This unit was created to accommodate English Language students who enroll in Navajo Reservation Schools in very rural areas of the Navajo Nation. Because these students have little exposure to the English language, they will benefit from the experience of ekphrastic poetry to build their vocabulary, help them find a way to express their thoughts, and strengthen their ideas in order to share their voice in their writing. Students will be viewing works of art and analyzing poems that are written for the art works. The students will be practicing the Reading Standards implemented in our school district. As the students are observing works of art they will be understanding key ideas, characters, and settings in the poems. They will answer questions about the poems and relate key details about both the works of art and the poems. They will also practice their listening and speaking skills by identifying vocabulary words and phrases. With teacher help, the students will to begin to formulate the foundational skills to build sentences that support their thoughts for creating their own ekphrastic poetry. This unit is generated for English Language students ranging from Kindergarten to Second Grade.

(Developed for Reading and Writing, grade K; recommended for Reading and Writing, grades K-3)