M. (1997). Crocodile. In M. Fleming (Ed.), Poetry Big Book: Animals (p. 13). N.p.: Scholastic Inc.
Prelutsky, J. (1990). The turkey shot out of the oven. In Something big has been here. (pp. 18-19). Broadway, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Silverstein, S. (1974). Where the sidewalk ends: The poems & drawings of Shel Silverstein. New York: Harper and Row.

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