In the Middle

Middle School Poetry

Goals/Standards:

            1.  Standard 1

                 Students will

a.  relate new information to prior knowledge and experience

b.  compare and synthesize information from different sources

            2.  Standard 2

                 Students will

                        a.  read and view texts and performances from a wide range of authors,

                 subjects and genres

                        b.  recognize different levels of meaning

            3.  Standard 3

                 Students will

a.  understand that within any group there are many different points of   

     view depending on the particular interests and values of the individual, 

     and recognize those differences in perspective in texts and  

     presentations

            4.  Standard 4

                 Students will

                        a.  listen attentively to others and build on others’ ideas in conversations

     with peers and adults

b. express ideas and concerns clearly and respectfully in conversations and

    group discussions

Materials:

            1.  Middle School Poems Handouts I and II

            2.  Kristine O’Connell George Website

Understandings:

            1.  Poetry is another form of written expression.

            2.  The middle school years are a time of much change for adolescents as they

     struggle to deal with a new school, make friends, and discover who they are.

3.  Poets use a variety of methods to convey their thoughts and relate meaning.

4.  People often interpret poetry in many different ways.  We can all learn a great

     deal by listening to the perspectives of others.

5.  Throughout our lives, we are touched by people who profoundly impact who

     we are and how we think.

6.  Stargirl is in touch with the feelings of others and is very intuitive in this

     regard.

Essential Questions:

            1.  How do the authors in the poems we have read use poetry to express how they

                 feel?

2.  How do your classmates’ interpretations of the selected poems differ from  

     your own?

3.  How are we impacted by the presence of others in our lives?  Who has

     changed the way you think or feel?

Objectives:

            1.  Students will be able to engage in guided group discussions with classmates.

            2.  Students will be able to evaluate a poem for its meaning, raise questions about

     a poem, and share their opinions with their classmates.

3.  Students will be able to identify how form, rhyme, and other literary elements help the

     author to convey his or her intent.

4.  Students will be able to reflect on what insight to a poem is offered upon hearing it

     read orally.

3.  Students will be able to listen attentively to their classmates and introduce their

     thoughts in an organized manner.

            4.  Students will be able to interpret a quotation and apply it to their own lives as

                 well as the text.

Instructional Plan:

Learning Activities:

            1.  Casaccio’s Question:  What does this quotation mean to you:  “People come

                 into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.”  

     Based on last night’s reading, how does this quotation apply to Stargirl. 

2.  Distribute handouts – Middle School Poems I & II

3.  Play audio of a student reading the poems aloud while students follow along.  Point

     out how the placement of the lines and punctuation dictates how one reads a poem. 

     Encourage students to visit the website and post their own comments about the poems  

     or even contribute their own.

            4.  Demonstrate good listening skills and how to participate in a group discussion for

                 students by role playing. 

            5.  Read poems aloud as a class.

            6.  Break students up into groups of three and distribute discussion questions.

            7.  While students discuss, go group to group and listen in.

Assessment:

            1.  The teacher will evaluate students’ ability to interpret a poem and think critically

                 about its meaning.  In addition, the teacher will assess students’ ability to work with

                 others and stay on task.

            2.  The teacher will evaluate the students’ ability to interpret a quotation and

     apply it to their own lives as well as the text through listening to their

     responses to Casaccio’s Question.

Websites

Kristine O’Connell George

Handouts

Middle School Poems I

Middle School Poems II

Discussion Questions