Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
1

Strategy Lesson Plan Portfolio

Text: Walt Whitman, Song of Myself 1892.

This lesson portfolio is geared toward 11th grade English students.
Because this version is 52 sections long, several sections can be cut while still retaining the
flavor of the poem.
Theme: finding and asserting ones place in the universe.
Anticipatory Activities

Quick Write and three step interview

o Students respond in their journals to the following prompt: How do you want your
classmates to remember you when you graduate? (Remind students they will be
sharing their thoughts with their table partners)
o After writing, students take turns telling their shoulder partners about what they
wrote.
o Students then tell cross-table partners about what they were told.
o A 4-way discussion then takes place, where all students talk not only about the
contents of their journals, but if their ideas survived the telephone game.
o Discuss Walt Whitman and his countless revisions of Song of Myself, in part to
ensure that the message was exactly as he wanted.

As an anticipatory activity, this works well when starting a unit on Walt Whitman, or even
studying Song of Myself as part of a unit on 19th century poetry because it covers two
important ideas: revision and interpretation, and the importance of self-expression in Whitmans
poetry. By starting students off with writing, they can learn firsthand about the writing process
and what challenges writers face, especially when talking about themselves. The interview
component helps them to understand how things can be interpreted by others, and how poets like
Whitman paid close attention to how his audience might receive his poems. It also helps them to
see the importance of expressing their ideas clearly and precisely, whether through writing or
speaking.

From Social Media to Poetry.

o Set up: remind students that our social media selves are constructed images, and
only reflect what we want others to see about ourselves.

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
2

In the 19th century, celebrity poets like Walt Whitman didnt have
Facebook and SnapChat at their disposal. Instead, they had to do craft
their image through their poetry.
o Think about your social media profile (if school policy allows, they can logon and
look at it using their phones/tablets).
What are the three most important themes there than represent you to the
rest of the world?
What words, images, and links back this version of you up?
o Write a free-verse poem (or any longer-form poem you choose) exploring those
themes about yourself. This presumes that this lesson comes in the middle of a
larger unit on poetry and students have been writing poetry in previous classes.

This anticipatory activity focuses on issues of relevance and engagement for students. As Walt
Whitman is a figure from the distant past, it is important for students to see that he grappled with
themes that are important to them: how am I perceived? What is my role in society? Do I live up
to the image others have about me? It also incorporates technologies they are familiar with in
order to get at broader ideas. Finally, it gets them writing poems about themselves. Because they
accessed source material in their social media profiles, it will hopefully make it easier for them
to get started. It also serves as a reminder to be careful about what they share on social media and
how that might influence others perceptions of them.

Reading

Directed Reading Think Aloud

o Modeling activity using section 16 of the poem (the part where Whitman lists the
states and marvels at their diversity).
o Put the section up on the smart board and let students skim it by themselves.
o Begin Directed Reading-Think Aloud sequence.
Activate background knowledge. What are the obvious words in the
poem?
Note the states and regions.
Talk about national diversity in the 19th century.
Develop vocabulary
Start by modeling words that are unusual or archaic in the poem
(planter, Oconee, deer-skin leggings, Hoosier, Badger, Buckeye,
etc).
Solicit student input for other words.
Discuss how language changes over time.

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
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Identify significant patterns in the text.

What do students notice?
o Discussion of regionalism, lists of jobs and identities.
o What phrases are repeated? Underline these on the board.
Springboard questions
What will he be talking about?
Why does he make lists?
How does this section relate to the whole piece?
Read the section
Solicit volunteers.
Review, Reinforce, Evaluate in table groups
How did the work we did together prepare us for reading the
section?
Were our predictions accurate?
Did we miss any key words or structures?

This is a good exercise to do with a large, amorphous poem like Song of Myself because
students can easily be overwhelmed by such a large piece of poetry. By using a section of the
text that they might struggle with because of the contextual vocabulary and working our way
through it as a class, students can rely on one another to help them parse out what Whitman is
actually talking about, and how he situates himself as an American. It is also a good modeling
activity because it can show students strategies they can go through quickly when they encounter
difficult sections of text in the middle of a piece they are reading.

Vocabulary

Prefix and Suffix Jigsaw

o Students are placed in pairs, per teacher discretion.
o Each pair is given a numbered section of the poem.
Students have already read parts of the poem in a previous class session,
so they are familiar with the sections.
o Working as a pair, students must identify the roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and
contextual definitions that Whitman commonly uses in that section using the
worksheet provided. This is more obvious for some sections than others.
o After a certain amount of time, the class as a whole will discuss the most
commonly used of these to assess any larger patterns in Whitmans language.

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
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As vocabulary is best taught in context, this exercise encourages students to look closely at the
poem and the words therein. They must use several resources in order to understand the word
parts and how Whitman uses them in each section. Looking at linguistic patterns shows us how
writers use language to create their own style and voice.

Questioning

Author Interview (Questioning the Author) Activity

o As a class, discuss the different levels of questions and model questions on the
board at each of the six different taxonomic levels using one section of the poem.
o Students are divided into pairs based on teacher preference.
o Each pair is given two sections of the poem and question creator handout (see
attached).
o One student takes on the role of the author, one student takes on the role of the
interviewer.
Students work together to come up with two questions and answers for
each taxonomic level.
Students are individually responsible for completing the handout.
o After some time has passed and students prepare their questions and answers,
each pair selects their favorite question and answer and presents it to the class.

Students must think creatively in order to successfully complete this assignment. They must look
both at the text as well as access their background knowledge of Whitman and his world. As they
work together to come up with questions, they are also learning the various types of questions
they can ask, so they can formulate good questions at all levels on elements of the text that
interest them. This is also a jigsaw activity, so that all students are working on a slightly different
section of the text and bringing their individual interpretations to the larger classroom. This will
appeal to students who enjoy drama and are perhaps more comfortable speaking than writing.
Comprehension

Annotation Lesson and reading notes

o Remind students that the act of taking notes is not just for studying later, but it
helps us monitor what were reading as we read. Its easy to get swept up in the
exuberant language of a poem like Song of Myself and forget to pay attention to
themes and ideas.
o Solicit on the board the different types of poetic and literary devices that one
might encounter: rhyme, alliteration, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, allusion,
parallelism. Expect a whole lot more than just these.

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
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o Hand out art boxes (one per table) and let students create a key with one color or
symbol for each of the different literary devices in their notebooks.
o Give each table group a different section and have them annotate their section as
a group and take notes on the photocopied poem section.
o Report back to the class about the most common literary devices used in that
section and why Whitman might have used them and for what goal.
Annotation is an important and under-utilized skill, especially when faced with a long and
complex text. It helps students structure their thinking and gives them a focus for their reading.
Annotation, though many students balk at it, helps students to look simultaneously for the big
ideas as well as pay attention to the small elements that go into those big ideas. Much like eating
Brussels sprouts, students simply have to suffer though some of it in order to gain a clearer sense
of what is going on in the text. By doing it together and working together on a smaller section of
text, it can be made bearable. Allowing some choice as to what to look for, and having students
create their own marking systems will also help them learn valuable study skills they can transfer
to other coursework.
Graphic Organizers

Thematic Concept Maps

o Create a thematic concept map of one section of the poem on the board.
Show students that while each section is ostensibly about something
slightly different, Whitman uses each theme to talk about himself and his
place in the world by looking at two consecutive sections (e.g. section 43
is about religion, whereas section 44 is about the universe more generally).
o Show different designs of concept maps: spokes and wheels, trees, clouds,
flowcharts, etc.
o Split students into groups and have them work together to map one section of the
poem on a piece of chart-tablet paper.
They must explain why they chose the design they did and how it relates
to the theme of the poem, as well as what is in their map itself.

Graphic organizers help students think creatively about the material and concepts presented in a
text. They allow visually-oriented students to demonstrate their understanding of a text in new
and innovative ways and provide different forms of interpretation that can benefit and challenge
all students. They also allow students with writing challenges to demonstrate their understanding
of a text that can go beyond what they might be able to do in prose. Thus, they can appeal to
non-traditional learners and help all students to see that there are multiple ways of interpreting a
piece of literature.

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
6

Writing

Song of Yourself
o Students write an original free-verse poem about themselves as part of a final
assessment.
They may use any of the material from journals, previous lessons and
other activities in order to complete the assignment.
They will be expected to create three thematically linked stanzas. Each
stanza should reflect what is important to them and what they stand for.
o Poems will be subjected to one peer-edit and one teacher edit before the final draft
is submitted.
The peer-edit sheet is attached.
o Students will also write a one-page reflection about their poem that discusses why
they chose the themes they did, and how the poem reflects key elements of their
personality.
o If they choose, they may illustrate and post the final versions of their poems
around the room or on the class website.

Poetry can be a challenge for students, both to read and to write, but it can also be a powerful
form of expression because it is so open-ended. Students rarely get a chance to talk about what
matters to them in their classes, and so an exercise like this, where they get to explore the things
that make them who they are can be valuable. Because creative writing is such a powerful tool, it
is also important that students find an authentic audience for it, which is why students will be
welcome to put their poems online or post them in the classroom. The reflection on their poem is
a critical metacognitive piece because it forces students to think about what they are writing
about and articulate the poets task and goals. This is in many ways a more authentic assignment
than a literary-critical exercise for this age group because thinking about their own work as
writers will help them develop the critical-thinking skills that a formulaic five paragraph essay
citing three sources cannot do. As a more authentic writing assignment, it will also hopefully
hold their interest and engage them more fully with their writing and with that of their peers.

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
7

Song Of Myself Vocabulary Chart

Word Part

Type (Prefix,
Suffix, Root)

Context Definition

Number of
occurrences

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
8

Author Interview Worksheet

Level
Level 1:
Remembering
(define, recall,
repeat, summarize)

Level 2:
Understanding
(describe, discuss,
explain, identify)

Level 3: Applying
(dramatize, illustrate,
interpret)

Level 4: Analyzing
(compare, contrast,
examine)

Level 5: Evaluating
(argue, defend,
judge, evaluate)

Level 6: Creating
(construct, create,
design, write)

Question and Answer

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
9

Song of Yourself Peer Review Sheet

Your Name:
Poets Name:
1. What were the three themes in the poem you read?

2. What literary devices did the poet use?

3. How did the poems themes work together to give you an idea of who the poet
is?

4. What was the best part or line in the poem?

5. Were there any areas of the poem that were weaker than others?

6. Did the poem have an interesting title?

7. Did the spelling and grammar look good?

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
10

Reflection

The process of developing these strategy lessons was, for me, a valuable exercise.
Although I doubt Ill ever have a chance to do an entire unit on Song of Myself it was
worthwhile to see how the concepts weve discussed all semester can be applied to a piece of
literature that I might one day teach. What was most valuable about this exercise was
understanding that these strategies can be incorporated in small bites. I dont have to, and
probably shouldnt, devote an entire day to vocabulary development, or note-taking, or
questioning. Instead, with these smaller strategies and ways of teaching them to students, they
can be scattered throughout a class period so that the lesson will integrate several lessons on
literacy strategies. This is liberating because it frees me from direct instruction and lecturing, and
shows students how these things work together, rather than simply focusing in on one strategy
one day, and forgetting it the following day. Integrating lessons from one day to the next is
always important as students need to be shown how their work connects and is relevant to other
aspects of their lives.
This was also one of the more challenging aspects of creating this portfolio, however. In
this program, weve been taught to write entire lesson plans that fill up blocks of time, ensuring
that all 55 minutes are accounted for. In this exercise we were asked to create discrete tools to
use, rather than a whole lesson plan, and I occasionally found it difficult to rein myself in and
restrain myself from creating another unit plan. Although each of these lessons could be easily
expanded to take up an entire class period, I deliberately did not do that, simply because it is
important for me to learn how small strategies can be incorporated into larger lessons on

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
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different elements of a text. By learning this skill, I will be able to better adapt my lessons to my
students needs and abilities so that I can teach more flexibly and more effectively.
Creating this portfolio shows the importance of these disciplinary literacy strategies, and
their applicability to any text. I chose Whitman, after all, because I like him not because I
anticipate ever teaching him. Song of Myself is after all, filled with sexual and political
references and as a result, holds an uneasy place in the American canon, especially for more
conservative school districts. But if I can easily apply these strategies to a text that is big and
messy like Song of Myself I can see how they can relate to texts my students would be more
likely to encounter. These strategies can help clarify what is going on in a text, and help students
become more engaged in their reading, which is always the ultimate goal.
Incorporating these strategies into an English classroom feels easy and natural, as we
focus so much on reading and teaching students to read and analyze texts. It seems that these
strategies end up creating their own trajectory and timeline, and we can use them to help students
move through the steps of understanding how to approach a new, and potentially intimidating
text, encouraging them to make sense of it as they go through these various exercises and steps.
Since English teachers are expected to do most of the literacy teaching, I found these strategies
were very logical and reasonable to include and adapt to a particular text.
I think this type of exercise connects in many ways to my own teaching practice and my
future career. Right now, my goal is not to have a drawer full of pre-made lesson plans. As nice
as that would be I hesitate to do that because I dont know what kinds of students I will have, and
how I will really be as a teacher. But what an exercise like this does show is how to apply what

Gwynne Langley Rivers

EDRD 619
May 1, 2014
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Ive learned and the strategies that have been presented to me to what I want my theoretical
students to be able to do when they leave my classroom. Creating lesson plan strategies
demonstrates that in the real world, where time is tight and resources are few, these techniques
are not just the preserve of the experienced genius teacher who has had years to perfect her
technique, but can be adapted to my own classroom and my needs. They are very flexible and
applicable to almost any text, at least in the English classroom. Having a set of tools like these
certainly makes future lesson planning feel somewhat less intimidating.