Delaware ELA Curriculum Unit Template

Unit Title: Poetry

Delaware ELA Curriculum Unit Template

Preface: Your peers have designed all units. Please thank them for their time and contribution.

Each unit is at a different stage of development. Some need revision on the transfer task options. Others need additional lesson ideas to helps students to reach the standards. Some other units need to have the focus changed from specific story to the more general skills and strategies.

Stage one is complete for all units and should be the focus of the work with students. Use the remainder of the unit as a guide to help you plan for your particular students. Please share lesson and assessment ideas with each other. Content Chairpersons should bring ideas to the content chair meetings each month so that the units can be enhanced for next year.

Thank you to those who have taken the risk and offered their ideas for each unit.

Jodi Forestieri, Instructional Coach ELA Middle School

Subject/Topic Area: Poetry

Grade Level(s): 8th Grade

Searchable Key Words: speaker, structure, line, stanza, rhyme scheme, figurative language, metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, sensory images, critique, interpretation

Designed By: Jodi ForestieriDistrict: Christina School District

Time Frame: 3-4 weeks

Reviewed by: Date:

Brief Summary of Unit (This should include a brief unit summary including a description of unit goals, rationale for the approach taken, and where it appears in the course of study.)

Students will explore interpretation, “What does this poem mean?” and critique, “What makes a poem work?” Students have built a basic understanding of sounds of language and figurative language in 6th and 7th grade. Now they will apply that information to interpretation and critiquing.

Stage 1: Desired Results
(Determine What Students Will Know, Do and Understand)
Delaware ELA Content Standards (This should include a list of the DE Content Standards for which instruction is provided in this unit and which are ultimately assessed in the unit.)
The item or lessons is assessed by:
OE = Other Evidence
TT = Transfer Tasks
1.4 Orally communicate information, opinions, and ideas effectively to different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Choose words and use voice appropriate to audiences and purpose (e.g., inform, persuade, entertain)
Speak and listen for a variety of audiences (e.g., classroom, real-life) and purposes (e.g., awareness, enjoyment, information, problem solving)
Identify and discuss criteria for effective oral presentations (e.g., eye contact, projections, tone, volume, rate, articulation)
Speaking from notes or a brief outline, communicate precise information and accurate instructions in clearly organized instructions in clearly organized sequenced detail.
1.6 Develop vocabulary and the ability to use words phrases, idioms, and various grammatical structures as a means of improving communication.
Use words that reflect a growing range of interests and knowledge
Clarify and explain words and ideas
Use complex sentence structure
Use appropriate subject/verb agreement, verb tense, pronouns, prefixes and suffixes
Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly
Use knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words
Identify common figures of speech and use them appropriately in oral communication
Use punctuation marks that distinguish statements, questions, exclamations, and commands
2.3c Using appropriate texts, students will be able to self-monitor comprehension while reading by (c) taking appropriate actions (e.g., rereading to make sense, adjusting rate of reading, seeking the meaning of unknown vocabulary) to enhance understanding of oral and written text. (OE)
Use illustrations to construct meaning from text
Reread difficult parts slowly and carefully
Explain personal connections to the ideas or information in the text(s)
Skim text to search for connections between and among ideas
2.4c Students will be able to (c) recognize and interpret figurative language and literary devices and (e) differentiate between literal and non-literal meanings. (TT)
Identify and interpret figurative language and literary devices (e.g., alliteration, repetition, rhythm, dialogue, rhyme, idioms, simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, humor, puns, symbols, imagery, mood, allusion, and irony)
Analyze how figurative language and literary devices extend meaning
2.5g Using appropriate texts, students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate information and messages presented through print, speech, and mass media by (g) (h) acknowledging the possibility of a variety of interpretations of the same text; proposing other interpretations as valid if supported by the text. (OE)
Analyze texts by reading and reacting to passages from a piece of text and critical interpretations of that same work
Listen to and critique opposing interpretations of the same piece of text and consider, through classroom dialogue and independent reading, how these opinions were formed
Compare and contrast opposing interpretations of the same reading and consider how these opinions were formed through classroom dialogue and independent writing
4.1b Connect their own experience to those of literary characters by responding to the sensory, intellectual, and emotional elements. (TT)
Evaluate the effect of the author’s use of imagery and figurative language on a reader
Use ideas from the text to evaluate personal responses to literature (text-to-self connections)

Big Idea(This should include transferable core concepts, principles, theories, and processes that should serve as the focal point of curricula, instruction, and assessment. Ex: Manifest Destiny, fighting for peace.)

Literary Interpretation and Critique
Unit Enduring Understandings (This should include important ideas or core processes that are central to the unit and transferable to new situations beyond the classroom. Stated as full-sentence statements, the understandings specify what we want students to understand about the Big Ideas Ex: Inverse operations are helpful in understanding and solving problems.)
Students will understand that…

1. Sometimes the poet makes his/her meaning plain; other times the meaning is more subtle. This requires multiple readings of a poem.
2. Different readers may respond to the same text in different ways. The better responses are those that provide greater insight into the text and/or the issues raised.
3. Reading for meaning often requires imagining conversations with and questioning of the author. You must consider and respond very different from passively accepting or instantly liking or disliking.
4. The use of the voice (e.g., pitch, rate, volume, intonation) is a tool that enables the audience to understand the poem.

Unit Essential Question(s) (This should include open-ended questions designed to guide student inquiry and focus instruction for “uncovering” the important ideas of the content. Ex: What is healthful eating? What is the relationship between fiction and truth?)

1. What lies beneath the surface of this text? (In fiction: symbol and theme…) How much does this matter? How can I uncover it?
2. What does a reader gain from re-visiting or re-reading a text?

Knowledge & Skills(This should include key knowledge and skills that students will acquire as a result of this unit? Ex: Factors affecting climate, The causes of World War II.)
It should also include what students will eventually be able to do as a result of such knowledge and skill Ex: take notes, complete a bent-arm pull, compare fiction to nonfiction.)
Students will know….

1. Tools that poets use to communicate – figurative language,, sound devices, and sensory images.
2. Steps to use when interpreting a poem.
3. Generally accepted criteria for evaluating a poem.

Students will be able to…

1. Write a logical interpretation of a poem based on a “close reading” of the text.
2. Identify and explain the purpose for the use of figurative language, literary devices, and sensory images.
3. Write a critique of a poem.
4. Perform an interpretive poetry recitation.

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
(Design Assessments To Guide Instruction)
(This should include evidence that will be collected to determine whether or not the Desired Results identified in Stage One have been achieved? [Anchor the unit in performance tasks that require transfer, supplemented as needed by other evidence –quizzes, worksheets, observations, etc.]
Suggested Performance Task(s) (This should include suggested authentic tasks and projects used as evidence of student competency in the skills and knowledge deemed important in the unit. Ex: a written composition, speeches, works of art, musical performances, open-ended math problems.)
Consider the following set of stem statements as you construct a scenario for a performance task:
G – Goal—Ex: Reflect character’s motivation and predict his actions
R – Role—Ex: A character in Of Mice and Men
A – Audience—Ex: A family member or close friend
S – Situation—Ex: Creating a scrapbook chronicling a character’s life, real and inferred
P – Product, Performance, and Purpose—Ex: Scrapbook
S – Standards and Criteria for Success—Ex: Your scrapbook should include all components on included rubric
Note: There is no "district-wide" end of unit assessment; however, there should be agreement among your school staff as to what will be common across the school for each grade and each unit. The common aspect could be at least a single transfer task but may be more if your building colleagues wish. The data for the common item(s) should be analyzed across classrooms in your building and used to make curricular decisions for your building.
Transfer Task #1: What Does This Poem Mean? [Interpretation]
You are on the editing team for a new website that will include student poetry. You have been asked to submit a poem written by another teen. You will use your skills in close reading to interpret the poem, tell what insights you gain from reading the poem, and explain why this poem should be included on our website. This website only wants to include poems that mean something to a teenager and has literary merit. Select a poem to use for this project. Recommended locations: Chicken Soup for the Teens Soul, other magazines or websites, or the select your teachers has available.
G – Goal – Interpret a poem
R – Role – Editor for a new website
A – Audience – Other editing team members
S – Situation – Interpreting a poem
P – Product, performance, and purpose – Poetry Interpretation
S – Standards - See rubric below: Poetry Interpretation Rubric
Transfer Task #2: What Makes a Poem Work? [Evaluation] (You may use the same poem as in Transfer Task #1.)
You want to enter your own poem into the contest on the website at In order to do so, you have decided to get critiques from others on several of your poems before selecting the one to enter in the contest. At they have a poetry group that will allow you to submit poems for criticism. Here are the procedures from that site.
Poetry Submission Procedure
(1) Once accepted into the group, members will be given access to the Short Story Group message board.
(2) Members can post one poem each, per month.
(3) To remain in the group and on the active submission list, members must critique at least four poems per month. There is no minimum requirement for the length of the critique, however, please remember that it is participation that makes this group work. The more time and effort put into this, the better the group will function for all.
You will select one poem from the website or from your own resources to critique for this assignment. Use the What Makes A Good Poem rubric to inform your critique.
G – Evaluate literature
R – Poet who wants to submit poems for critique
A – Other members of the poetry group
S – Critique a poem
P – Submission to a website
S – State Writing Rubric – Informative Writing modified for this assignment
Rubrics/checklists for Performance Tasks (This should include holistic or analytic-trait rubrics used as a scoring guide to evaluate student products or performances.)

Transfer Task #1: Poetry Interpretation

CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Description / Makes a complete and detailed description of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. / Makes a detailed description of most of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. / Makes a detailed description of some of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. / Descriptions are not detailed or complete.
Analysis / Accurately describes several dominant elements or principles used by the poet and accurately relates how they are used by the poet to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the poem. / Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements and principles used by the poet and accurately relates how these are used by the poet to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the poem. / Describes some dominant elements and principles used by the poet, but has difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning or feeling of the poem. / Has trouble picking out the dominant elements.
Interpretation / Forms a somewhat reasonable hypothesis about the symbolic or metaphorical meaning and is able to support this with evidence from the work. / Student identifies the literal meaning of the work. / Student can relate how the work makes him/her feel personally. / Student finds it difficult to interpret the meaning of the work.
Evaluation / Uses multiple criteria to judge the poem, such as composition, expression, creativity, design, communication of ideas. / Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the poem. / Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge poem, but does not apply the criteria accurately. / Evaluates work as good or bad based on personal taste.
Transfer Task #2: What Makes a Good Poem
Criteria / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Organization / Unified with smooth transitions, a clear and logical progression of ideas, and an effective introduction and closing. / Generally unified with some transitions, a clear progression of ideas, and an introduction and closing. / Minimally unified and may lack transitions or an introduction or closing. / Lacks unity.
Development – must reflect the criteria for critiquing the poem. / Sufficient, specific, and relevant details that are fully elaborated. Reflects all of the criteria for critiquing. / Specific details but may be insufficient, irrelevant, or not fully elaborated. Reflects most of the criteria for critiquing. / Some specific details buy may be insufficient, irrelevant, and/or not elaborated. Reflects some of the criteria for critiquing. / No or few specific details that are minimally elaborated. Reflect little to no of the criteria for critiquing.
Sentence Formation / Consistently complete sentences with appropriate variety in length and structure. / Generally complete sentences with sufficient variety in length and structure. / Some sentence formation errors and a lack of sentence variety. / Frequent and severe sentence formation errors and/or a lack of sentence variety.
Style/Word Choice / A consistent style with precise and vivid word choice. / Some style and generally precise word choice. / Sometimes general and repetitive word choice. / Often general, repetitive, and/or confusing word choice.
Language Conventions / Few, if any, errors in standard written English that do not interfere with understanding. / Some errors in standard written English that rarely interfere with understanding. / Several kinds of errors in standard written English that interfere with understanding. / Frequent and severe errors in standard written English that interfere with understanding.
Other Evidence (This could include tests, quizzes, prompts, student work samples, and observations used to collect diverse evidence of student understanding.)
Required Other Evidence: use paired poems found on pages 297-8 and 417-8, and 193-4.

1. How would you summarize the opposing views? (Determining Meaning)

1. Should this poem be considered “good” literature? Why or why not? (Extended Meaning)

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection (This should include opportunities for students to monitor their own learning. Ex: reflection journals, learning logs, pre- and post-tests, editing own work.)
Stage 3: Learning Plan
(Design Learning Activities To Align with Goals and Assessments)
Key learning events needed to achieve unit goals
(This should include instructional activities and learning experiences needed to achieve the desired results (Stage 1) as reflected in the assessment evidence to be gathered (Stage 2).
The acronym WHERETO summarizes key elements to consider when designing an effective and engaging learning plan.
W – Help the students know Where the unit is going and What is expected? Help the teachers know
Where the students are coming from (prior knowledge, interests)
H – Hook all students and Hold their interest?
E – Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the issues?
R – Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and work?
E – Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications?
T – Be Tailored (personalized) to the different needs, interests, and abilities of learners?
O – Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as effective learning?
Reminder: All specific reading sections below are recommendations for new teachers. A veteran teacher may select a different selection as long as the focus is on the same skill or strategy that is the focus of the identified selection.
Did you consider the following unit design principles?
IP – International education perspective
IL – Information Literacy
WR – Workplace readiness/21st century skills
FA – Formative assessment, used to check for understanding
DI – Differentiated Instruction
UDL– Universal Design for Learning
TL – Technology Literacy
Resources & Teaching Tips (Consider the two questions below when completing this section.)

• What text/print/media/kit/web resources best support this unit?

• What tips to teachers of the unit can you offer about likely rough spots/student misunderstandings and performance weaknesses, and how to troubleshoot those issues?

Accommodation/Differentiation ideas and tips (This should include a list or description of ways that you will differentiate instruction according to students' needs. This can include any curricular adaptations that are needed to meet special needs students. Ex: using reading materials at varying readability levels, putting text materials on tape, using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students, meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners.

1. Provide graphic organizers to help them focus their Transfer Tasks.
2. Walk through the process step by step with simple poems.
3. Provide a poem that is within their ability to interpret.
4. Other Evidence – Read the poem out loud if it is a frustration level for them to read.
5. Selection of poems for Transfer Tasks is able to be within each students independent or instructional lexile range (Readiness).
6. Self-selected (interest) – It can be a poem about a topic that he/she knows or one with which they can personally connect.

Technology Integration
– samples of slam poetry performances –PG rated

- Delaware’s own slam poetry site











Content Connections

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