Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Spring 2010
Title of Poetry Grade 5th Grade
Unit Level
Curriculum Language Arts Time 3 weeks
Area Frame
Stage 1 – Identify Desired Results
Georgia Performance Standards:
ELA5R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and
responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
h. Responds to and analyzes the effects of sound, figurative language, and graphics
in order to uncover meaning in poetry.
i. Sound (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme)
ii. Figurative language (e.g., personification, metaphor, simile, hyperbole)
iii. Graphics (i.e., capital letters, line length, stanzas).
ELA5R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it
correctly in reading and writing. The student
g. Identifies playful uses of language
ELA5W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The
student
a. Acknowledges information from sources.
c. Uses various reference materials (i.e., dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, electronic
information, almanac, atlas, magazines, newspapers) as aids to writing.
g. Uses a thesaurus to identify alternative word choices and meanings.
ELA5LSV2 The student listens to and views various forms of text and media in
order to gather and share information, persuade others, and express and understand
ideas.
Understandings
Students will understand that:
Overarching Understandings
- Poetry allows us as humans to gain ideas about the world we live in.
- Poetry is a form of artful written expression.
- Poetry can convey ideas, knowledge, facts and feelings.
Topical Understanding
- Students sharing their own ideas through poetry writing is valuable in determining self-
efficacy by having their own ideas valued and supported.
- Reading poetry can create mood differences and an appreciation of other’s point of view on
varied topics.
Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: Topical Questions:
Performance Task(s)
Goal: Your task is to create (Application Facet) a digital story using poetry you have written and pictures
that represent the ideas portrayed by the poetry.
Role: You are an aspiring poet who will present at the National Poetry Society’s Annual Conference to
display and present your work in a digital story format.
Audience: Poetry lovers of all ages will attend the National Poetry Conference including your parents.
Situation: The challenge involves creating authentic, worthwhile poetry that incorporates different styles
of poetry including a cinquain poem, haiku, acrostic, concrete poem, collaboration piece, free verse and
limerick. Your presentation should include appropriate visuals that accompany your poetry readings.
Product Performance and Purpose: You will create a digital story that will be presented at the National
Poetry Society’s Annual Conference. Your poetry will document (Interpretation Facet) how American
students view the world through the eyes of poetry. The digital story must demonstrate the qualities of
good poetry and how you analyzed (Perspective Facet) each form of poetry. You must also
demonstrate (Explanation Facet) how you were open to (Empathy Facet) another students ideas while
realizing (Self-knowledge Facet) ideas other than your own are significant in forming the collaboration
poem.
Standards and Criteria for Success: Your performance will be judged by how well you meet the criteria
established by the National Poetry Society using the provided rubric. Your digital story must document
(Interpret Facet) your ideas of a good poetry and exhibit (Application Facet) how you analyzed
(Perspective Facet) and chose to incorporate the selected poetry types. A score of 9 points out of 12 points
on the rubric is essential for persuading the National Poetry Society you completed the task successfully.
Other Evidence
(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)
Short answer quiz on key terms - poetry, rhythm, rhyme, repetition, figurative language,
similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, alliteration, hyperbole, limerick, concrete
poems, haiku, cinquain, acrostic
Teacher Observation of students working in groups and alone on selected poetry types.
Academic Prompt for students using essential questions: Are 5th graders able to compose
worthwhile poetry? Should curriculum topics be integrated with poetry writing? What
produces better poetry: working alone or collaboration with others?
Dialogue: The teacher will dialogue with the students individually about their progress
throughout the 3-week unit on poetry especially as students begin to make the digital stories.
Journal: Students will use their journals throughout this process to reflect, document,
brainstorm, and review relevant poetry material. Specific entries are detailed in the learning
plan.
Peer Evaluation of Digital Stories and Educational Presentations: Students will pair
up with partners to determine if their work meets the criteria listed in the rubrics. Peer
feedback will be given to each other before the assignment is due in dialogue form as
well as written feedback from peers to improve the quality of the performance tasks.
Letter- Students will create (Application Facet) a letter to the National Poetry Society
explaining (Explanation Facet) their experience with poetry writing. They will
analyze by comparing and contrasting (Perspective Facet) the pros and cons of
working with others to from ideas for poems or working alone. Students will consider
(Empathy Facet) what they have learned about themselves and include something they
learned about poetry. Letters must include knowledge of poetry elements and types of
poems in their advertisement. It should document a student created definition of poetry and
factors that contribute to good poetry. Why poetry is relevant to young people should be
discussed.
Journal Entry – Students will reflect (Self-Knowledge Facet) about this experience and
self assess (Self-Knowledge Facet) their efforts in this process.
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences
Detailed Learning Experiences
Day 1
1. Academic Prompt for student’s journal using the essential questions:
What is poetry? Is poetry useful in our modern society? What qualities make good
poetry and or bad poetry? W, H
2. Students will be given a Pre Test on essential prerequisite skills and knowledge of the
unit. E-2, W
3. Introduce Unit with Vodcast on “What is Poetry”. W, H
4. Students will work in pairs determined by their type of Multiple Intelligence earlier in
the year and choose a poem or poems from the following poetry books and
anthologies for a mini presentation to the class. Students will read through many
poems and choose one or more poems that they must analyze and share with the class.
The presentation must include a copy of their poem or poems and why they chose the
poem (s). Pairs may choose how they present their poem to the class. They may act
out what the poem means to them (bodily kinesthetic), design a concept map
(logical), create a song (musical), draw a picture (spatial), or create another poem
about the poem (linguistic) E, T, Foundational Entry Point, Differentiation
Strategy – Content and Product, Interpretation Facet
Day 3
1. View the Vodcast on “Poetry Presentation Guidelines & Types of Poetry”. W, H
2. Introduce all essential questions for the unit and rubrics for the final performance
task, which includes a digital story. All parents and the administration will be invited
to attend the culminating celebration. W, O
3. Have students visit some different poetry websites for inspiration and knowledge
about poetry. Students must list 5 important things in their journals on what was
important and worthwhile that they discovered from investigating poetry on the
Internet. Small group discussions will be held at the end of class time to promote
knowledge growth and discussion. H, E, O
http://www.slapcast.com/mp3/Jamestown/Jamestown-2009-02-04.mp3
http://www.slapcast.com/mp3/Jamestown/Jamestown-2009-06-10.m4v
http://www.poetry4kids.com/rhymes
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/
http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/specialist/marymassie/poetry.htm
Day 4
1. Students will rethink and revisit their responses to the earlier answered essential
questions by revisiting them in their journals. What is poetry? Is poetry useful in our
modern society? What qualities make good poetry and or bad poetry? R
2. Students will complete a feelings activity to get a better understanding of poetry and
how feelings can create authenticity to poetry. E
1. Ask your students to name as many feelings as they can. To get them started,
write "sad," "mad," "happy," and a few others on the board. As your students
think of more feelings, add them to the list.
2. Ask the students to choose one feeling from the list.
3. Have the students write down their answers to one of the following questions:
-When do I feel [insert feeling]?
-Why do I feel [insert feeling]?
-How does it feel to be [insert feeling]?
4. Students will create a simple poem based on this activity in the
student’s poetry journal.
This activity is from Poetry Teachers website.
http://www.poetryteachers.com/poetclass/lessons/feelings.html
3. Short answer quiz on key terms - poetry, rhythm, rhyme, repetition, figurative
language, similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, alliteration, hyperbole, limerick,
concrete poems, haiku, cinquain, acrostic E-2
Day 11 and 12
Students will work on creating storyboards for digital stories.
1. A review of the rubrics for the performance tasks will be reviewed to ensure students
are aware of what information needs to be obtained for the digital story advertisement
and the Power Point or Prezi presentations that will encompass our “Communication
and Collaboration” day. R
2. Teacher Model on how to create an efficient storyboard for effective management in
completing performance tasks on the computers. Individually, students will
storyboard plans for their digital story presentations. The teacher will coach and give
recommendations as the students work independently. E
3. Teacher Model using the LCD projector to model and review basics of creating a
digital story. E
4. Students will create their storyboards for their digital stories. Students will also begin
to organize and scan visuals so that digital story creation will flow smoothly. All
storyboards and visuals must be completed and scanned if needed as well as
organized in the student’s individual file folders on the computer before they can
begin to work on their actual digital stories. O
5. At the end of day 12: Peer Evaluation of digital story storyboards: Students will pair
up with partners to determine if their work meets the criteria listed in the rubrics.
Peer feedback will be given to each other in dialogue form as well as written
feedback from peers to improve the quality of the performance tasks. R, E-2, T
Day 13 and 14
Students will work on creating digital stories.
1. Feedback and mini conferences are held with each student from the teacher
concerning performance task assignments. E, R
2. Students work independently on the computers completing presentations for
culminating activity. The teacher provides feedback as needed. E, T, Application
Facet
3. Journal Entry – Students will reflect (Self-Knowledge Facet) about this experience
and self assess (Self-Knowledge Facet) their efforts in this process.
Day 15
1. Final Peer assessment –Students give feedback during the working process on the
computers creating advertisements and presentations. They will view each other’s
advertisements and presentations in pairs to make any final recommendations and to
ensure all work coincides with the rubrics. Teacher also gives additional feedback for
fine tuning presentations. E-2
2. Letter- Students will create (Application Facet) a letter to the National Poetry
Society explaining (Explanation Facet) their experience with poetry writing. They
will analyze by comparing and contrasting (Perspective Facet) the pros and cons of
working with others to from ideas for poems or working alone. Students will
consider (Empathy Facet) what they have learned about themselves and include
something they learned about poetry. Letters must include knowledge of poetry
elements and types of poems in their advertisement. It should document a student
created definition of poetry and factors that contribute to good poetry. Why poetry is
relevant to young people should be discussed. E-2
• Students can write about their favorite poems and why they chose them as
favorites
• Explain how reading the Civil War poetry made them feel.
• What did students learn from reading the Civil War poetry
• What did you learn about the time period