Focus Lesson Planning Sheet s3

Focus Lesson Planning Sheet

Focus Putting Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages Lesson (Adapted from Calkins and Parsons, 2003) Topic “Strategies Poets Use” anchor chart, chart paper, markers Materials Advanced Preparation: Create “Strategies Poets Use” anchor chart Yesterday we learned that poets listen for music in the words of their Connection poetry. You also know that poets look at the world through their poets’ eyes, and use line breaks to convey meaning and always write with honest, precise words. But that’s not all poets do. Today I will teach you how poets choose their own topics and write about important things from their own lives. Explicit So far, you have been writing about objects in our classroom – the pencil sharpener, paperclips, and objects that I have shared with you, Instruction the seashells and acorns for example. But in real life, no one will say, “Here is a seashell. Write a poem about it.” Real poets pick their own topics and then start writing.

To write a good poem, I need a topic that is big – or at least feels big to me and fills my heart – and I need a topic that is small, like a one moment story. Let me show you how I pick topic for a poem.

I can start with something small, like the seashell, and think about why it gives me a big feeling. Or, I can start with a big watermelon topic – my cat, and zoom in on one small thing about my cat that I can see with my poet’s eyes and really feel with my heart.

Hmm…let me see. What is one small thing about my cat that I could zoom in on and write a poem about? Oh, I know! I could write about how when I am reading my cat loves to cuddle up in my lap. This always makes me feel so happy and contented. If I close my eyes, I can see it in my mind. I can picture my cat and the way she tries to push the book out of the way and she turns around a few times before she curls up in my lap to take a nap. Now I’m ready to write a poem because I have a big topic with a big feeling, and I can picture a moment that is small and detailed.

Let’s take a look at this anchor chart. [Display “Stategies Poets Use” chart.] Did you see how I did these things? [Briefly discuss chart.]

Guided Let’s try writing a poem together. What is a big feeling that we all Practice share? I know…we all love to listen to a great book. Get that big feeling right now…think about how it feels to love a story and the feelings that you have when you are listening to a great story.

Now, look around the room. Find something small that holds that feeling for you. It can be an object, or maybe it a memory of a special read aloud time or book. Turn and talk to your partner about the small thing or idea that holds the big feeling of loving stories for you.

[Allow a few minutes for students to talk and then invite a few students to share. Use one of shared ideas to write a class poem. See Calkins & Parson, pp. 34-35 for an example.]

Great ideas! Let’s write that poem together. Send Off [for I want you to always remember that poets find topics for poems in their own lives. So today and for the rest of your life when you want Independent to write a poem you’ll find something from your life that is big, but Practice] small too. Try that today as you write poems during independent writing. Group Share Invite a few students to share their poems and explain how they found their topics.

Sample “Strategies Poets Use” Anchor Chart:

Strategies Poets Use

 Poets find a big topic that gives them big, strong feelings.  Poets find a small object or moment or detail that holds the big feeling.  Poets look with poets’ eyes and see this ordinary thing in a new way.  Poets write about it, experimenting with line breaks.