Teaching All Students

7th Grade Language Arts: Poetry Elements

The Teacher’s Dilemma

Mary is teaching 7th grade Language Arts. She is getting ready to teach the elements of poetry (imagery, theme, characterization, etc.). As part of a professional development day offered at her school, Mary had looked at last year’s standardized test results for her class; she noticed that her students are weak on Language Arts, especially her ESL and inclusion students. Mary is planning the activities to teach the poetry unit and she already knows that they will be difficult concepts to grasp, especially by special population students. This year, Mary’s school board has made it clear that they want the teachers to use computers for teaching and learning on a daily basis. Mary's school has a computer lab, a class set of netbooks on a mobile cart, and a class set of iPad2s on a mobile cart. She can sign-up for the computer lab or to check out a cart of mobile devices. To complicate things, Mary’s principal, Ms. Klondike, announced that she will go and observe Mary the day after tomorrow – precisely the day when Mary will be in the middle of teaching the elements of poetry to her class. Mary needs to come up with a solution on how to help ESL and inclusion students understand the difficult poetry concepts but, what is THAT solution?

What is the teaching Standard?

Arizona's Common Core Standards English Language Arts and Literacy 6th - 8th Grades The StandardDetermine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

Learning ObjectiveStudents will learn the definition of the elements of poetry: metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, personification, simile, refrain, and onomatopoeia and be able to identify these elements in poems the class will be reading and examining.

What is the teaching Standard?

Arizona's Common Core Standards English Language Arts and Literacy 6th - 8th Grades The StandardDetermine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

Learning ObjectiveStudents will learn the definition of the elements of poetry: metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, personification, simile, refrain, and onomatopoeia and be able to identify these elements in poems the class will be reading and examining.

Explaining and Identifying the Elements of Poetry Activity

The teacher will present the students with a study sheet of the poetry elements and their definitions. For ESL students, the English term will be next to the term that is from their native language to help connect the terms for understanding.

Students will be given three (3) short poems and will be asked to examine them and list the elements they see in the poems that they have been given.

For English speaking studentsThe poems will be in English

For ESL students The poems will be provided in their native language

Yo ser‚ para ti.

Toda la vida que me queda la vivir‚ para ti

y cuando el tiempo haya terminado,

morir‚ por ti.

Dir‚ tu nombre

en cada vela que encienda, respirar‚ tu nombre.

Te susurrar‚,

cada oraci¢n que diga ser  siempre parte de ti.

Por toda la eternidad,

y as¡ ha sido y ser  siempre,

y cuando deje este mundo,

aquello vendr  conmigo

en la luz de una vela.

Todo el mundo sigue girando, haciendo el d¡a y la noche,

y de la oscuridad a la luz,

ser s siempre parte de cada oraci¢n que yo diga.

 

Yo ser‚ para ti.

Como una fresca quebrada de la monta¤a que se desborda por ti

como una c lida brisa de verano

entre los  rboles para ti.

En el brillo de una vela,

todo lo que he sido o llegue a ser

por toda la eternidad,

tu ser s parte de todo lo que yo haga siempre.

Yo ser‚ para ti.

VelaTraducci¢n: Emilio J. Saavedra M.

I will be for you.All my life that is left, I will live for you,and when time has run out,I will die for you.I will speak your namein each candle that I light, I will breath your name.I will whisper you,every prayer I ever say will be part of you. For eternity,and forever it has been, and will always be,and when I leave this world,it will go with me.In a candle lightall the world keeps on turning, making day and night,and from dark to light,

you'll be part of every prayer that ever comes from me. I will be for you.Like a cool mountain spring that overflows for youlike a warm summer breeze through the trees for you.In a candle glow,everything I've ever been or will ever befor eternity,you'll be part of everything I ever do.I will be for you.

 

CandleBy Ron Wilson aka Vee Bdosa the doylestown poet

Worksheet Sample

Poetry Elements

Type Meaning Section of Poem

Metaphor Compares two unrelated nouns or pronouns

Like a cool mountain spring that overflows for youlike a warm summer breeze through the trees for you.

     

     

     

Use Your Favorite Poems Activity

• Students will be placed into groups and will need to have the worksheet of elements to reference.

• Students will each choose a favorite poem of their own or they may search for a poem online.

• ESL Students can use a poem from their language but must be able to explain the poem in English and describe the elements.

• Each student will work with their group to identify all the parts of the poem that are elements of poetry: simile, metaphor, etc.

Second Part – Using Technology

• Each student will use Animoto to demonstrate the poems meaning in photos or drawings. They will show two elements in their poem that while working with their group.

• ESL students will have the option of reading their poem to the class in their primary language. While all students may not understand the words, they can feel the intended feelings of the writer to gain a true appreciation of the language and the poem.

References

• Animoto Software www.animoto.com

• Candle Poem translation retrieved from www.poetrysoup.com/poems/best/spanish

• Arizona Department of Education English Language Arts Standards. Retrieved from www.azed.gov/azccrs/elastandards/6-8

• 7th Grade Poetry Terms retrieved from memorize.com/7th-grade-poetry-terms/catalina00