Mini lesson Identify a Poem’s Theme — 5th grade

Connection We have read and annotated multiple poems in order to write a summary. Today we will explore the themes within poetry by analyzing figurative language to determine the tone and mood. After summarizing the stanzas you are able to determine the theme of the poem.

Teaching The theme in a poem is the big idea from the text. It is the idea or lesson the author wants the reader to know from reading the text. In a poem, a strategy that you can use to help you identify the theme is to focus on determining the tone and mood of the poem in order to summarize the stanzas. Once a summary of each stanza is written you must use your evidence to find the overall big idea of the poem.

Listen as I reread the poem “The Echoing Green” by William Blake to determine the theme of the poem.

“The Echoing Green” by William Blake The sun does arise, And make happy the skies; The merry bells ring To welcome the Spring; The skylark and thrush, The birds of the bush, Sing louder around To the bells’ cheerful sound; While our sports shall be seen On the echoing green.   Old John, with white hair, Does laugh away care, Sitting under the oak, Among the old folk. They laugh at our play, And soon they all say, ‘Such, such were the joys When we all - girls and boys- In our youth-time were seen On the echoing green.’ Summarizing Each Stanza Stanza 1 Spring is a cheerful time of year. The sky is bright, birds are cheerfully singing, and people can play sports outside. Stanza 2 The elderly people enjoy watching kids play and remembering the joys of the time when they also played on the green.

Till the little ones weary, No more can be merry: The sun does descend, And our sports have an end. Round the laps of their mothers Many sisters and brothers, Like birds in their nest, Are ready for rest, And sport no more seen On the darkening green. Stanza 3   The sun is setting; kids are tired from playing outside all day. Everyone is ready for bed.

Guided practice You and a partner will read and annotate the poem “Stopping” in order to write a summary for each stanza. Then in your reading notebook you will write what you think the theme of the poem is based on your evidences from the text. Once everyone has finished we will discuss possible themes as a class.

Summarizing Each Stanza Stopping   Coasting down the sidewalk On my skateboard, Free as a bird, Then I pass the new kid's house And keep on coasting. Pedaling down the sidewalk On my bike, wild as the west wind, And keep on pedaling. Summarizing Each Stanza Stanza 1 Stanza 2

Dribbling down the sidewalk With my basketball, I am a blazing star, Then I pass the new kid's house And stop dribbling. I am back in time On my porch, And my house is the new kid's house, I am a crushed tin can in an empty lot Because no one's stopping.   Dribbling up the sidewalk Of the new kid's house, I am the first ripple in the pond. Then I ring the doorbell And start smiling. Stanza 3 Stanza 4

“time is fleeting so you must enjoy life” The overall theme is: “time is fleeting so you must enjoy life”

Link Today we learned how to identify the theme in a poem by focusing on figurative language to determine the tone and mood of the poem. After writing a summary you are able to identify the theme of the poem using your evidences from the text.