Knows and Teaches English as a Subject Matter
The artifacts below represent the scope and sequence of my favorite unit to teach, poetry, in chronological order. The pieces represent the scaffolding and lessons that were used to prepare students for their final, individual poetry analysis project. The aim of the final project was not only to have students demonstrate their understanding of analysis, but also to showcase their creative abilities and their identities if they so chose.
Poetry Unit Lessons
This compilation of lessons contains the scope of the unit, from the first lesson until the end of the unit. It demonstrates the planning and intended scaffolding that was intended for this unit.
Poetry Notes
Notes on poetry terms and authentic examples from texts. Give students a context for some of the figurative language they will need for the entirety of the unit.
Intro to Poetry: The Jabberwocky
Following this, students began work on The Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll, where they were to annotate each stanza and write notes in the spaces provided in order to begin working with literary and figurative devices. It is an example of guided practice and application of the notes in preparation for individual practice with poetry. Students were given the option of working individually or with a partner if they wanted extra help.
Blackout Poetry
Blackout Poetry represents students beginning to apply their practice and create their own pieces in ways that were both creative and artistic in order to engage different student literacies. I calls students to use their terminology base gained in guided practice with The Jabberwocky and use it in group practice.
Skeleton Essay Lesson
The Skeleton Essay assignment was scaffolded to prepare students for the summative assessment of the unit, their Poetry Project. The Skeleton Essay assignment asked students to work in groups and break down the parts of an analysis in a psuedo-essay format in a low stakes but rigorous environment. After the groups completed their assignment, they then received another group's paper and graded it using the attached rubric. The groups then conferred together and discussed the grades they gave, along with the 'two stars and a wish' form of peer editing comments.
Poetry Project and Example
The final piece, the Poetry Presentation Project, asked students to find an american author, choose one of their poems, and analyze it for the class in a presentation format. Students also had to create their own piece based off of the poem they analyzed for the class and present that after they analyzed the original piece. The poem the students created had to either emulate the style of the poet they analyzed, or take the figurative devices they discovered in their analysis and create their own original piece in order not only to identify elements of poetry, but to present it, explain it, and then finally apply it in their own creative fashion.