The Sound of Words: An Introduction to Poetry

Strategies

K-W-L

The strategy that I plan to use to teach my students how to prepare for a speech is K-W-L. Students will use this strategy to gather information from a variety of sources as they plan and prepare for their speeches. In this activity students will list what they already know about their poem or speech, which represents the K in the acronym. Then they will decide what they want to know, which represents the W in the acronym and what sources they would use to locate the information. Examples would be: the Internet, journals, periodicals, encyclopedias etc. Finally, when the research is complete, students will summarize what they've learned which represents the L and then organize it into a presentation. As young adults, this strategy provides them with some choice in their learning. This is a motivating factor in their learning. Below is an example of a K-W-L Chart:

Overcoming Speech Anxiety

This strategy will provide students with steps to use to conquer their fear of public speaking. Students will start preparing for their speech early. They will research and study their topic thoroughly inside-out until they have it memorized. Knowing a topic thoroughly builds self-esteem and confidence and reduces anxiety. Students will read speeches silently and out loud to themselves several times. They will practice reciting in front of mirrors and while being audio and video recorded. The recordings will be played back and analyzed. Students will also learn relaxation techniques that reduce muscle tension and negative thoughts. I will be using steps from the Bremer Image & Communication Skills for Business²³ to teach my students how to practice and rehearse their speech.

Word Connections

Students will create a word connections chart based on what they learned and read about regarding the elements of poetry, voice and sound. Students will write each word, phrase, or concept in the first column, write all the details they recall from the reading in the second column about the word, phrase, or concept and finally in the third column they will indicate the personal connections they made. These could include connections to school, family, friends, and jobs, among others. Below is an example of the chart:

Poetry Recitation

I will first introduce students to the idea that poems can be useful to recite—the whole poem or just part of it—in a variety of real life situations. It serves as a sense of accomplishment and helps to reduce anxiety. Students will recite assigned poetry and poetry of choice in front of peers, teachers and administrators. Students will be evaluated on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, content and fluency.y.

Double-Entry Journal

Students will be given famous speeches to read and then take notes using the Double-Entry Journal Literacy Strategy. Students will be asked to interpret in their own words what the speech is about. They will also identify the different elements of poetry that are being used. This same type of exercise will be used with video. Students will watch videos on websites such as Pixsy.com, invision.com, videosurf.com, vimeo.com and bliptv.com. They will view video clips of famous speakers delivering their speeches and jot down notes and reflections in the journal. Below is an example of the chart:

"I AM" Poem

The "I AM" poem (see Appendix B) will help students to develop their skills in public speaking. Students will create a speech to express who they are using the "I AM" poem format. They will group in categories all the people, places and things they associate with that describe who they are. Upon completion of this activity, students will create a speech using their personal information. Students will have in the speech, sections for each category and begin with the words "I AM' before reciting each section. The project can be completed in two ways depending on computer availability: on the computer from the http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm website or at http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/symbols_freedom/pages/i_am_poem.html in which one can download the format and have students write their poems on paper.

"Rap Writing"

Rap/rhyme is a style of poetry that my students can connect with because it's used quite often in the music they listen to. To teach students about metaphors, similes, and symbolism I have decided to incorporate into my curriculum a lesson I adopted from Reading a-z.com on rap. Students will create a rap utilizing the poetic elements that I have listed above.