Five Day Poetry Lesson

Day 4 - Ode Poem

Content Objectives
Students will
1) Investigate how authors of fiction use or alter history by exploring historical references.
2) Alliteration and use an onomatopoeia by writing an ode poem.

Language Objectives
Students will
1) Practice reading skills by researching historical events to compare Whitmans poetry to.
2) Practice writing skills by creating an ode poem.

Vocab

Tier II Vocab

Metaphor
Ode
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia

Building Background
I.

We will read O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman as a class

A. Students will identify parts of the poem they can label from what
we have already learned.
ie., rhyme scheme, whitespace, stanzas, em dashes, semicolons,
exclamation marks, and periods

II.

As a class, we will discuss the new terms alliteration and onomatopoeia

A. Display Peter Piper picked a patch of purple peppers, tell the
students this is an alliteration
1. Ask the students what they think an alliteration is
based on this sentence, discuss ideas.
B.

Display :
1.

Ask the

students what they think an

onomonopia is based these
examples, discuss ideas.

Activity 1
I.

Students will explore text-to-world connections between O Captain! My Captain!

and either the American Civil War or the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
A. Students will partner up* and pick either the American Civil War,
or the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln to research
* Partners will be heterogeneous, so native students can guide their language
learning peers with online research and reading comprehension
1. Students should use the link provided, but are
welcome to seek other sources if desired
2. Students who choose the assassination will be
asked to:
a) Explain the metaphor of the poem.
b) Explain the comparison
between Lincoln and the captain as well as the ship and
America.
WIDA Adaptation: How does the captain represent President
Lincoln? How does the ship represent America?
c) Use examples from the text to
explain your meaning.
3. Students who choose the war will be asked to
answer:
a) What affect do you think this
poem had on those that strove for unity in America
during the Civil War? Use examples from the text to
explain your meaning.
WIDA Adaptation: How do you think those who wanted unity in
the Civil War would feel when reading this poem?
B. We will go around the class telling everyone what connections
everyone found
1. As a class, we will:
a) Pinpoint the main idea and
conclusion of the poem
b) Discuss how much of the poem
Whitman was factual, and how much was his opinion
(Students will be expected to use textual evidence to justify
answers)

WIDA 3+4
Students will be assisted by their native English speaking partner
WIDA 1+2
Students will be assisted by their native English speaking partner, I will check in often
while everyone is working to make sure that the WIDA students are involved and
following the assignment

Activity 2
I.

Introduce Ode Poems:

A. Show 3 examples of Ode Poems off the internet
1. Ask students what they all have in common (they
are written to an object)
B. Students will write their own Ode Poem
1. Students will think of one of their favorite things to
write about
2. Students will include these aspects into their poem
(displayed on board/projecter):
consonant
is a sound
non-living things human-like qualities
subject?
like?
much?

Alliteration - repeating

Onomatopoeia - word that

Personification - giving

What do you do with the

What does the subject look

Why do you like it so

15-20 lines
A picture of the object or

the actual object

b) Display this poem beside the above

requirements for the poem:
Youve saved me from dangerous dogs that I could never
outrun.
Youve helped me realized that small rocks are dangerous.

Your pointed wheels from wear and tear will give me the
extra speed I need to win races.
Your scarred face grins at me and tells me to be daring
once again.
Youve stayed on when Whoa, Ive tried to be daring.
Ive realized that purple and black are crazy, cool, colors.
You carried me everywhere whish in record time.
You scream at me with your brakes, but I dont listen.
I love when we go down hills so fast that I know nothing
can stop us, ow, except for that parked car.
c) As a class, we will point out where in
this poem each of these aspects exist.
WIDA 3+4
Students will fill out a chart, listing things they like, what those things do, and why they
like them so much before starting to write the poem.
WIDA 1+2
I will have students make a list of things they like, and explain to me why they like them
so much. I will help the students pick a topic for the poem and brainstorm: What it does
and how does the student feel about it? To get them started on their poem. Simple
sentences are okay to write in an Ode poem. Check in often to assist when help is needed

Assessment
I will assess the students understanding of historical background use in poetry through
classroom discussion of what they found while analyzing Whitmans poem in relation to one of
the two historical events. I will assess the students understanding of alliteration,
onomatopoeias, and overall poem structure by the final product of their ode poem.
WIDA 3+4
I will assess the students understanding of alliteration, onomatopoeias, and overall poem
structure by not only the final product of their ode poem but also by an informal assessment of
their pre-poem chart and oral expression of their understanding.
WIDA 1+2

I will assess the students understanding of alliteration, onomatopoeias, and overall poem
structure by not only the final product of their ode poem but also by an informal assessment of
what they expressed orally when working with them to pick a topic for the poem.