Unit Title:

Powerful Poetic Voices

Grade Level/ Course: Time Frame:

2 weeks

9th Grade English Language Arts

Topic:
Poetry

Key Words:
Poetry, rap, spoken word, social commentary, figurative language

Designer:
Tracy Gamache, Anaheim High School

Unit Summary:
As part of a larger poetry unit this 2 week instructional sequence introduces students to poetry as a source of social commentary. It explores poetry as both written and spoken word and allows students to explore a variety of poems and poets. Using poetic vocabulary students will analyze poetry, critical discuss poetry, and engage in personal reflection as they explore poetry.

Stage 1- Desired Results Established Goals:

CA English-Language Arts Content Standards 9-10th Grade 1.0 Word Analysis and Fluency 1.2 Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words and interpret the connotative power of words. 2.0 Reading Comprehension 2.4 Paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension. 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis 3.7 Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices, including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain their appeal. 3.8 Interpret and evaluate the impact of ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions, ironies, and incongruities in a text. 3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of literary criticism. (Aesthetic approach) 3.12 Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and issues of its historical period. (Historical approach). 2.0 Writing Applications 2.2 Write responses to literature 2.3 Writing expository composition, including analytical essays 1.0 Written and Oral Language Conventions 1.1-1.3 Grammar and mechanics of writing 1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies 1.1 Formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those judgments with convincing evidence. 1.7 Use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations. 1.11 Assess how language and delivery affect the mood and tone of the oral communication and make an impact on the audience. 1.12 Evaluate the clarity, quality, effectiveness, and general coherence of a speakers important points, arguments, evidence, organization of ideas, delivery, diction, and syntax.

Essential Questions:
What is poetry? What is rap? What is spoken word? How is poetry used to discuss social issues such as racism, poverty, education, etc.? How do poets/rappers use personal experience to explore salient social issues? What stylistic choices to poets make when they create a poem? How does spoken word and rap differ from a poem read on paper?

Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that Poetry is a form of written or verbal expression that can be used by authors to discuss social issues of their time. A poem/songs rhythm, tone, and use of figurative language contribute to the delivery of the underlying message. Poets use a variety of poetic devises to convey a message. The vocal and dramatic devices contribute to power behind a spoken word performance or rap song. Students will be able to Read and interpret poems. Listen to and analyze spoken word and rap. Identify figurative language in a poem. Identify social issues in written and performance pieces and provide textual evidence. Write and present and analysis of a rap song.

Students will know The difference and similarities between rap, spoken word, and written poetry. What social commentary is. How to express their own issues through poetry.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Performance Task(s):

o Poetry Slam: students will compose a poem based on a social issue personal to their lives and the class will take part on a mock-poetry slam. Some students will perform and others will be the audience, but each student will turn in a poem with a written reflection about their piece. o Powerful Poetics Presentation: students will be placed in groups and given a poem/rap song to analyze. Together they will discuss the authors use of poetic devices, figurative language, and the overall theme of the piece. Students will individually write an analytic essay discussing the poem and provide evidence and support of the theme. Together students will present the poem to the class using some sort of visual (poster, youtube video, sound clip, performance, etc.).

Other evidence:
o o o o Brainstorm and word webs for the 3 genres. Reflective journals. Use TPCASTT as a class. Work in groups to fill out a TPCASTT. They will be used as an exit slip. (skill check for accuracy) o Check understanding through class discussion. o Writing conference with students

Self-Assessment
Analytic Essay Rubric Presentation Rubric Writing a Poem Reflective journal Close reading and marking texts Use word wall to check use of figurative language

Stage 3 Learning Plan Learning Activities:

o Week 1 Day 1

Begin with the opening question (Can poetry be cool and interesting?) to get students thinking about poetry beyond the context of typical analysis. Share examples. Ask students if they know what spoken word? Is it poetry? Why Ask students, if rap is poetry? Introduce the remaining essential questions and create a word web for rap, poetry, and spoken word.

Discuss how rap and spoken word are a form of poetry, draw comparisons and relate back to what students have learned about figurative language. Have students think about the differences, write them in their journal. Do a think-pair-share. Introduce the topic of social commentary, what is, what forms does it come in, is it used in poetry, if so how Day 2-3 Recap conversation from the previous day Explore topics of social commentary: racism, sexism, education, inequality, etc. Refer students back to the poetry word wall and re-test understanding of figurative language concepts. Ask students how they are used in poetry? Relate to topic of social commentary. Handout and close read Maya Angelous Still I Rise Use TPCASTT to analyze, followed by class discussion about the social issues she explores. Have students write an exit slip discussing the use of 2 poetic devices with an example. Ask students, have they ever heard a rap song that talks about social problems? Write answers on the board. Handout the Lyrics to Commons I Have a Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHHNLqzWEU), play the youtube clip and have students close read and listen. Use TPCASTT to analyze and discuss. What type of social commentary is it? Introduce the Presentation assignment, group students, give them the rubric Day 4-5 Hand out poems/rap songs to the groups. Allow students to spend half a day working in groups using the TPCASTT to analyze the poem and discuss the types of figurative language used. They use the other half of the day to decide on and create a visual (will provide poster material and markers for any groups that want to make a poster). Students can use laptop to look for audio/visual clips and need to provide me with the. Homework: write a draft for analytical essay. Allow students more time organize their presentations, meet with students individually to look over their draft and provide feedback. Determine what order students will present in. o Week 2 Day 1 Powerful Poetics Presentations Show students Gemineyes Poetic Bloodlines (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPz9lL0y8sE) Introduce the topic of spoken word and its history. Homework: research spoken word and write the definition (entry slip for next class) Day 2-3 Introduce the Poetry Slam competition. View Carlos Andres Gomez Juan Valdez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8a5lv5iqjg&feature=related Use TPCASTT to analyze Explore the main theme as it relates to students. Have students write a short reflection about todays social problems, their social problems. Think-pair-share. View Wisdoms youth poetry slam performance. http://youtu.be/xBv93JCzXYM Discuss the topics related to youth, education, ageism, etc. Allow students 10 minutes to brainstorm their poem. Day 4 Students spend most of the day writing their poem. I assist students and they are allowed to talk quietly in pairs to share ideas with one another.

I ask students to volunteer to perform. There will be a prize for the winner. Poetry Slam (All day) Students will turn in their poems for a grade.

Day 5