Section 1 Homework

Students should be ready to take the poetry terms quiz again.

Students should have made flashcards to study from.  I gave them a packet with all the terms.

Students should be ready to take the unit 8 vocab quiz.


Next week, we will be writing an analysis essay on the Bob Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather."

Sections 2 and 3 Poetry Analysis Essay: It's time to write.

Poetry Analysis Essay

The poem essay can be done by as late as February 7, but I am not assigning this as homework during DCAS.  That leaves this weekend and Monday night to get this finished.  The essay is "due" Tuesday, but students can hand it in a late as Friday with no penalty.

Essay Form

In “________,” (poet) ___________ is (doing?)_____________________.  He/She uses form, sound devices, and language in this poem to communicate the message ______________________.

Describe what the poet is doing and communicating through poem.

Spend your time with the message of the poem.

Obviously, the poem itself expressing a message.

Now explain the choices, the craft, the art of the poem.

The poem is written in a specific form. 

What is it? How does it help express the message?

The poem does or does not use sound devices.

How does the sound of the poem accentuate the meaning?

What would happen if these sound devices were not used?

The poem contains figurative language and/or word choice.

How does the choice of language help communicate the message?

End with a sentence or two that sums up the main way the poet it expressing a message in his/her poem.

  

Suggestions for writing the essay:

1.     My suggestion is you brainstorm/outline the essay as above. 

2.     Read over it to see if you included enough. 

3.     Find someone who will listen to you.  Have them read the poem, or you read it aloud to them.

4.     Then use the outline you have made to explain the message and how the poet’s choices help express the message.

5.     Then take out this blank outline and try writing the piece from what you remember. 

a.     I worry, for good reason, that you will just jam everything into the essay.

b.     Try to focus you attention on the main techniques the writer uses.

c.     If you feel it is necessary, explain what he does do in terms of what he does not do.

While I am going to grade these more leniently that I had stated when we started, I do expect certain things to be present:

___ Describe the poem and its message.

___ Follow the outline above to cover each of the main topics.

___ Use paragraphs to divide up the discussion.

___ End with a conclusion.

___ The piece should be neatly written with no grammar errors.

If all of these are done, to the best of a student's ability, the essay should earn an A.  I do not feel that students are experts on poetry analysis; therefore, this essay is a chance to practice the skill of writing an analysis essay.

I entered some 3rd MP grades in HAC

Grades in HAC 

1. As I said in the last post, students can re-take the terms quiz. (Summative)
2. Students handed in an illustrated poem of 30 second length today.  Those requirements earned most a 100%. I made the poem a formative.  I will balance out its weight later in the MP to count for more than homeworks and such.
3. I entered multiple poetry formative assignments in as one grade.  I had been collecting scores to guide my teaching all along.  I did not feel each assignment needed to be entered on HAC.  The score is a snapshot of how much the student was understanding the lessons taught. Some students did not take the assignments seriously, though.

There are summative grades coming:

1. The analysis of their own poem.
2. The group presentation.
3. The essay which they will write from the group notes. 

Teaching this unit to the Common Core methods of analysis has been challenging.  (The snow days did not help.)  But I feel confident that I have given students the skills necessary for their group presentations.  With the notes of four brains working together, I am confident that students will have what they need to explain the message of the poem and how the writer used form, sound devices, and language to communicate his/her message.

Poetry Terms Pop Quiz

I gave the students a quiz on the terms we have been using over and over throughout the unit.  Not all students performed as well as I had hoped.  I will allow students to retake the quiz tomorrow.  Here are the words the students needed to know:

I entered the scores on HAC.  I will change them when the test is retaken.

Alliteration
Assonance
Idiom
Free Verse
Speaker
Voice
Lines
Form
Stanza
Repetition
Rhythm
Rhyme
Simile
Personification
Metaphor
Imagery
Figurative Language
Meter
Onomatopoeia
Theme

Do not forget that there is a unit 8 quiz tomorrow as well.  I am trying get all the poetry assessments done before DCAS starts.

One more day left for the January Achieve contest!

Tomorrow, I will score the poll questions and thought questions that are remaining.  At midnight Friday, Achieve tabulates the points.  I will post the results of the January contest Saturday.

Note- There is no other prize than H.B. pride. 

	# Points Earned(Year to Date)			From January 1
GW	1041		GW	290
CV	772		SB	262
TMC	763		AD	217
JP	705		TMC	161
BR	615		JP	143
DW	596		CV	142
JW	589		BH	135
AD	580		OA	128
OA	576		DF	127
JZ	1532		JZ	638
IG	1311		NI	482
XY	1270		SS	465
YS	1248		DN	455
NI	1243		IG	450
SS	1215		YS	446
DN	1208		XY	374
CA	1161		AY	335
AS	1115		CA	329
EM	1112		EM	312
MV	2624		MV	1635
SG	2477		SG	1466
JG	1272		NS	476
NS	1232		EH	389
EH	1164		VV	287
RL	1141		BD	251
EW	1067		PC	234
CG	1052		MN	226
JK	1039		JG	223
ER	1003		EW	221

Section 1 Assignments that are due

Today, let’s practice what working on your own looks like.  Here is what you need to do.

1.    Enter vocabulary

a.    Choosing the Right Word

b.    Synonyms and Antonyms

2.    You need to finish a second Achieve article

a.    Write 100 words for the poll question

b.    Answer the activity questions

c.    Write three paragraphs for the thought question

3.    You owe me a poem tomorrow

a.    Must be 30 seconds in length when read aloud

b.    Must be neatly written and illustrated

c.    You must complete a poem analysis checklist explaining your message and your choices.

d.    Be ready to read the poem aloud to the class tomorrow.  I am grading you on how well you write poetry.  Everything you have to do demonstrates you have been paying attention.

4.    Do Completing the Sentence unit 8 on the responders

Group presentations in sections 2 and 3 due Monday

Due tomorrow: The students owe me their personal poem and analysis checklist.

Group Brainstorming
After analyzing the formative assignments we have been doing in class, I feel that students would benefit from group brainstorming.  Once all of these requirements below have been satisfied, students will have everything they need for their poem analysis essays.


I want the presentations done for Monday.  

I would like the essays written for Tuesday, February 4.  If students would like to take some extra time and hand the essay in a few days later, that is fine.  However, we have DCAS testing Wednesday and Thursday.  I do not want them to have homework, but that is their choice.

Poem Analysis Group Presentation

(Group brainstorming for your poem analysis essay.)

In “__________________________,” (poet) ________________________ is (doing?)___________________________________.  He/She uses form, sound devices, and language in this poem to communicate the message _________ ________________________________.

Responsible for

1.   Reading the poem aloud to the class.

a.    To get a good grade, the reading must add to/express the meaning of the poem.

2.   Illustrate the reading of the poem.

a.    If you want to have a Power Point that goes with the poem, that is great.

b.   You can e-mail me a picture to use, or draw something…

c.    You could do an interpretive dance?

3.   You must clearly state and then explain the focus paragraph.

a.    Explain why you believe the poem’s message is what you say it is.

b.   Explain how the form, sound devices, and language help communicate the message.

c.    Explain which devices weren’t used and explain how their inclusion would change the poem.

4.   Each member should have a completed copy of the poetry checklist.  That is your brainstorming.

All of this information will be written into an essay. 

After all of this working together, you should have more than enough to say in your piece.

Be sure to think about a logical way to explain how the form communicates the message.

You do not have to include everything!

Do not just go down the checklist and copy it into your essay!

Student written poem is due Thursday

Homework this week: 
Monday: Pictionaries Unit 8
Tuesday: Choosing the Right Word and Synonyms and Antonyms Unit 8
Wednesday: Completing the Sentence
Thursday: Student written poem is due and will be read aloud and recorded
Friday: Quiz Unit 8 

The poem analysis essay date will be sometime next week.  I want to be sure the students fully understand how to do it.  This type of poetry analysis is pretty hard, so I am doing all I can to guide them.


Personal Poem Due Thursday

Write your own poem (100 points summative)

____ Must be long enough to meet reading time requirement 

              (at least 30 seconds, but I would like over 1 minute.)

____ Typed or written on paper

____ Illustrated nicely

____ Poem will be read and recorded in front of the class starting Thursday

Poetic devices checklist on your poem (50 points summative)

Use the checklist I provided in class.

Go through each one examining your own poem.

Explain briefly whether you included the device and why you did or did not use it.

   -Do not say that you just don't know how.  

(Seriously, I just want to see your reasons for your choices.  Don’t go crazy on this!)

We have practiced this in class

I gave students notes last week that they had to copy.  I felt the note taking was important.  I said I would not just post the notes.  However, I will put some here because students MUST be able to explain WHY and HOW the devices are used in the poem.  What is the effect?

Alliteration, Assonance, consonance, repetition, parallelism

Poems are meant to be heard

Connect to the sense of hearing

Use sound to convey meaning

To convey mood

Create a musical quality

Draw attention to lines

Draw attention to images

Engage readers

Unify a work

January Achieve Contest Update

Some students love a challenge!
These are the top ten in the class... so far.
Only one more week left! 

	# Points Earned(Year to Date)		From January 1
GW	936	SB	262
CV	772	GW	185
TMC	763	TMC	161
JP	672	AD	152
BR	615	CV	142
DW	591	DF	114
JW	574	RD	112
SB	559	JP	110
OA	554	BR	108
JZ	1299	JZ	405
XY	1162	SS	320
YS	1109	YS	307
CA	1075	KN	273
SS	1070	LM	266
IG	1067	XY	266
LM	1066	CA	243
AS	1043	NB	238
KN	1026	NI	222
ED	1015	AY	219
MV	1635	MV	646
CG	1272	VV	236
SG	1183	CG	223
RL	1091	MN	204
SK	1020	PC	184
JG	998	JB	175
EW	961	EH	175
EH	950	SK	174
ER	946	SG	172
HW	924	BD	168

Having trouble writing a poem? Try Magnetic Poetry.

Try playing something like this:  http://magneticpoetry.com/play/

I am sure there are others.

I am not saying that you should just arrange the words and hit print, but it may give you ideas about how to play with words poetically.

 I hope you are using today to get some work done. 

Homework over the snow day. (This is detailed, so please read and do.)

I know this is ambitious, but I feel you could do something with your time.  Obviously, not everyone will see this e-mail, but if you have, and you have your poem ready, I can help you while the others work on this in class. Your gain.  :)

Assignments
1. Have you completed all the responding to literature questions in the packet we used in class?  I would especially like you to do the last page because those questions put it all together. (Most importantly, do the last page called Lineage.) This is practice for writing the essay soon.

         Appreciating Poetry from Holt Book
        

2. Do these two formative sheets.  On Thursday, we listened to "Red" and "Lose Yourself."  I had asked you to identify the devices in the lyrics.  You did not do it clearly.  I can grade this easier. 

          Print out.  (or download the Word document)
          Detail how each device is used or is not used in each song.
          Hand in when we return.

         Red Lyrics
        1.  Poetic Devices in Red PDF  (Word doc)
         Lose Yourself Lyrics
        2.  Poetic Devices in Lose Yourself PDF (Word doc)
        Use this page to help you explain WHY sound devices are used

3. Write a rough draft of your poem.
         The poem must be over 30 seconds long when read aloud. Over one minute is preferred.
         I want you to come into class with something we can read and make suggestions on.
         This does not have to be the neatly typed, illustrated piece. 
         I am not expecting you all to be poetry writers, but I do expect you to try.
         You can imitate (not change a few words) poems we have read.

4. E-mail me your rough draft of the poem for feedback.





These were typed by students.  All typos are their.  :)

Here are some messages students want to convey in their poems.

You are in control of your life.

do not take anything for granted because it can be gone within a slpit second

If you want to continue on to the future then don't dwell on the past.

Never give up

No matter how harsh/strict your parents treat you, they always do it out of love.

In the wake of destruction, there can be creation.

every rose has its thorn

Integrity is important; don't compromise your commitments and standards.

Don't get too wrapped up in something that you forget hwere you're going and what you want in life, so that when you finally pick your head up and realize whats going on you fall and find your breaking point.

Nobody wants to be forgotten

Never judge anyone if you don't know them.

To never give up and always try hard

My message is never give up on a goal that you have and that you should keep working at that goal until you succeed.

Live your life without regrets.

Being a twin. How everyone thinks you are exactly the same person but everyone is their own person no matter how similair you are

Life will throw many challenges at you, but that does not mean that you should hate life.

Everyone is important.

The pain of forgetting (alzheimers)

Practice makes perfect because when I was little i started to really like acting and i practiced all the time. This went on untill I was in 5th Grade and we did "Charlie and the Chocalate Factory" as the school play. I really wanted to play Verucia Salt because I thought it would be fun to act like a spoiled brat. So I practiced and practiced and I went to the audition after school and I aced it! Most of the younger kids (the school went up to 8th grade) got a "smaller part" so I was really happy.

Let your imagination take you places.

If one dies, nobody cares. Society moves on.

A song is a poem, heard by all.

be yourself

i want to convey that everyone is beautiful in their own way

Try and enjoy life because it's such a great thing

don't give up

If you have a dream or something you want to accomplish work hard for it and it can be achieved

There is always good in bad, never look only at the negative, there has to be a positive to be a negative; There will always be light in dark.

Do not judge a book by its cover.

Don't judge others until you learn about them because everybody has reasons for their actions.

Watch what you say, because words hurt.

You can do anything you set your mind to

Do what you want with your life, it's not about anyone else.

I would like to convey the idea of breaking away from the chains of guilt.

believe in yourself and what you can achieve

never judge a book by its cover

Cherish what you have while you have it because nothing stays forever.

Never give up.

Don't dwell on the past or don't take on a task that is way too big.

dont judge a book by its cover

Never regret things that have already happened.

Do not procrastinate, or else there will be consequences.

Different is okay.

I would like to illustrate the message that if one slows down, than the others will take the lead (reffering to some type of race).

The message I want to convey to the reader is that it is difficult to make a poem.

Don't take advantage of any opportunitys when they come at you.

That You Can Overcome Each Obstacle That's In Your Way

Gold will always shine in the end.

There will always be a place to relax

It's okay to be different.

Believe in yourself and you can achieve anything.

What other people think of you or the things you do doesn't matter.