Modern Living Two Weeks

/ ELA
Lesson Plan
Teacher:
Sixth Grade ELA Teacher / Grade:
Sixth Grade
Lesson Title:
Cultural Traditions Through Poetry
STRANDS
Literature, Language, Writing
LESSON OVERVIEW / Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link.
The unit will be focused on poetry. Students will begin by learning about the many literary techniques used in poetry. Then, numerous poems will be used in close readings to identify the characteristics of each poem. At the end of the unit, students will incorporate the newly acquired information about unique cultural holidays into a poem. Parents will be invited to a Gallery Walk that will display the students’ learning throughout the unit. During this time, students will read their cultural poems. In Multi-Media, students will add a visual device to the poems for the presentation.
The literary devices used in poetry are similar to those in advertising and propaganda. Students need to be aware of the specific techniques in order to fully understand the author’s purpose and the meaning of the text. Students will learn to infer and decipher meaning from fictional and nonfiction text. The culminating event will require the students to use poetry to inform others about an unfamiliar culture’s holiday traditions. There will be a strong tie between ELA and Social Studies throughout this unit due to the historical and cultural references.
MOTIVATOR / Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature)
Brainstorm with the students a quick list of “Christmas” traditions. Make sure that lights and the Christmas tree are on the list. Ask if anyone knows how the traditions began. Have they changed?
Watch an amazing light display:
Watch a short description of the Christmas tree:
DAY /
Objectives
(I can….) /

Materials & Resources

/

Instructional Procedures

/ Differentiated
Instruction /

Assessment

1
Project Day – refer to Unit Plan
Topic – “Modern Living”
2 / I can identify the theme, voice, and tone of a poem. / Inspiration app
Poems:
/ Essential Question:
What are the techniques for understanding poetry? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Modeling of Close Reads
Small Groups
Choice of poem to comprehend
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Choice of poem to comprehend / Formative Assessment- Classroom observation will be used to assess understanding
Thumbs up/down
What’s Special About Poetry?
Set
Think, Pair, Share: Ask the students to think about what poetry means to them. Encourage them to take notes of their reflection. Then the students will brainstorm with a partner in order to create a Thinking Map using the Inspiration app.
Teaching Strategy (s) –
Poetry requires a close reading. Use the following questions to do a Close reading of the poems
  1. Read title and make predictions.
  2. Read and reread the poem.
  3. Paraphrase the poem line by line. Look for complete thoughts.
  4. Examine the poem for figurative language, imagery, and sound elements- Do not discuss this in detail. It will be covered in future lessons.
  5. Notice the speaker’s tone and attitude.
  6. Where there any changes in speaker or attitude?
Read: “Christmas Cake and the Mouse” or “Puppies Christmas”
Use as a resource of numerous December poems. Allow students to choose a poem and go through the close reading process.
Allow students to work within small groups to decipher the meaning, theme, voice, and tone of a poem of their choice.
Summarizing Strategy
Small groups will share their discoveries with the entire class. Allow for the audience to question and comment on the meaning, theme, voice and tone of the poems.
Ask students to demonstrate their understanding by displaying a thumbs up/down signal.
3 / I can identify similes, metaphors, idioms, alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperboles, personification, and idioms.
I can infer the meaning of figurative language within a text. / PowerPoint: Intro to Poetry
Figurative Language and Music (See Resource File) / Essential Question:
How do writers use figurative language to enhance the meaning of their work?
How can an understanding of figurative language increase our understanding of what others have written? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Peer Tutoring
Modeling
Visuals/Music
Abbreviated assignments (Homework- find an example of simile, metaphor, personification, and personification.)
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Students will explain the meaning of the figurative language devices. / Formative Assessment- Teacher observations
Thumbs Up/Down
Summative Assessment:
The students will be expected to locate 1 examples of each of the figurative language type (alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, refrain, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, symbol, imagery, free verse, and allusion. They may reference song lyrics, poems, or books. Every example must be labeled to distinguish its source with a basic citation (Title and Author).
Music and Poetry?
Set
  • What is your favorite song?
  • Take 3 minutes and think of a few lines of the lyrics that you enjoy the most.
  • Share with a neighbor.
  • What do all of the lyrics have in common?
  • Explain that today they will explore the elements of poetry.
Teaching Strategy
  • Using “Intro to Poetry” PowerPoint, discuss the main elements of poetry: rhyme, rhythm, meter, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, refrain, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, symbol, imagery, free verse, and allusion.
  • The PowerPoint gives the students the opportunity to identify each of these techniques.
  • For more practice, use the Figurative Language and Music clip to demonstrate these techniques within song lyrics.
  • Pause the video to allow time for students to identify the different elements.
Summarizing Strategy:
Exit Ticket-
Students will refer back to their original song lyrics and identify the figurative language techniques that are being used.
Homework: The students will be expected to locate 1 examples of each of the figurative language type (alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, refrain, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, symbol, imagery and allusion. They may reference song lyrics, poems, or books. Every example must be labeled to distinguish its source with a basic citation (Title and Author).
4 / I can identify the rhyming pattern and rhythm of a poem.
I can identify: rhythm of the syllables, similes, alliteration, onomatopoeias, repetitions, similes, metaphors, hyperboles, personifications, symbols, and sensory images of a poem during a close read. / How the Grinch Stole Christmas- book / Essential Question:
How can rhyme and rhythm in poetry add to its effectiveness? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is on a fourth grade reading level.
Class discussion/modeling
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
What is the symbolic meaning of the Grinch?
(Consumer greed)
Why do you think the Grinch’s heart is two sizes too small?
Why did he only have one reindeer/dog? / Formative Assessment: through classroom observation of the summary strategy an assessment of understanding will be made.
Rhythm and Rhyme- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Set
Ask the students to reflect on their favorite Christmas/Holiday/Winter story. Brainstorm a class list. Ask the class why are these stories are liked by so many different people.
Teaching Strategy (s) –
  • Introduce How the Grinch Stole Christmas-
  • Do a close read with the class of the book. Display the book as it is being read for the entire class to see. As a class, for each page, identify the rhyming patterns, rhythm of the syllables, similes, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, simile, metaphors, hyperboles, personifications, symbols, and sensory images.
  • For more information on close reading poetry, Perdue has a comprehensive description.
Summarizing Strategy
Think, Pair, Share- Give a poetic element (onomatopoeia, repetition, simile, metaphors, hyperboles, personifications, symbols, and sensory images) to each pair of students. They will define and give an example of the technique. Finally, they will share their information with the class.
5 / I can write a poem using sensory imagery.
I can discuss how sensory images contribute to the poem’s meaning. / “Dashing Through the Snow/Jingle Bells”
“Christmas Eve 1914”
Sensory Imagery Checklist (See Resource Folder) / Essential Question:
How can sensory images contribute to a poem’s meaning? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
During the poetry writing, students will be working with a partner.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
What is the setting of the poem?
How do you know?
(Provide evidence based on prior knowledge) / Formative Assessment: through classroom observation of the summary strategy an assessment of understanding will be made.
Christmas Eve 1914- Sensory Imagery
Set
Have the students get comfortable and close their eyes. Explain that they are going to visualize the song. Play “Dashing Through the Snow”. Ask them to share their visions of the song. Explain that the author’s word choice encourages the audience to use their senses in order to increase understand.
Teaching Strategy
  • Use the poem, Christmas Eve 1914, to demonstrate sensory imagery by reading closely. Students will explore how writers use sensory imagery as a literary device to make text more meaningful for the reader.
  • First have the students close their eyes and listen to the poem in its entirety.
  • Have them share with the class, the images they envisioned.
  • Close read the poem with the class, one stanza at a time.
  • Discuss the images that are described.
  • Divide the students into pairs.
  • The pairs will write a three-stanza poem on a topic of their choosing that uses sensory imagery. Rhyming is not a requirement, although most students feel that it is a requirement for poetry.
Summarizing Strategy
Each pair will choose one example of sensory imagery to read to the class. The audience will offer suggestions and positive feedback.
Homework: Use ReadWriteThink online interactive Diamante Poem Tool to challenge students to create sensory poetry in a specific poetic form.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org
6 / I can create an outline based on a newspaper article / “Christmas Past and Presents” New York Times Article (Comprehension questions are also available) / Essential Question:
  1. How does learning about past traditions affect how you celebrate holidays?
/ Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
Read “Christmas Past and Presents” to the student and explain unfamiliar words.
Students may refer to an outline template.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Students will complete an outline without being given the main ideas of the article. / Formative Assessment: through classroom observation of the summary strategy an assessment of understanding will be made.
Christmas Past and Present- Outlines
Set
Brainstorm with the students a quick list of “Christmas” traditions. Make sure that lights and the Christmas tree are on the list. Ask if anyone knows how the traditions began. Have they changed?
Watch an amazing light display:
Watch a short description of the Christmas tree:
Teaching Strategy
  • As a class, read and discuss “Christmas Past and Presents” (
  • Students will create an outline of the article will be created.
  • Review the format for an outline.
  • Ask the students to brainstorm the main ideas of the article:
  • Christmas in Early America
  • Christmas Symbols’ origins
  • Changes in Christmas
  • Businesses the Benefit from Christmas
  • For each heading, students must provide textual evidence for supporting details.
Summarizing Strategy
Review the class’s outlines and check for understanding.
7 / I can identify the rhyme patter of a poem.
I can rewrite a poem from a different point of view. / “Twas the Night Before Christmas” poem / Essential Question:
  1. How can understanding the rhyme pattern of a poem assist the reader?
  2. How can you rewrite a poem from a different point of view?
/ Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
During the poetry writing, students will be working with a partner.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Students will include poetic devices within the stanzas / Performance Assessment:
Students’ poems will be assessed to determine understanding (Rhyme scheme and point of view should be correct.)
Thumbs Up/Down
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by: Clement Moore
Set
Review the facts that were learned from the previous day’s lesson. Brainstorm how Christmas has changed since the 17th century.
Teaching Strategy
  • Provide a copy of the poem to each student.
  • Do a close read of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”.Highlight examples of imagery, rhyming scheme, figurative, and evidence of author’s tone and point of view.
  • Divide students into pairs.
  • Challenge the students to rewrite the poem from a different point of view, the reindeer, a house mouse, mom, or the family dog.
  • Encourage the students to collaborate with other partners if ideas are needed.
Summarizing Strategy
Provide time at the end of class for students to read their poems aloud. Students will offer suggestion for each other’s writing for rhyme scheme and point of view.
8 / I can compare and contrast two poems be the same author. / Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Timeline
The Three Kings
Christmas Bells
Venn Diagram / Essential Question:
How can comparing two poems by an author help you to understand their particular style of writing? / Differentiated Instruction for Remediation:
During the poetry writing, students will be working within a small group.
Differentiated Instruction for Enrichment:
Students will find more than 5 similarities and differences. / Formative Assessment: through classroom observation of the summary strategy an assessment of understanding will be made.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Set
Display Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Timeline. Ask the students to identify the major events in his life. What world events affected his writing? (Creation of the US, Civil War, Indian Removal Act)
Teaching Strategy
Close read The Three Kings and Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with the class. Identify the rhyming pattern in each of the poems and the literary devices that are used.
Divide the students into small groups of 3-4. Challenge each group to compare and contrast the two poems by Longfellow. Groups should have at least 5 similarities and 5 differences for the poems.
Summarizing Strategy
Each group will present their findings to the class. Create a class Venn Diagram of the similarities and differences between the two poems.
9
Project Day 2 – refer to Unit Plan
Topic – “Gallery Walk”- Modern Living
10
Project Day 3 – refer to Unit Plan
Topic – “Gallery Walk”- Modern Living
STANDARDS / Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RL.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.6.3.d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
L.6.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.6.4.a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L.6.4.d Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.