Lesson Plan 5

UTL 640E
Aaron Holman/Hendrickson High School
Date: 4/14/15
Class Period/Time: ~55 minutes during Block 5 (9:30-11:00)

Kaitlyn Holcomb
AP English IV/12th Grade
Teach #9

Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions

Analyzing two literary works that express similar themes allows readers not only to reach greater
understanding of that theme but also to compare and contrast the ways in which different authors
use literary devices to create meaning within their works.
What does it mean to compare and contrast two works of literature? [f]
What details does one look for when doing a compare/contrast? [f]
How do Bishop and Collins use imagery and figurative language to create meaning in their
poems? [c]
How do they each treat their topic? What do they say about it? [c]
How does the tone of each poem reveal more than the speaker intends? [c]
Lesson Objective:
After reading and discussing Elizabeth Bishops One Art and Billy Collins Embrace as a
class, students will independently produce a one-paragraph response explaining the use of tone in
each of the poemsincorporating at least two aptly-chosen details from the texts for supportin
order to practice comparing and contrasting two similar literary works.
Resources/Materials:
To do before the lesson:
o Review One Art by Elizabeth Bishop and Embrace by Billy Collins
For the lesson itself:
o Bring AP Literature book
o Whiteboard and markers
TEKS/SEs Addressed in the Lesson:
(2) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make
inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and
contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
Students are expected to:
(A) compare and contrast works of literature that express a universal theme.
Steps in Lesson:
ENGAGEMENT 5 minutes

Have students read One Art by Elizabeth Bishop (p. 652 in the AP Literature book).

Briefly have the students indicate their overall feelings toward and understanding of the
poem by having them rate their responses to the poem:
o Ask the students How well do you like the poem? and How well do you understand
it?
o For each question, students will use a thumbs up to indicate that they like/understand it,
a thumbs down to indicate dislike/confusion, and a thumbs in the middle if they are
unsure.
Since students have read this poem before, the majority of them should understand it. If,
however, many of them seem confused, ask them to share briefly which parts confused them.

STATED OBJECTIVE

Now that weve read One Art, well analyze and discuss it as a class. Then well read a poem
by Billy Collins called Embrace, and after briefly discussing it, well compare it to One Art,
looking for the similarities and differences in how each author discusses his or her topic and how
he or she uses figurative language and imagery to create meaning. Finally, youll each write a
short response that will allow you to continue practicing comparing and contrasting these poems.
ACTIVE LEARNING

Introduce: 10 minutes
Address any areas of confusion from the Engagement section while guiding students
through reviewing and analyzing One Art. Topics may include the following points
(adapted and quoted from the Instructors Guide to the AP Literature book):
Make sure to pause, listen, and respond to students.
o Types of loss
In the poem, the losses become increasingly serious (house/car keys time
details about people important keepsakes and memories love).
o Tone
The tone of One Art develops, or shifts, as the losses become progressively more
serious. The reader gradually realizes that the speaker is not as casual about the loss
of you as she appears to be about the loss of her keys or her houses or even her
continent. Her heart has been broken, and she tries to cover it up.
This shift occurs as the speaker moves not only from the less serious to the more
serious, but also from the inanimate to the animate.
The wording also changes in the final stanza (The art of losing isnt hard to
master the art of losings not too hard to master [emphasis mine]),
indicating that it is harder (emotionally) to lose the things one loves than the
speaker wishes to admit.
o Punctuation
The use of the dash at the beginning of the final stanza suggests that the speaker
hesitated before beginning these final lines, that it took an enormous emotional push
to address this painful topic. That push continues in the last line when she must force
herself to Write it.

o Verb tense
When the speaker begins to speak about the things she has lost, she uses past tense
verbs (i.e., I lost).
After the dash, she includes a parenthetical statement that uses the present tense (the
joking voice, a gesture I love), indicating that she still loves the person she is
addressing.
o Themes: art and loss
In this poem, these two ideas are intricately woven together. By calling loss an art,
the speaker tries to make it something beautiful, something to master. This allows
the speaker to mask the pain she feels and to give herself a sense of hopein essence,
she is telling herself, It may be bad now, but it wont always be this way.
Also, the speaker seems to be indicating that each subsequent loss will become easier
as one begins to master the art of losing. However, one only masters this art
through practice (ln. 7), which indicates that the speaker may be intentionally
forcing herself to numb the pain as the losses become more significant.
Explain: 10 minutes
Briefly explain the process of compare/contrast (2 minutes):
o When people do a compare/contrast, they look at two literary works that have similar
topics or themes. Then, they literally compare and contrast the worksthat is, they look
for the similarities and differences between them.
o These similarities and differences might refer to the way in which the authors treat their
topic or the way in which they use literary devices to create meaning within their works.
Have students read Embrace by Billy Collins (p. 470) while keeping in mind the discussion
on One Art. Tell students who finish quickly to read it a second time while the others finish
reading. (3 minutes)
Have students turn to 2-3 people near them and discuss the poemspecifically, the authors
topic and what he says about that topic (broadly, he is discussing the loss of love/a woman
and the pain he feels because of that loss). (5 minutes)
Apply: 25 minutes
Have students continue to discuss the poem, both in groups and as a class, by comparing it to
One Art. (15 minutes)
o Have students once again turn to 2-3 people near them. Ask groups to discuss how each
author uses imagery and figurative language to create meaning, focusing on the
similarities and differences between the poems. After they have done so, briefly share as
a class, asking groups to volunteer. (7 minutes)
o Have students return to their groups. Ask them to discuss how each author treats his/her
topicthat is, what each author says about their topic (dealing with the loss of love),
again focusing on the similarities and differences between the poems. After they have
done so, briefly share as a class, asking the groups who did not speak previously to share
their discussion points with the class. (8 minutes)

Have students write paragraphs independently that further compare and contrast the two
poems. Give them the following prompt and write it on the board (adapted from the
Instructors Guide) (10 minutes):
Explain how the tone of each poem reveals more than the speaker intends. Incorporate two
pieces of textual evidence to support your explanation.
o Briefly explain to the students that they need to pay attention to the language in such
prompts. Each poem implies that they need to compare and contrast the poemsthat
is, look at how tone is used similarly and differently (for example, look at whether the
authors use the same tone, if one or both of them utilize an obvious tone shift, etc.).

CLOSURE (5 minutes)

Have 1-2 students summarize the main points of the lesson.

Briefly have 2-3 students summarize their written responses.
Tell students to put their responses in the basket as they exit.

Modifications/Differentiation Strategies:
Students will participate in independent, group, and whole-class activities.
Writing the prompt on the board will allow students to refer to it while writing and eliminate
confusion that could arise from forgetting the prompt. Also, providing it aurally and in
writing will aid students of multiple learning styles.
Evaluation Strategies:
I will moderate whole-class discussion, checking to ensure that students understand the poem
and the topics discussed.
I will observe/confer with student groups as they work.
I will collect the written responses at the end of the period, reading them to determine the
students understanding of tone and of the process of comparing/contrasting two poems.
Note/Recommendations for next time:
This lesson requires more time, especially when the students are writing their paragraphs
(everyone felt rushed toward the end). Plan for 70-75 minutes.
Make sure the students fully understand the gravity of the workseven though the
imagery/tones the authors use at the beginning of the poems could possibly be interpreted as
humorous (or an attempt to be humorous in order to mask the underlying sadness), allowing
them to follow down this path will lead to grave misinterpretations.
Have students discuss One Art in groups before participating in whole-class discussion.
Itll help them understand it more fully and will contribute to even better discussions.