The Uses of Poetry in the Classroom

Strategies and Student Assignments

When we begin this unit I will start off with a KWL technique and then give each child a written explanation of what my expectations are throughout the next three weeks. First, the class will brainstorm the K part of KWL. (KWL stands for what you know (K), what you want to learn (W) and what you learned (L).) Each student will make a list of words related to war. The concrete ideas will come to life fairly easily: tanks, guns, soldiers, battle, bomber planes, fox hole etc. Next, students will pair and share their web of words and assist each other in expanding their list. Then, I will guide the students. We will continue on with a more focused brainstorming that includes the reasons why men and women go to war, the pain and death many soldiers face, and the effect of war on mankind. We will incorporate the emotions of war: fear, courage, pain; and colors that are related to war, such as red perhaps for blood, white for surrender. We will include wars from the last hundred years beginning with World War I and ending with Iraq. This process should not be hurried. It will provide a link to what they know, and students should be encouraged to create a fairly massive web of words. The word association list can be as artistic and bold as the student wants. You could place students in groups and have them transpose their list onto larger poster board, or you could combine several of their lists into a collage of word posters, or create one yourself - while they are working on theirs - that will be placed somewhere in the room. This word wall will be constantly referred to as we delve into the unit and will allow for good dialogue about our topic. It will also probably be added to as the unit progresses. I imagine using this visual at the end of several class periods as a where have we been, what have we seen and not seen review. If you do not collect their personal web have them use it as a cover for their war packet.

This building of student generated and teacher guided discussion of ideas is vital, but it is often rushed by teachers to get to the "meat" of the lesson. I urge you not to rush through this initial lesson. You might ask your students why they think people write poetry about war. They could write their ideas down and you could ask several students to read what they wrote. I will continue with a list of poetic terms I plan to teach them. This will be the W what I plan for them to learn. At the end of the unit we will return to this and discuss what we have learned to complete our KWL.

The following passage is from The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien. You can make a copy of it or place it on the overhead.

War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead (65).

In their notebooks have students take two of the ideas and free write. This will lead you into an opportunity to give the students an overview of where the unit is going and what you will be asking of them.

Student Assignments

The students will have two individual assignments they will work on and a group assignment throughout the unit. The daily notes and assignments will be placed in their notebook and turned in with their individual project. This part of the notebook will be checked on throughout the lessons. It will also be reviewed during their one on one conferencing time or group conference.

Their first individual assignment will be completed when we have completed studying the teacher directed poems. Each student will locate a poem that relates to one of the poems presented in class. Students will describe in a paper of 250 words how the poet describes his position. (Hint: use one of the three themes and pinpoint words or phrases or lines to support your opinion.) Include a copy of the poem with your paper.

The second individual assignment requires each student to keep a notebook of all their notes and class assignments relating to the unit. The notebook must also include ten of the following tasks. A divider should be used and labeled to separate the class notes and class assignments from the other part. Class time for the following section will be scheduled into the day but students will still need to work outside of class. All students must include numbers 1, 7, and 12.

1. Copy of the 10 poems (to be given to student)
2. Resume'. Create a resume' for any of the poets discussed in this unit.
3. Word search. Words must be about one of the poets discussed and include his/her personal data.
4. Letter to a poet.
5. Letter to a poem's speaker.
6. Attractive array of your favorite lines done in a neat creative style
7. A newspaper article about war with a personal response.
8. Venn diagram comparing/contrasting 2 of the poems
9. A poem of your own concerning the topic
10. A visual relating to one of the poems
11. Four examples of poetic devices from the poems
12. A table of contents
13. Imagery chart using one of the poems
14. Four words with their denotation and their connotation from the poems
15. Write a letter to a soldier
16. Write a letter to a politician expressing your views on the war

Group assignment (three students in each group): Research time in the library will allow students to work on this section together. Keeping in mind the three focuses of the unit, students will find three poems that they feel fit in the three categories; OR students could create one, two or all three of their own categories. Students may want to look for poems about comradeship, coming of age, fear, protest, minorities, etc. The poems must fit their categories and as a group the students must be able to discuss and defend their choices. The group will meet with me to get approval several times throughout the process. The group will present one of their three poems to the class. Throughout the unit I will suggest various poets they may want to research.

Parents will be given a copy of this information along with titles of all the poems. A parent signature will be required. I usually send home a calendar with due dates for major assignments.