7Th Grade Lesson 1

7th grade Lesson 1

“I am poem”

Objectives:

Vocabulary: Recognizing important words for this lesson and for future lessons. Consult general and specialized reference materials.

Reading Literature: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

Writing: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Speaking & Listening: Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study).

Language: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

Students will be creating poems in this unit and eventually sending one off to a publishing company with a cover letter. When I teach this in class, I have them share their poems with a partner and then if they want to share to the entire group at the end of class they are welcome to. If they do share at the end of class then, I allow the rest of the class to vote on their favorite and that student gets extra credit. It’s up to you if you want to work this unit it out this way.

I.  Vocabulary: Recognizing important words for this lesson and for future lessons. Have students become familiar with the words below. I usually would give students 3 words a lesson or week, depending on what’s necessary. Students can do a variety of thing or whatever works for you when teaching vocabulary. Students can: look up the definition and write it down or put it in their own words, put the word in a sentence, draw a picture/cartoon, create an antonym or explain what the word is not, and a synonym as well. Do whatever you have time for, but do what works.

a.  Galleon

b.  Casement

c.  Priming

II.  Reading Informational: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

A.  Have students read the following poem entitled “The Highwayman”:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-highwayman/

B.  They also need to view the same poem (you could use your LCD projector to show this):

C.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le727fRZHpA

D.  They then need to answer the questions below using evidence from the text to support each of their answers.

Questions
1.What similarities do you see between the written poem and the video? Think about the images that popped into your head while you were reading it and take those and compare it to the video version. Use examples from both to explain your meaning.
______
2. What differences do you see between the written poem and the video? Think about the images that popped into your head while you were reading it and take those and contrast it to the video version. Use examples from both to explain your meaning.
______
3. Analyze the sounds in the movie clip. List what sounds you heard and why you think the director wanted the audience to hear them. (Example: Hooves galloping, guns shot, etc.)
______
4. Would there have been a difference if this film clip was in black and white instead of color? Why or why not? Explain with details from the film.
______
5. Black is usually symbolic for the color of something evil or sinister. The landlord’s daughter has black eyes. How is that ironic? Use examples from the text to back up your reasoning.
______
6. Why do you think the director zoomed in for close ups and zoomed out for wide shots in this film? Give an example for why the director chose to do a close up and why they chose to do a wide shot in your opinion. (For example, we see a wide shot looking through the window at Bess’s dead and bloody body. Who could be looking through that window? If it had been close up, it wouldn’t have been the same). Use examples from the text to back up your reasoning.
______
7. How would the story have been different if the poem had not been sung to lyrics and just read? Use examples from the text to back up your reasoning.

III.  Writing: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

A.  Students need to fill out the I Am poem below about them. They should be thinking about what visual they would use with this poem to help others really get to know them better.

B.  Below I have several examples before the I Am poem paper. Read those with students.

C.  If you have time, put on the LCD projector or an overhead projector the I Am poem form and have random students throughout the class help you fill out the poem. The poem then becomes a class I Am poem and can be displayed in the room. Students should be reminded all writing in the classroom should be school appropriate, PG.

I am example
I am a contented person who loves to learn.
I wonder if I’ll ever be able to read all of my books.
I hear the door open as my kids come home.
I see years fly by before I am ready to let them go.
I want to be a famous writer like Jessica on “Murder She Wrote”
I am a contented person who loves to learn.
I pretend everyone loves everyone else.
I feel sleepy when I have to kick off my comforter in the mornings.
I touch my pencil so I can think through my fingers.
I worry that I might make someone unhappy.
I cry when I hear patriotic music.
I am a contented person who loves to learn.
I understand life is not perfect.
I say, “Yes I’d like to, thanks.”
I dream everything is clean at the same time.
I try to be a good person.
I hope the world is better because of me.
I am a contented person who loves to learn.
I am example 2
I am an inquisitive person who loves frogs
I wonder when I’ll be able to visit the moon
I hear hysteria when I walk to halls at school
I see strange tattoos on strange people.
I want to lead a “Save the Frogs” crusade
I am an inquisitive person who loves frogs.
I pretend I can fly without wings.
I feel excited when I watch the Discovery Channel
I touch the bumpy skin of frogs
I worry that I will get sick and die
I cry when I am ignored at school
I am an inquisitive person who loves frogs
I understand all people are not what I expect them to be.
I say, “What’s goin’ on?”
I dream every day is Saturday in the summer
I try to be smarter than everyone else.
I hope it doesn’t rain on my b-day
I am an inquisitive person who loves frogs.
I Am
The following three-stanza poem is another way to do autobiographical writing. The writing below will help you better understand you. Write your poem by filling the blanks as directed.
I am______and ______. (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder______. (something you are curious about in the world)
I hear______. (an imaginary sound)
I see______. (an imaginary sight)
I want______. (an actual desire)
I am______and ______. (the first line of poem repeated)
I pretend______. (something you pretend to do)
I feel______. (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch______. (an imaginary touch, concrete or abstract)
I worry about______. (something that really bothers you)
I cry about______. (something that makes you really sad)
I am ______and ______. (the first line of poem repeated)
I understand ______. (something you know is true)
I say ______. (something you believe in)
I dream of ______. (something you actually dream about or a goal)
I try to ______. (something you really make an effort about)
I hope ______. (something you hope for)
I am ______and______. ( the first line of the poem repeated

IV.  Speaking & Listening: Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study).

Draw and share: (Might need to model the critiquing process. Use good procedures for partner work).

A.  Have students draw some sort of a picture that goes along with their I Am poem. The picture should be a reflection of the poem. For example the I Am poem that spoke of frogs could involve a frog.

B.  Have students read and critique two other students’ I am poems and their pictures by asking and answering the following questions.

1. How did the picture/graphic help clarify the poem? If it didn’t, why not?
2. What is the main idea or theme of their poem? Use evidence from the poem to back up your reasoning. (These questions could be written on the board).

V.  Language: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

Students need to follow the process below. It would be a good idea to model the process with them before letting them work on the Synonym/Antonym Worksheet.

A.  Take 5 words from any of the following: Your I Am poem, example I Am poems, “The Highwayman.”

B.  Look for words that you don’t really recognize or would like to know more about.

C.  Put those 5 words in the boxes below, one for each box.

D.  If necessary, look up the meaning of the word.

E.  Then do the following:

1. Write the word

2. Write a synonym of the word. (similar)

3. Write an antonym of the word. (opposite)

4. Draw a picture/cartoon involving the word. With the picture write either an explanation or dialogue, so that your teacher understands what you’re trying to do. If you need more room for the pictures then, use the back and label accordingly.

Word / Synonym / Antonym / Picture/cartoon involving the word

Rubrics

Writing

Questions / Yes / No
Did they complete their poem?
Did they fill out every part?
Did they draw a picture that reflected the poem?

Reading

Description / Yes / No
Did they fill out the worksheet correctly answering the questions?
Is it obvious that they read/evaluated the text?
Did they use examples from the text to support every answer where applicable?

Language

Description / Yes / No
Did they complete the chart?
Did they find 5 words from the various texts?
Did they have the synonyms correct?
Did they have the antonyms correct?
Did they draw a picture for each word?
Did they write an explanation with the picture or dialogue?

Speaking and Listening

Description / Yes / No
Did they share their I am poem ?
Did they share their graphic/picture?
Did their graphic/picture reflect their poem?
Did they critique two others’ picture/poem and ask/answer the following questions: a. How did the picture/graphic help clarify the poem? If it didn’t, why not?
b.What is the main idea or theme of their poem? Use evidence from the poem to back up your reasoning.
Did they answer all questions posed to them?