Objective: The learner will describe features of narrative poems with text evidence using poetry mentor texts. Mentor Poem Used: My Teacher took my iPod and Daddy Fell Into the Pond

Mini Lesson 1: Narrative Poetry

Connect: Readers, I want you to listen to this amazing poem I found. It tells such a great story, just like a book. (Read My Teacher took my iPod---stopping to think aloud about how the poem tells a story.) As readers of poetry, we have so many options of the type of poem we can read. This poem we read to today, that tells a story has special name and today I want to teach you all about this kind of poem. (Have an anchor ready to record information about the four types of poems, starting with narrative today.)
Teach: My Teacher took my iPod is a poem that tells a story. In books and writing, we call that a narrative. In poetry we call it the same thing, a narrative poem tells a story. It also has similar text features as other narrative texts, it’s just in the form of a poem. As you discuss the narrative poem features, record the information on your anchor chart and attach a small copy of the mentor poem used.
Narrative Poems…
-tell a story
-can be about anything
-has characters, setting, and plot
-can have a rhyming pattern but might not
Then, go back to My Teacher took my iPod and model describing the features and putting them in your Poetry Thoughts folder.
Active Engagement: Ok now it’s your turn readers. While still sitting on carpet together have students read a new narrative poem (Daddy Fell Into the Pond). “I’m going to give you a couple minutes to read the poem with your partner and describe what makes this a narrative poem. Thumbs up when you have that done.” When students look to be done talking with their partner, have them share the characteristics they found.
Link: Readers, now it’s time for us to go read poems like crazy. Some of the poems you read today will be narrative poems. I want you to write your poetry findings on sticky notes today and put them in your Poetry Thoughts folder. Remember today and everyday that narrative poems are just like stories because they have characters, settings, and a plot.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can they identify narrative poems and the elements?
-Are they extending their thinking beyond the poem?
-Look for students who have identified the main message without prior teaching.
Mid Workshop Teach:
Readers, I am noticing that so many of you are able to find and describe the features of narrative poems. I want to show you one way we can think even deeper about our narrative poems. As readers of poetry, we are always having to think of the bigger meaning or main message of the poem. Here’s one way that I can show my thinking about that big idea. Model using the thinking stem “I feel like the main message of this poem has to do with…” and put it in your Poetry Thoughts folder. Now, it’s your turn to give that a try with a narrative poem you’ve enjoyed reading today.
Resources:
Types of Poems Anchor Chart
Poetry Mentor Texts
Sticky Notes
Mentor Poem for Whole Class Use and Active Engagement

Objective: The learner will describe features of lyrical poems with text evidence using poetry mentor texts. Mentor Poem Used: We Could Be Heroes and Dirt on My Shirt

Mini Lesson 2: Lyrical Poetry

Connect: Readers, today we are going to learn about another type of poetry and I found something amazing when I was thinking about how to help you better understand this new type. Listen to this: What I noticed when I listed to this song is that it rhymes! That is just like lyrical poetry and I want you to become experts on this today.
Teach: The song We Could Be Heroes is a lyrical poem. Most of the songs you hear on the radio or download from your favorite artists are lyrical poems that are put to music. As you discuss the lyrical poem features, record the information on your anchor chart and attach a small copy of the mentor poem used.
Lyrical Poems…
-about your feelings and mood
-often sound like a song
-usually has rhyme and rhythm
-can also be narrative
Then, go back to We Could Be Heroes and model describing the features and putting them in your Poetry Thoughts folder.
Active Engagement: Ok now it’s your turn readers. While still sitting on carpet together have students read a new lyrical poem (Dirt on My Shirt). “I’m going to give you a couple minutes to read the poem with your partner and describe what makes this a lyrical poem. Thumbs up when you have that done.” When students look to be done talking with their partner, have them share the characteristics they found.
Link: Remember today and everyday that lyrical poems are sound like songs because they have rhythm, rhyme, and tell about your feelings.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can they identify lyrical poems and the elements?
-Are they extending their thinking beyond the poem?
-Look for students who have identified the feeling or mood without prior teaching.
Mid Workshop Teach:
Readers, I am noticing that so many of you are able to find and describe the features of lyrical poems. I want to show you one way we can think even deeper about these kinds of poems. One way that I can show my thinking about lyrical poems is to think about the mood or feeling that the poet is trying to create. Model using the thinking stem “Hmm, after reading this it seems as if the mood or feeling that the poet is trying to create is…” and put it in your Poetry Thoughts folder. Now, it’s your turn to give that a try with a lyrical poem you’ve enjoyed reading today.
Resources:
Types of Poems Anchor Chart
Poetry Mentor Texts
Sticky Notes
Mentor Poem for Whole Class Use and Active Engagement

Objective: The learner will describe features of humorous poems with text evidence using poetry mentor texts. Mentor Poem Used: I’m Riding on a Snail and If I Don’t Eat My Vegetables

Mini Lesson 3: Humorous Poetry

Connect: Start the lesson by reading the poem I’m Riding on a Snail by Jack Prelutsky. I noticed that while I read Jack’s poem, you guys couldn’t help but to laugh! His poem is so funny. Readers call funny poems humorous poetry. Today I want to teach you about humorous poetry and its characteristics.
Teach: I’m Riding on a Snail is a poem that is funny and that makes it a humorous poem. As you discuss the humorous poem features, record the information on your anchor chart and attach a small copy of the mentor poem used.
Humorous Poems…
-are funny
-make you laugh
-have nonsensical humor
-plays with words
-can have a rhyming pattern but might not
Then, go back to I’m Riding on a Snail and model describing the features and putting them in your Poetry Thoughts folder.
Active Engagement: Ok now it’s your turn readers. While still sitting on carpet together have students read a new humorous poem (If I Don’t Eat My Vegetables). “I’m going to give you a couple minutes to read the poem with your partner and describe what makes this a humorous poem. Thumbs up when you have that done.” When students look to be done talking with their partner, have them share the characteristics they found.
Link: Remember today and everyday that humorous poems are funny and that sometimes the poet might play with the words to enhance the humor.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can they identify humorous poems and the elements?
-Are they extending their thinking beyond the poem?
-Look for students who have identified important lines in the poems they read and why the poet used them.
Mid Workshop Teach:
Readers, I am noticing that so many of you are able to find and describe the features of humorous poems. I want to show you one way we can think even deeper about these kinds of poems. One way that I can show my thinking about humorous poems is to think about one or two important lines and why the poet used them. Model using the thinking stem “Hmm, wait a minute. I want to reread these lines---I’m think the poet included these to show…” and put it in your Poetry Thoughts folder. Now, it’s your turn to give that a try with a humorous poem you’ve enjoyed reading today.
Resources:
Types of Poems Anchor Chart
Poetry Mentor Texts
Sticky Notes
Mentor Poem for Whole Class Use and Active Engagement
Objective: The learner will describe features of free verse poems with text evidence using poetry mentor texts. Mentor Poem Used: Things to Do If You Are a Pencil and Soccer Sense

Mini Lesson 4: Free Verse Poetry

Connect: Readers, you have done a great job this week learning about the types of poems. I’ve got one more kind of poem to share with you today, but it’s a bit tricky because it’s missing one of the big things we think about when our mind thinks about poetry. This kind of poem has no rhymes! Listen to this one about a pencil. Read Things To Do If You Are a Pencil. Today i want to teach you about the unique characteristics free verse poetry.
Teach: The pencil poem is a free verse poem because it doesn’t stick to a set of rules. As you discuss the free verse poem features, record the information on your anchor chart and attach a small copy of the mentor poem used.
Free Verse Poems…
-have no structure
-can be creative
●line length
●sentence structure
●punctuation
●capitalization
●word choice
●length of poem
-expresses the poet’s thoughts and feelings
-has no rhyme or rhythm
Then, go back to Things to Do If You Are a Pencil and model describing the features and putting them in your Poetry Thoughts folder.
Active Engagement: Ok now it’s your turn readers. While still sitting on carpet together have students read a new free verse poem (Soccer Sense). “I’m going to give you a couple minutes to read the poem with your partner and describe what makes this a free verse poem. Thumbs up when you have that done.” When students look to be done talking with their partner, have them share the characteristics they found.
Link: Remember today and everyday that free verse poems don’t follow most poetry rules. Free verse poems are unstructured and don’t have to have rhymes or rhythm, but they do tell the poet’s thoughts and feelings.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can they identify free verse poems and the elements?
-Are they extending their thinking beyond the poem?
-Look for students who have identified what the speaker is doing in the poem.
Mid Workshop Teach:
Readers, I am noticing that so many of you are able to find and describe the features of free verse poems. I want to show you one way we can think even deeper about these kinds of poems. One way that I can show my thinking about free verse poems is to think about what the speaker is doing in the poem. Model using the thinking stem “It seems as if the speaker in this poem is…” and put it in your Poetry Thoughts folder. Now, it’s your turn to give that a try with a free verse poem you’ve enjoyed reading today.
Resources:
Types of Poems Anchor Chart
Poetry Mentor Texts
Sticky Notes
Mentor Poem for Whole Class Use and Active Engagement

Objective: The learner will analyze poem features with text evidence using a types of poem sort. Mentor Poem Used: all poems from this week’s lessons

Mini Lesson 5: Poetry Titles and Poetry Sort

Connect: All week long we have worked on identifying the characteristics of four different types of poetry and thinking deeply about what the poet has written. Today I want to teach you that poets often use their title to create a deeper meaning in their poem.
Teach: In all of the different types of poems, poets use the title to help the reader understand what the poem is about. Let’s look at some of the poems we’ve read this week and think about how the title helps us to understand the poem better. Model this process using the thinking stem “I’m thinking about this poem and why the author used the title _____. It seems as if…” and put it into your Poetry Thoughts folder.
Active Engagement: Show a few more of the titles of the poems you’ve read this week and ask the students to use the thinking stem to think on their own about the title of just one of the poems you’ve read. Then let them share their sticky note with their partner.
Link: Amazing work this week! As you go back to your independent time today, I want you to see if you can find a poem of each type we’ve studied this week and provide text evidence as to why that poem is a certain type. Remember that today and everyday, readers of poetry have to be able to tell why a poem is narrative, lyrical, humorous, or free verse using the characteristics.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can they identify the four types poems and the elements?
-Are they able to provide text evidence?
Resources:
All of the poems used in this week’s lessons.
Sticky Notes
Four Poem Sort Sheet

Name: ______Date: ______

Directions: Find a poem of each type in your mentor poems. Write the title of the poem in the box. Provide text evidence (a line or two) from the poem that supports why that poem is a certain type.

Narrative / Lyrical
Humorous / Free Verse

Name: ______Date: ______

Directions: Find a poem of each type in your mentor poems. Write the title of the poem in the box. Provide text evidence (a line or two) from the poem that supports why that poem is a certain type.

Narrative / Lyrical
Humorous / Free Verse
Objective: The learner will visualize a poem read aloud using a quick sketch.Mentor Poem Used: Green Giant

Mini Lesson 6: Imagery in a Poem

Connect: Readers, I want you to listen to a poem today that creates a great image with its words. While you listend, try to envision the image created by the words. Listen to the poem Green Giant: Today I want to teach you that when you can envision a picture in your mind from a poem, it is because the poet has used words to create imagery.
Teach: Just like when we read books and envision what is happening to the characters, we can envision the words in a poem. Poetry is full of great moments that help the reader imagine what is happening. Think about the poem you just heard about the green giant. As I was listening, I could see the green giant being drawn in my mind. The poet used descriptive words and phrases that help me to see what he was creating. Model
Active Engagement: I’m going to put the Green Giant poem back up for you to see.
I want you to read over the poem and create an image that goes with the poem. Be sure to use the word clues to help you imagine or envision what the poet is telling you.
*Give each student a ½ sheet of paper and about 5 minutes to draw what they see in the poem.
After they draw, have the students share what they envision with their partner.
Link: Readers, I love the work you did envisioning the image of the poem. I noticed that most of us created something similar, but with a few of our own details! Remember that today and everyday, when you are envision the poem’s image, to think about what picture the words are creating. Try it out today during your independent reading.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can they find parts of poems they can clearly visualize?
-Are they able to provide text evidence to support their visualizing?
Mid Workshop Share:
Readers, take a minute to draw a quick sketch of an image you were able to see in your mind from a poem. Then share with you partner.
Resources:
Video:
Google slide:
½ sheet of paper per student
Crayons
Objective: The learner will analyze the impact of similes and metaphors in a poem using partner talk.Mentor Poem Used: Green Giant

Mini Lesson 7: Similes and Metaphors

Connect: Have a list of similes and metaphors showing on the board. (Google slide:
Ask the students to read over the phrases on the board and think about what each phrase is doing (You are looking for them to talk about how the phrases compare two things.) Today I want to teach you that when you compare two things in a poem you can use two figurative language devices: similes and metaphors.
Teach: Watch the video about similes and metaphors: On an anchor chart, define similes (comparisons using like or as) and metaphors (comparisons not using like or as, saying something is something else) and provide examples. Be sure to talk about how similes and metaphors help create an image that the reader can see in their mind and why that’s impactful.
Active Engagement: Look back at our Green Giant poem. Use two different colors to identify similes and metaphors with your partner. Have the partners share one example and mark it up on your big copy of the poem.
Link: Try to find at least one simile and metaphor today while you are reading poetry. Today and everyday when you are reading poetry, look for the way the poet compares two things and decide if a simile or metaphor is being used.
Conferring Tips:
While students are working quietly walk around and check in on their thinking.
-Can students identify similes and metaphors?
-Are they able to understand the impact?
Mid Workshop Share:
Readers, I heard a few great similes and metaphors as I was conferring today. Let’s share some that you found. Have 4-5 students share similes and metaphors they found.
Resources:
Google slide:
Video:
Anchor Chart for Similes and Metaphors→ Example:
Copies of Green Giant for partners
Objective: The learner will analyze the impact of personification in a poem using a teacher selected poem.Mentor Poem Used: Thoughts of a Backpack

Mini Lesson 8: Personification