Poetry

Lesson 1
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ELA

Unit 7

3rd Grade

Lesson 1 of 13

Objective


Explain why some poets choose to write in free verse and other poets choose to include rhyme scheme by identifying and explaining the elements of poetry found in various poems about nature.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children by Jack Prelutsky (September, 1983)  pp. 71 – 73

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Target Task


Multiple Choice

Why might an author use rhyme scheme?

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Sample Response

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Writing Prompt

Why do poets choose to write in free verse? Why do other poets include rhyme scheme? How do both help a reader better understand the poem's message?

Key Questions


  • "The Way of Living Things" - What is the rhyme scheme in this poem? What mood does it create?

  • "The Way of Living Things" - What description does the poet include to help the reader visualize living things?

  • "The Way of Living Things"- How does the poet convey the central message of the poem?

  • "The Way of Living Things"- What is the significance of the title?

  • "Green Stems" - How can we tell this poem is free verse?

  • "Green Stems" - What description does the poet include to help the reader visualize what it is like to live with the green stems?

  • "Green Stems" - How does the poet convey the central message of the poem?

  • "Green Stems"- What is the significance of the title?

Vocabulary


rhyme scheme

Notes


  • Every day students will get a collection of poems. Two or three of the poems will be highlighted as mentor poems in which a model or discussion should take place to deepen student understanding of the poem. The other poems should be read independently, and students should be challenged to annotate for and notice the main messages of each poem and the different features of poetry they have been exposed to so far.
  • Preview to students that for the next few days they are going to read a collection of poems that highlight different living things. Explain to students the unique features of poetry and what makes the genre so special. Explain that over the course of the unit they will be learning lots of different strategies that poets use.
  • The focus for this lesson is the difference between poems that are written in free verse and poems that have a particular rhyme scheme. (See notes in vocabulary section and content knowledge for the difference between each type of poetry.)
  • After reading the two focus poems, have students read all of the other poems and look/notice the poems that are written in free verse vs. the poems with rhyme scheme. Discuss the difference.

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.3.2 — Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
  • RL.3.5 — Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

Next

Explain why some poets use alliteration and similes by identifying and explaining the elements of poetry found in various poems about nature.

Lesson 2
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Lesson Map

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