Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction — Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Mady Sensenig

Date 11/15/201 Subject/ Topic/ Theme: Poetry/Readings and Slam Poetry Grade 10th Grade Creative Writing

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
Being able to read, analyze, and listen to different poems will give students a broader perspective of poetry and how they might use
it themselves. It will also open topics that create and encourage deep discussion.

cognitive- physical socio-

Learners will be able to: R U Ap An E C* development emotional
 Understand how to read poetry U
 Practice reading out loud as a class Ap 

 Find meaning through a variety of poems An, E

 Analyze poems as a class An 
 Understand Slam Poetry
U
Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
CCS Reading 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking
to support conclusions drawn from the text
CCS Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

(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 Students should have basic understanding of poetry structure to build on reading poetry out loud.
knowledge and skills. They also need to be able to consider different meanings of poetry.

Pre-assessment (for learning): Go over basic rules of reading poetry out loud and have students ask any
questions

Outline assessment activities
(applicable to this lesson)
Formative (for learning): Students will look up background about each poem and poet assigned
Formative (as learning): Students will take turns reading the poems with their group
Summative (of learning): Students will each turn in their author facts and poem message responses on
paper at the end of class for a grade

What barriers might this Provide Multiple Means of Engagement Provide Multiple Means of Provide Multiple
lesson present? Representation Means of Action
and Expression
Provide options for self-regulation- expectations, Provide options for Provide options for
personal skills and strategies, self-assessment & comprehension- activate, apply & executive functions-
What will it take –
reflection highlight coordinate short &
neurodevelopmentally, Students will share ideas and thoughts out loud long-term goals,
experientially, emotionally, and need to be able to reflect on each poem in monitor progress,
During each reading, students
etc., for your students to do order to share with their group and write responses and modify
need to practice pace and tone,
this lesson? strategies
as well as keeping note of the
Students will need
poems message as it relates to apply previous
back to what we know about knowledge of poetry
the author to the readings

1-19-13
 Provide options for sustaining effort and Provide options for language, Provide options for
persistence- optimize challenge, collaboration, mathematical expressions, and expression and
mastery-oriented feedback symbols- clarify & connect communication-
Different poems will be read out loud by language increase medium of
volunteers within each group, as well as expression
watching slam poetry, so students will be Any unknown words can be
able to compare different types of poetry and looked up online or in a Students will read
collaborate on how their meanings differ dictionary along to each
poem, practice
reading out loud,
and listen to slam
poetry
Provide options for recruiting interest- choice, Provide options for perception- Provide options for
relevance, value, authenticity, minimize threats making information perceptible physical action-
increase options for
Three different poems will be read and one Projecting poems and having interaction
watched, all containing different topics students read along

Computer and projector

Chrome Books
Rules of Poetry: https://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html
Online Poems and resources: (printed poems for each group x4)
o Gwendolyn Brooks: We Real Cool
 https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/gwendolyn-brooks (About Poet)
 https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of-Poem-We-Real-Cool-by-Gwendolyn-Brooks
(About Poem)
o Langston Hughes: Mother to Son
Materials-what materials  https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/langston-hughes (About Poet)
(books, handouts, etc) do  https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Mother-to-Son-Analysis-FKCUSY2KTJ (About Poem)
you need for this lesson and o Margarita Engle: Drum Dream Girl
are they ready to use? a. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/141837/drum-dream-girl (Read Notes at End-Info
about Poet and Poem)
b. Narrative Poem
Slam Poetry:
o Somewhere in America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OadZpUJv8Eg
o “Chingona” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eHD_6wg1uw

Students will sit in their assigned spots, grouped around 4-5 desks; any students not seated in the
How will your classroom be main five tables will join a big table
set up for this lesson?

III. The Plan

Describe teacher activities AND student activities
Time Components for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
2-3 Welcome and check that students have completed their haikus Students make sure their
min Motivation haikus are complete and
(opening/ turn in
introduction/
engagement)

1-19-13
20-30
min Read and Analyze a variety of different poems:
 Go over how to read poetry: Students listen to
o Read slowly and clearly
o Read in a normal, relaxed tone assignment, paying attention
o Only pause when there is punctuation- Do not pause to the guidelines on reading
after every line! poetry out loud
o Use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words and
research poets for background info
 https://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-
howtoread.html
Developmen
t Poems: Gwendolyn Brooks: We Real Cool, Langston Hughes: Mother to Son, Margarita
(the largest Engle: Drum Dream Girl
component or Hand out packet of poems to each group (one/table)- Have one member of the group One student will get a
main body of get a Chrome Book, which they will then use to look up background about each Chrome Book for the group
the lesson) author before reading the poem out loud in their groups, remembering the rules. to use. The students at each
After they have read the poem, they can continue to look at the website provided
giving more background about the poem, and reflect on what the message of the
table will then work
poem would be considering what they now know about the author and poem. together to find out more
about the author, read the
Display websites and response questions on projector poem together, and reflect
Students should work together to find answers but individually turn in responses:
o Find and write 3 facts about the author
on the message.
o When was this poem written?
o Reflect: What do you think is the message of the poem according to what Each student will turn in a
you know about the author and the poem itself? paper with their notes and
reflections

15-20 Go over Slam Poetry/ Spoken Word- relate back to the Two-Voice poem Students ask any questions;
min  meant to be read/performed out loud- written on a page but watch/ listen to video
performed (relate back to poem of two voices)
 uses rhythm, improve, rhymes, word play, and slang
 rules: https://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/5-tips-slam-poetry
Closure  Watch/Listen:
(conclusion, o Somewhere in America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
culmination, v=OadZpUJv8Eg
wrap-up) o “Chingona” https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=1eHD_6wg1uw

3-4 Have students reflect on all the poems with their group: Which poem stood Students discuss the poems
min out to you and why? with their table groups

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)

1-19-13
This lesson was a learning opportunity. Stacia was gone, and the sub cancelled last minute, so it was me and the teacher next
door handling the class. I did like feeling in control, and I felt like I had more authority as I led the class because Stacia wasn’t
there, but it was also challenging to be working out timing and answering questions the students had while trying to figure out
how next period would go with the teacher next door. This day happened to be on speed schedule, which I was unaware of and
did not expect because speed schedule is normally on Fridays. Therefore, I felt like I had to rush the lesson, and we still did not
even get to go into Slam poetry. I felt the stress of trying to get everything in while also wanting to make sure it was meaningful
time, and I feel like in the end if I had been able to relax more and slow things down the students would have been able to take
more time to reflect and discuss the authors and poems in their group. It unfortunately felt like a challenge to then just get
through the three poems and make sure the facts and information was written down to turn in. While most students were
engaged with their groups, they moved at a slower pace than I had planned for, and I wanted them to be able to work at their
own pace and talk as a group, but it again was hard to decide when to encourage them to move on or when to let them keep
going. Putting students in groups was also interesting because three of the four groups worked well together and then the last
one was not as communicative with each other, so some ended up even just working on their own. I think it is difficult because
I do understand that sometimes students don’t work as well with others and they want to work individually, but it is also
important to connect with peers through group work. I do think this lesson could be used in a neat way as students investigate
the author before they read a poem with a group and then follow up with exploring more about the poem to factor into
reflecting on what the author’s message was. I also think only giving them one Chrome Book and one packet with the poems
was a good way to encourage that collaboration, though if I wanted to get even deeper into the poems I would give all the
students copies so they could annotate and draw out words, themes, and structural elements on each poem. I think there is
enough material to split this lesson into two or three days, because close readings should be reflected on, and Slam poetry as
well is packed with meaning. It did enjoy taking a step back and having the students work together, and I walked around and
talked to them while they were working which was fun, or encouraged them to think about certain points but also getting to
hear their own ideas. They are a good group of students, but I’m learning more and more that everyone has good and bad
days, and that is often reflected in how much or little students are motivated to work or participate. One student got in trouble
with another teacher before coming to this class with me, and he was very down and quiet, not wanting to work with his group.
I could see first-hand how outside factors play into student behavior, and I sympathized with him because it is hard to move on
and keep going if you’re unhappy. I hope that I’ll be able to look back and remember these experiences, struggling with time
management and differing students, in a way that helps me to encourage students in the right way.

1-19-13