Lesson Plan

Change

Overview

Introduce students to the many elements of poetry. Spark a discussion about change and growth using the questions below.

Objective

  • Understand and appreciate poetry
  • Understand the following literary terms: form, stanza, lines, free verse
  • Demonstrate the ability to make connections between a text read independently and his or her prior knowledge, other texts, and the world.
  • Demonstrate the ability to draw conclusions and make inferences
  • Demonstrate the ability to express and explain ideas orally with fluency and confidence

Materials

Set Up and Prepare

  • Copy a poem for each student
  • Make a transparency of poem
  • Make a transparency of poetic terms if you like

Directions

  • Ask students to think about a favorite poem or a favorite song they have recently read or heard. Have them describe what makes that poem or song memorable.
  • Introduce the poetic term form by asking the students if they have ever noticed the shape of a poem? The way a poem looks, the arrangement of the words on a page, is form.
  • Tell students that poems are made up of lines, which may or may not be sentences. Explain to the students that when lines are arranged in groups, each group is called a stanza.
  • Explain to students that a poem's form can help you understand its meanings. Some poems have a formal structure while others sound more like conversation: these are called free verse.
  • Have students read an excerpt from "Change." Allow them to discuss the form with a partner referring to the numbers of lines and stanzas.
  • Have students read the entire poem.
  • Distribute the Poetry Evaluation Questions (PDF) and have each student evaluate the poem.
  • Read the poem aloud and have students share their response to the questions.
  • Pose these additional questions to facilitate further discussion:
  1. Are the seasons seen as things that change or things that stay the same?
  2. Does the speaker feel that life has changed?
  3. How do you know?
  • Continue discussion by asking students, "What is change? What types of things change? Does change promote growth? If so, how? If not, why?
  • Have students choose one of the journal-writing prompts below and respond.
  1. How have you changed this school year? Think about how you were when you first entered this classroom and think about how you are now?
  2. Respond to the following quotation, "You start out with one thing, end up with another and nothings like it used to be, not even the future." Quote by Rita Dove, an American poet.

Supporting All Learners

Provide a hard copy and project the poem on a board with a transparency or projector screen. Allow students time to read the poem multiple times on their own silently and out loud. Read it with the class out loud.

Lesson Extensions

  • Students will complete a graphic organizer on the following topic-Think about a change in your life.  How did it help you grow?
  • Discuss different forms with students-limerick, sonnet,  haiku, etc.

Home Connection

Invite students to ask their parents the following questions: How important do you think it is to belong?  Do you think it is better to "go with the flow" or to make your presence known? 

Assess Students

  • Observe students as they work in pairs to see whether they are fully participating in the discussion.
  • Use group questions and responses in journals to evaluate whether students are able to understand the deeper message of the poem, make connections between images and their meanings, communicate their understanding through oral and written communication.

  • Everything You Need:
    Poetry Month: Everything You Need
  • Subjects:
    Changes and New Experiences, Independent Reading, Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences, Literary Devices, Literature Appreciation, Poetry Writing
  • Skills:
    Literary Elements, Drawing Conclusions, Poetry Writing
  • Duration:
    2 Hrs
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