Poetry Coaches: Training students in the art of poetry Whitney Duprey And Pete Durning

CONTENT We are focusing our curriculum on teaching students how to read, write, and analyze poetry at an 8th grade level while realizing that poetry is all around us. More specifically the poems will be focused around Nature, city life, and sports. The poets and poems discussed will vary by time period, ethnic back round, and poetic style.

OBJECTIVES Students will: –Discuss and explicate poetry –apply and demonstrate poetic devices and styles –Analyze and criticize poetry –Connect with poetry in the world around them –Create and write poems –Evaluate their poetry and the poetry of others

JUSTIFICATION Four of the six framework goals accroding to the CT cirriculum frameworks are 1.develop the skills to read, write, listen, speak, view and present texts to construct meaning; 2.read with understanding and respond thoughtfully to a variety of texts; 3.understand and appreciate texts from many literary periods and cultures; and 4.employ the language arts for lifelong learning, work and enjoyment. And the four standards for learning language arts are Standard 1: Reading and Responding –Overarching Idea: Students read, comprehend and respond in individual, literal, critical and evaluative ways to literary, informational and persuasive texts in multimedia formats. Standard 2: Exploring and Responding to Literature –Overarching Idea: Students read and respond to classical and contemporary texts from many cultures and literary periods. Standard 3: Communicating with Others Overarching Idea: Students produce written, oral and visual texts to express, develop and substantiate ideas and experiences. Using the appropriate features of persuasive, narrative, expository or poetic writing. Standard 4: Applying English Language Conventions –Overarching Idea: Students apply the conventions of standard English in oral, written and visual communication.

POETRY COACHES Poetry isn’t something you learn, its something you practice, or exercise.

MONDAY Check Homework (10+ line poem) What is poetry exercise (Piano Man-Billy Joel, To Zion- Lauryn Hill, The Bait-John Donne, In Just-E.E. Cummings) Definition of poetry Intro to poetical analysis terms and devices Application of terms and devices Homework: Analyze assigned Nature poem

WEDNESDAY Field work-Trinity College Vernon Street Entrance Read/Analyze Urban/City poems Record what you hear/see/smell exercise Definition of example/terms exercise Last Line exercise Brainstorm Homework: Write a City/Urban poem and analyze assigned sports poem

THURSDAY Field work-Trinity College Field house/Squash Courts Read/Analyze sports poems to kids Record what you hear/see/smell exercise Poetry Terms Relay Title exercise Brainstorm Homework: Write a sports poem

TUESDAY Field work-Pope Park Read/Analyze Nature poems to kids Record what you hear/see/smell exercise Themed poetic devices exercise First Line exercise Brainstorm Homework: Write a Nature poem

TUESDAY Walk students to Pope Park Read/Analyze 3 Nature poems –The Road Not Taken –Robert Frost –Golden Butterflies –Zenith Elliott –A Night in the Woods –Timothy Wayne Brock

Record what you hear/see/smell Ask students to close their eyes and listen for 90 seconds. Afterwards they record what they heard. Ask students to look around them for 90 seconds. Afterwards they record what they saw. Ask students to observe what they smell for 90 seconds. Afterwards they record what they smelt.

Themed Poetic Devices Exercise Fast paced Tests student’s knowledge of terms and devices taught on Monday Incorporates creativity and Nature

First Line Exercise Students will be given a first line that must start a short poem they will write in class The lake shimmered in the morning light…

Brainstorm Students will brainstorm in small groups using the observations and ideas from previous activities to begin writing their 10+ line Nature poems

Homework Students will be assigned to write a 10+ line Nature poem based on their observations and ideas that were brainstormed during class at Pope Park

Friday Poetry Reading/Evaluation Pamela Nomura –Guest evaluator from Trinity College Students read their first poem that was due on Monday and one of their new poems (Nature, city life, sports) In order to test students on their knowledge of poetic terms and devices that must include at least 2 different devices in each of their new poems. Although students will only read 2 poems they must hand in all 4. Mrs. Nomura, teachers, and students discuss evaluate the growth between the first poem and the second and compliment and critique the new poem

CONCLUSION “A poem should not mean, But be.” -Ars Poetica Archibald Macleish Students will be more exposed to the poetry in the world around them.