Developed by Dawn Stamper
Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek
Language Arts
Grade Levels: 9-12

Introduction

The Summer Institute 2016 provided by the Muse Machine, brought the world renowned Ping Chong & Company to Dayton, Ohio. Teachers called it one of the most relevant workshops they have attended in several years! Many of them used activities from the workshop as inspiration for their lessons in the fall of 2016. Dawn Stamper, language arts teacher at Beavercreek High School, did just that with her students as she guided them through the process of writing poetry. Deftly using samples and outlines, she taught them how to write poetry using methods she learned during the workshop. The skillful techniques used are reflected in the lesson plan and in the samples provided by her students. We hope the reader enjoys them as much as we do!

Non-Arts Discipline

English Language Arts

Strand/Process

CCS W.11-12.3 (D,E), W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.6 RL 11-12.6

Content Statement

Enduring Understandings:
Writing poetry is an introspective and reflective process.

Level of Inquiry (confirmation/structured/guided/open)

• Students will have structured pre-writing activities to guide them into the creation of their poem.

Arts Discipline

Essential Questions

• How does poetry contribute to our understanding of self, others, and the world?
• How does poetry contribute to our understanding of fictional characters?

Content Elaborations

Students will learn …

• To use a primary source to find details and support for use in writing.
• To write form a point of view different than their own.

Expectations for Learning

Students will demonstrate this learning by…

• Writing a poem in the style of George Ella Lyons, “Where I am From.”

Instructional Strategies

Students will be engaged and supported in learning by…

• Teacher modeling and examples.

Student Performance Tasks

Using the scaffolds provided write a poem using a character from the summer reading list. Be sure to use the “I Am From” format of George Ella Lyons. (Provided with this plan)

Career Connections

• Writing
• Art
• Graphic design

Diverse Learners

• Students will be able to illustrate by hand, use a computer to graphically design, or express through color.
• Alternative reading – Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Album.

Interdisciplinary Connections

This lesson was inspired by an activity from the Muse Machine Summer Institute 2016. This lesson could easily fit into an Art, ELA, or Technology study.

Technology Connections

Students can graphically design their poem to illustrate parts of their poem or the novel.

Home/At Work Connections

Students will read The Tension of Opposites as their summer reading assignment.

Part One – Summer Reading

All students will obtain and read a copy of Kristina McBride’s young adult novel, The Tension of Opposites.

Alternative reading: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.

Part Two – Poem Analysis and Pre-Writing

Students will read and Analyze the poem “Where I am From” by George Ella Lyons

Students will then complete pre-writing activities that will develop into two different “Where I’m From” poems – one for themselves and one for one of the main characters from the novel they read.

Part Three – Simplistic Wisdom

Students will illustrate or graphically design their poem to make it publisher ready.