Lesson 3
I. Bell Ringer:
1. I'd begin the lesson with a very broad question, "What inspires you? I'd leave this very open-ended and just let the students think about it as I begin to display several pictures on a projector. CLICK HERE for pictures.
2. I'd show the students the pictures and one by one go through them and ask them if each picture inspires them. I'd give some wait-time and hear their responses.
3. Then I'd click each picture which would be a link to take me to a poem that was written about the subject matter in the picture.
4. Images or settings resembling these inspired these poets to write these works, now it's your turn to discover what inspires you and write about it.
II. Transition to Purpose:
Announce to the class that today will be "inspiration day" where they will be able to work in groups to complete various activities to help them brainstorm ideas for their sonnets.
III. Purpose-SWBAT:
IV. Input, Anticpatory Sets, Anticipated Scaffolding:
1. The only input I have for this lesson, since it is a creative lesson and basically 100% student-centered, is to show them examples of other teens' poetry online. CLICK HERE for examples of poetry by other students. I feel that by reading poetry from students within their age-range, they may relate more and become more inspired. I have already shown them examples of poetry by established authors, but those authors still might not strike a chord. Reading works by students that are the same age will really demonstrate to my students that anybody can write poetry.
2. As the students, in groups, look through some of the poems that are on this sight, I would go around reinforcing information we had discussed in other classes, such as literary elements, themes, forms. This is also my oppurtunity to help the students reach a higher level understanding about poetry and form. I would ask questions that would make the student analyze the poem and answer more abstract questions such as:
A. Why do you think this author chose this form to write in?
B. Do you think the theme would have been better suited in a different style of poetry?
C. Is their any deeper meanings to parts of the poem that seem obvious, i.e. did the author rhyme the poem just to rhyme it or is there a purpose?
D. What would you have done with this theme? Where would you have taken the poem?
V. Practice/Application
1. Have students explore various activities to inspire creativity within a group of three or four.
A. Have students CLICK HERE to use the poetry generator, which generates one line of verse that the students can build on. Gives them a start to the creative process--it gets the pen going. Great tool for students who have no idea where to start.
B. Have students CLICK HERE to complete "the poem machine" where they can create sonnets out of a few words of their choosing.
C. Have students CLICK HERE to work with "magnetic poetry" online to create poems out of words that are already given to them.
2. Go around and discuss with the students their ideas, and what they've come up with using the interactive activities to see where they are heading for their sonnet. I would offer advice and answer any questions they have, but poetry is poetry and poetry is individualized. My students can write about anything they want as long as they follow the sonnet form.
3. The rest of the class time would be used for the students to begin writing their own sonnet
VI. Closure
Basically, this lesson needs no closure except for encouragement and a positive attitude. The students know what they have to do for homework (write a sonnet), but reminding them that they can do it is the best way to build their confidence. I would just let them know that they can do it, and remind them that their sonnet is due a week from today. Before they leave for class I would also have each one of them tell me what their topic is.