Poetry Unit for Advanced 9 English
For the poetry unit this semester we will try something a little different; we will "gamify" this. This means that the majority of the work completed will be chosen by you and that you will control how you achieve what needs to be done. There are some big goals, which will be determined by the curriculum, but the way to achieve those goals will be in your hands. YOU ARE IN CONTROL!!!
So, what exactly does this mean? Well, I expect that you will learn the following poetic devices and you will be able to explain how and why they are used in poetry. (Alliteration, Assonance, Catalog, Couplet, End Rhyme, Extended Metaphor, Figure of Speech, Free Verse, Imagery, Implied Metaphor, Metaphor, Meter, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Quatrain, Rhyme, Simile, Symbol, Theme, Tone)
How you accomplish this will be up to you, but by the end of the unit (Friday, February 8th) you will need to have earned 10,000 points. There are four levels from which you can choose in order to accomplish these goals. You MUST choose from at least two different levels in order to achieve your overall score. The levels are based on expectations of the amount of work needed as well as depth of knowledge required. Therefore, higher levels are worth more points; a student might only need to accomplish a couple higher level projects to reach the same score as many projects at the lower level would take. You will need to decide what your focus is and how you want to get to the end result.
So, what exactly does this mean? Well, I expect that you will learn the following poetic devices and you will be able to explain how and why they are used in poetry. (Alliteration, Assonance, Catalog, Couplet, End Rhyme, Extended Metaphor, Figure of Speech, Free Verse, Imagery, Implied Metaphor, Metaphor, Meter, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Quatrain, Rhyme, Simile, Symbol, Theme, Tone)
How you accomplish this will be up to you, but by the end of the unit (Friday, February 8th) you will need to have earned 10,000 points. There are four levels from which you can choose in order to accomplish these goals. You MUST choose from at least two different levels in order to achieve your overall score. The levels are based on expectations of the amount of work needed as well as depth of knowledge required. Therefore, higher levels are worth more points; a student might only need to accomplish a couple higher level projects to reach the same score as many projects at the lower level would take. You will need to decide what your focus is and how you want to get to the end result.
Level 1Level One work will ask for basic knowledge. This will be easier work, but you will need to complete more in order to reach the same points that a Level Four project might achieve in one.
Each task is worth 1,000 points; you may complete up to three tasks. Task One: Definitions. Provide a handwritten definition of each term. (Alliteration, Assonance, Catalog, Couplet, End Rhyme, Extended Metaphor, Figure of Speech, Free Verse, Imagery, Implied Metaphor, Metaphor, Meter, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Quatrain, Rhyme, Simile, Symbol, Theme, Tone) These should be in your own words; DO NOT copy it word for word, but put it in language that you understand.
Task Two: Crossword. Create a crossword puzzle of the words, (listed in Task One and above). The clues could be definitions and/or examples. Task Three: Drawings. For TEN of the words (listed in Task One and above), create a drawing representing each. These pieces of art take many forms, but the definition or understanding of the term should be evident in the end product. Task Four: Matching. Make flashcards for the words (Listed in Task One and above). These flashcards should include a definition and an example of each term. Level 3Level Three assignments ask for a deeper analysis than the work of a Level Two. Because of the deeper thinking that is expected, the tasks are worth more points.
Each task is worth 2,000 points; you can do up to three tasks. Task One: Bob Dylan/Dylan Thomas comparison. For this task, you will need to look at the two pieces by the artists and address the questions provided. When answering the questions, be certain to answer clearly and completely.
To hear Bob Dylan sing his song, go here. To hear Dylan Thomas read his poem, go here. ![]()
Task Two: Similes and Metaphors. For this task you will practice identifying similes and metaphors along with creating your own. The file below has an explanation provided with it. Download and work on it.
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Task Three: Sylvia Plath. For this task you will need to read Sylvia Plath's poem "Metaphors." After reading the poem, identify the extended/controlling metaphor, connect it to the bigger idea of the poem (the theme) and explain how Plath's use of metaphor leads to the theme of the poem; in other words, how does the poem "work"?
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Task Four: Don Marquis. For this task you need to read "The Lesson of the Moth" and analyze it for theme and approach. Read the poem and figure out how Marquis uses the moth and the discussion to make his larger point. Use three pieces of support to make your point clear and explain completely.
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Task Five: Tupac. For this task you need to read Tupac's poem "The Rose That Grew From Concrete." Analyze the poem for meaning. What is Tupac's point and how does he get there? What devices does he use? Be sure to use textual support. After analyzing this poem, write a one page reflection/reaction to the poem. How can you relate it to your life? Get specific and be complete.
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BONUS LEVELThis is one of those rare moments in Advanced English where bonus points are possible. The product is up to you; you get to propose a poetry related idea to me that is not included in the options already. This could include something like a song created to connect to a poem, a reading of some original poetry, artwork created to accompany a poem, etc. I want to offer you the opportunity to think beyond what I have thought of.
Once you and I discuss the project and the product, then we can discuss the point total as well. NOTE: This is a BONUS level, which means just that. This can only be completed AFTER the other work is done. That means you will have had to do the work to achieve 10,000 points before working on this. The due date will be the same unless we discuss otherwise beforehand. Please take advantage of this and let me know questions. |
Level 2Level Two work will ask for a deeper level of work than Level One.
Because that is the case, the work is worth more points. While Level One asks for basic understanding of the terms, Level Two asks for digging into poetry to identify the terms and to see how they are used. Each task is worth 1,500 points; you may complete up to three tasks. Task One: Langston Hughes. For this task you need to look at the poem "Harlem: A Dream Deferred" and identify the similes and implied metaphor used in the poem. After identifying each, explain how the devices help Hughes reach his goal, to promote equality in the races.
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Task Two: Adam Sandler. For this task you need to look at Adam Sandler's song lyrics for "Red Hooded Sweatshirt" and identify three examples of personification used. After identifying them, explain how the personification helps Adam Sandler make his point. You can also enjoy the a low quality of the video of the song here.
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Task Three: Claude McKay. For this task you need to look at the poem "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay. While reading it, use the imagery, word choice, and selection of detail to determine the tone of the poem. Identify what the tone is (providing three examples of how that is evident) and explain how the tone helps McKay make his point about what is happening in America during the Red Summer of 1919.
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Task Four: Billy Joel. For this task you need to look at the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. While looking at the lyrics, choose three lists of at least 4 items/events/people that make up a catalog. After identifying the items, explain how the catalogs you chose help Billy Joel tie into his bigger idea of the refrain.
A link with interactive lyrics is here. (Scroll down a little to find the lyrics.) To watch the music video, go here. ![]()
Task Five: Shakespeare. For this task you need to read the poem "The Seven Ages of Man" from the play As You Like It. Identify the parts of the extended metaphor and explain how the extended metaphor helps Shakespeare's character make his point about life. How does each part work to create a more meaningful explanation as a whole?
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Task Six: Gladys Cardiff. For this task you will read the poem "Combing" and identify the items that make up the catalog of the day AS WELL AS three examples of alliteration and three examples of assonance. For all of these devices, connect them to how they help Cardiff with the theme of the hands on activities in a housewife's day as well as how they help create rhythm in the poem.
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Level 4Level Four work expects deeper knowledge and allows students to develop much of their own work or to analyze other work on a deeper level. Because this asks for deeper levels of work, the projects are worth more points.
Each task is worth 3,000 points; you may complete up to two tasks. Task One: You're the poet. For this task you will create your own poetry. However, there are expectations for this. In order to achieve at this task you will need to create a poem that contains a clear theme that is reached through the use of AT LEAST five approaches listed in the terms at the beginning of the page.
While there is not a line length, the poem does need to show depth and understanding. After creating the poem, you will then also provide an explanation of the poem's theme and approach. Tell me what the poem means and how the devices you chose to use helped you reach that theme. Task Two: Theodore Roethke. For this poem you will read the famous poem "My Papa's Waltz." You will read it and analyze it for structure first. Identify the rhyme scheme and the meter of the poem. After doing so, then you need to explain what is happening in the poem. You need to look at it from two points of view.
One side says that this poem is a poem of abuse; explain, citing four pieces of evidence, that illustrates how this poem could be about abuse. The second side says that this poem is a poem about a loving father and son. Using the same four pieces of evidence as before, explain how this poem could be about a loving relationship. ![]()
Task Three: TP-CASTT. For this task you will get to choose the poem that you want to analyze. You will work through the TP-CASTT Method explained in the file below. You will need to provide a copy of the poem that you choose along with your analysis work. Be sure you end by identifying the theme of the poem and explain how you got there.
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Task Four: TP-CASTT. For this task you can choose a SONG to analyze. You will work through the TP-CASTT Method explained in the file above for Task Three. You will need to provide a copy of the song that you choose along with your analysis work. Be sure to end by identifying the theme of the song and explain how you got there.
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