This unit focuses on introducing students to the top ten literary / poetic devices. It then provides them with an opportunity to engage with poetry on their own terms. By scaffolding the creation of poems through fill-in-the-blank templates, before moving towards additional poem types, all students enter this unit with a foundation of being able to create and express themselves.
The unit moves forward, asking students to look at poetry, consider why it stands out to them, and how it adds value to their experience. Rather than looking at analyzing poetry by pulling apart each line, students engage the poems by making meaningful personal connections.
They then seek out poems they enjoy, being provided with discovery tools, and explore the self-selected works with their peers. Moving forward, they engage in metacognition to consider how they can engage others, building off of the way otehrs engaged them.
Finally, this unit culminates with a brief foray into the world of self-publishing, and the creation of a unique chapbook that students will keep for years to come as a reminder to who they will become of who they are right now.
The English Course Pack
This unit is part of the Full English Course Pack that contains every assignment, slide deck, assessment, worksheet, and evaluation required to run a complete high school English class. As always, these resources are free for non-commercial public school use.
If you would like to say thanks, consider buying me a coffee. But that is neither required, nor expected.
Unit Two: Poetry
2.01: Top Ten Poetic Devices: Slide Deck
- Introduces poetic devices
- Provide examples of poetic devices
- Demonstrate each device… through song
2.02: Writing a Where I’m From Poem
- Introduces poetry writing
- Provides a scaffolded template for poetry writing
- Provides an opportunity to read poetry to the class
2.03: Introducing Types of Poems: Slide Deck
- Introduces students to a number of different poem types
- Provides opportunities for students to write a variety of poem types
2.04: Analyzing Poetry – Looking at Four Poems
- Introduce students to four unique poems
- Provide a scaffolded experience through the use of a graphic organizer to organize and express thoughts about the poems
2.05: Exploring a Poem You Enjoy
- Supports students by providing tools to locate poetry outside of the classroom
- Invites students to engage with self-selected texts
2.06: Writing a Poem Only You can Write
- Moves towards a fuller release of responsibility by providing sutdents with tools to write their own works
- Encourages metacognition as students think about what engages them, and how they might engage others
- Explores classroom transformations to change the tone and environment
2.07: Creating a Poetry Chapbook
- Honours stuednts work by compling it into a lasting keepsake
- Presents a multimodal experience for self reflection and expression
English Course Packs: Full Units
Unit One: Literacy Skills
Unit Two: Poetry
Unit Three: Literature Circles
Unit Four: Creative Writing & Choose Our Way Tales (In Progress)
Unit Five: Essay Writing (In Progress)
Unit Six: Culminating Tasks (In Progress)
Written by…
Michael Barltrop has been teaching since 2006, integrating comics, video games, and TTRPGs into his classroom. He has been the head of English, Literacy, Special Education, and Assessment & Evaluation and Universal Design. Feel free to reach out through Twitter @MrBarltrop!
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