Lesson Plan Template

Lesson
Poetry: What is poetry? What do we like about it? Date March. 13, 2018
Title/Focus
Subject/Grade Time
English 10-2 71 min.
Level Duration

Unit Short Stories & Poetry Teacher Ms. Nikonetz

This class will introduce students to the poetry aspect of the unit and attempt to answer the
Lesson
inquiry question: “Why is it important for people and communities to create narratives around
Overview
their experiences?”

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

List of poems from unit plan
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Have the prepared piles of poems spread around the room: one on the wall for students
to read, and then a pile below.

Attention Grabber
Assessment of Prior
Knowledge
Expectations for
Learning and Behavior
Advance
Organizer/Agenda
Introduction Time
Freewrite ** NOTE ** Tell the students we’re doing just a short freewrite
3 min
today cause we’ve got lots to cover.
Who brought their own poems?
1 min
I expect some volume during this, after all I’m getting them up and
interacting with poems. However, I don’t expect to see roughhousing or
students being off-topic and disregarding the activity.
1. Freewrite
2. Poetry tasting
3. Characteristics of our favourite poems
4. What poetry is (and what it is NOT)
5. How to read poems

Products to Collect n/a

Learning Activity #1
Body Time
Poetry tasting & characteristics survey
 Go around the room, read the poems on the wall, decide on your
favourite and take a copy from underneath
 Only take a copy of the one you decide you like best

Once you have your favourite, make your way back to your desk and start
30 min
filling out the characteristics survey you’ll find there.

Teacher Notes: Assessments/
Differentiation
Learning Activity #2
Have a 15 min timer for students to wander the room and choose their
favourite. Give students another 10 min to fill out the survey. Bring it
back as a class and find out where the class lies with their favourite
poetry characteristics.
What poetry IS and what it is NOT
Do the “Is it Poetry?” Quiz

 How accurate were you in sorting the poems from the non- 20 min
poems?
 Did your definition always help you make the right choice?
 How can you alter your definition to make it more accurate?
Adapted from a template created by Dr. K. Roscoe 1
 Lesson Plan Template

 Bringing it together as a class:

o Steer towards:
o Poetry is a literary genre
o Uses distinctive style and rhythm to express emotion
o Has various purposes: to entertain, to make money,
to think philosophically
o Language is used for it’s aesthetic qualities in
addition to its content
 Definitions of poetry often fall into two categories. Some are
descriptions of features (such as sound or rhyme). Others seem
to be statements of value or belief.
o Value definition: “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings . . . recollected in tranquility” – William
Woodsworth

o Feature definitions: “Poetry is the form of writing in

which few lines run right to the edge of the page” –
Unknown

o My fav: “Poetry is the art of rhythmical compositions,

written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful,
imaginative, or elevated thoughts” – Macquarie
Dictionary

Teacher Notes: Assessments/

Differentiation
Learning Activity #3 Poetry Reading Rules 10 min
Teacher Notes: Assessments/
Differentiation
Closure Time
Consolidation of 3-2-1:
Learning: 3 things you learned
2 things you were surprised by/found interesting/would like to learn
more about 2 min
1 question you still have

TPS – Optional sharing

Feedback from Students:
Feedback to Students
Transition to Next
Tomorrow we’re going to be getting into some oral poetry activities! 2 min
Lesson

Reflections from the

lesson

Adapted from a template created by Dr. K. Roscoe 2