Poetry Binder 2010 7-15-10.indd

“Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry,

prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle,

makes you know that you want to do this or that

or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in

the unknown world, that your bliss and suﬀ ering

is forever shared and forever all your own.”

— Dylan Thomas

Teacher Username: ______________________

Teacher Password: ______________________

Teaching Matters, Inc.

475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1270

New York, NY 10115

P: 212.870.3505

F: 212.870.3516

www.teachingmatters.org

Page 1

Writing Poetry - Welcome and Login

Page 2

Writing Poetry - Credits

Our Author

Georgia Heard is an acclaimed poet and author of ﬁ ve books on

teaching writing including: Climbing Inside Poetry: Poems and

Lessons for Every Day (Firsthand, Heinemann); Awakening the Heart:

Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School (Heinemann,

1998), a best-selling book for teachers on how to teach poetry; The

Revision Toolbox (Heinemann, 2000) a practical guide on teaching

revision; Writing Toward Home: Tales and Lessons to Find Your Way

(Heinemann, 1997); and For the Good of the Earth and Sun

(Heinemann, 1989). Ms. Heard received her M.F.A. in poetry

writing from Columbia University. She is a founding member of the

Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in New York City,

where she has worked with teachers and students in NYC public

schools for 8 years. Ms. Heard speaks to thousands of people each

year about her love of poetry and writing. Currently, she is working

with schools around the United States, preparing teachers to adopt

her innovative teaching strategies.

Our Team

Naomi Cooperman, Ed.D. Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Evan O’Donnell Director of Technology

Carl Potts Creative Director

Libby Baker Content and Curriculum Developer

Laurie Baum Content and Curriculum Developer

John Clemente Content and Curriculum Developer

Jessica Lipschultz Content and Curriculum Developer

Nina Taub Content and Curriculum Developer

Elizabeth Quispe Production Associate

Jen Gleason Information System Developer

Lauren Morris Program Coordinator

Lindsay Caplan Copy Editor

Lynette Guastaferro Executive Director, Teaching Matters

Special thanks to:

Cynthia Ruiz and Nicole Dostal for their willingness to pilot the program in their classrooms and share their

ideas and time with our team.

Felice Belle, for her enormous contribution to the Writing Poetry scripts and Spoken Word Event concept,

and Jelbin Delacruz, for reviewing the unit.

The teachers and students at Kappa IV for their assistance in giving this project wings.

Character-voice actors Felice Belle, Jelbin Delacruz and Dany Suzanne Dobbins.

Recording Engineer Tomas Marsh.

Animators at Lightsource Studios.

The Writing Matters program is made possible through the generosity of the Citi Foundation.

The Writing Poetry unit receives special support from Wachovia.

Page 3

Writing Poetry - Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Writing Poetry at a Glance Page 4

Unit Overview

About the Genre Page 5

Unit Objectives Page 5

How to Approach the Unit Page 6

Using Technology for 21st Century Teaching & Learning Page 7

Lessons at a Glance Page 8

NYS English Language Arts Learning Standards Page 12

Poetry References for Teachers Page 13

Getting Started Page 14

Implementing the Workshop Model Page 17

The Lessons

Step 1 Heads Up!: Be a Poet Page 21

Reading Companion Page 22

Lesson 1.1: Write a Self-Portrait Reﬂ ection Page 23

Lesson 1.2: Write a Self-Portrait Poem Page 27

Lesson 1.3: Write a Self-Portrait Poem - Experienced Page 31

Lesson 1.4: Craft Your Self-Portrait Poem Page 35

Step 2 Heads Up!: Draft Poems Page 39

Reading Companion Page 40

Lesson 2.1: Write a Poetry Hides Poem Page 41

Lesson 2.2: Write a Six-Room Memory Poem Page 47

Lesson 2.3: Write a Surroundings Poem Page 51

Lesson 2.4: Use the Computer to Draft Your Poems (Supplementary) Page 55

Step 3 Heads Up!: Craft & Revise Page 59

Reading Companion Page 60

Lesson 3.1: Revise for Line-Breaks and Stanza Breaks Page 61

Lesson 3.2: Revise for Word Clarity and Choice Page 65

Lesson 3.3: The Music of Poetry Page 69

Lesson 3.4: Review Poems Using a Rubric (Supplementary) Page 75

Step 4 Heads Up!: Edit & Publish Page 79

Reading Companion Page 80

Lesson 4.1: Edit for Grammar and Punctuation Page 81

Lesson 4.2: Gather a Portfolio of Poems Page 87

Lesson 4.3: Read and Perform Poetry Page 91

Lesson 4.4: Record Your Poems (Supplementary) Page 95

Lesson 4.5: Rhythm and Motion (Supplementary) Page 99

Appendix Page 103

Beginner Handouts Page 105

Intermediate Handouts Page 131

Experienced Handouts Page 161

Differentiated Handouts Page 191

Teacher Resources Page 203

Page 4

Writing Poetry - At a Glance

Writing Poetry at a Glance

Writing Matters offers strategies for multiple grades as needs, interests and expectations change. Core

lessons for Writing Poetry are written for Beginners. Modiﬁ cations are provided for Intermediate and

Experienced classes.

Beginner: Grades 5 or 6, or

middle school classes having

no prior experience with writing

workshop and Writing Matters.

Strategies meet NYS Grade 6

ELA Standards.

Intermediate: Grades 6 or 7, or

middle school classes that have

had some prior experience with

writing workshop and/or Writing

Matters. Strategies meet NYS

Grade 7 ELA standards.

Experienced: Grades 7 and

up, or middle school classes

that have had prior experience

with Writing Matters and writing

workshop.Strategies meet NYS

Grade 8 ELA standards.

Levels Materials

Lessons Beginner Inter-

mediate

Exper-

ienced

Hand-

outs

Anima-

tions

Online

Activities

Step 1: Be a Poet

1.1 Write a Self-Portrait Reﬂ ection √ Modify

Modify X X

1.2 Write a Self-Portrait Poem √ Modify - X X

1.3 Write a Self-Portrait Poem - - √ X

1.4 Craft your Self-Portrait Poem √√√XX

Step 2: Draft a Poem

2.1 Write a Poetry Hides Poem √ Modify

Modify X X

2.2 Write a Memory Poem √ Modify Modify X X

2.3 Write a Surroundings Poem √ Modify Modify X X

2.4 Use the Computer to Draft (supp.) √√√ X

Step 3: Craft & Revise

3.1 Revise for Line and Stanza Breaks √ Modify

Modify X X

3.2 Revise for Word Clarity and Choice √ Modify Modify X X X

3.3 The Music of Poetry √ Modify Modify X X

3.4 Review Poems Using a Rubric (supp.) √√√ X

Step 4: Edit & Publish

4.1 Edit for Grammar and Punctuation √√

√XX X

4.2 Gather a Portfolio of Poems √√√XX

4.3 Read and Perform Poetry √√√X

4.4 Record your Poems √√√XX

4.5 Rhythm and Motion (supp.) √√√

Page 5

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Unit Overview

About the Genre

Teachers sometimes ask, “Why teach poetry?,” particularly at the middle school level when there are so

many English Language Arts requirements to attain in order to prepare students for high school. There

are several answers to that question.

Students are intrigued by poetry. It is the language of the songs that interest them and the spoken word

they try to emulate. In fact, poetry is all around them. Addressing the relationships, self-awareness and

change that is so fundamental to their being, poetry is often more familiar and relevant than other writing

genres.

On the practical side, poetry is frequently shorter to write and read than prose. Many young teens,

particularly those who struggle in school, have an immediate sense that this genre is approachable.

Students can get through a poem and quickly feel a sense of accomplishment. Within that context,

they learn how to generate ideas, draft, revise and prepare for publishing. Studying poetry creates an

exceptional opportunity for literary analysis, language study and attention to detail so necessary for

writers to be successful in any genre.

Most importantly, poetry provides a vehicle for making sense of this uncertain world. At a time in

adolescents’ lives when they are exploring who they are, writing can be part of a natural process that

starts from within and grows – from exposure to ideas written in the poems and lyrics of others, to

expression of unique and personal thoughts and feelings.

Unit Objectives

Student writers will:

• write a collection of poems through which they express their unique thoughts and

perspectives

• apply a variety of craft strategies and structures to bring out the meaning and emotion

conveyed in their poems

• effectively execute several steps of the writing process using technology — drafting, revising,

editing and publishing their work.

• acquire writing strategies that can be generalized across the genres.

Page 6

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

How to Approach the Unit

Writing Poetry is grounded in the best practices of writing instruction, drawing from the extensive body

of research on balanced literacy and the “writing workshop” model as well as the recommendations

and concerns of educators “on the front line.” Teachers who participate are provided with a professional

development institute, on-site mentoring and a unique set of web-based classroom resources for

teaching and learning.

By logging on to the program’s website, teachers gain access to a complete set of lesson plans,

accompanying classroom visuals and the Online Classroom, a user-friendly area where they can collect

and evaluate student work and help students publish for a real online audience. Technology-based

resources are also provided for students. Their learning is scaffolded with amusing animated shorts,

sample writers’ notebooks and other writing samples, and a series of curriculum-based multimedia

activities and tutorials that are instructionally on track and, at the same time, highly motivating to high-

tech teens.

Recognizing the heterogeneity of today’s classrooms, Writing Poetry offers ﬂ exibility. Our most important

word of advice to participating teachers is to make this unit their own. To help make the four-week

experience successful, the curriculum gives teachers “breathing room” to reteach, add their own unique

lessons and modify those provided here in order to meet the speciﬁ c needs of their students.

Other important recommendations to teachers for ensuring successful implementation include:

• Linking the writing workshop to the reading workshop, providing students with the opportunity

to immerse themselves in the genre by reading poems written by adult and student writers as

they create their own pieces.

• Preparing students to participate in this unit by inculcating good writing practices, such as

writing every day to build stamina and using technology effectively in the classroom.

• Preparing for the project by developing their own poems to serve as models for students.

• Assessing student progress throughout the process by taking advantage of the activities and

strategies housed in the Online Classroom. Lessons offer strategies for evaluating students’

mastery of the particular skills addressed. Moreover, teachers are advised to consistently

monitor student progress in individual conferences, via the writers’ notebooks and through the

rubric provided.

Page 7

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Using Technology for st Century Teaching and

Learning

“In truth, we do not have a choice if we want

our students to succeed in the world in which

they ﬁ nd themselves. Functional literacy as

we know it means that people are able to

process print in their environment, whether

it be, for example, newspapers, train

schedules, or oﬃ cial government documents.”

(Wepner, Valmont & Thurlow, eds. Linking Literacy and

Technology: A Guide for K–8 Classrooms. Newark, Delaware:

International Reading Association, 2000)

A major goal of Writing Poetry is to introduce technology tools that promote learning and are

essential to writing for middle school students and teachers — accessing and analyzing online

information, sharing ideas with peers and teachers, producing high quality print material through

revision and editing, publishing, etc.

Technology provides many tools and supports for writing, particularly writing that is taught through

the writing workshop approach. Students not only share ideas, draft, edit and publish their work

easily, but they also engage in the same writing venture that their

parents and older siblings take part in. This makes their effort

worth it — it is truly authentic, professional and important.

Writing Poetry adheres to principles of cyber-safety

by housing student communication in a password-

protected environment in which only teachers and

students enrolled in the program may interact

with one another. Student work is published

online with permission of parents and contains

ﬁ rst names only. No last names or other

personal information is posted for public

viewing.

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Wepner, Valmont

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Page 8

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Lessons at a Glance

The unit offers four weeks of instruction

and is suitable for a wide range of middle-

school classrooms.

Step : Be a Poet

This beginning stage focuses on developing students’ interest and

ideas for writing a Self-portrait Poem using poetic devices. At the end of

this step, students complete the ﬁ rst poem of four that will reside in their “Poetry

Portfolios.”

Lesson 1.1: Write a Self-portrait Reﬂ ection

Students read a selection of poems to ﬁ nd one that is a reﬂ ection of

themselves. Students copy a portion of that poem in their

writers’ notebooks and reﬂ ect on why the poem they chose

represents them.

Lesson 1.2: Write a Self-portrait Poem – Beginner and

Intermediate

Students are introduced to the concept of simile and metaphor in

the context of self-portrait poems written by adult and student poets.

Using a set of metaphors and similes they generate to describe

themselves, students draft self-portrait poems.

Lesson 1.3: Write a Self-portrait Poem - Experienced

Students brainstorm aspects of “home” and family life to serve as the

basis for unique and personal “Where I’m From” self-portrait poems.

Lesson 1.4: Craft Your Self-portrait Poem

Students craft their self-portrait poems by taking advantage

of mentor texts and expanding upon the list of metaphors

and similes they developed in the last lesson. After getting

feedback from peers, students improve their poems.

Page 9

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Step : Draft Poems

By now, students have produced a poem that relates closely to their interests and concerns. Building on

this foundation, students use this week to create three additional poems that use a variety of forms and

poetic conventions: a Poetry Hides poem, a Memory poem and a Surroundings poem.

Lesson 2.1: Write a Poetry Hides Poem

After reading and analyzing a mentor text that speaks about the various places where one can

ﬁ nd inspiration for writing poetry, students write a poem that speciﬁ es where they ﬁ nd poetry in

their lives.

Lesson 2.2: Write a Memory Poem

Students create poems about speciﬁ c childhood memories using a “six-room” format. The rooms

help students explore the memory from multiple perspectives, which in turn enable them to gain

insight and tap into vivid imagery to be incorporated into their poems.

Lesson 2.3: Write a Surroundings Poem

Students learn about particular structures for writing poetry, haikus

(Beginners) and sonnets (Intermediate and Experienced), and

how they differ from the free verse poetry they have been writing.

Students write a structured poem, focusing on something they

observed on the street or another place in the city.

Lesson 2.4: Use the Computer to Draft Your Poems (Supplementary)

Students make the best use of word processing software to

prepare drafts of their poems

for revision and

publishing.

Page 10

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Step : Craft & Revise

Students work independently, as well as with peers and the teacher, to ensure that their poems convey

the meaning and emotions they wish to communicate. Students revise their drafts for line- and stanza

breaks, word choice and clarity of meaning and musicality. By the end of this step, they will have

created the full set of poems that will comprise their portfolios.

Lesson 3.1: Revise for Line-breaks and Stanza Breaks

After learning how line-breaks and stanza breaks change the pace, rhythm and meaning of a

poem, students revise three of their poems accordingly.

Lesson 3.2: Revise for Word Clarity and Choice

Students learn how to sharpen the meaning and feeling of their poems by applying three

strategies related to word clarity and choice. Students revise all four of their poems accordingly.

Lesson 3.3: The Music of Poetry

Students learn how to sharpen the meaning of their poems by applying four musical

tools: rhyme, repetition, alliteration and onomatopoeia. Students revise all four of

their poems accordingly.

Lesson 3.4: Review Poems Using a Rubric (Supplementary)

Teacher and students use the Poetry Rubric to rate and revise

their poems. The rubric will serve as a guide as students

prepare to edit and publish their portfolio of

poems.

Page 11

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Step : Edit & Publish

During this ﬁ nal step in the unit, students proofread and edit their poems for accuracy of grammar and

spelling. They also experiment with the look of their poems, exploring elements of performance. At the

end of this step, they celebrate their accomplishments by publishing their completed work in the class

ezine and perform for peers and/or the school community.

Lesson 4.1: Edit for Grammar and Punctuation

Students learn how poets adjust the conventions of grammar and punctuation to make

stylistic or philosophical statements. Students work with a peer to edit the grammar and

punctuation of their poems.

Lesson 4.2: Gather a Portfolio of Poems

Students review their poems and prepare them for publication. With the guidance of the teacher,

students publish their poems on their class ezine.

Lesson 4.3: Read and Perform Poetry

Students learn fundamental strategies for performing their poems and implement those

strategies as they read their poems to their peers. They use the Poetry Rubric to learn how their

performance will be judged at the culminating Teaching Matters Spoken Word Event. Advanced

performance strategies are addressed in (Supplementary) Lesson 4.5: Rhythm and Motion.

Lesson 4.4: Record Your Poems (Supplementary)

Students learn strategies for performing a ﬂ uid and engaging reading of their poems. They make

use of the written cues for pausing, pacing and emphasis (line- and stanza breaks, commas).

Lesson 4.5: Rhythm and Motion (Supplementary)

Students learn strategies for performing poetry for an audience, focusing on

ways to use rhythm and movement in delivering a

compelling reading.

Students

learn

strategies

for

performing

poetry

for

an

audience

,

focusing

on

wa

y

s to use rh

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thm and movement in deliverin

g

a

c

ompellin

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readin

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.

Page 12

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Common Core Standards Alignment

Writing Matters units align especially well with the Common Core Standards (www.corestandards.org).

Below is a chart that demonstrates the particular areas of alignment for each unit.

Unit Standard

Editorials

Feature Articles

Mastering the

Essentials

Memoir

Poetry

Response to

Literature

Short Fiction

Writing Standards

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and

style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and

strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a

new approach.

6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well

as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufﬁ cient command of

keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂ ection, and

revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of

discipline-speciﬁ c tasks, purposes, and audiences

Language Standards

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking,

reading, or listening.

Journalism

Editorials

Feature Articles

Writing Standards

1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,

concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of

relevant content.

7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several

sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the

credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of

others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information.

Reading Standards

8. Trace and evaluate the argument and speciﬁ c claims in a text, distinguishing

claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Narrative

Mastering the

Essentials

Memoir

Short Fiction

Writing Standards

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using

effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event

sequences.

Response to

Literature

Writing Standards

9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reﬂ ection,

and research. Apply grade level Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare

and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical

novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and

topics”).

Reading Standards

1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well

as inferences drawn from the text.

2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through

particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or

judgments.

Page 13

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Poetry References for Teachers

Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: New Understanding About Writing, Reading and Teaching. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann, 2005.

Bigelow, Bill, Brenda Harvey, Stan Karp and Larry Miller. Rethinking Our Schools, Volume 2: Teaching

Equity and Justice. Willston, Vermont: Rethinking Schools, Ltd., 2001.

Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1994.

Carlson, Lori, et al. Cool Salsa. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett (reprint edition), 1995.

Heard, Georgia. Awakening the Heart. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999.

Heard, Georgia. The Revision Toolbox. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. Salting the Ocean. NY: HarperCollins, 2000.

Page 14

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Getting Started: Carrying Out Writing Poetry

Day-to-Day

Using the Reading Companion for Writing Poetry

In order for students to write effectively in a genre, they need to be exposed to a variety of good

examples of that type of writing. In terms of poetry, students’ exposure is often limited to either simplistic

poetry or inaccessible poems that require lengthy interpretation. Instead, what follows is a unit that

moves from reading accessible poems to interpreting more challenging ones. Students also compare

poems to one another as well as to prose. This skill is aligned with New York State ELA standards for

middle school students.

Lessons and texts recommended are meant to be part of a classroom’s reading workshop routine during

the unit. Ideally, the recommended reading workshop lessons will begin before the Writing Poetry unit,

giving students an opportunity to immerse themselves in this genre before starting to write their own

poems. While implementing Writing Poetry, reading workshop lessons should place emphasis on read

alouds during mini lessons, independent application of strategies and discussion with peers.

Writing Poetry offers a set of suggested readings and reading workshop objectives that complement

the program’s writing lessons. All poems recommended for reading are located in the Poetry Packet

(Handout 1.1a). For each step of the unit, speciﬁ c reading skills and strategies are targeted. Beginning

with an introduction to the characteristics of poetry, the ﬁ rst reading lessons emphasize making

personal connections to poems. The next step focuses on analyzing poems that take a variety of forms,

particularly haikus and sonnets. In the third step, students learn about a poet’s key craft strategies, such

as line and stanza breaks, word choice and literary devices, as they analyze poetry. In the ﬁ nal step,

students pull all of these strategies together to compare poetry to prose.

Page 15

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Grade Modiﬁ cation

Writing Matters offer strategies for multiple grade levels, recognizing that as students progress from

grade to grade, their needs and interests change, as do academic expectations.

Three levels are addressed within each unit:

• Beginner: Grades 5 or 6, or middle school classes having no prior experience with writing

workshop and Writing Matters. “Beginner” strategies meet NYS Grade 6 ELA Standards.

• Intermediate: Grades 6 or 7, or middle school classes that have had some prior experience

with writing workshop and Writing Matters. “Intermediate” strategies meet NYS Grade 7 ELA

standards.

• Experienced: Grades 7 and up, or middle school classes that have had prior experience with

Writing Mattersand/or writing workshop. “Experienced” strategies meet NYS Grade 8 ELA

standards.

Suggestions for grade level modiﬁ cation are of four types, and can be found in the online and print

versions of each unit:

• Modify Mentor Texts: Recommended texts anticipate student interests, reading ability and

cognitive and emotional readiness at various grade levels.

• Modify Instructional Strategies: Modiﬁ cations focus on what the teacher teaches (content)

and how the teacher teaches (group work, individual work, etc.) in order to move students

from scaffolded learning to greater independence as they advance through the grades.

• Modify Technology Use: Opportunities to learn from sharing, interacting and researching

increase and deepen as students move from grade to grade.

• Modify Assessment/Outcomes: Expectations and rubrics are aligned with grade-level

standards and are reﬂ ected in assignments given to students and rubrics used to evaluate

the writing.

Teachers are encouraged to use Writing Matters grade modiﬁ cation suggestions as a starting point upon

which to expand in order to effectively address the learning needs of their classes.

Page 16

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Technology Set Up

There are many different technological components to Writing Poetry. Prep & Tech is included at the top

of every lesson. In that section, you will ﬁ nd suggestions for how to prepare the technology, classroom

setup and student materials for that particular lesson. Here is a list of computer hardware that you will

need throughout this unit:

LCD projector and laptop: For many lessons, it is important to use an LCD projector and computer

to display the animated programs and the website for students. When setting up your LCD projector,

it is best to use a white screen or white board to display the projection. White boards (white dry-erase

boards used in many schools instead of chalkboards) and Smartboards (interactive white boards that

act like large touch screen computers) are often ideal for projection.

Internet Connection: If the Internet connection in your classroom is inconsistent or non-existent,

use the Writing Poetry CD to show the handouts, animations and Think Alouds located in the Online

Classroom.

Speakers: If you are using a laptop, the speakers are not usually loud enough for all of the students

in a classroom to hear clearly. It is helpful to connect a set of speakers to the computer before getting

started.

Laptop Carts: When using a laptop cart, it is important to test each laptop to make sure it functions

properly and the battery is charged. Always allow time for handing out and collecting the laptops. It is

also helpful to assign a speciﬁ c laptop to each student, pair or group. This way, students can be held

accountable for the equipment and can continue their work over the course of several class periods.

Computer Guidelines: Before beginning the unit, you will want to establish computer guidelines. Some

basic rules for students are:

1. Never have food or drinks near the computer.

2. Always wait for instructions from the teacher before using the computer.

3. Never touch the screen of a laptop computer.

4. Always wait for instructions to turn a computer on or off.

Registering Students for the Online Classroom: Students will need to create Writing Matters

accounts before beginning the program. Each student must have an individual username and password

for Writing Matters. This will allow him/her to contribute to online discussions and store drafts online.

Students should create simple usernames, such as their ﬁ rst name and last initial. They should write

their usernames and passwords in their writers’ notebooks.

Student Permission Form: Parents will need to sign a release form created by your school that will

allow students to post their poems to the Writing Matters online publication. This release form should

reﬂ ect your schools’ policy toward online publishing. A sample from can be found in the Handouts

section of the Online Classroom.

Page 17

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Implementing the Workshop Model

Writing Poetry conforms to the conventions and steps of the writing workshop, including generating

ideas, planning the piece, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Within this context, lessons follow

the workshop approach. Each lesson includes a 10–15 minute mini lesson followed by an extended

time for students to work independently on their writing. During this time, conferences are conducted

to address the speciﬁ c needs of individual students. Every lesson ends with a brief summary and/or

opportunity for students to share what they have accomplished.

Mini Lesson

Mini lessons build on one another to introduce particular strategies for generating ideas and crafting

and revising work. Instruction generally incorporates guided analysis of published texts (called “mentor

texts”), teacher modeling and/or modeling by animated characters, JT, DD, KC and Z, recognizing that

it is important for students to have models of polished pieces. It is equally important for them to see the

struggles and successes other students experience with the writing process. It is therefore critical that

teachers draft their own pieces and demonstrate their own writing process throughout the unit.

Writer’s Work Time

Following the mini lesson, students apply what they have learned to their own writing. Most importantly,

they are given extended periods of time to write, so they can try out new strategies, work through writing

blocks, experiment with different approaches, reread and revise. In short, writers need this time to craft

thoughtful and polished pieces. Teachers take advantage of this time to confer with individual students

on their work.

Assess, Confer and Diﬀ erentiate

Conferring is essential to successful writing workshops because it allows teachers to assess individual

progress and tailor recommendations for next steps. Several strategies/tools have been incorporated to

aid teachers in monitoring individual and class progress throughout this unit.

Assess

• Baseline Assessment, administered in the ﬁ rst unit (Writing the Essentials), provides

preliminary data on both class trends and individual students’ needs. These data should be

referenced throughout the program as a way to track needs and progress.

• Checkpoints (an average of one per step of the unit) have been established to help teachers

get a quick read on whether students are ready to tackle new strategies or if additional time

or reteaching is needed.

• A Teacher’s Checklist (online and in the binder) accompanies the checkpoints. The checklist

is a simple instrument to be used day-to-day to record checkpoint data and other key

information/trends noted within the class. Having this summary makes it easier to decide

on the appropriate action or adjustments to instruction, such as proceeding to the next mini

lesson, forming a guided group for those requiring additional scaffolding or reteaching the

entire class before introducing new material.

• Poetry Rubric, used by students and teacher to assess the outcomes/student work produced

through participation in the unit. Unit rubrics are aligned with one another so that progress

can be measured over time as students acquire writing skills common to all genre studies

incorporated in Writing Matters.

Page 18

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Confer and Differentiate

• Conferring is central to implementing a writing workshop that meets the needs of your

students. A writing conference is a time for a teacher to speak with an individual student

about his/her writing in order to help him/her move forward as a writer. Conferences contain

a speciﬁ c predictable structure, with a clear role for teacher and student. As an outcome

of the conference, students should be very clear on one new action to take to improve as

writers. See Anderson (2000) for additional information.

• A Conferring Log (online and in binder) is provided for maintaining assessment data related

to individual student conferences. The log helps teachers focus on students’ particular needs

(“what I found”), and keep a record of corresponding instructional strategies (“what I taught”)

and short term goals for the student (“next steps”).

• Conferring Strategies

Each lesson contains a Conferring and Differentiation section, which indicates the

potential difﬁ culties students may have at each stage of the writing process, as well

as possible approaches to helping students in these areas. Note that while speciﬁ c

strategies are provided for each lesson, they are designed to be used at any time,

depending on the student’s needs.

Below is an outline that includes some suggested approaches for conferring. In the body

of each lesson in the Conferring Chart, there are more speciﬁ c examples of strategies.

Brainstorm list: Teacher assists student in developing a list of possibilities, such as

potential plots or word choice.

Create a chart: Teacher has student create a chart to organize his/her thinking. Charts

may be in the form of a web, timeline, calendar, columns or other graphic organizer.

Demonstrate process: Teacher demonstrates how the application of the writing strategy

has improved his/her own writing.

Prompt with questions: Teacher asks a series of questions to expand or redirect

student’s thinking.

Provide another model: Teacher shows student other written work that demonstrates

the task effectively.

Provide extension: Teacher guides students in expanding the work, either by deepening

the existing piece or by adding companion pieces of work.

Reconnect with earlier work: Teacher reminds student of the work they have already

completed, such as planning materials or early writing, to help the student maintain

continuity.

Refer to mentor text: Teacher highlights a portion from a familiar text that exempliﬁ es

the use of a particular strategy.

Revisit handout: Teacher re-teaches using handouts to reinforce lesson strategy and

content. This may be accomplished by focusing on structures provided in the handouts or

directing students to rules or examples available.

Page 19

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Use another modality: Teacher taps into visual, kinesthetic or other learning modes that meet

the student’s particular needs.

Use Differentiated Instruction (DI) Handout: Teacher provides student with supplementary

handout to scaffold thinking and writing.

Share

Each lesson concludes with an opportunity for teachers and students to review the main teaching point

and to celebrate what was accomplished. Charts created during mini lessons are often reviewed during

this part of the lesson. While each lesson provides an example of how to share, there are many more

ways to go about this important part of the workshop, depending on the task at hand, time available and

needs of the class.

A more extensive list of ways to share includes the following activities:

• Students engage in a “turn and talk” followed by a teacher report. Writers share ideas

or drafts with partners for under ﬁ ve minutes while the teacher circulates to assess what

progress has been made. The teacher then reconvenes the class and reviews and/or lists

what s/he overheard.

• The teacher reports on what s/he observed in class. As the teacher circulates or confers

during Writer’s Work Time, s/he ﬁ nds one student who used the strategy introduced in the

mini lesson to serve as an example. The teacher reports to the class what the student did,

and then asks students to return to their work to see if they have done the same. The teacher

concludes the lesson by telling the group how to execute that strategy in the future.

• The teacher reports on his/her own progress. The teacher recalls the teaching point and

strategy emphasized in the lesson and returns to his/her own writing to show what s/he

accomplished or could have improved upon.

• The teacher recalls the teaching point. Then s/he reads a few sentences aloud from a mentor

text that clearly demonstrates the point as applied.

• The teacher recalls the teaching point and strategy emphasized in the lesson and asks

students to return to their work to ﬁ nd evidence of the strategy. Students are asked to ﬁ nd

one sentence that makes them particularly proud. The teacher asks them to raise their hands

(or equivalent) to show that they have one: there should be lots of hands. Then the teacher

picks several students to read their sentences. The teacher concludes by offering praise,

recalling the strategy one more time.

• If students have been turning and talking to the same partner over time, it makes a signiﬁ cant

difference when they share their drafts with someone who has not been hearing their ideas

evolve. This is particularly helpful once drafting begins and students begin to review one

another’s work for clarity of meaning.

Collaboration with peers is integral to sharing. Students regularly talk through topics, compare struggles

and successes and review peer work in order to help create a classroom community of writers to which

all can contribute and within which all can grow in expertise. The Online Classroom offers several

opportunities to share work with peers, allowing students to give and get feedback from many more

classmates than would be practical face to face.

Page 20

Writing Poetry - Unit Overview

Publish Work

At the end of the unit, students publish their work in their class ezines, which reaches an online

audience of peers and, if made public, parents and community members as well. Teachers can

customize the Writing Matters class ezine as well as elect to keep writing submissions public (available

to the world) or private (available only to the class). Teachers and their students can select pieces

from class ezines to submit to the city-wide publication managed by teens for teens. With the teacher’s

approval, students may also comment on and rate their peers’ stories.

Celebrate at Citywide Event

As the culmination of the unit, all participating schools are encouraged to take part in Teaching Matters’

annual spoken word event, where student poets will get the chance to share their creativity with peers

from other schools. For details on the event and participation requirements, please consult with your

Educational Consultant.

Page 21

Writing Poetry - Step : Be a Poet

Heads Up!

Step : Be a Poet

This beginning stage focuses on developing students’ interest and ideas for writing a Self-portrait Poem

using poetic devices. At the end of this step, students complete the ﬁ rst poem of four that will reside in

their “Poetry Portfolios.”

Lesson Prep and Tech

Before

the step

Create, copy, distribute and collect Student Permission Form

Enroll students in Online Classroom

Plan a system for rapid distribution of technology

1.1

Select one of the Self-portrait Poems for the Teacher Model and prepare a

written reﬂ ection

1.1a: Poetry Packet

– Beginner

1.1a: Poetry Packet

– Intermediate

1.1a: Poetry Packet

– Experienced

1.1b: Poetry Checklist

1.1c: Self-portrait Reﬂ ection: Differentiated Instruction (DI)

Speakers

1.2

B,I

Prepare a partial draft of your Self-portrait Poem using similes and metaphors

1.2a: Self-portrait Brainstorm – Beginner

Student computers with Internet access

1.3

E

Complete the draft of your Self-portrait Poem

1.3a: Where I’m From Brainstorm: DI

Student computers with Internet access

1.4

Ideas for extending similes and metaphors in your Self-portrait Poem

1.4a: Poetry Rubric

– Beginner

1.4a: Poetry Rubric

– Intermediate

1.4a: Poetry Rubric

– Experienced

Checkpoint: Review poems before moving on to Step 2

Student computers with Internet access

Page 22

Writing Poetry - Step : Be Poet

Reading Companion

Step 1: Be a Poet

Reading workshop takes a predictable form, starting with a mini lesson that introduces a new strategy,

often through a read aloud of a poem. Students try out the strategy in a turn-and-talk with a classmate

prior to applying the strategy to one of the suggested poems. Each workshop concludes with time to

share in a whole-class setting.

Step 1 of Writing Poetry engages students in reading and reﬂ ecting on a range of self-portrait poems

that resonate with their personal identities. Through this highly accessible approach, students explore

the form, language and effect of this genre.

In reading workshop, the goal is to extend the poetry exploration introduced in the writing lessons. Mini

lessons feature a read-aloud poem followed by an independent Writer’s Work Time, which provides

students additional opportunity to independently select and read accessible poems. Students reﬂ ect on

how poets describe themselves and what literary devices they use to communicate.

Skill: Exploring poetry as an accessible and relevant genre and becoming familiar with its

characteristics.

Featured Read-aloud Poems [located in Poetry Packet - Beginner, Intermediate or Experienced

(Handout 1.1a)]

“I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes

“anyone lived in a pretty how town” by e.e cummings

Recommended Independent Reading

[See haikus and sonnets in Poetry Packet – Beginner, Intermediate or Experienced (Handout 1.1a)]

Students will be able to:

• identify the characteristics of a haiku or sonnet

• identify how choice of structure inﬂ uences meaning

• infer how use of rhyming words affects the way a poem is read and understood.

To attain these objectives, ask students to read a sonnet and consider the following questions:

• Is the author using a speciﬁ c structure? If so, what is it?

• Why do you think the author chose to use that structure?

• How would the meaning of the poem change if the poet had chosen a different structure?

• Are there any rhyming words? If so, how do they affect the way you read the poem?

* Haikus have three lines with the following syllable scheme:

_____________ (5 syllables)

_____________ (7 syllables)

_____________ (5 syllables)

** Sonnets take a number of forms. In this unit, students focus on Elizabethan sonnets with the following

rhyming scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, with the GG lines forming a rhyming couplet. In addition to

the rhyming scheme, Elizabethan sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, which means each line has

ten syllables, each of which

alternates in stress (da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da Dum, da DUM).

Page 41

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Write a Poetry Hides Poem

Georgia Heard adapted this lesson from one that originally appeared in her book, Awakening the Heart.

Lesson at a Glance

After reading and analyzing a mentor text that speaks about the various places where one can ﬁ nd

inspiration for writing poetry, students write a poem that speciﬁ es where they ﬁ nd poetry in their lives.

Objectives

Students will generate ideas concerning the unlikely places where poetry is found and use those ideas

to create poems. Students will use descriptive language and sensory details in particular to describe

where poetry hides for them.

Focusing Question

Where, in everyday life, can you ﬁ nd ideas for a poem?

Prep & Tech

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of showing the animated program, show students examples of the three

types of poems they will be writing in this step: a list poem about poetry, a poem about a

childhood memory and a haiku.

• Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to model writing a list poem, use chart paper.

Note: Throughout this step, students will need the Poetry Packet – Beginner (Handout 1.1a) distributed

in Step 1. In Lesson 2.1, they will use the materials in the Poetry Hides section.

List of places where poetry hides

Beginning of Poetry Hides poem

2.1a: Four Doors of Poetry: DI

Speakers

Page 42

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Write a Poetry Hides Poem.

Today’s Strategy: To write a poem about some part of students’

daily lives by looking at details in the everyday world in new

ways.

Introduce the step and the lesson. Show the animated

program Draft Your Poems. Explain to students that they are

beginning the second step in the Writing Poetry unit when they

will draft three poems the way DD and JT, the characters in

the animation, did. Today’s lesson will focus on the ﬁ rst poem,

which describes where they ﬁ nd poetry in their lives.

Introduce the concept of “poetry hides” by reading aloud a

mentor text. Refer students to the Poetry Hides material in the

Poetry Packet – Beginner (Handout 1.1a). Read aloud the men-

tor text, “In the Elements” by Jessica L. Ask students to follow

along in the text and write ideas in the margins about speciﬁ c

places where the speaker of the poem ﬁ nds ideas for poems.

After reading the text, review with students the places where

the poet found ideas for poems.

Teacher Model

• Brainstorm a list of places where poetry hides for

you.

• Model thinking of interesting and unusual places

where people do not normally think of poetry

residing.

• Star one item on your list that you will expand and

deepen in your poem.

• Make this item more vivid, detailed and personal.

Comment on how the details enable the reader to

create a mental picture of what the writer is trying to

communicate.

• Create a poem from your list by expanding on a few

of the items and writing an ending line that

summarizes what the items on the list have in com-

mon or what they mean to you.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Mentor Text:

Use the following texts, which are

located in the Poetry Hides

section of the appropriate Poetry

Packet (Handout 1.1a).

Intermediate: “Valentine for

Ernest Mann” by Naomi Shihab-

Nye

Experienced: “Praise Song for

a Day,” by Elizabeth Alexander.

Since this poem is long, you may

choose to focus on a few stanzas

that are most likely to resonate

with students.

Page 43

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

In the poem, the poet mentions some interesting and unusual places where poetry hides, including

watermelon, snow and tar.

• dirty dishes • the dialogue of a good movie

• crisp, clean air • the sound of laughter

• a frozen puddle • a broken window

DD, the character in the opening animation, started with “Poetry hides in pajamas” and ended up with

“Poetry hides in the side pocket of my softest blue pajamas.” I am going to expand on the ﬁ rst item in the

list. Instead of “Poetry hides in dirty dishes,” I am going to try to be more descriptive.

Poetry hides in the last crumbs of birthday cake on my best dishes

Poetry hides in the dialogue of a thrilling movie

I will continue to expand my list and include some of the items in my poem. Then I will end with a line

that ties it all together: “Poetry hides in my deepest self.”

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Active Engagement: Students quickly think of one idea of where poetry hides for them, and turn and talk

with a partner to share it. Listen to students share their initial thoughts to check that they are generating

personal and interesting ideas.

Give the following directions:

• Title a page in your writer’s notebook with the words “Poetry Hides.”Create a list of eight to

ten places where poetry hides for you.

• Review your list and star one or two items that you can expand and deepen in your poem.

• Turn some of your ideas into a list poem and create a line at the end that ties it all together.

Page 44

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Writer’s Work Time: Part I ( min)

* There will be a midworkshop interruption after students

complete their lists.

Students create a list of eight to ten places where they see

poetry in their lives. They use that list as the basis for their

“poetry hides” poem. Students conclude their list poems by writ-

ing a closing line or phrase that makes a connection or summa-

rizes the items on the list.

Midworkshop Interruption (5 min)

Tell students that they already have a list poem, when read line

by line. Tell them they are now going to add a literary device

called personiﬁ cation. Provide the following deﬁ nition of person-

iﬁ cation: giving human qualities to an animal or object.

Read the line “Poetry hides in oil pools licking up my shoelaces”

and explain that this is an example of personiﬁ cation because

oil pools cannot actually “lick”. Mention that even “Poetry hides”

is an example of personiﬁ cation because poetry cannot actually

“hide”.

Writer’s Work Time: Part II ( min)

Give students time to add personiﬁ cation to their Poetry Hides

poems.

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• imaginative and personal ideas about where to ﬁ nd

topics for writing poetry

• details to elaborated descriptions in their draft

poems.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual

conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach

and next steps for the student.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Instructional Strategy:

Have students use similes,

metaphors, personiﬁ cation and any

other literary devices they should

be familiar with. Literary devices

should only be used to add to the

meaning and effect of their poems.

Page 45

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

What you might ﬁ nd:

Suggested Approaches:

Concrete ideas for where to ﬁ

nd poetry Use DI handout: Show students Four Doors of Poetry

(Handout 2.1a) as a prompt for types of places to look for

poetry.

Refer to mentor text: Identify where in the poem the

author uses unusual and surprising ideas for where

to ﬁ nd poetry. Discuss the meaning of some of these

instances and the implications for the students’ poems.

Create a chart: Have students create a two-columned

chart with the following titles: predictable and surprising.

Have student ﬁ ll in both columns with possible places to

ﬁ nd poetry.

Language is superﬁ cial or clichéd Refer to mentor text: Show student example of poet

using unusual but apt comparisons, such as Self-portrait

poem by Simon in the Poetry Packet-Beginner (Handout

1.1a.)

Limited understanding of literary

devices taught to date – simile,

metaphor, personiﬁ cation

Create a chart: Have students make a T-chart with one

column as ordinary language for describing one part of

an object and the other column describing that same part

in terms you would never associate with that object but

that still make sense, e.g., comparing telephone wire to

dental ﬂ oss.

Ready for more Provide extension: Instruct students who ﬁ nish to

expand their poems or write an additional list poem.

Students can read other list poems located in Prof. P’s

Ofﬁ ce Students can try some of the activities in Prof.

P’s Ofﬁ ce, such as Cracking Open Words and Poetry

Challenge.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Describe two examples you observed during independent writing time. Point out

how these students describe a wide variety of places where poetry can be found. If time permits, ask

a student to read his or her poem. Explain that these poems are good examples of list poems. Remind

students that they will return to their Poetry Hides poem in Step 3: Craft and Revise.

Review the Poetry Checklist (Handout 1.1b), pointing out the objectives relevant to Poetry Hides Poems.

As students complete their ﬁ rst drafts, they should check off objectives they have met.

Page 46

Page 47

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson 2.2: Write a Memory Poem

Georgia Heard adapted this lesson from one that originally appeared in her book, Awakening the Heart.

Lesson at a Glance

Students create poems about speciﬁ c childhood memories using a “six-room” format. The rooms help

students explore the memory from multiple perspectives, which in turn enable them to gain insight and

tap into vivid imagery to be incorporated into their poems.

Objectives

Students will write a poem inspired by a childhood memory using a “multi-room” format. Students will

explore multiple sensory images related to a single childhood memory. Students will describe this

childhood memory using descriptive language and details effectively.

Focusing Question

How do you communicate a memory to readers in the form of a poem?

Prep & Tech

List of childhood memories

Entries for the ﬁ rst few rooms of your Memory Poem

2.2a: Memory Poem – Beginner

2.2a: Memory Poem – Intermediate

2.2a: Memory Poem – IExperienced

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to model writing a list poem, use

chart paper.

• Writer’s Work Time: Instead of viewing DD’s Think Aloud: Write a Memory Poem, ask

students to talk with a partner about their memory. Students can help each other sort out the

contents of each “room” and transition to creating a poem.

Notes:

(1) It will be helpful to have students brainstorm a list of memories based on Memory Poems read during

the reading workshop before this lesson.

(2) This lesson has a longer mini lesson than is typically recommended. Instead of watching the teacher

model how to create a Memory Poem, students plan their poems using a step-by-step approach,

completing the Memory Poem (Handout 2.2a). When students transition to Writer’s Work Time, they are

ready to draft their poems.

Intermediate

Modify Instructional Strategy:

Use Memory Poem – Intermediate

(Handout 2.2a) to give writers

the opportunity to stretch their

creativity. Have them write

about additional senses and

experiences. Add rooms that

cover following:

-taste (foods in your memory)

-objects (things from your memory)

-people (people in your memory).

You may use as many as 12

rooms.

Once students have begun

drafting, guide them in integrating

rooms into stanzas by pulling from

multiple rooms for each stanza.

For example, instead of a stanza

on light and a separate stanza on

sounds, a stanza would include

elements from “light” and “sound”

rooms.

Experienced

Modify Instructional Strategy:

Instead of guiding students

through the entire experience,

model one or two “rooms” and

then have them continue to plan

their poems independently using

Memory Poem – Experienced

(Handout 2.2a.) If your students

are advanced, have them

independantly decide on additional

“rooms” rather than guiding

the whole class to work on the

same rooms.e advanced, have

them independently decide on

additional “rooms” rather than

guiding the whole class to work

on the exact same rooms.

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Write a Memory Poem.

Today’s Strategy: To effectively communicate a memory by

using sensory details.

Explain the purpose of the lesson. Students will write a poem

based on a childhood memory. To get started, they will explore

several aspects of a single memory and then use sensory detail

to write a poem that clearly communicates the experience to

readers.

Get students started in thinking about memories they

might write about. Distribute copies of Memory Poem –

Beginner (Handout 2.2a). Read through the writing instructions

in each room/box. Prompt students with some ideas about what

they might write about in Room #1, the childhood memory, in

more detail. Do so by showing the following questions:

• Do you remember a “ﬁ rst time” memory: the ﬁ rst time

you rode a bike, the ﬁ rst time you went to school, the

ﬁ rst time you slept over at a friend’s house, etc.?

• Can you think of a small moment memory: the smell

of cookies baking in your kitchen, the squeak of a

ﬂ oorboard on the stairs, cracks in the ceiling of a

room, etc.?

• Do you remember any happy traditions or memories

around a special occasion like your birthday or a

family holiday?

• Do you have a memory inspired by a person who

was/is important to you?

Teacher Model

• Brainstorm several different memories from your

childhood.

• Think aloud about which memory would be best for a

poem that uses sensory details.

• Write a few sentences describing the memory in the

ﬁ rst room of Memory Poem – Beginner (Handout

2.2a). This should be a vivid prose description of the

memory. Model how to start one or two of the other

ﬁ ve rooms (the light, the sounds, questions, feelings,

repeated phrase) by writing key words and sensory

details that describe the memory in each box.

• Tell students that they will create a poem based on

the rooms once they have written in all the rooms.

Page 48

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

Here are some different memories from my childhood that I might write a Memory Poem about:

• My ﬁ rst homerun • Attacked by a dog

• My grandfather’s secret money* • Apple picking with my family

• My thirteenth birthday

I have a range of ideas for my poem: a happy memory, a frightening memory, an embarrassing memory.

I am going to write about the time my grandfather told me a secret. When I was about eleven years

old, he showed me a place where he was keeping money hidden for me and my brother until after he

passed away.

Room 1: The Memory

My grandfather had a secret, which he told me in the cellar where we crushed grapes to make wine. I

remember standing in the dark passageway behind the wine barrels at the time. He said there was a lot

of money hidden for me and my brother

Room 2: The Light

a dark cellar, only one light bulb, it took a few minutes for your eyes to adjust, could barely see where

the money was hidden, behind the barrels, high wooden shelf

Room 3: The Sounds

very quiet, creak of the door, shufﬂ e of his feet, He said in a heavy accent, “Remember, when I pass

away,” my grandfather, he loved me.

This should give you a sense of how to write in all of the boxes. Once you ﬁ nish writing the details in all

of the rooms, you will craft your poem using what you wrote in the boxes.

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Guide the class to complete Memory Poem – Beginner (Handout 2.2a) room by room so that students

are all focusing on the same room at the same time. This will help them write more details about each

aspect of their memory. Explain to students that the class will spend approximately three to ﬁ ve minutes

writing in each of the rooms. Tell students that they should continue to add details until directed to move

on.

Ask students to:

• Brainstorm in their notebooks possible memories from their childhoods that they can write

about. Star the one that they would like to write a poem about.

• In Room #1 on the drafting guide in Memory Poem – Beginner (Handout 2.2a), spend three

minutes writing a description of a childhood memory. Tell students that this writing does not

have to be a poem or in complete sentences, but just a vivid and detailed description of the

memory. Explain to students that it might help to “see” a “mind-picture” of the memory or an

image, and then describe the memory based on this mind-picture. After three minutes move

on to Room #2.

• In Room #2, describe only the quality of the light in the memory. Use the following prompts to

help focus their writing:

o What kind of light is present in your memory?

o Is the sun bright? Is it a dull, ﬂ at day? Are there any shadows?

o If it is unclear what the light is like, use “poetic license” and imagine what the light

might be like.

o Are there any colors?

Page 49

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

After three minutes, move on to Room #3.

• In Room #3, focus only on the sounds. Use the following prompts to help focus their writing in

Room #3:

o Do you hear any voices in your memory?

o Do you hear any sounds like: The rustling of leaves? The sound of rain?

o If it is silent in your memory, what kind of silence? Empty? Lonely? Peaceful?

After three minutes, move on to Room #4.

• In Room #4, students should write down questions they have about their memory. Explain to

students that they can write what they might want to know more about or wonder about. Give

them just a minute to write in this room. After one minute, move on to Room #5.

• In Room #5, students should write down feelings they have about their memory. Tell them

to be speciﬁ c about what part of the memory evokes a feeling or feelings. They should try to

write more than one word answers. After three minutes, move on to Room #6.

• In Room #6, students should read over the writing in the ﬁ rst ﬁ ve rooms and select one word,

a few words, a phrase, or a sentence that feels important to their memory. Then they should

write it and repeat three times.

• Work independently to write their poems. Students should begin by watching DD’s Think

Aloud: Write a Memory Poem.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

To help transition from completing the organizers to writing their poems, students view DD’s Think Aloud:

Write a Memory Poem. Students then read over their writing from all rooms and create a poem that uses

some or all of the information they compiled. Students’ poems should use sensory details to describe

the event and their feelings associated with it. The poem doesn’t have to rhyme. They can rearrange the

order of the six rooms, or eliminate entire rooms, words or sentences. They can also add words.

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• sensory details

• a personal approach to integrating the “rooms” rather than one that is formulaic.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Trouble writing ideas for

each room

Prompt with questions:

Ask students questions about the details of

his/her memory that aid in students’ jottings in each of the rooms.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. If time permits, ask students to share their poems with a partner. Students should

provide feedback to their partners by telling them which part of their poems they like the best and which

images give them vivid pictures in their minds.

Review the Poetry Checklist (Handout 1.1b), pointing out the objectives relevant to Memory Poems. As

students complete their ﬁ rst drafts, they should check off objectives they have met.

Page 50

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Write a Surroundings Poem

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn about particular structures for writing poetry, haikus (Beginners) and sonnets

(Intermediate and Experienced), and how they differ from the free verse poetry they have been writing.

Students write a structured poem, focusing on something they observed on the street or another place

in the city.

Objective

Students will write poems that explore their surroundings while conforming to particular poetic forms or

structures.

Focusing Question

How can you use sensory details and structure to strengthen your poems?

Prep & Tech

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to model writing your poem, use

chart paper.

List of topics for Surroundings Poem

Final draft of Surroundings Poem

2.3a: Surroundings Poem – Beginner

2.3a: Surroundings Poem – Intermediate

2.3a: Surroundings Poem – Experienced

2.3b: Synonym Web: DI

Student computers

Page 51

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Write a Surroundings Poem.

Today’s Strategy: To write a poem capturing our everyday

surroundings by using a particular structure/form while

incorporating sensory details.

Explain that students will write a poem with a particular

form/structure. Tell students that a poem with a particular

form or structure is different than the free verse poems written

in previous lessons. Tell students that they will use one form

to write their poem, in this case a haiku. While haikus usually

describe something in nature, students will write their haikus

about something in their urban/city surroundings. Distribute

Surroundings Poem – Beginner (Handout 2.3a). The goal is to

stick with the form while exploring our daily urban life.

Introduce a mentor text containing the form or structure

of the poem students will write. Read aloud “Black River

Street” by Georgia Heard located in the Haiku section of the

Poetry Packet – Beginner (Handout 1.1a). Explain that this is

an excellent example of a haiku. It contains the typical form —

three unrhymed lines and 17 syllables arranged in lines of ﬁ ve,

seven and ﬁ ve syllables. Tell students that sometimes haikus

contain one less or one more syllable in a line. Ask students to

identify the ﬁ ve, seven, ﬁ ve syllable count in each line.

Teacher Model

• Think aloud about three to ﬁ ve different possible

topics for your haiku. Choose one topic to model a

haiku.

• Write a short description of the city scene you chose

for your haiku.

• Model creating a 17-syllable haiku from your

descriptive scene.

• Review your haiku with students, making sure you

follow the correct structure.

• Emphasize the importance of using descriptive

words in a haiku. Model removing words like “and,”

“the,” “somewhere,” etc.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Mentor Text:

For Intermediate, use “To a Friend”

by Amy Lowell.

For Experienced, use “Oil & Steel”

by Henri Cole. Both poems are

located in the Poetry Packet under

“Sonnets.”

Modify Instructional Strategy:

Instead of writing haikus, guide

students in writing sonnets. Tell

students that there are many

different kinds of sonnets, one of

which is an Elizabethan sonnet.

Explain to students that

Elizabethan sonnets are 14 lines

long with the last word of each line

rhyming with the last word of the

next line in this pattern:

ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Tell

students that the last two lines, or

GG, are called a rhyming couplet

(add syllable count).

Distribute Surroundings Poem

– Intermediate and Experienced

(Handout 2.3a) to guide students.

The handout provides an example

of the rhyme scheme they will use.

Page 52

Writing Poetry - Lesson . Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

Here are my possible topics for my Surroundings Haiku:

• Shoes dangling from a telephone cable • Music blasting from a car below my window

• Chewing gum stuck to the pavement • Subway rumbling below the sidewalk.

I am going to write my haiku about what I notice on my walk to school.

The smell of the Gowanus Canal, a funeral parlor, the bus I sometimes wait for that rarely comes, three

pink and yellow stores in a row, taxis ﬁ lling up at the gas station, Mr. Softee trucks parked until summer,

the Italian bakery that smells like sugar and black licorice

I am going to select a few phrases from my description to create a city haiku.

Line 1:

Smell of the Gowanus Canal (8 syllables)

I can take out some words to keep the same meaning in 5 syllables: Smell of Gowanus

Line 2:

Mr. Softee trucks parked until summer (10 syllables)

The main idea I want to get across is ice cream trucks out of season and change it to “ice cream trucks

parked till summer” (7 syllables)

Line 3:

pink and yellow stores in a row (8 syllables)

I can take out some small words like “in” and “a” and even keep it to “pink and yellow stores” (5

syllables).

There. I like how I pulled from all of my descriptions to show a picture of my walk to school that includes

some color, smell and something interesting I see. Here is my Surroundings Haiku:

Smell of Gowanus (5 syllables)

Ice cream trucks parked till summer (7 syllables)

Pink and yellow stores (5 syllables)

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Give the following directions:

• Use Surroundings Poem – Beginner (Handout 2.3a) to brainstorm 3–5 possible topics for

your poem. Some topic ideas:

o What you see from your apartment window

o What your street looks like ﬁ rst thing in the morning

o A place you go on special occasions

• Choose one topic for your poem.

• Use the structured format to write about the topic you choose.

Page 53

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students begin by brainstorming topics for their Surroundings Poem by thinking about what they see

and experience every day: a scene outside the apartment window, the beauty of the urban landscape,

what their street looks like in the morning or a place in the city that they really enjoy. Students use one of

those topics to write their poems.

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• a poem that addresses their everyday surroundings while using a speciﬁ c structure.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Ask students which was easier — writing a structured poem or a poem in free

verse. Discuss why poets take the time to write structured poems at all. Ask students to go to Step 2 of

the Online Classroom to post their Surroundings Poems in the activity titled Share Your Draft Poems.

Have students revisit the Poetry Rubric – Beginner (Handout 1.4a). Ask them to review their three draft

poems against the Topic and Ideas and Organization categories and make notes about improvements

they might want to make during the next several lessons (Step 3: Craft & Revise).

Checkpoint

Review students’ poems by collecting them or logging into the Online Classroom. Review the

work to assess whether students have written the following poems with essential elements:

• Poetry Hides poem, including effective personiﬁ cation

• Memory Poem, including vivid imagery

• Surroundings Poem, containing all structural traits and is meaningful.

Record on the Teacher’s Checklist what students have completed to this point. If the majority of students

drafted complete poems, move on to Step 3. If not, it is important to give students more time or reteach,

using the differentiated instruction and conferring strategies listed above. Depending on the number

of students who continue struggling, you may opt to proceed and to form a small guided group to offer

additional help during the next lesson.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Trouble ﬁ

nding a topic Brainstorm list: Guide students in looking out the

window or around the school for objects and scenes that

trigger ideas. Then encourage student to do the same in

his/her home.

Trouble making good word choices or

ﬁ tting syllable structure

Use DI Handout: Show student Synonym Web (Handout

2.3b) as a tool for gathering interesting words.

Ready for more Provide extension: Encourage students who ﬁ nish

to expand their poems with new stanzas or to write

additional poems describing other city scenes or

situations. Students may also go to the Poetry Center

in the Online Classroom and explore activities such as

Cracking Open Words or Poetry Challenge.

Page 54

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Use the Computer to Draft Your Poems

(Supplementary)

Lesson at a Glance

Students make the best use of word processing software to prepare drafts of their poems for revision

and publishing.

Objective

Students will use the fundamental features of a word processing program to type a complete draft of

their four poems.

Focusing Question

How can the computer help you with real world writing?

Prep & Tech

First draft of your poem on paper

Student computers

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Move on to Step 3: Craft and Revise. Students can revise their poems in their writers’

notebooks. Students will need typed drafts of their poems before they can publish online.

Note: In order to take full advantage of this lesson, students will need to have completed their draft

poems. Students will have great success revising and editing in Steps 3 and 4 if their work is in

electronic form.

Page 55

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 56

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Use the Computer to Draft Your Poems.

Today’s Strategy: To type draft poems on computer in preparation for revising, editing and publishing.

Explain that in real world writing, writers use computers to publish their pieces. Some writers

ﬁ nd it useful to write their ﬁ rst drafts on paper, while others start at the computer. Once the work is

electronic, it is easier to revise and to share with people around the city, the country and even around

the world.

Tell students that they will have the opportunity to publish online in the Writing Matters ezine.

Teacher Model:

• Show students a ﬁ rst draft of one poem on paper. Model how to use a word processing

program to input your poems using the computer/LCD projector.

• Model how to save a document and title it using a date in the title. Show students where you

want them to save their documents. Some suggestions include in the “My Documents” or on

the “Desktop.” Advise students who need additional help to view DD’s E-tutorial: File Saving,

found in Step 2 of the Online Classroom.

• Show students how to resave their drafts after every poem they type.

• Model how to skip space between each poem you type. Encourage students to type multiple

poems on one page. This will make transferring to the class ezine simpler.

• If your students already know the basics, use this time to demonstrate the spelling and

grammar check. Advise students who need additional help to view DD’s E-tutorial: Spelling

and Grammar Check, found in Step 4 of the Online Classroom.

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute computers. Give the following directions:

• Open a word processing document.

• Save your document on the computer. The title should include your name, the date and the

word poetry or poem. Example: Elizabeth_poems_4_12

• Type your poems. Don’t forget to save your document every few minutes.

• When you ﬁ nish typing your poems, go to Step 2 of the Online Classroom.

• Submit your document to the activity Submit Your First Draft Poems.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students work individually to type their poems. They begin by naming and saving their documents.

When there are ﬁ ve minutes remaining in Writer’s Work Time, students should resave their documents

and then submit and store them in the Online Classroom.

Page 57

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work is typed.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Show the Online Classroom and review it with students to make sure that all

students have submitted their drafts. Discuss with students what they learned about their writing while

typing their poems on the computer.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Trouble getting started Refer to another model: Instruct students that have

difﬁ

culty using the word processing software to watch

DD’s E-tutorials: File Saving, Cut and Paste, and

Spelling and Grammar Check to better understand the

functions of Microsoft Word.

Page 58

Page 59

Writing Poetry - Step : Craft & Revise

Heads Up!

Step : Craft & Revise

Students work independently, as well as with peers and the teacher, to ensure that their poems convey

the meaning and emotions they wish to communicate. Students revise their drafts for line- and stanza

breaks, word choice, clarity of meaning and musicality. By the end of this step, they will have created the

full set of poems that will comprise their portfolios.

Lesson Prep and Tech

Before the

step

Review students’ draft poems in the Online Classroom

3.1

Select a poem you drafted in Step 2

3.1a: Line-breaks – Beginner

3.1b: Create Line- and Stanza Breaks: DI

Speakers and student computers with Internet access

3.2

Select a poem you drafted in Step 2

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice – Beginner

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice – Intermediate

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice – Experienced

Student computers with Internet access

3.3

Select a poem you drafted in Step 2

Student computers with Internet access

3.4

(Supplementary)

Select a poem you revised to rate against the Poetry Rubric

Student computers with Internet access

Reading Companion

Step 3: Craft & Revise

Reading workshop takes a predictable form, starting with a mini lesson that introduces a new strategy,

often through reading a poem aloud. Students try out the strategy in a turn-and-talk with a classmate

prior to applying the strategy to one of the suggested poems. Each workshop concludes with time to

share in a whole-class setting.

In Step 3 of Writing Poetry, students revise drafts of their poems using three craft strategies essential

to poetry. They adjust line- and stanza breaks, incorporate vivid words and add musical tools like

alliteration and rhyme to emphasize the meaning and feeling of their poems. Mini lessons feature a

read-aloud poem followed by an independent Writer’s Work Time, which provides students additional

opportunity to read and interpret challenging poems in pairs.

Skill: Comparing two poems and interpreting them through craft.

Featured Read Aloud Poems [located in appropriate Poetry Packet – Beginner (Handout 1.1a)]

“Dawn Revisited” by Rita Dove

“Dawn in New York” by Claude McKay

Recommended Independent Reading [located in appropriate Poetry Packet (Handout 1.1a)]

Beginner: “Black River Streets” by Georgia Heard

“Rainy Day” by Grace

Intermediate and Experienced: “BOUNCING BASKETBALL” by Lee Emmett, Australia

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Students will be able to:

• apply knowledge of craft strategies to poetry they read

• compare the craft in two poems on similar topics.

To attain these objectives, ask students to:

• form pairs and look for the following craft strategies as they read both poems:

o image: (What do you picture in your mind?)

o metaphor/simile: (Underline examples that surprise you.)

o words (Look for unusual words.)

o line-breaks/stanza breaks (How are line-breaks used? Based on the work done

for Memory Poems, which rooms are included in the poem?)

o repetition, patterns, rhyme (Is there a pattern? What does it do for the feeling of

the poem? Highlight rhyming words)

• show evidence of their ﬁ ndings through their notes and discussion

• comment on the effect of craft on each poem’s meaning.

Page 60

Writing Poetry - Step : Craft & Revise

Lesson .: Revise for Line-breaks and Stanza Breaks

Lesson at a Glance

After learning how line-breaks and stanza breaks change the pace, rhythm and meaning of a poem,

students revise three of their poems accordingly.

Objectives

Students will understand how line-breaks and stanza breaks affect the meaning and overall effect of a

poem. Students will revise their poems to ensure that line-breaks and stanza breaks enhance meaning

and overall effect.

Focusing Question

How can you create effective line-breaks and stanza breaks in your poems?

Prep & Tech

Poem you drafted in Step 2

3.1a: Line-breaks

3.1b: Create Line - and Stanza Breaks: DI

Student computers with Internet access and speakers

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of showing the introductory program and/or the American Academy of

Poets website, invite students to try reading the two versions of the Ruth Whitman or Pat

Mora poem aloud and brieﬂ y discuss the different readings. Instead of using a computer/LCD

projector to model how you craft your poem, use chart paper.

• Writer’s Work Time: Instead of instructing students to revise their drafts in a word processing

document, have them revise their handwritten drafts.

Page 61

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Revise for Line-breaks and Stanza Breaks.

Today’s Strategy: To clarify the meaning conveyed in the poem

by using line- and stanza breaks.

Explain how revision will be addressed in this unit. Tell

students that over the next three lessons they will work on

revision strategies, crafting and revising their four poems to

strengthen meaning. Show the animated program Craft &

Revise. Ask students which strategies they recall from the

animation. Strategies include line-breaks and stanza breaks,

incorporating vivid words and removing dull ones and adding

“music” to their poems through rhyme, repetition and other

devices.

Tell students the purpose of the lesson. Students will focus

on revising their poems to include meaningful line-breaks and

stanza breaks that clue readers into the pace, feeling and

meaning of the poem.

Challenge students by showing the mentor text with the

line-breaks removed. Present “Listening to the Grownups

Quarreling” by Ruth Whitman on Line-breaks – Beginner

(Handout 3.1a). Read the text aloud without pausing. Then show

the poem with the line-breaks created by the poet. Read the text,

pausing appropriately for the breaks. Explain how line-breaks

give a poem rhythm, slow down or make the pace faster and tell

the reader how to read the poem when the poet is not present.

Stanza breaks are longer pauses and can be used between

different ideas or images. Demonstrate with one stanza break

using one of the poems on the handout.

Teacher Model

• Read the ﬁ rst draft of one of your poems — the Self-

portrait, Poetry Hides or Memory Poem.

• Think aloud about what you want the pace of the

poem to be — fast or slow — and about the rhythm —

many short lines or fewer long lines.

• Indicate any word or words that are so important that

they should stand alone on a line.

• Create the ﬁ rst several line-breaks in the poem

using slash marks (/) to indicate where you feel there

should be pauses and double slashes (//) where there

is a change in idea or topic requiring a stanza break.

• Read the lines aloud for students, pausing where you

placed breaks.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Mentor Text:

Instead of using Line-breaks

(Handout 3.1a) and reading

aloud the Whitman or Mora

poems, present the mentor text

“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn

Brooks, located on the Academy

of American Poets website, http://

www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/

prmMID/15433. Find this site in

Prof. P’s Ofﬁ ce.

Modify Instructional Strategy:

Modify Technology Use:

Invite one or two students to read

the poem aloud, pausing with the

line-breaks as written. Then play

the audio recording of Gwendolyn

Brooks reading and explaining the

poem’s meaning.

Ask students:

• What words do the line-

breaks highlight in this

poem?

• How do the line-breaks

add to the meaning and

pace of the poem?

Have students work on the line-

breaks and stanza breaks in their

poems without ﬁ rst experimenting

by using the Handout. sing the

handout.

Page 62

Writing Poetry - Lesson . Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

I am going to revise my Memory Poem by changing the line- and stanza breaks to better communicate my

experience. I want to make sure I use line- and stanza breaks to tell the reader which words are essential

and should therefore stand out.

My Grandfather’s Secret

In the cellar behind the barrels

The dark cellar with one bare bulb

A box full of money / for me

I could barely see it stored on the shelf //

The shufﬂ e of his feet moving to the corner

In his heavy accent like gravel

“Remember, when I pass away.”

Why did he hide the money?

I think I should separate the poem into two stanzas — one describing the room and the other describing

what my grandfather said to me. I will put a “//” to separate these two stanzas. I also want to stress some

ideas — the fact that this box of money was for me. I think I will put for me on its own line, so I will add a “/” to

separate it.

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute computers. Give the following instructions.

• Use Line-breaks – Beginner (Handout 3.1a) to practice creating line-breaks in a poem to vary

the meaning.

• Login to the Online Classroom.

• Go to Step 2 and download your document from the activity Submit Your First Draft Poems.

• Resave your document on the computer’s desktop.

• Select a poem and revise line- and stanza breaks. Think about your poem’s meaning, pace and

rhythm.

• Reread your poem and decide if the new breaks improve the poem.

• Revise your other poems following the same steps (not the haiku).

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students use Line-breaks – Beginner (Handout 3.1a) to experiment. Then students reread their poems,

listening to the rhythm of their words. They pay particular attention to where their voices naturally pause

— between words, phrases or sentences. Students can experiment with their line-breaks, reading new

versions of their poems to themselves to hear the differences that changing the line-breaks make.

Students can also reread to see if there are any longer pauses between ideas or thoughts. Longer

pauses denote a stanza break.

Page 63

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 64

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiating

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• line- and stanza breaks that add to the meaning of the poem.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Ask students to go to Step 3 of the Online Classroom and post one poem that has

been revised for line- and stanza breaks in the activity titled Share Your Revised Poem. Ask students to

comment on one or two of their classmates’ poems using the following guiding questions:

• How did the line-breaks inﬂ uence the pace of the poem?

• How does the poet use line-breaks and stanzas to help express the meaning of the poem?

Students can store their revised poems in the activity Submit Your Revised Poems for future revisions in

lessons 3.2 and 3.3.

Revisit the Poetry Checklist (Handout 1.1b). Review important elements from this lesson that their

portfolio of poems should include such as:

• Line- and stanza breaks to provide clues about how to read a poem — where to pause, how

fast or slow to read, which lines should be emphasized.

• Line- and stanza breaks that add to meaning of poem.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Line- or stanza breaks that are

arbitrary/do not add to meaning

Demonstrate process: Read your poem aloud,

thinking aloud about how the meaning you are trying to

communicate is enhanced by particular line- and stanza

breaks. Show student how you use a “/” to show a pause

as you read. Have student do the same with his/her

poem.

Use DI handout: Provide students with Create Line- and

Stanza Breaks (Handout 3.1b) to further guide them in

understanding how breaks affect meaning.

Refer to mentor text: Show student DD’s and JT’s

notebooks as another model.

Ready for more Provide extension: Instruct students who ﬁ nish to go to

the Poetry Center in the Online Classroom and explore

the Breaking Lines activity.

Page 65

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Revise for Word Clarity and Choice

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn how to sharpen the meaning of their poems by applying three strategies related to word

clarity and choice. Students revise all four of their poems accordingly.

Objective

Students will clarify the meaning of their poems by incorporating strong verbs, using imaginative and

descriptive vocabulary and eliminating words that are overused or unnecessary.

Focusing Question

How and why do you revise your poems for word clarity and choice?

Prep & Tech

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to model how you craft your poem,

use chart paper.

• Writer’s Work Time: Instead of instructing students to revise their drafts in a word processing

document, have them work with their handwritten drafts.

Note: Students may not have time to revise all four of their poems during this lesson. You may want to

provide additional class time or homework time for students to continue their word choice revisions.

Poem you drafted in Step 2

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice – Beginner

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice – Intermediate

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice – Experienced

Student computers with Internet access and speakers

Page 66

Writing Poetry - Lesson . Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Revise for Word Clarity and Choice.

Today’s Strategy: To replace overused or boring words with

more interesting ones, using strong verbs and removing

unnecessary words.

Explain that the lesson will introduce three ways to

use words effectively to make a poem’s meaning clear.

This includes replacing overused or boring words with more

interesting ones, using strong verbs and removing unnecessary

words. Distribute Revise for Word Choice – Beginner

(Handout 3.2a). Ask students to read “The Pencil Sharpener”

poem and replace the words in bold with alternative or more

interesting words. Give students three minutes to generate

some alternatives. Ask students:

• What words could you use to replace “makes” in this

poem?

• What words could you use to replace “leaves”?

Compare students’ new poems with the original, pointing

out the qualities of their revised work. Then show the

author’s revised poem:

The Pencil Sharpener” by Georgia Heard (poem originally

appeared in Heard, Georgia. The Revision Toolbox: Teaching

Revision Techniques that Work. Portsmouth: Heinemann,

1999.)

The pencil sharpener

chews

the pencil

into a sharp point

and spits

the leftovers out.

Remind students of the three strategies that were used by

many of them to improve the poem.

• Using vivid or “strong” verbs to make the poem more

interesting and descriptive.

• Replacing “tired” or “worn” words like nice, great and

sad with alternative or unusual words. Students can

ﬁ nd more unusual words by using a thesaurus.

• Removing unnecessary small words like a, the, and;

clichés; and words that are repeated unnecessarily.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Instructional Strategy:

In addition to replacing tired words

with more interesting ones, have

students use more similes and

metaphors to sharpen clarity

of meaning. Use Revise for

Word Choice – Intermediate or

Experienced (Handout 3.2a.)

To scaffold this expanded revision

strategy, model revising one of

your poems using a T-chart. Write

“like a scientist” on the left-hand

side and “like a poet” on the right-

hand side. Jot down a phrase from

your poem in the “like a scientist”

column that is written as a fact.

Think aloud turning the line into

wording that sounds more “like a

poet,” e.g., incorporates similes

and metaphors or more unique and

creative vocabulary. Tell students to

spend time paying attention to the

words they have chosen in all of

their poems.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Mentor Text:

Instead of “The Pencil Sharpener,”

use “April Rain Song” by Langston

Hughes. For Experienced, add

“When You Come” by Maya

Angelou, located in Poetry Packet –

Experienced (Handout 1.1.a).

Page 67

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Teacher Model

• Show a draft of one of your poems that requires revision.

• Select two or three lines. Highlight verbs that you can replace with vivid verbs, delete

unnecessary words and highlight “tired” words to replace with unusual words.

• Use the thesaurus associated with your word processing program or other online thesaurus

to ﬁ nd more unusual verbs and nouns that communicate the meaning of your poem.

• Make changes and compare it to the original draft.

• Read the lines aloud.

Narrative

I need to revise my self-portrait poem. I want to use words that really stand out, such as strong verbs

and adjectives that are unusual. I want to be careful not to change the meaning of my poem. I also want

to get rid of extra little words. I will cross those little words out and underline some of the verbs, nouns

and adjectives that I want to replace, and then I will look for better words using a thesaurus.

When I’m with others

I’m not a cello

Because I’m not big and noticeable

I’m not the drums

Because I’m not loud

I’m like a cat

Quiet but surprising

I can sneak up on you

But always with a smile

When I’m by myself

I close my eyes and dream

Of being the drums or the cello

Of soaring above everyone

Like a bald eagle

When I look up the word “big” in MS Word’s thesaurus, some of the choices I have are large, huge and

gigantic. The word large is boring, but I like the way gigantic sounds. Maybe I will try that. But no — a

cello is not really gigantic. Maybe something more descriptive of a cello — maybe round, because the

instrument has a roundness to it.

Now I will look up a verb to replace. Instead of the word “sneak,” I can use creep. I like that word better

because it is clearer.

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute computers. Give the following directions:

• Watch DD and JT’s Think Aloud, Word Clarity in Step 3 of the Online Classroom.

• Download your document from the activity Submit Your Revised Poems.

• Resave your document with a new name on the computer’s desktop.

• Select a poem to revise for word choice. Look for places to use vivid/strong verbs, replace

tired words and remove unnecessary words like “and” and “the.”

Page 68

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

• Revise your other poems following the same steps. Be careful not to change the syllable

count if you are working on a haiku.

• Resave the poem and submit it again to the Step 3 of the Online Classroom activity Submit

Your Revised Poems.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students watch DD and JT’s Think Aloud to see examples of how to revise for word choice. Students

underline at least one verb for revision in each of their poems. Students search for extra small words

they can eliminate: such as “it,” “and,” “the” and “a.” Students circle words that are “tired” or “worn” and

replace with alternative and unusual words using a physical or online thesaurus.

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• revisions in word choice that improves meaning.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Ask one student to read his/her poem before and after revising for word choice

and clarity. Ask the class:

• How did the author use descriptive and/or interesting language?

• How did the author’s revisions inﬂ uence the meaning of the poem?

Remind students to consult their Poetry Checklist (Handout 1.1b), pointing out the objectives relevant to

today’s revision strategy (revising for word clarity and choice). As students revise ﬁ rst drafts, they should

check off objectives they have met.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Trouble deciding which words to

replace or words to replace them with

Use DI handout Use Synonym Web (Handout 2.3b) as a

tool for gathering interesting words.

Ready for more Provide extension: Instruct students who are ﬁ nished

to go to the Poetry Center and explore the activities

Cracking Open Words or Breaking Lines. Students

can also view DD and JT’s Notebooks in the Online

Classroom.

Page 69

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: The Music of Poetry

Georgia Heard adapted this lesson from one that originally appeared in her book, Awakening the Heart.

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn how to sharpen the meaning of their poems by applying four musical tools: rhyme,

repetition, alliteration and onomatopoeia. Students revise all four of their poems accordingly.

Objective

Students will apply four poetic craft tools having to do with the music/sound of poetry to their own

poems.

Focusing Question

How can you revise your poems using four musical tools?

Prep & Tech

Poem you drafted in Step 2

Student computers with Internet access and speakers

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to model revising your poem, use

chart paper.

• Writer’s Work Time: Instead of instructing students to revise their drafts in a word processing

document, instruct them to revise their handwritten drafts.

Note: This lesson assumes that students have had some exposure to these musical tools — rhyme,

repetition, alliteration and onomatopoeia. If students do not have previous experience, you may wish

to break this lesson into two. Students can learn about rhyme and repetition and revise their poems

accordingly in one lesson and then focus on alliteration and onomatopoeia in the second lesson.

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Writing Poetry - Lesson . Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, The Music of Poetry.

Today’s Strategy: To improve the meaning and sound of our

poems by using poetic musical tools.

Review the common musical/auditory tools that poets use

to enhance the meaning or effect of their poems. Refer

students to the Musical Tools section of the Poetry Packet –

Beginner (Handout 1.1a). Explain that the poems in this section

demonstrate the use of four different poetic musical tools. Ask

students to name any musical tools they know of, anticipating

that they will probably be familiar with “rhyme” and “repetition.”

Ask students to spend three minutes reading the poems to

themselves, looking for examples of rhyme and repetition. After

three minutes, discuss the examples found by students and

introduce the other musical tools using the following instructions

for guidance.

Rhyme

Revisit the ﬁ rst poem “Umbrellas” by Maxine W. Kumin, located

in the Musical Tools section of the Poetry Packet – Beginner

(Handout 1.1a). , and explain that this poet uses rhyme. Read

the poem aloud. Discuss two different types of rhyme:

• Internal Rhyme: words inside the lines of a poem

rhyme

• End Rhyme: rhyme occurs in the last words of two or

more lines of a poem, in a pattern.

Read the mentor text poem aloud again. Ask students:

• What type of rhyme does the poet use?

• How does the rhyme add to the meaning of the

poem?

• What does the rhyme do for the music of the poem?

Alliteration

Read aloud the third mentor text, “Eagle Flight” by Georgia

Heard, also in the Musical Tools section of the Poetry Packet –

Beginner (Handout 1.1a). Explain to students that the poet uses

another musical tool in this poem called alliteration. Explain to

students that alliteration is when poets repeat initial consonant

or vowel sounds to make another type of musical rhyme. Ask

students:

• Which line uses alliteration in the poem?

• What does alliteration do for the meaning of the

poem?

• Why do poets use alliteration in their poems?

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Mentor Text:

Use the appropriate Poetry Packet

– Intermediate or Experienced

(Handout 1.1a) in order to present

poems appropriate for your class.

Six different musical tools are

represented in these poems.

Modify Instructional Strategy:

In addition to the four musical tools

deﬁ ned in the lesson, explain and

provide examples of two additions:

consonance and slant or near

rhyme.

Deﬁ ne consonance as the

repetition of ﬁ nal consonant

sounds of accented syllables or

important words, especially at the

ends of words, as in clank and

drink.

Deﬁ ne slant rhyme (also known

as near rhyme) as rhyme in

which either the vowels or the

consonants of stressed or end

syllables are identical, as in eyes

and light; years and yours.

Poems containing these musical

tools are located in the Poetry

Packet.

Page 71

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Onomatopoeia

Explain to students that the last kind of musical tool that they will be learning about is called

onomatopoeia. Explain that it is when the words in a poem sound like what they mean, as in the words

“pop” or “slap.” Tell students that you will now read aloud the ﬁ rst stanza of the onomatopoetic mentor

text, “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe, from the Musical Tools section of the Poetry Packet – Beginner

(Handout 1.1a) and ask them to listen for examples of onomatopoeia in the poem. Ask students:

• What words are examples of onomatopoeia?

• Why does the poet use onomatopoeia?

• What does onomatopoeia do for the sounds in the poem?

Repetition

Explain to students that repetition is when a poet repeats a word, a phrase or a sentence. Three types

of repetition are:

• Beginning every line with the same word or phrase

• Repeating one line throughout the poem (also called a refrain)

• Beginning and ending the poem with the same line.

Teacher Model

• Show students a draft of one of your poems that you will revise by adding repetition (an

element not yet demonstrated to students).

• Think aloud about a key phrase that you would like to stress through repetition.

• Model using one of the three types of repetition to revise your poem.

• Emphasize that no poem needs to use every musical tool. Students are to use what makes

their poems come alive for the reader.

Page 72

Writing Poetry - Lesson . Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

I am going to revise my memory poem. I want to add repetition to the poem to help strengthen its

meaning and, in particular, the importance of certain words. I want to stress the fact that when I was a

kid my grandfather hid money especially for me. I think I will repeat the line at the end of the poem: “My

grandfather, he loved me.”

My Grandfather’s Secret

My Grandfather

In the cellar

Behind bulging barrels

The dark passage angles

Under iron pipe rust

Let my eyes adjust

A box stuffed with money

For me

Scrape-shufﬂ e, shufﬂ ing shoes

With heavy gravel in his voice

“Remember, when I pass away.”

What should I say?

Make him proud

Keep it

Secret

“My grandfather, he loved me.”

“My grandfather, he loved me.

“My grandfather, he loved me.”

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute computers. Give the following instructions:

• Go to Step 3 of the Online Classroom.

• Watch DD and JT’s Think Aloud: Using Musical Tools.

• Download the latest version of your document from the Online Classroom activity Submit

Your Revised Poems.

• Resave your document with a new name on the computer’s desktop.

• Select and revise one or more of your poems using rhyme, repetition, alliteration and

onomatopoeia.

• Resave your work and submit to the Online Classroom activity Submit Your Revised Poems.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students read over their four poems to see if they can make their poems more meaningful by using one

or more musical tool(s). Students might ﬁ nd it easier to focus on different tools in different poems. For

example, they may add repetition or rhyme to their Self-portrait or Poetry Hides Poems. They can use

alliteration or onomatopoeia in their Surroundings or Memory Poems.

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 73

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• Evidence of experimentation with musical tools.

• Use of musical tools to enhance meaning and the

effect of their poems.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual

conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach

and next steps for the student.

What you might

ﬁ nd:

Suggested Approaches:

Trouble deciding

which musical tools

to use and where

they make the most

difference

Use another model: Have students

visit Professor P’s ofﬁ ce, speciﬁ cally

the Listen to Poems section, to hear

how published authors have used

musical tools in their poetry.

Ready for more Provide another model: Instruct

students who are ﬁ nished to

explore DD’s and JT’s work in their

notebooks in the Online Classroom.

Provide extension: Students

can also go to the Poetry Center

to explore the activity Poetry

Challenge.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Point out some of the interesting

revisions you observed when conferring with students. Have

students assess their revisions using the Language section of

the Poetry Rubric

– Beginner (Handout 1.1a). Remind students

to consult their Poetry Checklist – Beginner (Handout 1.1b) to

be sure they have completed revised drafts for every poem

required for the portfolio. Students should check off objectives

they have met.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Assessment/Outcome:

Use appropriate Poetry Rubric

- Intermediate and Experienced

(Handout 1.1a) to assess work.

Page 74

Lesson .: Review Poems Using a Rubric

(Supplementary)

Lesson at a Glance

Teacher and students use the Poetry Rubric (Handout 1.4a) to rate and revise their poems. The rubric

will serve as a guide as students prepare to edit and publish their portfolio of poems.

Objective

Students will articulate the criteria that their writing must meet to be considered excellent, good, fair or

unacceptable. Students will use these criteria to rate and revise their poems.

Focusing Question

How can we evaluate and perfect our writing using a rubric?

Prep & Tech

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to show the rubric and a Self-portrait

Poem, use chart paper to rate a poem against the Poetry Rubric.

Note: This lesson provides an extra opportunity to review work with the rubric. It is anticipated that many

classes will have already used the rubric throughout the unit and may not require this additional self-

evaluation. There is also an animation in the Writing Matters’ Mastering the Essentials unit (Step 2) that

illustrates how students use a rubric to improve the quality of their writing.

A poem you will use with the rubric

Student computers with Internet access

Page 75

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Review Poems Using a Rubric.

Today’s Strategy: To self-assess student work by comparing it with the qualities of good writing

described in the rubric and noting areas that need improvement.

Explain that authors use speciﬁ c standards to guide them as they write. These standards are

determined by the book company or editor. Explain that our rubric is the evaluation tool that can serve

a similar purpose. The rubric enables students to make improvements to their drafts before getting a

grade from the teacher. Display and read Poetry Rubric – Beginner (Handout 1.4a), reviewing the title

and purpose of each speciﬁ c category.

Tell students that revising their poems along the lines of the rubric will improve the quality of their pieces.

Teacher Model

• Choose one of your revised poems to rate against the Poetry Rubric – Beginner (Handout

1.4a).

• Read your poem aloud and compare it to the relevant sections of the rubric, including the

Language and Conventions sections. Give yourself a score on each category.

• Think aloud about how to revise your poems based on your rubric score.

• Make at least one revision to your poem.

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute computers. Give the following directions:

• Open the most updated version of your poems stored in the Step 3 activity Submit Your

Revised Poems.

• Resave their poems on the computer desktop.

• Review and rate your poems against the Poetry Rubric.

• See which poems/categories are weakest.

• Revise using the rubric as a guide.

• Review revised poems against the rubric to make sure that they now conform to all

categories in the rubric.

• Resave your poems and submit them again to the activity Submit Your Revised Poems.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students use the Poetry Rubric – Beginner (Handout 1.4a) to review, rate and revise their poems. When

there are ﬁ ve minutes remaining in Writer’s Work Time, students should resave their documents and

then submit them to the Online Classroom activity Submit Your Revised Poems.

Page 76

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work time, determine if student work has:

• evidence of each rubric category.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Remind students that using the rubric as a tool to revise their poems automatically

helps them improve the quality of their work along the most essential dimensions of the genre of poetry.

By the end of today’s lesson, students should have evidence of revising their poetry in ways including

• using literary devices

• using musical tools

• choosing precise words.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Trouble mapping rubric onto own

writing

Demonstrate process: Show students how your poem

integrates strategies from the rubric.

Ready for more Provide extension: Instruct students who are ﬁ nished

to go to look at DD’s and JT’s Notebooks in the Online

Classroom. They can also go to the Poetry Center to

explore activities they have not yet tried.

Page 77

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 78

Heads Up!

Step 4: Edit & Publish

During this ﬁ nal step in the unit, students proofread and edit their poems for accuracy of grammar and

spelling. They also experiment with the look of their poems, exploring elements of performance. At the

end of this step, they celebrate their accomplishments by publishing their completed work in the class

ezine and perform for peers and/or the school community.

Lesson Prep and Tech

Before the step

Review students’ poems in the Online Classroom

4.1

Select a poem you revised in Step 3

4.1a: Edit a Poem – Beginner, Intermediate or Experienced

Student computers with Internet access

Checkpoint: Review students’ portfolios

4.2

Prepare a single document containing ﬁ nal drafts of all four of your poems

4.2a: Publish on Writing Matters; DI

Speakers and student computers with Internet access

4.3

Print copies of students’ poems published on your Writing Matters class ezine

4.3a: Media Consent Form – Beginner, Intermediate or Experienced

4.3b: S.E.L.F. Guide – Beginner, Intermediate or Experienced

4.4

(Supplementary)

Print copies of students’ poems published on your Writing Matters class ezine

4.4a: Record Your Poem

Microphones and student computers with Internet access

4.5

(Supplementary)

Student computers with Internet access

Page 79

Writing Poetry - Step : Edit & Publish

Page 80

Writing Poetry - Step : Edit & Publish

Reading Companion

Step : Edit & Publish

Reading workshop takes a predictable form, starting with a mini lesson that introduces a new strategy,

often through reading a poem aloud. Students try out the strategy in a turn-and-talk with a classmate

prior to applying the strategy to one of the suggested poems. Each workshop concludes with time to

share in a whole-class setting.

Step 4 of Writing Poetry focuses on editing poems, recognizing that grammatical rules and conventions

in this genre are distinct from those in other genres. This editing process prepares students to publish

their portfolios and perform their poems in a spoken word event. Reading workshop provides students

with the opportunity to independently compare challenging poems with prose.

Skill: Apply knowledge of structure and craft to compare a poem to a piece of prose on the same topic.

Recommended Independent Reading [located in appropriate Poetry Packet (Handout 1.1a)]

Beginner: “My First Memory (of Librarians)” by Nikki Giovanni

The Library Card (excerpt) by Jerry Spinelli

Intermediate and Experienced: “Oil & Steel” by Henri Cole

“My Favorite Place” by A.C.

Students will be able to use evidence from the texts to:

• identify the difference between poetry and prose using language learned in the unit

• infer each author’s attitude toward subject matter

• compare organization and structure and how they affect meaning

• compare craft strategies in poetry and prose.

To attain these objectives, ask students to read the poem and prose selection and respond to the

following questions citing evidence from the texts:

• What are some differences between poetry and prose?

• What are the authors’ attitudes toward the subject matter?

• How would you compare the organization and structure of the two pieces?

• How do changes in structure and organization affect meaning?

• How would you compare the use of craft strategies from these two pieces?

Page 81

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Edit for Grammar and Punctuation

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn how poets adjust the conventions of grammar and punctuation to make stylistic or

philosophical statements. Students work with a peer to edit the grammar and punctuation of their

poems.

Objective

Students will correct common grammar and punctuation mistakes within the context of the genre of

poetry.

Focusing Question

When can we break grammatical rules and conventions to make a statement?

Prep & Tech

A poem you revised in Step 3 and have begun to edit

4.1a: Edit a Poem – Beginner

4.1a: Edit a Poem – Intermediate

4.1a: Edit a Poem – Experienced

Student computers

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

• Mini Lesson: Instead of using a computer/LCD projector to model editing your poem, use

chart paper.

• Writer’s Work Time: Instead of instructing students to revise their drafts in a word processing

document, instruct them to revise their handwritten drafts.

Note: Step 4 lessons are the same for Beginner, Intermediate and Experienced classes. Find your

handouts in Beginner, Intermediate and Experienced handout sections as you have throughout the unt.

Page 82

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Edit for Grammar and Punctuation.

Explain to students that this is the ﬁ nal step in the Writing Poetry unit. They will edit and publish

their poems to their class magazine on the Writing Matters website. They will also have a chance

to produce an audio recording of their poems and share their work with their peers through live

performance.

Read aloud the mentor text for this lesson. Distribute copies of Edit a Poem – Beginner (Handout

4.1a) and read “Anonymous” by Christopher D. Viner. Before reading aloud, ask students to follow along

in the text and write ideas in the margins about speciﬁ c places where the poet breaks conventional

grammatical rules.

Ask students how the author conveys the meaning of the poem:

• Which words does the poet choose to capitalize? Why does he choose to capitalize these

words?

• Which word does the poet choose to write in a small font? What is the message he is trying

to send?

Explain that poets sometimes break traditional grammatical conventions to make a statement.

Poets, however, do not break grammatical rules if there is no good reason. They also do not want to

distract the reader from the meaning of the poem. Tell students that once they have completed editing

their poems, they should review the titles and make any revisions to the titles they think are necessary.

Teacher Model

• Choose one of your poems to edit.

• Read through a few lines from your poem and model editing for grammar and punctuation.

Use your word processing spelling and grammar check to adjust the spelling, verb

conjugation and tense, etc.

• Check your poem against the Poetry Checklist (Handout 1.1b).

• Reread your poem and select words or phrases that are central to the experiences you

describe in your poem.

• Think aloud about different ways you can visually highlight or emphasize those words

(capitalization, font size, color, etc…).

• Edit and reread the lines of your poem, noting how the emphasis shifts based on these

changes.

Page 83

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

I am going to edit my Self-portrait Poem.

When I’m with others

I’m not a cello

Because I’m not round and noticeable

I’m not the drums

Because I’m not loud

I’m like a cat

Quite but surprising

I can creep up on you

But always with a smile

Looking at the poem carefully, I notice I made a spelling mistake. I wrote quite instead of quiet. It is a

different word than I meant, but I spelled it correctly, so the word processing program did not catch my

mistake. My verbs are all in the present tense and ﬁ rst person, so they are ﬁ ne.

Now I want to see if there is anything I want to emphasize by putting it in all capital letters or changing

the way the word looks. I think I want to make the words “round,” “noticeable” and “loud” in all capital

letters to give the poem a better effect. Let’s see how it looks with these edits:

When I’m with others

I’m not a cello

Because I’m not ROUND and NOTICEABLE

I’m not the drums

Because I’m not LOUD

I’m like a cat

Quiet but surprising

I can creep up on you

But always with a smile

I like the way this looks. The important words in my poem now stand out. Now I will continue editing the

rest of my poems.

I chose to use traditional poetic convention of capitalizing the ﬁ rst letter of every line — but not all poets

do that today. I have the choice to make some lines begin with lower case letters. Maybe I will think

about that when I edit one of my other poems.

Page 84

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Give the following directions:

• Open the most updated version of your poems stored in Step 3, Submit Your Revised

Poems. Select one of your poems that you would like to edit.

• Exchange work with a partner to review one another’s poems for grammar and punctuation.

• Use spelling and grammar check to continue to proofread your poems. Refer to DD’s

E-Tutorial: Spelling and Grammar Check in the Online Classroom.

• Think about which words you would like to emphasize in your poems and how you can use

grammar and punctuation to do so.

• Modify your poems visually for emphasis.

• Revise the titles of your poems.

• Resave your poems and submit them to the Online Classroom activity Submit Your Final

Poems.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students work with a peer to edit the grammar and punctuation of their poems. Students ﬁ rst edit

their poems following conventional grammar and punctuation rules. They then adjust the grammar,

punctuation and visual appearance of their poems to emphasize words or lines that give the poems

special meaning. They may decide not to capitalize the ﬁ rst word of each line if it strengthens the

meaning. When there are ﬁ ve minutes remaining in Writer’s Work Time, students should resave their

documents and then submit them to the activity Submit Your Final Poems in Step 4 of the Online

Classroom.

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work has:

• correct spelling and grammar, as appropriate within the framework of poetry.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Trouble ﬁ

nding grammatical errors Demonstrate process: Have students work in pairs

and read their poems aloud to each other to check for

grammar, spelling and line breaks.

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 85

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Revisit the Poetry Rubric (Handout 1.4a).

Point out conventions that have been addressed in this lesson,

such as:

• Poets sometimes break with conventional

grammar to strengthen the message they want to

communicate in their poems.

Ask students to revisit the rubric and give their poems ﬁ nal

ratings as a last step before publishing. If you have access to a

computer for instruction, check to see how many students have

submitted their drafts to the activity Submit Your Final Poems.

Give the students who have not submitted their drafts a chance

to do so.

Checkpoint

Review students’ portfolios by collecting them or

logging into the Online Classroom. Review the work to

assess whether the students’ poetry has evidence of

revision for the following:

• topic and ideas

• structure/organization

• literary devices/lﬁ gurative language

• musical toolsconventions

Record on the Teacher’s Checklist what students have

completed to this point. If the majority of students drafted

poems, they are ready to practice performing them. If not, it

is important to give students more time or reteach, using the

differentiated instruction and conferring strategies listed above.

Depending on the number of students who continue struggling,

you may opt to proceed and to form a small guided group to

offer additional help during the next lesson.

Intermediate and Experienced

Modify Assessment/Outcome:

Use appropriate Poetry Rubric

(Handout 1.1a) to assess work.

Page 86

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Gather a Portfolio of Poems

Lesson at a Glance

Students review their poems and prepare them for publication. With the guidance of the teacher,

students then publish their ﬁ nished essays on their class ezine.

Objectives

Students will describe the purpose of writing poetry. Students will understand the difference between

poetry and prose. Students will submit their portfolios of poems to their class ezine.

Focusing Question

How is poetry different from prose?

Prep & Tech

A wall chart with an editing checklist (optional)

A poem you revised in Step 3 and have begun to edit

4.2a: Publish on Writing Matters: DI

Student computers with Internet access

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following options:

 Mini Lesson: Instead of showing the animated program, discuss the ways in which poets share

their poems with an audience. Model how to read a poem for an audience.

 Writer’s Work Time: Instead of instructing students to edit their poems in a word processing

document, ask them to edit their handwritten drafts. Instead of instructing students to submit

their responses to literature to their class ezine, have them spend time reading, sharing and

celebrating each others’ writing.

Page 87

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Gather a Portfolio of Poems.

Today’s Strategy: To share what students have learned and

accomplished by publishing their portfolios.

Show lesson visuals, Gather a Portfolio of Poems.

Introduce the step by showing the animated program

Edit & Publish. Explain to students that poetry is often best

understood and experienced when heard. Poetry has rhythm

and rhyme that helps place emphasis on certain words or

phrases within the poem. Poetry also creates images or mind

pictures in our minds as the reader reads or listens to the poem.

Students will get the chance to prepare for a live performance

of their poems before the end of the unit. They ﬁ rst have to

publish.

Explain that this lesson represents the ﬁ nal stage of the

writing process – both editing and publishing. Tell students

that ﬁ rst, they will proofread and make ﬁ nal edits on their

responses to literature. Then they will publish their responses to

literature on the class ezine, an online publication dedicated to

celebrating student writing.

Have students reﬂ ect on their experience as poets prior to

publishing online. Ask students to comment on how poetry

differs from prose. Prompt a brief discussion using one or more

quote(s) by published poets. Some examples follow:

 June Jordan: “Poetry is the maximum emotional impact

using the minimum number of words.”

 Adrienne Rich: “Poetry can break open locked chambers

of possibility; restore numbed zones to feeling…”

 Rita Dove: “By making us stop for a moment, poetry

gives us an opportunity to think about ourselves as

human beings on this planet and what we mean to each

other.”

 Naomi Shihab Nye: “Poetry is a conversation you have

with yourself.”

Teacher Model

 Open the word processing document with your poems.

 Remove extra spaces, bold the titles of your poems and

label each one with the proper subgenre of poetry (e.g.,

haiku, self-portrait).

 Resave your poetry with a new name that includes the

word “ﬁ nal.”

 Go to the Step 4 activity called Submit Your Final Poems

and upload your poetry.

 Publish in the class ezine.

Page 88

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

This lesson is the same for

Beginners, Intermediate and

Experienced level students.

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

First, I am going to open the Word document with the most updated version of my poem. I downloaded it

from the Online Classroom. I am going to review the poems using the Poetry Rubric and make any ﬁ nal

changes. I want to remove extraneous spaces, bold the titles of my poems and label each poem with the

proper subgenre of poetry.

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute student computers. Give the following directions:

 Open the most updated version of your writing stored in the Online Classroom in the Step 4

activity titled Submit Your Revised Poems.

 Save you revised writing with a new title that includes the word “ﬁ nal” and upload it to the Submit

Your Final Poems activity under Step 4 of the Online Classroom.

 Use Publish Your Writing - DI (Handout 4.2a) to publish online.

Writer’s Work Time

Students publish using Publish Your Writing - DI (Handout 4.2a) as a guide. While students are

submitting their work to the ezine, encourage them to carefully review the text they enter in each box to

make sure that it is accurate. Discourage students from using fancy fonts or “Word Art” in their writing

because they will usually display incorrectly within the ezine.

Note: Depending on your students’ computer proﬁ ciency, you may wish to show DD’s e-tutorial:

Cutting and Pasting, which explains how to cut, copy and paste text in a word processing document

or break this mini lesson up into smaller lessons that take place over two days.

Conferring and Diﬀ erentiation

During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work is ready for publication.

Using the chart below as a guide, conduct individual conferences and/or guided groups.

On the Conferring Log, record what you ﬁ nd, what you teach and next steps for the student.

What you might ﬁ nd: Suggested Approaches:

Work not ready for publication Use another modality: Send students back to the Online

Classroom activity in Step 3 titled Share

Your Revised Poems

to get ideas from peers.

Difﬁ culty publishing Use DI handout: Provide student with Publish Your Writing —

DI (Handout 4.2a).

Use another modality: pair students who are ﬁ nding it

difﬁ cult to post online with peers who are more comfortable

with the process.

Ready for more Provide extension: Have students write an About the Author

to include in the back of their anthologies.

Page 89

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Direct students to the Step 4 activity titled Reﬂ ect on Writing Poetry. Ask them to

think about what they learned from writing poetry and to post their reﬂ ections. Students should reﬂ ect

on the genre of poetry, answering the following questions: How did I make my voice heard through

poetry? How was I able to express myself and my world through poetry? How did writing poetry differ

from writing prose? While on the site, students can also post their goals for their future writing. Advise

students to refer to the Poetry Rubric for help in formulating their thoughts about the genre of poetry.

Page 90

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 91

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Read and Perform Poetry

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn fundamental strategies for performing their poems and implement those strategies

as they read their poems to their peers. They use the Poetry Rubric (Handout 1.4a) to learn how

their performance will be judged at the culminating Teaching Matters Spoken Word Event. Advanced

performance strategies are addressed in (Supplementary) Lesson 4.5: Rhythm and Motion.

Objective

Students will perform their poems effectively in front of an audience of their peers.

Focusing Question

How do poets share their writing with others?

Prep & Tech

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following option:

• Writer’s Work Time: Make sure to have print copies of students’ poems for them to use while

practicing and reciting their poems.

Notes:

(1) Classes are encouraged to make audio recordings of students reading their poems. See

Supplementary Lesson 4.4: Record Your Poems for instructions on recording and uploading audio to

the class ezine.

(2) For more practice with the performance of poetry, there is another supplementary lesson focusing

on rhythm and movement techniques, Lesson 4.5: Rhythm and Motion.

4.3a: Media Consent Form

4.3b: S.E.L.F. Guide – Beginner

4.3b: S.E.L.F. Guide – Intermediate

4.3b: S.E.L.F. Guide – Experienced

Student computers and speakers

Page 92

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Read and Perform Poetry.

Today’s Strategy: To share what students have written through reading their poems aloud the way they

are meant to be read and heard.

Explain that students will learn strategies for reading and performing their poetry. Tell students

that poets often share their work at poetry readings or formal spoken word events. These events take

place in libraries, bookstores, cafes and other venues. If you are organizing a school assembly for

students to share their poems, provide students with more information about it. As part of this unit, some

of them will have an opportunity to deliver a poem at the Teaching Matters Spoken Word Event.

Demonstrate poor and good performance technique using an excerpt from one of your poems

or from a mentor text. Read the poem aloud to the class in a low voice, with little enunciation and

emotion. You may wish to use Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” or Willie Perdomo’s “Where I’m

From.”

Get student feedback on your reading. Ask students to point out ways in which you could improve

your reading. Write out student responses. Anticipate that their suggestions will include:

• speak louder (project)

• speak clearly

• slow down

• express the feelings communicated in the poem by using your voice.

Emphasize that readers can also communicate meaning and emotion by reading certain lines faster or

slower or by using pauses, as we heard earlier in the unit (“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks from

the Academy of American Poets website, http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15433).

Teacher Model

• Reread the poem/excerpt.

• Think aloud about your favorite words, lines or phrases and underline them.

• Decide what the pace of the poem should be, where you should project your voice and

where you should pause.

• Using the class’ suggestions, read the poem aloud to the class. Make sure to clearly

enunciate the title and author of the poem before reading.

• Introduce the acronym S.E.L.F. to help students remember good techniques for delivering

a poem to an audience. Guidelines for these techniques are listed on S.E.L.F Guide –

Beginner (Handout 4.3b)

Stand up straight

Eye contact

Loud enough

Feeling and emotion

• Ask students to compare and contrast your two readings of the poem using the performance

column of the rubric:

o What score would your second reading receive?

o Why was one reading more engaging than the other?

Page 93

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Narrative

I’m going to read “Where I’m From” by Willie Perdomo.

[Poem originally printed in Willie Perdomo. Where a Nickel Costs a Dime. NY: Norton, 1996.

Poem printed here with permission of the author.]

Where I’m from,

it’s late night scratches of rats’ feet

that explains what my mother means

when she says slowly,

“Bueno, mijo, eso es la vida del pobre.”

(Well, son, that’s the life of the poor).

Where I’m from,

it’s sweet like my grandmother

reciting a quick prayer

over a pot of hot rice and beans.

Where I’m from,

it’s pretty like my niece

stopping me in the middle of the street

and telling me to notice all the stars in the sky.

For this poem, I am going to make some notes about how I want to perform it. I am going to underline

my favorite lines and make notes about what lines I want to say faster or louder.

Where I’m from,

it’s late night scratches of rats’ feet

that explains what my mother means

when she says slowly,

“Bueno, mijo, eso es la vida del pobre.” [say slowly with emphasis]

(Well, son, that’s the life of the poor).

etc.

Page 94

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Give the following directions:

• Review your poems. Choose two (a ﬁ rst choice and one alternate) to perform for an

audience.

• Starting with your ﬁ rst choice, underline favorite words, lines and/or phrases in the poem.

• Adjust the pace and volume of your delivery to best convey the poem’s meaning.

• If time permits, do the same with the alternate poem.

• Choose one poem to read aloud to a partner. The “listener” should write down the words,

lines and/or phrases that are the most colorful and then share that feedback with the reader.

• Practice reciting your poems with classmates, stressing the underlined phrases and making

notes on the S.E.L.F. Guide – Beginner (Handout 4.3b).

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students choose one poem that they feel others can relate to and that they would like to perform for

an audience. Their selection is important because it will be what they may ultimately read at the school

assembly or the Teaching Matters Spoken Word Event. Students read their poems to themselves and

choose the parts they would like to emphasize through performance. They read their poems to a partner.

Through peer feedback, students make adjustments to the performance of their poems in preparation for

reading their poem to the class. They then practice reading.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Ask four to ﬁ ve students to read one of their poems to the class. After each

student reads his/her poem, allow the class to ask the poet why s/he chose that poem. Then ask the

class to provide positive feedback to the reading using the rubric as a guide.

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 95

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Lesson .: Record Your Poems (Supplementary)

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn strategies for performing a ﬂ uid and engaging reading of their poems. They make use of

the written cues for pausing, pacing and emphasis (line- and stanza breaks, commas).

Objective

Students will deliver a ﬂ uid and engaging reading of their poems.

Focusing Questions

How do poets read and record their poems? What makes an effective reading?

Prep & Tech

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following option:

• Writer’s Work Time: Make sure to have print copies of students’ poems for them to use while

practicing and reciting their poems.

Notes:

(1) Choose a recording method that will work easily with the technology available in class. Ways to

record poems with simple tools include:

• Audio Recorder in the Online Classroom (web-based)

Audacity free software download

This lesson uses the audio recorder in the Online Classroom. This option works best with Internet

Explorer. If this is not possible, your Teaching Matters consultant will assist you with another method.

Your consultant can also assist you with the process of uploading your audio ﬁ les to the Online

Classroom and your ezine.

(2) For more practice with the performance of poetry, there is an additional lesson focusing on rhythm

and movement techniques, Lesson 4.5: Rhythm and Motion

. (Supplementary).

4.4a: Record Your Poem – Beginner

4.4a: Record Your Poem – Intermediate

4.4a: Record Your Poem – Experienced

Student computers and microphones

Page 96

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson ( min)

Show lesson visuals, Record Your Poems.

Today’s Strategy: To learn how to make an audio recording so that others can hear our poems online.

Explain that creating an audio recording is different than performing live. The goal for the audio

recording is to produce a reading that is ﬂ uent and engaging to an online audience who would like to

hear the author’s interpretation of the poem.

Review strategies for a good reading in an audio recording:

• speak loud enough

• speak clearly

• express the feelings communicated in the poem.

Present good models of poetry read aloud. Tell students that sometimes poets provide some

background about the poem, what it is about and why they wrote it, before they read. You may wish

to show some models from The American Academy of Poets website which offers good examples of

readings with background information, such as “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes

(http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722) and “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks (http://

www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15433).

Teacher Model

• Reread the poem you chose to perform.

• Think aloud about what the poem means and why you decided to write it.

• Write down a few notes or a couple of sentences that provide some background about why

you wrote the poem and what it is about.

• Practice reading your background information and poem two times to become comfortable

with how you will describe the poem and the pace of your reading.

• Go to the Online Classroom activity titled Record Your Poem.

• Record your poem. Make sure to clearly enunciate the title of the poem and the author’s ﬁ rst

name and last initial before reading.

• Save the audio ﬁ le with your name and upload it to the activity Record Your Poem.

• Go to your Writing Matters class ezine and ﬁ nd the model article you posted in Lesson 4.2.

• Click the Edit Article button.

• Select the Podcast Your Writing link below your writing and show students how to upload

their audio ﬁ les to the ezine.

Page 97

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Distribute Record Your Poem (Handout 4.4a). Give the following directions:

• Reread the poem you have written on S.E.L.F. Guide – Beginner (Handout 4.3b).

• Practice reading your poem with feeling and expression.

• Go to the Online Classroom activity titled Record Your Poem.

• Work with a partner and follow the directions to record the poem.

• Save the audio ﬁ le with your ﬁ rst name and submit it to the Step 4 activity titled Record Your

Poem.

• Go to your Writing Matters class ezine and ﬁ nd the article you posted in Lesson 4.2.

• Click the Edit Article button.

• Select the Podcast Your Writing link below your writing and upload the audio ﬁ le you just

created to the ezine.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students reread the poem they chose for performance and think about why they wrote it and what it

means. They write down a few ideas about why they wrote the poem. Students prepare with a partner to

record their poems in the Online Classroom activity titled Record Your Poem.

Students might read a quick practice for the teacher before they record.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Display the Online Classroom activity Record Your Poem. Ask two or three

students to share their recording with the class by downloading them from the activity and playing them.

If students uploaded their audio ﬁ les to the class ezine, you may play the ﬁ les directly from the ezine.

For each reading, ask the following questions:

• How did the pace of the reading affect the meaning of the poem?

• What does the background information add to your understanding of the poem?

Page 98

Lesson .: Rhythm and Motion (Supplementary)

Lesson at a Glance

Students learn strategies for performing poetry for an audience, focusing on ways to use rhythm and

movement in delivering a compelling reading.

Objective

Students will deliver a ﬂ uid and engaging reading of their poems using body movement and rhythm

where they add to the overall performance.

Focusing Question

How can you use movement and rhythm to strengthen the performance of their poems?

Prep & Tech

Student computers

Hard copies of students’ poems published in the class ezine

Limited Tech Options

If there is no access to the technology needed for this lesson, try the following option:

• Writer’s Work Time: Make sure to have print copies of students’ poems for them to use while

practicing and reciting their poems.

Page 99

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Mini Lesson (10 min)

Show lesson visuals, Rhythm and Motion.

Today’s Strategy: To prepare to perform poetry by using rhythm and motion effectively.

Explain that rhythm and motion, when used effectively, enhance poetry performances. Tell

students that spoken-word poets enhance their performance by connecting the poetry to music, using a

familiar rhythm in their delivery and using body or arm movements to emphasize an idea visually. These

techniques can be subtle and do not have to be used throughout the poem. For example, when thinking

about adding rhythm, ask students the following question:

• If your poem was a song, what kind of beat would it have? Salsa? Hip-hop? Reggae?

When thinking about adding movement, ask students:

• If a poem has a line about the beach, what kind of movement could you use to show it?

• If a poem is about a basketball game, how could you use movement to make the reading

more interesting?

Show real examples of spoken word poets using movement and rhythm to enhance the meaning

and impact of their work. An excellent example is a performance by Timothy Medel, who clearly

demonstrates rhythm and motion at The New York Knicks sponsored poetry slam. Find the link to this

performance in Porf. P’s Ofﬁ ce.

Youth Speaks is an organization that promotes spoken word poetry among high school students. Their

website also contains videos of students performing their poetry. The videos are housed at the University

of Wisconsin’s Ofﬁ ce of Multi-Cultural Arts, in the gallery Find the link to this performance in Porf. P’s

Ofﬁ ce. Scroll down to see the teen poets.

Teacher Model

• Reread the poem you chose for performance.

• Think aloud about whether the performance of your poem should have a musical rhythm and

about places you can enhance your performance with movement.

• Rearrange the line-breaks to emphasize rhythm. Write notes at the end of appropriate lines

for movement.

• Read your poem aloud with the enhancements for rhythm and movement.

Page 100

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Page 101

Writing Poetry - Lesson .

Preparing for Writer’s Work Time

Give the following directions:

• Reread the poem you will perform.

• Think about any musical rhythm and lines you can enhance with movement. Go to Freeplay

Music to listen to or download samples of music for different moods (http://freeplaymusic.

com/).

• Refer to the S.E.L.F. Guide - Beginner (Handout 4.3b) as you plan your performance.

• Practice reading the poem with the enhancements for rhythm and motion.

• Read your poem to a partner with the enhancements for rhythm and movement. Ask the

partner to use the Poetry Rubric - Beginner (Handout 1.4a) to judge your performance.

Writer’s Work Time ( min)

Students reread the poem they chose for performance and think about ways to improve their

performance with rhythm and movement. They decide if they would like to perform their poem to a

rhythm or add movement to their performance. Students need to know their poems well in order to

be effective using rhythm and/or movement. Practice with a partner should therefore emphasize both

knowing the poem and using movement and motion.

Sharing and Lesson Summary ( min)

Reconvene the class. Ask two or three students to perform their poems for the class.

For each performance, ask the following questions:

• How did the rhythm affect the meaning of the poem?

• What does the movement add to your understanding of the poem?

Page 102

Page 103

Writing Poetry - Appendix Contents

Appendix Contents

Beginner Handouts _________________________________________________ Page 105

Intermediate Handouts __________________________________ Page 131

Experienced Handouts ___________________________________ Page 161

Diﬀ erentiated Instruction Handouts________________________ Page 191

Teacher Resources ______________________________________ Page 203

Page 104

Page 105

Beginner Handouts

Step : Be a Poet

Handout 1.1a: Poetry Packet ___________________________________________

Handout 1.1b: Poetry Checklist _________________________________________

Handout 1.2a: Self-portrait Brainstorm ____________________________________

Handout 1.4a: Poetry Rubric ___________________________________________

Step : Draft a Poem

Handout 2.2a: Memory Poem ___________________________________________

Handout 2.3a: Surroundings Poem _______________________________________

Step : Craft & Revise

Handout 3.1a: Line-breaks _____________________________________________

Handout 3.2a: Revise for Word Choice ____________________________________

Step 4: Edit & Publish

Handout 4.1a: Edit a Poem _____________________________________________

Handout 4.3a: Media Consent Form _____________________________________

Handout 4.3b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE __________________________________________

Handout 4.4a: Record Your Poem _______________________________________

Writing Poetry - Beginner Handouts: Table of Contents

Page 107

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Page 106

Page 107

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Citations for all writing included in this packet can be found on the Citations page located in the Teacher

Resources section at the end of the Writing Poetry binder.

Self-portrait Poems

“I Have Hands Like My Dad” by Jacob R.

“Braver” by Kimberly C.

“Who Am I?” by Felice Holman

“I Myself” by Angel Gonzalez

“Self-Portrait” by Simon

“I Feel like a Puppy” by Alberto Santillana

“By Myself” by Eloise Greenﬁ eld

“My Soul” by Ember Ward

Poetry Hides Poems

“In the Elements” by Jessica L.

“Sun” by Valerie Worth

Haiku

“Black River Streets” by Georgia Heard

“Jamaica Avenue” by Emily

“Dandelions” by Libby

Memory Poems

“Rainy Day” by Grace

Musical Tools Poems

“Umbrellas” by Maxine Kumin

“Eagle Flight” by Georgia Heard

“John Coltrane Ditty” by Dakari Kamau Hru

“The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

Reading Companion

“I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes

“anyone lived in a pretty how town” by e. e. cummings

Sonnet By Margaret Bruner

“Dawn in New York” by Claude McKay

“Dawn Revisited” by Rita Dove

“My First Memory (of Librarians)” by Nikki Giovanni

Excerpt from The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

Page 108

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Self-portrait Poems

I Have Hands Like My Dad

by Jacob R.

I have hands like my dad,

Shaking with others every day,

They do the talking for him,

Scribbling with a pen,

Behind a desk,

Typing daily,

I have hands like my dad,

Dark in color,

Veins solid like rivers,

Smooth skin on outstretched ﬁ ngers,

Nice clean polished nails,

Knuckles, high and proud,

Palms that a fortune teller could read ever so

clearly,

I have hands like my dad,

Swinging a golf club at the beat of a heart,

Swinging a bat in the sand,

Plunging into water and stroking forward,

Oily and greasy from oil in a car,

Carving meat with a chuckle,

Turning a piece of chicken on the barbeque,

I have hands like my dad,

Hand in hand walking down the coast,

Hands slithering down my stomach tickling

every inch,

Playing “monster” with claws

Giving me a high-ﬁ ve as I score a basket,

Clapping ever so loudly at my games,

I have hands like my dad,

With the way he treats me,

And how I want to treat my kids,

With only my hands,

I have hands like my dad.

Braver

by Kimberly C.

I wake up

And put on

A variation

Of the boring outﬁ t

I wear

Every single day. I wish

I were braver. I head downstairs

At 6:54,

The same time every day.

I wish I were braver.

It is ﬁ fth period and

I eat my granola bar,

The same kind

As yesterday. I wish

I were braver.

The instant I get home

I begin my homework, never

Putting it off

Until night.

My routine remains the same,

Never changing.

But, one day, I know

I’ll be braver.

Page 109

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Who Am I?

by Felice Holman

The trees ask me,

And the sky,

And the sea asks me

Who am I?

The grass asks me,

And the sand,

And the rocks ask me

Who am I?

The wind tells me

At nightfall,

And the rain tells me

Someone small.

Someone small

But a piece

of

it

all.

I Myself

by Angel Gonzalez

I myself

Met me face to face at a crossroads.

I saw in my face

A stubborn expression, and a hardness

In the eyes, like

A man who would stop at nothing

The road was narrow, and I said to me;

“Stand aside, let me pass,

For I have to get to such and such a place.”

But I was weak, and my enemy

fell upon me with all the weight of my ﬂ esh

and I was left defeated in the ditch.

That’s the way it happened, and I never could

reach that place, and ever since

my body walks alone, getting lost,

distorting whatever plans I make.

Self-portrait Poem

by Simon

I’m a ﬂ ute that is calm

Making peaceful music

I’m a rainy day that always drifts

Raining down, thunder roars, lightning ﬂ ashes

I am winter that is frozen and depressed

Blizzards pouring down like raining dogs

Burying everything it covers

I’m a big scoop of ice cream sundae

That always makes your brain freeze when you eat

it

Paralyzing your thoughts and can’t think of

anything except cold

5:00 P.M where I can be free after doing my

homework

When I can do anything I want

I can relax for a while

I’m on a mountain peak

Where it is cold and high

And where I’m all alone and calm

Where I can get away from my misery

I’m a thick black color

Where I can’t see anything

All alone in the darkness

My Soul

By Ember Ward

Sometimes

When I feel like I’m going to fall apart

I hold my ribs, all the way around,

Both sides.

My ribs hold me together,

Like glue.

They keep my breath close to my heartbeat.

They keep my soul from escaping and

Leaving me, grounded.

I hold brightness and shadows in

The hollow were my ribs meet.

I hold them there in the memoires

Of slow, sorrowful music and

Porch steps.

I hold my ribs, until I feel solid.

Until my legs are tree trunks and

My ﬁ ngers are fruit.

Page 110

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Self-portrait Poems: Simile and

Metaphor

I Feel like a Puppy

by Alberto Santillana

I feel like a puppy that

can’t catch up with his mother.

Like a creek that runs fast

but can’t reach the ocean.

Like a runner who stays all day

in the starting line.

My mind is like an empty box.

Time running like a race car

running at the speed of light.

1. What are the similes that Santillana uses to

describe himself in the poem?

________________________________________

2. What do these similes reveal about the poet?

________________________________________

3. Why does the poet use similes? Why doesn’t

the poet simply state, “I am always left behind.” Or,

“I never have good ideas?”

________________________________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

By Myself

by Eloise Greenﬁ eld

When I’m by myself

And I close my eyes

I’m a twin

I’m a dimple in a chin

I’m a room full of toys

I’m a squeaky noise

I’m a gospel song

I’m a gong

I’m a leaf turning red

I’m a loaf of brown bread

I’m whatever I care to be

And when I open my eyes

What I care to be

Is me

1. What do the metaphors reveal about the poet?

________________________________________

2. Why do you think the poet has to be “by

myself…with my eyes closed” to be all the

metaphors named in the poem?

________________________________________

3. What does the poem reveal about the poet?

________________________________________

Page 111

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Poetry Hides

In the Elements

by Jessica L.

Poetry hides in an empty suitcase, waiting for an

adventure.

Poetry hides in watermelon with no seeds, so

much easier to eat.

Poetry hides in the ﬁ rst snow, waiting to grab

onto my wool hat and nose.

Poetry hides in the sticky tar wiped across the

street and oil pools licking up my shoelaces.

Poetry hides in the weather.

Sun

by Valerie Worth

The sun

Is a leaping ﬁ re

Too hot

To go near,

But it will still

Lie down

In warm yellow squares

On the ﬂ oor

Like a ﬂ at

Quilt, where

The cat can curl

And purr.

Haiku

Black River Streets

by Georgia Heard

Rain. River black streets.

Headlights shining. Cars streaming.

Rush to get somewhere?

Jamaica Avenue

by Emily

Different languages

Spoken on the crowded street

Strangeness in my ears

Dandelions

by Libby

Tough little ﬂ owers

Hard pavement cannot stop them

Sneaking through the cracks

Memory Poem

Rainy Day

by Grace

I hear the shrieks and whispers of the wind,

The swirling dance of the air.

I hear the wind whirling

And the rustling of leaves.

I taste the fresh wind blowing from the ocean,

The taste of salt lingers in the air.

I taste the cool breeze as it rushes into my mouth.

I feel the rain pierce my skin,

The cold stings pour from the sky.

I feel the mad rush of the wind

It streaks through my hair.

I see the black, endless clouds,

The darkness of a storm.

I see the tall, majestic trees

Bend in the force of the wind.

I smell the ocean breeze,

The musty air envelopes me.

I smell the freshness of wet leaves.

The clouds part,

The sun appears

Page 112

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Musical Tools

Rhyme

Umbrellas

by Maxine W. Kumin

It’s raining in the city.

I hope it rains for hours.

All of the umbrellas

Open up like ﬂ owers.

Come look out my window!

Polka dots in lines

Wag their stems and

Tilt to read the signs.

Plaid ones cross at corners

Striped ones wave about.

It’s raining in the city;

The ﬂ owers have come out.

Alliteration

Eagle Flight

by Georgia Heard

Eagle gliding in the sky,

circling, circling way up high—

wind is whistling through your wings.

You’re a graceful kite with no string.

(published in Georgia Heard. Creatures of

Earth, Sea, Sky. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill

Press, 1997.)

Onomatopoeia and Repetition

The Bells

by Edgar Allan Poe

Hear the sledges with the bells-

Silver bells!

What a world of merriment their melody

foretells!

How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,

In the icy air of night!

While the stars that oversprinkle

All the heavens, seem to twinkle

With a crystalline delight;

Keeping time, time, time,

In a sort of Runic rhyme,

To the tintinnabulation that so musically

wells

From the bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bells-

From the jingling and tinkling of the bells.

John Coltrane Ditty

by Dakari Kamau Hru

John be playin’

I be swayin’

help me git dat jazz

He be tootin’

I be hootin’

help me git dat jazz

I be crowin’

while he blowin’

funky razamataz

John be screechin’

I be reachin’

Reachin’ out for jazz!

Page 113

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Reading Companion

I, Too, Sing America

by Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I'll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody'll dare

Say to me,

"Eat in the kitchen,"

Then.

Besides,

They'll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

by e. e. cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so ﬂ oating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then)they

said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so ﬂ oating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men (both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

Page 114

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Sonnet

By Margaret Bruner

There have been many cats I loved and lost,

And most of them were of the mongrel breed;

Stray felines have a mighty power to plead,

Especially when chilled by snow and frost.

No matter if by cares I am engrossed,

Somehow I feel that I should intercede,

They seem so much like human folk in need--

Like waifs by winds of hardship roughly tossed.

I think that I should not be satisﬁ ed

In heaven with harps and wings and streets of

gold,

If I should hear by chance a noise outside

Like some lost kitten crying in the cold,--

How could Saint Peter think my act a sin

If I should tiptoe out and let it in?

Dawn in New York

by Claude McKay

The Dawn! The Dawn! The crimson-tinted,

comes

Out of the low still skies, over the hills,

Manhattan's roofs and spires and cheerless

domes!

The Dawn! My spirit to its spirit thrills.

Almost the mighty city is asleep,

No pushing crowd, no tramping, tramping feet.

But here and there a few cars groaning creep

Along, above, and underneath the street,

Bearing their strangely-ghostly burdens by,

The women and the men of garish nights,

Their eyes wine-weakened and their clothes

awry,

Grotesques beneath the strong electric lights.

The shadows wane. The Dawn comes to New

York.

And I go darkly-rebel to my work.

Dawn Revisited

By Rita Dove

Imagine you wake up

with a second chance: The blue jay

hawks his pretty wares

and the oak still stands, spreading

glorious shade. If you don’t look back,

the future never happens.

How good to rise in sunlight,

in the prodigal smell of biscuits—

eggs and sausage on the grill.

The whole sky is yours

to write on, blown open

to a blank page. Come on,

shake a leg! You’ll never know

who’s down there, frying those eggs,

if you don’t get up and see.

My First Memory (of Librarians)

By Nikki Giovanni

This is my ﬁ rst memory:

A big room with heavy wooden tables that sat on a

creaky

wood ﬂ oor

A line of green shades—bankers’ lights—down the

center

Heavy oak chairs that were too low or maybe I was

simply

too short

For me to sit in and read

So my ﬁ rst book was always big

In the foyer up four steps a semi-circle desk

presided

To the left side the card catalogue

On the right newspapers draped over what looked

like

a quilt rack

Magazines face out from the wall

The welcoming smile of my librarian

The anticipation in my heart

All those books—another world—just waiting

At my ﬁ ngertips.

Page 115

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

From The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

He had passed the library many times in his life, hundreds, but he had never gone inside. He was not

even sure it was for kids.

He pulled the blue card from his pocket. He had put it there after picking it up from the ﬂ oor that

morning. For the ﬁ rst time he took a good look at it. One side was blank. The other side was…blank too!

He kept turning it over and over. He could have sworn it said LIBRARY CARD when he had looked at it

on the roof.

It was just a blue, blank scrap.

And yet still, somehow, he knew it was a library card.

Problem was, he wasn’t sure how it worked. He thought maybe it was like a ticket, giving the holder

admittance, as to a basketball game. Finding no ticket-taker at the door, he entered, walked up three

steps, turned a corner, and found himself facing a counter with a lady behind it.

When the lady looked up and saw him coming, she smiled as if she knew him. Was he supposed to

know her? He walked up to the counter and showed her the card. He felt silly showing a blank card.

“You collecting tickets?” he said.

She took the card. She looked at it, then into his eyes. The silly feeling vanished. “No,” she said, “this

is not to let you in. It’s to let a book out.” She reached across the counter and slid the card into his coat

pocket. “Now, how may I help you?”

Mongoose told the lady about the big bug. She nodded and went away for a minute. She returned with a

book.

“You’ll ﬁ nd what you need in here,” she said. She handed him the book. She smiled. “Good reading.”

As he left the library, he stuck the book under his coat and in his waistband. He sprinted home.

Page 116

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .b

.b: Poetry Checklist

Review the checklist below as you write your poems. Check off each item that you have completed for

each poem.

Objective

Self-

portrait

Poetry

Hides

Memory

Surroundings

Completed First Draft

Added Metaphor/ Simile

Added Personiﬁ cation

Revised for Line-/Stanza Breaks

Revised for Word Choice

Revised for Musical Tools

Edited Spelling

Edited Punctuation

Completed Final Draft

Practiced Performance

Notes:

Page 117

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Self-portrait Brainstorm

Write a list of words or phrases that describe you as a person (e.g., friendly, insecure

about my height, bossy, etc.)

__________________________________________________________________________________

Brainstorm your Self-portrait Poem using these lists of similes and metaphors.

Similes:

I want to describe myself…

Like (a type of weather)

_____________________________________

Like (an animal)

_____________________________________

Like (a type of food)

_____________________________________

Like (a place)

_____________________________________

Like (a favorite _______ ?)

_____________________________________

Like (a color)

_____________________________________

Metaphors:

When I am by myself…

I am (a type of musical instrument)

I am (a type of bird)

_____________________________________

I am (a season of the year)

_____________________________________

I am (a type of vehicle)

_____________________________________

I am (a character in a book)

_____________________________________

I am (a time of day)

_____________________________________

Page 118

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Poetry Rubric (Page  of )

Identify statements that best describe student’s work.

Exceeds Standard

Level 4

Meets Standard

Level 3

Developing

Level 2

Rewrite

Level 1

Topic and Ideas: Does your topic mean something to you and your readers?

overall ideas

 Imaginative, grabs

reader’s attention

 Makes insightful

or meaningful

connection to self or

world

 Engaging or relevant,

interests reader

 Makes reasonable or

relevant connection

to self or world

 Ordinary or predictable

 Makes a superﬁ cial

connection to self or

world (“he’

s a boy, I’m

a boy”)

 Boring or

unimaginative

 Makes no connection

to self or world

or connection is

confusing

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Organization: Is your writing easy to follow?

sequence of

ideas

 Order of lines and

stanzas enhances

meaning

 Complete and

coherent

 Order of lines and

stanzas makes sense

 Logical

 Order of lines and

stanzas makes sense

some of the time

 Understandable even

though a few parts out

of place or confusing

 Order of lines and

stanzas does not

make sense, detracts

from meaning

 Hard to follow

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Language: Have you chosen words that clearly explain what you mean?

descriptive

language

 Vivid, original

describing or

showing

 Clear and speciﬁ c

way of describing or

showing

 Basic, unoriginal

or repetitive way of

describing or showing

 Tells, does not

describe or show

word choice

 Colorful or powerful

word choice

 Speciﬁ c and clear

word choice

 Unoriginal or overdone

word choice

 Vague, dull or

inaccurate word

choice

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Conventions: Did you pay attention to the rules of writing?

 Spelling consistently

accurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization

enhance meaning

 Spelling mostly

accurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization make

sense most of the

time

 Spelling sometimes

accurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization

sometimes make sense

 Spelling often

inaccurate

 Punctuation and

 capitalization detract

from meaning

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Page 119

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Poetry Rubric (Page  of )

Exceeds Standard

Level 4

Meets Standard

Level 3

Developing

Level 2

Rewrite

Level 1

Poetry Characteristics: How well have you incorporated speciﬁ c genre characteristics?

ﬁ gurative

language

Striking and meaningful

use of :

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

Speciﬁ c and accurate

use of:

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

General or ordinary use

of:

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

Confusing or misused:

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

musical tools

Striking and meaningful:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

Speciﬁ c and accurate:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

General or ordinary:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

Confusing or misused:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

form

 Structured poem

(haiku) contains all

traits and is effective/

meaningful

 Structured poem

(haiku) contains all

traits

 Structured poem

(haiku) contains some

of the necessary traits

 Structured poem

(haiku) lacks most

traits

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Get a Score

Calculate a score for each category of the rubric. Then add to get a total score.

Topic and Idea (11–20) _________

Organization (11–20) _________

Language (11–20) _________

Conventions (11–20) _________

Poetry Characteristics (11–20) _________

TOTAL SCORE (out of 100) _________

Page 120

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Memory Poem

Room 1: Write about a childhood memory.

Picture the event. Write a paragraph.

Room 2: Describe the light during the event.

Use key words and/or phrases.

Room 3: Describe the sounds you remember.

Use key words and/or phrases.

Room 4: Do you have any questions about the

memory? Write the questions here.

Room 5: What are your feelings about the

event? Use key words and/or phrases.

Room 6: Write some of the most important

words from the other ﬁ ve rooms.

adapted from Heard, Georgia. Awakening the Heart. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1998.

Page 121

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Surroundings Poem

Write a haiku about something you observe around you. Some possible topics can include:

 What you see out of your window

 What your street looks like ﬁ rst thing in the morning

 A place in your neighborhood you like to go

Brainstorm three to ﬁ ve topics for your haiku:

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________

Choose one topic. Write a short description of your haiku topic.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Write your haiku using the following format:

_______________________________________ (5 syllables)

___________________________________________________________________ (7 syllables)

_______________________________________ (5 syllables)

Write a second haiku using the same format:

______________________________________ (5 syllables)

___________________________________________________________________ (7 syllables)

_______________________________________ (5 syllables)

Page 122

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Line-breaks (Page  of )

Read either “Listening to the Grownups Quarreling” by Ruth Whitman or “Teenagers” by Pat

Mora. Create line- and stanza breaks. Add a slash (/) for each line-break and a double slash (//)

for each stanza break. Then rewrite each poem.

Listening to the Grownups Quarreling by Ruth Whitman

Listening to the grownups quarreling standing in the hall against the wall with my little brother

blown like leaves against the wall by their voices my head like a ping-pong ball between the paddles

of their anger I knew what it meant to tremble like a leaf cold with their wrath I heard the claw of

the rain pounce ﬂ oods poured through the city skies clapped over me and I was shaken shaken like

a mouse between their jaws

Teenagers by Pat Mora

One day they just disappear into their rooms doors and lips shut and we become strangers in our

own home I pace the hall hear whispers a code I knew but can’t remember mouthed by mouths I

taught to speak years later the door opens I see faces I once held open as sunﬂ owers in my hands

I see familiar skin now stretched on long bodies that move past me glowing almost like pearls

Rewrite the poem:

______________________________________ _________________________________

Page 123

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Line-breaks (Page  of )

Listening to the grownups quarreling

By Ruth Whitman

Listening to the grownups quarreling

standing in the hall against the

wall with my little brother, blown

like leaves against the wall by their

voices, my head like a ping-pong ball,

between the paddles of their anger:

I knew what it meant

to tremble like a leaf.

Cold with their wrath, I heard

the claw of the rain

pounce. Floods

poured through the city,

skies clapped over me,

and I was shaken, shaken

like a mouse

between their jaws.

Teenagers

By Pat Mora

One day they just disappear

Into their rooms.

Doors and lips shut

And we become strangers in our own home.

I pace the hall, hear whispers,

A code I knew but can’t remember,

Mouthed by mouths I taught to speak.

Years later the door opens.

I see faces I once held,

Open as sunﬂ owers in my hands, I see

Familiar skin now stretched on long bodies

That move past me

Glowing almost like pearls.

“Listening to the Grownups Quarreling,” Knock at a Star: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry. NY: Little,

Brown Young Readers; Revised edition, 1999.

“Teenagers,” What Have You Lost? Naomi Shihab Nye (Ed.) NY: Harper Teen, 2001.

Page 124

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

3.2a: Revise for Word Choice

Read the poem below. Create a list of alternate words for the bolded words.

The Pencil Sharpener

by Georgia Heard

The pencil sharpener

makes

the pencil

into a sharp point

and leaves

the leftovers out.

Alternate words for “makes”

____________________________________

Alternate words for “leaves”

____________________________________

The Pencil Sharpener

The pencil sharpener

________

the pencil

into a sharp point

and ___________

the leftovers out.

The Pencil Sharpener

The pencil sharpener

________

the pencil

into a sharp point

and ____________

the leftovers out.

(The complete poem “Pencil Sharpener” by

Georgia Heard can be found in The Revision

Toolbox: Teaching Revision Techniques that Work.

Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2002.)

This poem has been used with the permission of

the author.

Page 125

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Editing a Poem

Anonymous

by Christopher D. Viner

I am anonymous.

I am only known to a

small group.

The world doesn’t know

ME.

My future doesn’t know

ME.

Sometimes I am not known to my

PARENTS.

My insides don’t know my outsides.

I am only known to some things but not many.

I AM ANONYMOUS.

1. Which words does the poet choose to capitalize? Why does he choose to capitalize these words?

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which word does the poet choose to write in a small font? What is the message he is trying to send?

__________________________________________________________________________________

published in Naomi Shihab Nye (Editor). Salting the Ocean. NY: HarperCollins Books, 2000.

Page 126

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Media Consent Form

I, ___________________________, (PRINT NAME) hereby grant Teaching Matters and its agents

permission to use my child’s, _________________________ (PRINT CHILD’S NAME) likeness,

voice, picture and name, for print, radio, or television broadcast as well as for other Teaching Matters

publications.

I further understand that I will NOT have the option to review the ﬁ nal news article or broadcast

story before it is published or broadcast, and that other news media may reprint or re-broadcast the

information I am releasing following the initial publication or broadcast.

Signature of Parent/Guardian: __________________________________

Date: _ ______________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________

Tel. Number: Home_________________ Ofﬁ ce/Other________________

Media Consent Form (Spanish version)

Yo ___________________________, (NOMBRE IMPRESO) concedo a Teaching

Matters y sus agentes el permiso de utilizar la voz, nombre foto y apariencia de mi hijo/a

_________________________ (IMPRIMA NOMBRE DEL NIÑO/A) para publicaciones de prensa, radio

o televisión, como también para otras publicaciones de Teaching Matters.

Entiendo también que no tendré la opción de revisar la versión ﬁ nal del artículo(s) o de la noticia(s)

antes de que sea publicada o transmitida. Concedo el permiso para que otros medios de comunicación

puedan reimprimir o redifundir la información sobre mi hijo(a) después de la publicación o de la difusión

inicial.

Firma del Padre de Familia o Apoderado: __________________________

Fecha: _______________________________________________________

Dirección: ____________________________________________________

Ciudad/Estado/Código Postal: ___________________________________

Numero de Teléfono: Casa______________Trabajo/Otro _____________

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE (Page  of )

To take your verses from the page to the stage, take care of your SELF. SELF is an acronym for:

 Stand up straight — You’ve heard this one before.

 Eye contact — Look at your audience. This will be much easier if you memorize your poem and

don’t have to look at your notes.

 Loud enough — The people in the back of the room should be able to hear you.

 Feeling and emotion— If you care, your audience will care.

More about feeling and emotion: When you perform poetry for an audience, use your voice and body

to add meaning. Decide which words, lines and phrases in your poem are most important. Then, think

about the feelings you want to communicate. Try using these tools to add punch to your performance:

 Pace — Speaking slowly helps your audience enjoy and think about your words, while speaking

quickly can communicate excitement. Which parts of your poem should be spoken slowly and

which parts quickly?

 Volume — Always speak loudly enough to be heard but vary the volume for maximum effect.

Speaking loudly can show intense emotion or action, while suddenly dropping to a softer voice

can make the audience focus on what you are saying. What parts of your poem will you say

loudly and when will you speak more softly?

 Pauses — Add emphasis to certain lines, phrases and words by pausing. A pause after a line

gives your audience a chance to absorb it. A pause in the middle of an idea can add suspense.

Where do you want to pause for emphasis?

 Gesture — Emphasize ideas visually with body or arm movements. Gestures can be used in

parts of your performance. They can be small or big, depending on your style. They can be

literal, such as pretending to shoot a basket, or abstract, such as clenching your ﬁ st or putting a

hand on your heart to show your emotions. What gestures will add to your performance?

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE (Page  of )

Plan Your Performance

Write your poem below. Make notes on pauses and gestures you plan to use. Mark the

places you want to speak loudly or softly, quickly or slowly. Review these cues while you are

memorizing and practicing your poem.

____________________________________

_____________________________________

Notes:

(pauses, gestures, pace, volume)

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Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Record Your Poem (Page  of )

You'll need the following things for this activity:

 Completed Handout 4.3b: S.E.L.F. Guide or a copy of a poem you would like to record

 A microphone connected to your computer (some computers have built in microphones)

 A PC with Windows XP or a Mac with OS X

1. Prepare to read your poem.

 Take a few minutes to review your poem on

the S.E.L.F. Guide and practice reading it

aloud with feeling and expression.

 Go to the activity Record Your Poem in

Step 4 of the Online Classroom.

 Click the Writing Matters Audio Recorder

link.

2. Record your poem.

 Click Record. Speak loudly and clearly into

the microphone.

 Click Stop when you are ﬁ nished.

 Click Play to listen to the recording. You

may record it again if it doesn't sound right.

3. Save your poem.

 Type your name where it says rename me

but leave the .mp3 ending. Click Save File.

It may take a moment.

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Beginner Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Record Your Poem (Page  of )

3. Share your audio recording (podcast) with your

class.

 Return to the Record Your Poem window.

 Click the Add a new discussion topic

button.

 Paste the text of your poem into the big

Message box.

 Where it says “Attachment,” click the

Browse button and locate your audio ﬁ le on

the hard drive.

 Select the ﬁ le and click Open to upload it.

 Click Post to forum. An audio recording

of your poem is not stored in your Online

Classroom.

Don’t forget to publish your poem and your audio

ﬁ le on your Writing Matters ezine. Directions can

be found in Handout 4.2a: Publish on Writing

Matters.

Note: The 1st time you use the audio recorder, you must allow the Java software to run. Directions on

the screen explain how to do it. If you have difﬁ culty getting started, contact your teacher or Teaching

Matters consultant for help. If you are using a Mac with OS 10.4 or later, Safari works best (click the

Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen and select About this Mac to see the operating system).

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Writing Poetry - Intermediate Handouts: Table of Contents

Intermediate Handouts

Step : Be a Poet

Handout 1.1a: Poetry Packet __________________________________________

Handout 1.1b: Poetry Checklist _________________________________________

Handout 1.4a: Poetry Rubric ___________________________________________

Step : Draft a Poem

Handout 2.2a: Memory Poem __________________________________________

Handout 2.3a: Surroundings Poem ______________________________________

Step : Craft & Revise

Handout 3.2a: Revise for Word Choice ___________________________________

Step 4: Edit & Publish

Handout 4.1a: Edit a Poem ____________________________________________

Handout 4.3a: Media Consent Form _____________________________________

Handout 4.3b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE _________________________________________

Handout 4.4a: Record Your Poem ________________________________________

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Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

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.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Citations for all writing included in this packet can be found on the Citations page located in the Teacher

Resources section at the end of the Writing Poetry binder.

Self-portrait Poems

“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou

“I Am” by Tia Beierwaltes

“Self-portrait Poem” by Yaniv

“The Rose That Grew From Concrete” by Tupac Shakur

“Who I Am” by Ingrid

“I Am” by Lenore Marshall

“I Am” by Alyssa S.

“I Am” by Zacha

Memory Poem

“My First Memory (of Librarians)” by Nikki Giovanni

Poetry Hides

“Valentine for Ernest Mann” by Naomi Shihab Nye

“Where Does Poetry Hide” by J. Tiona

“Poetry Is in My Underwear” by April Halprin Wayland

Sonnets

“To a Friend” by Amy Lowell

Sonnet by Margaret Bruner

Sonnet by James Weldon Johnson

“Dawn in New York” by Claude McKay

Line and Stanza Breaks

“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks

untitled by e. e. cummings

Word Choice

“April Rain Song” by Langston Hughes

“When You Come” by Maya Angelou

“Dressing for P.E.” by Kristin O’Connell George

Musical Tools

“’Hope’ is the thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson

Excerpt from Memories Live by Talib Kweli

“The Silken Tent” by Robert Frost

“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost

“Bouncing Basketball” by Lee Emmett

“Storm” by William Thomas Dodd

“The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe

Reading Companion

“I, Too Sing America” by Langston Hughes

“anyone lived in a pretty how town” by e.e. cummings

“Dandelions” by Libby

“Watching Television” by Wei

“Dawn Revisited” by Rita Dove

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook” by Yusef Komunyakaa

“Oil & Steel” by Henri Cole

“My Favorite Place” by A.C.

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.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Self-portrait Poem

Phenomenal Woman

by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the ﬁ re in my eyes,

And the ﬂ ash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me…

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I Am

by Tia Beierwaltes

I am like the sunrise—bold and beautiful

I wonder how the world can be so dull

I hear the sun strike the grass

I see the way nature plays

I want to understand the world

I am like the sunrise—bold and beautiful

I pretend to see the world as new

I feel the way you feel and I feel your happiness

I touch the crescent moon to comfort it

I worry what this world will become

I cry when what I worry is true

I am like the sunrise—bold and beautiful

I understand where happiness is from

I say what I stand and bow for

I dream the day I danced with the fairies

I try to see what others see

I hope to ﬁ nd what spirit lies within us all

I am like the sunrise—bold and beautiful

I am in the wind, in the chimes, in the song of a

bell…

Self-portrait Poem

by Yaniv

I’m like a lightning storm, angry when I’m teased.

Quick to strike

The buildings of might.

When I am by myself,

I am a piano,

Always on the move,

I play different melodies music, voices and tunes.

I am emotional.

I am a parrot,

Bringing and imitating life

And hungry for knowledge.

I am like a pineapple

Always sweet and juicy on the inside,

And prickly and tough on the outside.

I am summer,

Happy, loving, sprouting, growing, swarming and

neat.

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.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

The Rose That Grew from Concrete

by Tupac Shakur

Did u hear about the rose that grew from a

crack

in the concrete

Proving nature’s laws wrong it learned 2 walk

without having feet

Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams

it learned 2 breathe fresh air

Long live the rose that grew from concrete

When no one else even cared!

Who I Am

by Ingrid

Sitting in a classroom

frustrated, confused, annoyed;

I am alone, ﬂ awed, different.

Call the doctor: questions, testing.

I'm not ﬂ awed, I'm learning disabled.

I'm not alone; there are others

I am different, for I see the world

with a new perspective.

I Am

by Lenore Marshall

I Am A

Cosmonaut

Cradled in dangers

Orbiting a garden universe

Snipping cosmos, probing Venus,

Sighting summer's end blindly,

Weightily weightless

Spinning out of reach,

out

of

reach

Signaling strangers.

I Am

by Alyssa S.

I am a song in the shower

spinning through the curtains and jumping off

the walls. I am a ball of powerful songs in the

mornings. I am a leap and a hop on the ice. I am

a pencil

slashing through the air onto a piece of paper. I

am a

stomach ache in the morning groveling on the

ground.

I am a headache at night when I get home. I am

a dreamer at night spinning and leaping in my

dreams.

I am a piece of cheese in the afternoon.

I am a slice of blueberry pie. I am a soccer ball

being kicked as hard as a rock towards

the goal. I am a pianist pounding the keys playing

music.

I am a ball of chocolate globbing through teeth.

I am a dark shadow at night galloping through the

clouds.

I am a warm spring for all the sports who need

me.

I am a box full of toys, clothes, and junk.

I am a pig, rolling on the ground laughing so hard

you could hear it for miles and miles.

I am the sun rising over a mountain top early in

the morning.

I am a chocolate chip cookie cracking into two

pieces on

the table.

I am a piece of mocha trying to take over my skin

when my

skin says “No”!

I am a big cherry on an ice cream sundae Friday

night.

I am a swimmer dashing through the water.

I am a space shuttle blasting off to outer space.

I am a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day.

I am a goldﬁ sh trying to survive on land.

I am myself, and I’m me.

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I Am

by Zacha

I am a lazy, happy dog. I wonder what the world

would look like in color. I hear other dogs

barking and humans yelling. I want food that is

cooked and delicious. I am a lazy, happy dog.

I pretend to sleep. I feel my owners’ and other

peoples’ emotions. I touch peoples’ lives with

my upbeat attitude. I worry about time and when

I am going to get my next meal. I am a lazy,

happy dog.

I understand nothing except for myself. I say

nothing since nobody can understand what I am

saying. I dream about food and I dream about it

a lot. I try to steal good food from the humans’

table. I hope to get away. I am a lazy, happy dog.

Memory Poem

My First Memory (of Librarians)

by Nikki Giovanni

This is my ﬁ rst memory:

A big room with heavy wooden tables that sat on

a creaky

wood ﬂ oor

A line of green shades—bankers’ lights—down

the center

Heavy oak chairs that were too low or maybe I

was simply

too short

For me to sit in and read

So my ﬁ rst book was always big

In the foyer up four steps a semi-circle desk

presided

To the left side the card catalogue

On the right newspapers draped over what looked

like

a quilt rack

Magazines face out from the wall

The welcoming smile of my librarian

The anticipation in my heart

All those books—another world—just waiting

At my ﬁ ngertips.

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.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Poetry Hides

Valentine for Ernest Mann

by Naomi Shihab Nye

You can't order a poem like you order a taco.

Walk up to the counter, say, "I'll take two"

and expect it to be handed back to you

on a shiny plate.

Still, I like your spirit.

Anyone who says, "Here's my address,

write me a poem," deserves something in reply.

So I'll tell you a secret instead:

poems hide. In the bottoms of our shoes,

they are sleeping. They are the shadows

drifting across our ceilings the moment

before we wake up. What we have to do

is live in a way that lets us ﬁ nd them.

Once I knew a man who gave his wife

two skunks for a valentine.

He couldn't understand why she was crying.

"I thought they had such beautiful eyes."

And he was serious. He was a serious man

who lived in a serious way. Nothing was ugly

just because the world said so. He really

liked those skunks. So, he re-invented them

as valentines and they became beautiful.

At least, to him. And the poems that had been

hiding

in the eyes of skunks for centuries

crawled out and curled up at his feet.

Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us

we ﬁ nd poems. Check your garage, the odd sock

in your drawer, the person you almost like, but

not quite.

And let me know.

Where Does Poetry Hide?

by jtiona

Where does poetry hide?

Does it hide in your face expression?

In your sad face,

Or in your different race,

Or maybe in your angry pout,

Think about it maybe when you shout,

Where does poetry hide?

Does it hide in this mysterious world?

On the streets of the poor,

In the structure of the walls,

Or maybe in the creeks of the ﬂ oor?

Where does poetry hide?

Does it hide in the world around us?

Or in the news paper,

Or maybe in the Virginia tech massacre?

Where does poetry hide?

Poetry Is in My Underwear

by April Halprin Wayland

My sister found them.

Read them out loud.

She's so proud,

she's running to our parents

waving my poems in the air.

Doesn't she know

she's waving my underwear?

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

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.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Sonnets

To a Friend

by Amy Lowell

I ask but one thing of you, only one,

That always you will be my dream of you;

That never shall I wake to ﬁ nd untrue

All this I have believed and rested on,

Forever vanished, like a vision gone

Out into the night. Alas, how few

There are who strike in us a chord we knew

Existed, but so seldom heard its tone

We tremble at the half-forgotten sound.

The world is full of rude awakenings

And heaven-born castles shattered to the

ground,

Yet still our human longing vainly clings

To a belief in beauty through all wrongs.

O stay your hand, and leave my heart its songs!

Sonnet

by Margaret Bruner

There have been many cats I loved and lost,

And most of them were of the mongrel breed;

Stray felines have a mighty power to plead,

Especially when chilled by snow and frost.

No matter if by cares I am engrossed,

Somehow I feel that I should intercede,

They seem so much like human folk in need—

Like waifs by winds of hardship roughly tossed.

I think that I should not be satisﬁ ed

In heaven with harps and wings and streets of

gold,

If I should hear by chance a noise outside

Like some lost kitten crying in the cold,—

How could Saint Peter think my act a sin

If I should tiptoe out and let it in?

Sonnet

by James Weldon Johnson

My heart be brave, and do not falter so,

Nor utter more that deep, despairing wail.

Thy way is very dark and drear I know,

But do not let thy strength and courage fail;

For certain as the raven-winged night

Is followed by the bright and blushing morn,

Thy coming morrow will be clear and bright;

’Tis darkest when the night is furthest worn.

Look up, and out, beyond, surrounding clouds,

And do not in thine own gross darkness grope,

Rise up, and casting off thy hind’ring shrouds,

Cling thou to this, and ever inspiring hope:

Tho’ thick the battle and tho’ ﬁ erce the ﬁ ght,

There is a power making for the right.

Dawn in New York

by Claude McKay

The Dawn! The Dawn! The crimson-tinted, comes

Out of the low still skies, over the hills,

Manhattan's roofs and spires and cheerless

domes!

The Dawn! My spirit to its spirit thrills.

Almost the mighty city is asleep,

No pushing crowd, no tramping, tramping feet.

But here and there a few cars groaning creep

Along, above, and underneath the street,

Bearing their strangely-ghostly burdens by,

The women and the men of garish nights,

Their eyes wine-weakened and their clothes awry,

Grotesques beneath the strong electric lights.

The shadows wane. The Dawn comes to New

York.

And I go darkly-rebel to my work.

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Line and Stanza Breaks

We Real Cool

by Gwendolyn Brooks

THE POOL PLAYERS.

SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

untitled

by e.e. cummings

dim

i

nu

tiv

e this park is e

mpty(everyb

ody’s elsewher

e except me 6 e

nglish sparrow

s)a

utumn & t

he rai

n

th

e

raintherain

Word Choice

Read the poems below. Think of vivid words or

ﬁ gurative language to ﬁ ll the blanks.

April Rain Song

by Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain __________ your head with

__________drops

Let the rain sing a __________

The rain makes __________ on the sidewalk

The rain makes __________ in the gutter

The rain plays _________ __________ on our roof

at night

And I love the rain.

This poem describes the power of long-forgotten

memories.

When You Come

by Maya Angelou

When you come to me, unbidden,

Beckoning me

To _________ rooms,

Where memories lie.

Offering me, as to a child, an attic,

Gatherings of days too few.

Baubles of stolen kisses

Trinkets of _________ _________.

Trunks of ___________ _________,

I CRY.

Dressing for P.E.

by Kristine O’Connell George

No privacy in the locker room!

I Houdini out of my sweatshirt.

Snap a quick towel ﬂ ip.

Reverse.

Finish with a ﬂ ourish.

The Trick:

Changing in and out of gym clothes

so not one square inch of skin shows.

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Musical Tools

Slant Rhyme/Near Rhyme

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

Excerpt from Memories Live

by Talib Kweli

Yo it kind of make me think of way back when,

I was a portrait of the artist as a young man,

All those teenage dreams of rapping,

Writing rhymes on napkins,

Was really visualization, making this here

actually happen,

Alliteration

The Silken Tent

by Robert Frost

She is as in a ﬁ eld a silken tent

At midday when the sunny summer breeze

Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent,

So that in guys it gently sways at ease,

And its supporting central cedar pole,

That is its pinnacle to heavenward

And signiﬁ es the sureness of the soul,

Seems to owe naught to any single cord,

But strictly held by none, is loosely bound

By countless silken ties of love and thought

To every thing on earth the compass round,

And only by one's going slightly taut

In the capriciousness of summer air

Is of the slightest bondage made aware.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods ﬁ ll up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy ﬂ ake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

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Onomatopoeia

BOUNCING BASKETBALL

by Lee Emmett

bounce, dribble, bounce

stumble, thud, stop

bounce, bounce, take aim

into basket drop

rebound, dribble, bounce

jump, reaching, stretch

smack, hit back-board

thump, weeping, retch

umpire whistles, calls ‘foul’

coach mumbles, players grumble

shrill blast, time-out’s past

back to task, run, rumble

Storm

by William Thomas Dodd

A cacophonous cannonade of thunder,

doesn’t it make you wonder?

blasting buss of blunder,

pitter-patter rain, pouring under,

streets awash like tumult tundra,

lucid lightning ﬂ ash,

clip-clop heels as people dash

to take cover from the splash,

when grey skies clear

then listen here

in quiet heavens

doth now appear

a rainbow

The Bells

by Edgar Allan Poe

Hear the sledges with the bells-

Silver bells!

What a world of merriment their melody

foretells!

How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,

In the icy air of night!

While the stars that oversprinkle

All the heavens, seem to twinkle

With a crystalline delight;

Keeping time, time, time,

In a sort of Runic rhyme,

To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells

From the bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bells-

From the jingling and tinkling of the bells

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Reading Companion

I, Too, Sing America

by Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I'll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody'll dare

Say to me,

"Eat in the kitchen,"

Then.

Besides,

They'll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

by e. e. cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so ﬂ oating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then)they

said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so ﬂ oating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 143

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Dandelions

by Libby

Tough little ﬂ owers

Hard pavement cannot stop them

Sneaking through the cracks

Watching Television

by Wei

Sitting over there

Staring in the clear somewhere

On and on we stare

Dawn Revisited

by Rita Dove

Imagine you wake up

with a second chance: The blue jay

hawks his pretty wares

and the oak still stands, spreading

glorious shade. If you don’t look back,

the future never happens.

How good to rise in sunlight,

in the prodigal smell of biscuits—

eggs and sausage on the grill.

The whole sky is yours

to write on, blown open

to a blank page. Come on,

shake a leg! You’ll never know

who’s down there, frying those eggs,

if you don’t get up and see.

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 144

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Slam, Dunk, & Hook

Yusef Komunyakaa

Fast breaks. Lay ups. With Mercury’s

Insignia on our sneakers,

We outmaneuvered the footwork

Of bad angels. Nothing but a hot

Swish of strings like silk

Ten feet out. In the roundhouse

Labyrinth our bodies

Created, we could almost

Last forever, poised in midair

Like storybook sea monsters.

A high note hung there

A long second. Off

The rim. We’d corkscrew

Up & dunk balls that exploded

The skullcap of hope & good

Intention. Lanky, all hands

& feet…sprung rhythm.

We were metaphysical when girls

Cheered on the sidelines.

Tangled up in a falling,

Muscles were a bright motor

Double-ﬂ ashing to the metal hoop

Nailed to our oak.

When Sonny Boy’s mama died

He played nonstop all day, so hard

Our backboard splintered.

Glistening with sweat,

We rolled the ball off

Our ﬁ ngertips. Trouble

Was there slapping a blackjack

Against an open palm.

Dribble, drive to the inside,

& glide like a sparrow hawk.

Lay ups. Fast breaks.

We had moves we didn’t know

We had. Our bodies spun

On swivels of bone & faith,

Through a lyric slipknot

Of joy, & we knew we were

Beautiful & dangerous.

Oil & Steel

by Henri Cole

My father lived in a dirty dish mausoleum,

watching a portable black-and-white television,

reading the Encyclopedia Britannica,

which he preferred to Modern Fiction.

One by one, his schnauzers died of liver disease,

except the one that guarded his corpse

found holding a tumbler of Bushmills.

"Dead is dead," he would say, an anti-preacher.

I took a plaid shirt from the bedroom closet

and some motor oil—my inheritance.

Once, I saw him weep in a courtroom—

neglected, needing nursing—this man who never

showed

me much affection but gave me a knack

for solitude, which has been mostly useful.

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 145

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

My Favorite Place

By A.C.

I get off the bus and walk a few blocks. I stop when I get to a garage-like place and walk to the metal

door with chipping brown paint. I turn the knob and walk in. A thousand eyes look at me as I take my

place at the end of the long line. When I ﬁ nally get up to the window, I hand the ofﬁ cer my ID.

“I’m here to visit Mr. C. Yes, I’m his daughter.”

I have that line memorized. The ofﬁ cer hands me a piece of paper with my name as the visitor and my

father’s as the inmate. It tells me what ﬂ oor to go to. As I get on the elevator, a rush of excitement runs

through me. On the eighth ﬂ oor, I go to another window for the ofﬁ cer to check if I’m on the visitor list. I

am. Then he tells me to go to window six. I look around and see the faces I see here every Sunday and

Thursday.

There he is. I stand on tiptoe to get a better view since I can hardly see him. He doesn’t look like my

father. He’s got a beard now and he looks a lot meaner. He doesn’t look like the dad who gave me big

bear hugs or played silly games with me when I was young. He’s the dad that I see through a window.

My dad who is separated from the world. The only place he now knows is his cell. When I look deep into

his eyes, I see emptiness and pain. I see a tired man who I think could sleep until the day he dies.

It’s difﬁ cult to hear him through the thick glass and over everyone else who is trying to talk. We try to

carry on a normal conversation about simple things including my day and what I’m doing in school, but

we mostly talk about how we can’t wait until he gets out. After an hour my time is up. We say our good-

byes and love yous. I stand on my tiptoes again watching him as he fades into the other side of the

window, a side I’ll never get to see.

I turn and walk to the elevator. I feel my face get hot and tears blur my vision. I’m at the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor and I

walk out, letting the cold winter air smack my face. I get on the bus to go home.

My favorite place is where my father is - prison. I know, how can prison be anyone’s favorite place? But

it is because my father is there. It’ll no longer be my favorite place once he gets out, though - home will

be.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 146

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .b

.b: Poetry Checklist

Review the checklist below as you write your poems. Check off each item that you have completed for

each poem.

Objective

Self-

portrait

Poetry

Hides

Memory

Surroundings

Completed First Draft

Added Metaphor/ Simile

Added Personiﬁ cation

Revised for Line-/Stanza Breaks

Revised for Word Choice

Revised for Musical Tools

Edited Spelling

Edited Punctuation

Completed Final Draft

Practiced Performance

Notes:

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 147

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Poetry Rubric (Page  of )

Identify statements that best describe student’s work.

Exceeds Standard

Level 4

Meets Standard

Level 3

Developing

Level 2

Rewrite

Level 1

Topic and Ideas: Does your topic mean something to you and your readers?

overall ideas

 Imaginative, grabs

reader’s attention

 Makes insightful

or meaningful

connection to self or

world

 Engaging or relevant,

interests reader

 Makes reasonable or

relevant connection

to self or world

 Ordinary or predictable

 Makes a superﬁ cial

connection to self or

world (“he’s a boy, I’m

a boy”)

 Boring or

unimaginative

 Makes no connection

to self or world

or connection is

confusing

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Organization: Is your writing easy to follow?

sequence of

ideas

 Order of lines and

stanzas enhances

meaning

 Complete and

coherent

 Order of lines and

stanzas makes sense

 Logical

 Order of lines and

stanzas makes sense

some of the time

 Understandable even

though a few parts out

of place or confusing

 Order of lines and

stanzas does not

make sense, detracts

from meaning

 Hard to follow

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Language & Style: Have you chosen words that clearly explain what you mean and

that represent you as a writer?

descriptive

language

 Vivid, original

describing or

showing

 Clear and speciﬁ c

way of describing or

showing

 Basic, unoriginal

or repetitive way of

describing or showing

 Tells, does not

describe or show

word choice

 Colorful or powerful

word choice

 Speciﬁ c and clear

word choice

 Unoriginal or overdone

word choice

 Vague, dull or

inaccurate word

choice

voice

 Real and unique/

distinctive

 Real or personal  Somewhat fake or ﬂ at  Very plain and

impersonal

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Conventions: Did you pay attention to the rules of writing?

 Spelling consistently

accurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization

enhance meaning

 Spelling mostly

accurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization make

sense most of the

time

 Spelling sometimes

accurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization

sometimes make sense

 Spelling often

inaccurate

 Punctuation and

capitalization detract

from meaning

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 148

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Poetry Rubric (Page  of )

Exceeds Standard

Level 4

Meets Standard

Level 3

Developing

Level 2

Rewrite

Level 1

Poetry Characteristics: How well have you incorporated speciﬁ c genre characteristics?

ﬁ gurative

language

Striking and meaningful

use of :

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

Speciﬁ c and accurate

use of:

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

General or ordinary use

of:

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

Confusing or misused:

 simile

 metaphor

 personiﬁ cation

musical tools

Striking and meaningful:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

Speciﬁ c and accurate:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

General or ordinary:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

Confusing or misused:

 alliteration

 onomatopoeia

 repetition

 rhyme

form

 Structured poem

(sonnet) contains all

traits and is effective/

meaningful

 Structured poem

(sonnet) contains all

traits

 Structured poem

(sonnet) contains some

of the necessary traits

 Structured poem

(sonnet) lacks most

traits

Assign Points

(Circle one)

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Get a Score

Calculate a score for each category of the rubric. Then add to get a total score.

Topic and Idea (11–20) _________

Organization (11–20) _________

Language (11–20) _________

Conventions (11–20) _________

Poetry Characteristics (11–20) _________

TOTAL SCORE (out of 100) _________

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 149

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Memory Poem

Room 1: Write about a childhood memory.

Picture the event. Write a paragraph.

Room 2: Describe the light during the event.

Use key words and/or phrases.

Room 3: Describe the sounds you remember.

Use key words and/or phrases.

Room 4: Do you have any questions about the

memory? Write the questions here.

Room 5: What are your feelings about the

event? Use key words and/or phrases.

Room 6: Write some of the most important

words from the other ﬁ ve rooms.

adapted from Heard, Georgia. Awakening the Heart. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1998.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 150

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Surroundings Poem (Page  of )

Write a SONNET about something you observe around you. Some possible topics can include:

 What you see out of your window

 What your street looks like ﬁ rst thing in the morning

 A place in your neighborhood you like to go

Brainstorm three to ﬁ ve topics for your SONNET:

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________

Choose one topic. Write a short description of your topic:

_____________________________________________________________________________

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 151

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Surroundings Poem (Page  of )

Write your sonnet below, putting the right number of syllables on each line. The letters correspond to the

last word of the line that must rhyme with the last word of another line with the same letter.

Example:

The ﬁ rst and third line of every stanza will rhyme, which is indicated because both lines have the same

letter of “a”.

Be patient, weary body, soon the night (a – 10 syllables)

Will wrap thee gently in her sable sheet, (b – 10 syllables)

And with a leaden sigh thou wilt invite (a – 10 syllables)

To rest thy tired hands and aching feet. (b – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (a – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (b – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (a – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (b – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (c – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (d – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (c – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (d – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (e – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (f – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (e – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (f – 10 syllables)

________________________________________________________________ (g – 10 syllables)

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 152

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Revise for Word Choice (Page  of )

Read the poems below. Think of vivid words or ﬁ gurative language to ﬁ ll the blanks. Brainstorm in the

space provided below each poem.

April Rain Song

by Langston Hughes

Brainstorm your choice of words:

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain __________ your head with __________drops

Let the rain sing a __________

The rain makes __________ on the sidewalk

The rain makes __________ in the gutter

The rain plays _________ __________ on our roof at night

And I love the rain.

Reﬁ ne your choice of words:

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain __________ your head with __________drops

Let the rain sing a __________

The rain makes __________ on the sidewalk

The rain makes __________ in the gutter

The rain plays _________ __________ on our roof at night

And I love the rain.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 153

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Revise for Word Choice (Page  of )

See the Poet’s actual words below.

April Rain Song

by Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you/

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops/

Let the rain sing you a lullaby/

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk/

The rain makes running pools in the gutter/

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night/

And I love the rain.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 154

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Editing a Poem

untitled

by e.e. cummings

dim

i

nu

tiv

e this park is e

mpty(everyb

ody’s elsewher

e except me 6 e

nglish sparrow

s)a

utumn & t

he rai

n

th

e

raintherain

1. Why do you think e.e. cummings chose not to use many capital letters in his poetry?

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the message the poet is trying to send?

__________________________________________________________________________________

II: 1936-62 by E. E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage. Permission pending.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 155

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Media Consent Form

I, ___________________________, (PRINT NAME) hereby grant Teaching Matters and its agents

permission to use my child’s, _________________________ (PRINT CHILD’S NAME) likeness,

voice, picture and name, for print, radio, or television broadcast as well as for other Teaching Matters

publications.

I further understand that I will NOT have the option to review the ﬁ nal news article or broadcast

story before it is published or broadcast, and that other news media may reprint or re-broadcast the

information I am releasing following the initial publication or broadcast.

Signature of Parent/Guardian: __________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________

Tel. Number: Home_________________ Ofﬁ ce/Other________________

Media Consent Form (Spanish version)

Yo ___________________________, (NOMBRE IMPRESO) concedo a Teaching

Matters y sus agentes el permiso de utilizar la voz, nombre foto y apariencia de mi hijo/a

_________________________ (IMPRIMA NOMBRE DEL NIÑO/A) para publicaciones de prensa, radio

o televisión, como también para otras publicaciones de Teaching Matters.

Entiendo también que no tendré la opción de revisar la versión ﬁ nal del artículo(s) o de la noticia(s)

antes de que sea publicada o transmitida. Concedo el permiso para que otros medios de comunicación

puedan reimprimir o redifundir la información sobre mi hijo(a) después de la publicación o de la difusión

inicial.

Firma del Padre de Familia o Apoderado: __________________________

Fecha: _____________________________________________________

Dirección: __________________________________________________

Ciudad/Estado/Código Postal: __________________________________

Numero de Teléfono: Casa______________Trabajo/Otro_____________

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 156

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .b

.b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE (Page  of )

To take your verses from the page to the stage, take care of your SELF. SELF is an acronym for:

 Stand up straight — You’ve heard this one before.

 Eye contact — Look at your audience. This will be much easier if you memorize your poem and

don’t have to look at your notes.

 Loud enough — The people in the back of the room should be able to hear you.

 Feeling and emotion— If you care, your audience will care.

More about feeling and emotion: When you perform poetry for an audience, use your voice and body

to add meaning. Decide which words, lines and phrases in your poem are most important. Then, think

about the feelings you want to communicate. Try using these tools to add punch to your performance:

 Pace — Speaking slowly helps your audience enjoy and think about your words, while speaking

quickly can communicate excitement. Which parts of your poem should be spoken slowly and

which parts quickly?

 Volume — Always speak loudly enough to be heard but vary the volume for maximum effect.

Speaking loudly can show intense emotion or action, while suddenly dropping to a softer voice

can make the audience focus on what you are saying. What parts of your poem will you say loudly

and when will you speak more softly?

 Pauses — Add emphasis to certain lines, phrases and words by pausing. A pause after a line

gives your audience a chance to absorb it. A pause in the middle of an idea can add suspense.

Where do you want to pause for emphasis?

 Gesture — Emphasize ideas visually with body or arm movements. Gestures can be used in

parts of your performance. They can be small or big, depending on your style. They can be literal,

such as pretending to shoot a basket, or abstract, such as clenching your ﬁ st or putting a hand on

your heart to show your emotions. What gestures will add to your performance?

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 157

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .b

.b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE (Page  of )

Plan Your Performance

Write your poem below. Make notes on pauses and gestures you plan to use. Mark the places you want

to speak loudly or softly, quickly or slowly. Review these cues while you are memorizing and practicing

your poem.

____________________________________

_____________________________________

Notes:

(pauses, gestures, pace, volume)

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 158

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Record Your Poem (Page  of )

You'll need the following things for this activity:

 Completed Handout 4.3b: S.E.L.F. Guide or a copy of a poem you would like to record

 A microphone connected to your computer (some computers have built in microphones)

 A PC with Windows XP or a Mac with OS X

1. Prepare to read your poem.

 Take a few minutes to review your poem on

the S.E.L.F. Guide and practice reading it

aloud with feeling and expression.

 Go to the activity Record Your Poem in

Step 4 of the Online Classroom.

 Click the Writing Matters Audio Recorder

link.

2. Record your poem.

 Click Record. Speak loudly and clearly into

the microphone.

 Click Stop when you are ﬁ nished.

 Click Play to listen to the recording. You

may record it again if it doesn't sound right.

3. Save your poem.

 Type your name where it says rename me

but leave the .mp3 ending. Click Save File.

It may take a moment.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 159

Intermediate Writing Poetry - Handout .a

.a: Record Your Poem (Page  of )

3. Share your audio recording (podcast) with your

class.

 Return to the Record Your Poem window.

 Click the Add a new discussion topic

button.

 Paste the text of your poem into the big

Message box.

 Where it says “Attachment,” click the

Browse button and locate your audio ﬁ le on

the hard drive.

 Select the ﬁ le and click Open to upload it.

 Click Post to forum. An audio recording

of your poem is not stored in your Online

Classroom.

Don’t forget to publish your poem and your audio

ﬁ le on your Writing Matters ezine. Directions can

be found in Handout 4.2a: Publish on Writing

Matters.

Note: The 1st time you use the audio recorder, you must allow the Java software to run. Directions on

the screen explain how to do it. If you have difﬁ culty getting started, contact your teacher or Teaching

Matters consultant for help. If you are using a Mac with OS 10.4 or later, Safari works best (click the

Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen and select About this Mac to see the operating system).

Page 160

Page 161

Writing Poetry - Experienced Handouts: Table of Contents

Experienced Handouts

Step : Be a Poet

Handout 1.1a: Poetry Packet _____________________________________________

Handout 1.1b: Poetry Checklist ___________________________________________

Handout 1.4a: Poetry Rubric ___________________________________________

Step : Draft a Poem

Handout 2.2a: Memory Poem ____________________________________________

Handout 2.3a: Surroundings Poem _______________________________________

Step : Craft & Revise

Handout 3.2a: Revise for Word Choice ____________________________________

Step 4: Edit & Publish

Handout 4.1a: Edit a Poem _____________________________________________

Handout 4.3a: Media Consent Form ______________________________________

Handout 4.3b: S.E.L.F. GUIDE ___________________________________________

Handout 4.4a: Record Your Poem ________________________________________

Page 163

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Page 162

Experienced Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 163

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Citations for all poems can be found in the Teacher Resources section of the Writing Poetry binder.

Self-portrait Poems

“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou

“Negro” by Langston Hughes

“The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee” by N. Scott Momaday

“I am” by Kyles

“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon

“I am” by Danielle Morrison

“I am From” by Shannon

“Where I’m From” by Willie Perdomo

Poetry Hides

“Praise Song for the Day” by Elizabeth Alexander

“What’s a Poem?” by Michael D.

“The Blue Between” by Kristine O'Connell George

Memory Poem

“Slam, Dunk, & Hook” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Sonnets

“Sonnet” by Margaret Bruner

“The Tired Worker” by Claude McKay

“Sonnet CXXX” by William Shakespeare

“Oil & Steel” by Henri Cole

Line and Stanza Breaks

“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks

“maggie and milly and mollie and may” by e.e. cummings

Word Choice

“April Rain Song” by Langston Hughes

“When You Come” by Maya Angelou

Musical Tools

"The Waking" by Theodore Roethke

“Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas

“’Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson

“The Balloon of the Mind” by W.B. Yeats

“citizens of hip-hop” by Kahlil Almustafa

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke

“Cynthia in the Snow” by Gwendolyn Brooks

“SPORTS INJURIES” By Lee Emmett

Reading Companion

“I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes

“anyone lived in a pretty how town” by e. e. cummings

“Dandelions” by Libby

Haiku By Michael R. Collings

Haiku by Dave McCroskey

“Dawn Revisited” by Rita Dove

“Dawn in New York” by Claude McKay

“Bouncing Basketball” by Lee Emmett

My Favorite Place” By A.C.

Experienced Writing Poetry - Handout .a

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________

Page 164

.a: Poetry Packet (Page  of )

Self-portrait Poem

Phenomenal Woman

by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the ﬁ re in my eyes,

And the ﬂ ash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me…

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Negro

by Langston Hughes

I am a Negro:

Black as the night is black,

Black like the depths of my Africa.

I've been a slave:

Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean.

I brushed the boots of Washington.

I've been a worker:

Under my hand the pyramids arose.

I made mortar for the Woolworth Building.

I've been a singer:

All the way from Africa to Georgia

I carried my sorrow songs.

I made ragtime.

I've been a victim:

The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo.

They lynch me now in Texas.

I am a Negro:

Black as the night is black,

Black like the depths of my Africa.

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The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee

by N. Scott Momaday

I am a feather on the bright sky

I am the blue horse that runs in the plain

I am the ﬁ sh that rolls, shining, in the water

I am the shadow that follows a child

I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows

I am an eagle playing with the wind

I am a cluster of bright beads

I am the farthest star

I am the cold of dawn

I am the roaring of the rain

I am the glitter on the crust of the snow

I am the long track of the moon in a lake

I am a ﬂ ame of four colors

I am a deer standing away in the dusk

I am a ﬁ eld of sumac and the pomme blanche

I am an angle of geese in the winter sky

I am the hunger of a young wolf

I am the whole dream of these things

You see, I am alive, I am alive

I stand in good relation to the earth

I stand in good relation to the gods

I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful

I stand in good relation to the daughter of Tsen-

tainte

You see, I am alive, I am alive

I Am

by Kyles

I am the result of my thoughts

Infusing within a heart of steel

I wonder about the ever illusive questions

Which seek to be mended by answers

I hear the power of words

Entangling with life

I want the world

For nothing is impossible

I am simply the result of my thoughts

I pretend like words don't faze me

Yet they linger within

I feel utter confusion

At those intangible questions of life

I tough the lives of loved ones

With the grace of simplicity

I worry for nothing

Life should not be feared

I am the result of my thoughts

I understand nearly nothing

And nothing understands me

I say what I mean

And mean what I say

I dream of things once thought impossible

Unrealistic dreams of understanding

I try my best

But my best is not how hard I try

I hope for better days

When all the world can really smile

I am the result of these thoughts

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Where I’m From Poems

Where I'm From

by George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins,

from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.

I am from the dirt under the back porch.

(Black, glistening,

it tasted like beets.)

I am from the forsythia bush

the Dutch elm

whose long-gone limbs I remember

as if they were my own.

I'm from fudge and eyeglasses,

from Imogene and Alafair.

I'm from the know-it-alls

and the pass-it-ons,

from Perk up! and Pipe down!

I'm from He restoreth my soul

with a cottonball lamb

and ten verses I can say myself.

I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch,

fried corn and strong coffee.

From the ﬁ nger my grandfather lost

to the auger,

the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dress box

spilling old pictures,

a sift of lost faces

to drift beneath my dreams.

I am from those moments—

snapped before I budded —

leaf-fall from the family tree.

Where I’m From

by Willie Perdomo

Where I’m from,

it’s late night scratches of rats’ feet

that explains what my mother means

when she says slowly,

“Bueno, mijo, eso es la vida del pobre.”

(Well, son, that’s the life of the poor).

Where I’m from,

it’s sweet like my grandmother

reciting a quick prayer

over a pot of hot rice and beans.

Where I’m from,

it’s pretty like my niece

stopping me in the middle of the street

and telling me to notice all the stars in the sky.

I am From

by Shannon

I am from the fresh wet grass in my home town

I am from the smell of my mom's fresh perfume

I am from the singing of my grandmother's soft

voice

I am from climbing up trees an scraping my knees

I am from hearing the sound of keys

(when my mom gets home from work)

I am from dreaming of ﬂ ying in the sky up bove

the clouds so high

I am from wanting to go to Disney World

And I never know if that day will come and go

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I Am

by Danielle Morrison

I am from silver headphones

pumping

punk

rock

raps

smooth folksy

melodies, old

and new.

I am from Christmas trees

made of palm

and dreidels left

unspun,

sideways on brown carpet.

I am from purple midnights down

empty

city

blocks,

Sunset Strips and windy lake

b r e e z e s

across my face.

I am from homes of screaming

cracks

my eyes counted

alone

in my room.

I am from a beating of car horns

and echoes of laughter,

dark voices

that soothed me to sleep

until my mother’s voice called me

to morning, dressing in front

of a heater in the hallway.

I am from sore muscles and

blistered hands, falling off beams

and pushing through bars,

pulling my body

to-gether

in t-w-i-s-t-s and

t-u-r-n-s.

I am from pale skin that wrinkles

in the cold winters,

far removed from

the winters of Europe long ago

and

the family that was forced out.

I am from children’s shufﬂ ing feet

and forever

lost

pencils,

chairs that don’t quite push in

and

black coffee sips with eyes closed.

Poetry Hides

The Blue Between

by Kristine O'Connell George

Everyone watches clouds,

naming creatures they've seen.

I see the sky differently,

I see the blue between—

The blue woman tugging

her stubborn cloud across the sky.

The blue giraffe stretching

to nibble a cloud ﬂ oating by.

A pod of dancing dolphins,

cloud oceans, cargo ships,

a boy twirling his cloud

around a thin blue ﬁ ngertip.

In those smooth wide places,

I see a different scene

In those cloudless spaces,

I see the blue between.

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Praise Song for the Day

by Elizabeth Alexander

Each day we go about our business,

walking past each other, catching each other’s

eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.

All about us is noise. All about us is

noise and bramble, thorn and din, each

one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning

a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,

repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere,

with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,

with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky.

A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.

We encounter each other in words, words

spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,

words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark

the will of some one and then others, who said

I need to see what’s on the other side.

I know there’s something better down the road.

We need to ﬁ nd a place where we are safe.

We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.

Sing the names of the dead who brought us

here,

who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce, built

brick by brick the glittering ediﬁ ces

they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.

Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,

the ﬁ guring-it-out at kitchen tables.

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,

others by ﬁ rst do no harm or take no more

than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, ﬁ lial, national,

love that casts a widening pool of light,

love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,

any thing can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

What's a Poem?

by Michael D.

Poems are like undercover investigations

That you don't know where to start

Poems can easily be in the palm of your hands

Poems is like education

If you decide to learn you can if not then that's

your problem

With poems you can decide to ﬁ nd if you want

If not then.........that's just your problem

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Memory Poem

Slam, Dunk, & Hook

by Yusef Komunyakaa

Fast breaks. Lay ups. With Mercury’s

Insignia on our sneakers,

We outmaneuvered the footwork

Of bad angels. Nothing but a hot

Swish of strings like silk

Ten feet out. In the roundhouse

Labyrinth our bodies

Created, we could almost

Last forever, poised in midair

Like storybook sea monsters.

A high note hung there

A long second. Off

The rim. We’d corkscrew

Up & dunk balls that exploded

The skullcap of hope & good

Intention. Lanky, all hands

& feet…sprung rhythm.

We were metaphysical when girls

Cheered on the sidelines.

Tangled up in a falling,

Muscles were a bright motor

Double-ﬂ ashing to the metal hoop

Nailed to our oak.

When Sonny Boy’s mama died

He played nonstop all day, so hard

Our backboard splintered.

Glistening with sweat,

We rolled the ball off

Our ﬁ ngertips. Trouble

Was there slapping a blackjack

Against an open palm.

Dribble, drive to the inside,

& glide like a sparrow hawk.

Lay ups. Fast breaks.

We had moves we didn’t know

We had. Our bodies spun

On swivels of bone & faith,

Through a lyric slipknot

Of joy, & we knew we were

Beautiful & dangerous.

Sonnets

Sonnet

by Margaret Bruner

There have been many cats I loved and lost,

And most of them were of the mongrel breed;

Stray felines have a mighty power to plead,

Especially when chilled by snow and frost.

No matter if by cares I am engrossed,

Somehow I feel that I should intercede,

They seem so much like human folk in need--

Like waifs by winds of hardship roughly tossed.

I think that I should not be satisﬁ ed

In heaven with harps and wings and streets of

gold,

If I should hear by chance a noise outside

Like some lost kitten crying in the cold,--

How could Saint Peter think my act a sin

If I should tiptoe out and let it in?

The Tired Worker

by Claude McKay

O whisper, O my soul! The afternoon

Is waning into evening, whisper soft!

Peace, O my rebel heart! for soon the moon

From out its misty veil will swing aloft!

Be patient, weary body, soon the night

Will wrap thee gently in her sable sheet,

And with a leaden sigh thou wilt invite

To rest thy tired hands and aching feet.

The wretched day was theirs, the night is mine;

Come tender sleep, and fold me to thy breast.

But what steals out the gray clouds like red wine?

O dawn! O dreaded dawn! O let me rest

Weary my veins, my brain, my life! Have pity!

No! Once again the harsh, the ugly city.

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Sonnet CXXX

by William Shakespeare

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red, than her lips red:

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damasked, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound:

I grant I never saw a goddess go,

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the

ground:

And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,

As any she belied with false compare.

Oil & Steel

by Henri Cole

My father lived in a dirty dish mausoleum,

watching a portable black-and-white television,

reading the Encyclopedia Britannica,

which he preferred to Modern Fiction.

One by one, his schnauzers died of liver

disease,

except the one that guarded his corpse

found holding a tumbler of Bushmills.

"Dead is dead," he would say, an anti-preacher.

I took a plaid shirt from the bedroom closet

and some motor oil—my inheritance.

Once, I saw him weep in a courtroom—

neglected, needing nursing—this man who

never showed

me much affection but gave me a knack

for solitude, which has been mostly useful.

Line and Stanza Breaks

We Real Cool

by Gwendolyn Brooks

THE POOL PLAYERS.

SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

maggie and milly and molly and may

by e.e. cummings

maggie and milly and molly and may

went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn’t remember her

troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays ﬁ ve languid ﬁ ngers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles;and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)

it’s always ourselves we ﬁ nd in the sea

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Word Choice

Read the poems below. Think of vivid words or

ﬁ gurative language to ﬁ ll the blanks.

April Rain Song

by Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain __________ your head with

__________drops

Let the rain sing a __________

The rain makes __________ on the sidewalk

The rain makes __________ in the gutter

The rain plays _________ __________ on our

roof at night

And I love the rain.

This poem describes the power of long-

forgotten memories.

When You Come

by Maya Angelou

When you come to me, unbidden,

Beckoning me

To _________ rooms,

Where memories lie.

Offering me, as to a child, an attic,

Gatherings of days too few.

Baubles of stolen kisses

Trinkets of _________ _________.

Trunks of ___________ _________,

I CRY

Musical Tools

Assonance, Consonance and Internal Rhyme

The Waking

by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside be, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

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Do not go gentle into that good night

by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in ﬂ ight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your ﬁ erce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Slant Rhyme

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

The Balloon of the Mind

by W.B. Yeats

HANDS, do what you’re bid;

Bring the balloon of the mind

That bellies and drags in the wind

Into its narrow shed.

citizens of hip-hop

by Kahlil Almustafa

Hi(story) will no longer be told

by the so-called hi(story)-tellers,

but at open mics

on mixtapes

and in corner-freestyle-sessions

around the world.

The time is near,

i can hear the sound of victory

over buildings and over mountains.

Keep your Black & White

composition notebooks close.

Put your words all over the lines

and into the margins

as we write ourselves

into existence.

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Alliteration

My Papa’s Waltz

by Theodore Roethke

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;

But I hung on like death:

Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans

Slid from the kitchen shelf;

My mother’s countenance

Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist

Was battered on one knuckle;

At every step you missed

My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head

With a palm caked hard by dirt,

Then waltzed me off to bed

Still clinging to your shirt.

Onomatopoeia

Cynthia in the Snow

by Gwendolyn Brooks

It SUSHES.

It hushes

The loudness in the road.

It ﬂ itters-twitters,

And laughs away from me.

It laughs a lovely whiteness,

and whitely whirs away,

To be

Some otherwhere,

Still white as milk or shirts.

So beautiful it hurts.

Sports Injuries

by Lee Emmett, Australia

crunch! ﬂ esh against bone

whack! crash! to ground gone

twang! muscle tears in calf

crack! leg breaks in half

phew! stinking liniment

blasphemy! groin to clubrooms sent

slap! face gets a smack

bonk! heads clonk in pack

snifﬂ e! snorts, snufﬂ ing nose

dribble! drips on clothes

aw! protests, sent off, blood rule

stamp! cramp! salty drool

hum! pierce ear drum

gulp! antibiotic, infected thumb

wrap! bandage bruised rib

strap! shoulder-support cross-bib

whew! winded, bending over

knock! unconscious, quarter over

snap! quick! save front tooth

expletive! shouts painful truth

rip! cartilage strips at knee

ouch! another sports injury

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Reading Companion

I, Too, Sing America

by Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I'll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody'll dare

Say to me,

"Eat in the kitchen,"

Then.

Besides,

They'll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

by e. e. cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so ﬂ oating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then)they

said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so ﬂ oating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

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Dandelions

by Libby

Tough little ﬂ owers

Hard pavement cannot stop them

Sneaking through the cracks

Haiku

by Michael R. Collings

Freeway overpass--

Blossoms in graﬁ tti on

fog-wrapped June mornings

Haiku

by Dave McCroskey

the morning paper

harbinger of good and ill

- - I step over it

Dawn Revisited

by Rita Dove

Imagine you wake up

with a second chance: The blue jay

hawks his pretty wares

and the oak still stands, spreading

glorious shade. If you don’t look back,

the future never happens.

How good to rise in sunlight,

in the prodigal smell of biscuits—

eggs and sausage on the grill.

The whole sky is yours

to write on, blown open

to a blank page. Come on,

shake a leg! You’ll never know

who’s down there, frying those eggs,

if you don’t get up and see.

Bouncing Basketball

by Lee Emmett

bounce, dribble, bounce

stumble, thud, stop

bounce, bounce, take aim

into basket drop

rebound, dribble, bounce

jump, reaching, stretch

smack, hit back-board

thump, weeping, retch

umpire whistles, calls ‘foul’

coach mumbles, players grumble

shrill blast, time-out’s past

back to task, run, rumble

Dawn in New York

by Claude McKay

The Dawn! The Dawn! The crimson-tinted, comes

Out of the low still skies, over the hills,

Manhattan's roofs and spires and cheerless

domes!

The Dawn! My spirit to its spirit thrills.

Almost the mighty city is asleep,

No pushing crowd, no tramping, tramping feet.

But here and there a few cars groaning creep

Along, above, and underneath the street,

Bearing their strangely-ghostly burdens by,

The women and the men of garish nights,

Their eyes wine-weakened and their clothes awry,

Grotesques beneath the strong electric lights.

The shadows wane. The Dawn comes to New

York.

And I go darkly-rebel to my work.

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