Unit: Romantic Poetry (Lesson: Ode to a Grecian Urn Keats)

Name: Ben Garcia

Subject Area: Language Arts

Topic: Poetry

Grade: 11th

Unit: Romantic Poetry (Lesson: Ode to a Grecian Urn—Keats)

Time: 50 min period

Purpose/Rationale:

This lesson plan is intended to be the eighth day in a nine day unit about Romantic Era poets, their poetry and the movement of Romanticism in general—preceded by a lesson plan about Percy Shelley and proceeded by the last lesson about the Philosophy of Keats and

Romanticism. Today’s plan will briefly discuss the life and a work of John Keats, the last born of the English Romantic Poets, who died an early death at 25.

Curriculum Framing Questions:

Essential Question: What is the lasting significance of Romantic Poetry? Unit Question: Why was romantic poetry rebelling against the status quo?

Content Question: What does the “Urn” in Ode to a Grecian Urn say about the passage

of time and what major Romantic theme does this relate to?

The aim of this Lesson Plan is to briefly discuss the short life of John Keats and understand the thematic implications of his poem Ode on a Grecian Urn.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will discuss and write about at least one major Romantic theme at work in the

2. Students will cite figurative and literal evidence from the text to defend their position on

whatever theme they decide is at work in the poem.

3. Students will identify and discuss at least one literary device at work in the poem which

contributes to development of the theme.

Curriculum Standards:

EL.HS.RE.03 Make connections to text, within text, and among texts across the subject areas. EL.HS.RE.04 Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.

EL.HS.RE.07 Clearly identify specific words or wordings that are causing comprehension difficulties and use strategies to correct.

EL.HS.RE.11 Identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words and phrases.

EL.HS.RE.22 Infer an author's unstated meaning and draw conclusions about an author's stated meaning based on facts, events, images, patterns or symbols found in text.

Materials Needed:

Paper, pencils, necessary books, poem and access to a computer and internet will be needed due to written assignment that will be assigned for homework.

Background Knowledge or Skills:

During the first few days of the Unit Plan students will learn about the historical and social context of the Romantic Era and its general aesthetic philosophy. They will be introduced to prevalent themes expressed by its artists, which should serve as tools to discussing and writing about Ode to a Grecian Urn. Also by the 12th grade students should have ample experience with Literary Terms and Devices that will help them interpret the poem and suggest theme (s.) Instructor will model an interpretive deduction of the poem using text based evidence to figuratively interpret. Students will have to utilize writing skills in written assignment and oral skills in group discussions.

Hook or Introduction:

The instructor will subjectively interpret the poem but in an outlandish manner vastly stretching the figurative aspects of the poem and attaching wildly imaginative meaning to the poem. The idea is to get a laugh and also to make the point that there is more than one way to interpret a piece of literature but attention must be paid to evidence in the text to validate a figurative interpretation.

Procedures:

--50 min class broken down into Intro, reading, class discussion, group discussion & free write.

1. Teacher will read the poem out loud and then model the interpretive method in

deducing the poem’s theme. (5 min) 2. Teacher will tell the class that today John Keats Ode to a Grecian Urn will be discussed

for its deeper meaning and then provide a brief bio of John Keats. (5 min)

3. A student volunteer will read the poem out loud and the instructor will ask the class to

point out words, lines or parts of the poem that are interesting and why. (10 min)

4. Students will be asked to get into small groups and each group will be assigned a portion

of the poem to interrogate, looking up any unknown words and discussing potential

meaning to at least one literary device (metaphor, simile & analogy.) Teacher will walk

around and participate only to get students back on track or to ask leading questions.

Also while teacher is walking around he will assess student participation and keep track

of this on a Participation Table—students will told that participation is part of their

grade and it’s ok to not have right answers but it is important to ask questions of their

group members of what a word or phrase means if they don’t know. (15 min)

5. Teacher will reconvene the class and each group will share their interpretations of their

section and explain at least one literary device that is at work in their section.(10 min)

6. Class will be asked to write in their journals about what they think the poem is about in

general and told that this journal entry will be expanded in a page paper that night for

homework. Their one page Homework assignment should discuss the one literary device

that they’re in class group found and in their paper they should discuss its use and

meaning in the poem. Also students will be asked to find and print one internet

paper/blog/article that interprets the poem, these links should be posted to the

instructors wiki—in the discussion area (mrbenlucasgarcia.wikispaces.com)—the instructor will discuss a few good ones in the discussion area and will require at least

one response per student. These interpretations found on the internet by the students

should hopefully produce a range of interpretations from low quality to high quality so

the instructor can point out the difference. (5 min)

Differentiation/Accommodation for diverse learners in your classroom:

IEP’s of students that have needs will be consulted and the proper accommodations will be made for those students. Also the educational team members that work with students that have accommodations will be sought out for any necessary support or advice. There are four students that I will make sure to accommodate specifically: Randall, a boy with

Asperger syndrome; Jennie, a girl reading 2 grades ABOVE level; Martin, a boy reading two grades BELOW level & Mariko, a girl from a Japanese-speaking household. I have had Jennie and Martin work in group settings together before so I will make sure that they are placed in the same discussion groups so that Jennie can help Martin when needed. Randall is very into star wars and due to his fascination with characters within the movie I will allow him to transform the Urn in the poem into an object from Star Wars such as a Light Saber, and I will help him make parallel connections between what the symbols on the Urn represent and symbols in Star Wars, this will help to bring his attention to the assignment. He will more than exceed at this as I have found in the past. Mariko, being relatively new to the country still struggle a bit with language but is learning quickly, I will make sure to have the Paraprofessional (John) work with her as he has many times in the past with plenty of pointers from myself and the ESL teacher. He also helps the other three special needs students in the class with my direction and support.

Attention to Literacy:

When put into cooperative learning groups instructor will pay attention to various students’ strengths and weaknesses relating to literacy and make sure that each group has a stratified body relating to literacy and other skills. Instructor will do his best to ensure that every word of the poem is understood before students get into cooperative learning groups. In the groups the students will be asked to employ the “pop corn” reading strategy to reread the poem in its entirety before they get started on their specific section. This should help them think about their section in context.

Closure:

After students are done writing in their journals the teacher will ask for a student to volunteer a reading of their journal entry. The instructor will affirm and repeat the parts of the journal entry that are headed in the right directions and remind students that this journal entry should be formed into a one page paper as homework that night—as

explained. Also students will be asked to find and post to instructors wiki a paper, blog

entry, or article that interprets the poem to be shared and discussed in the wiki’s

“Discussion” area—this should hopefully produce a range of interpretations from low

quality to high quality. Quality of internet resources will be discussed in the “Discussion”

Assessment:

Hopefully there will be oral evidence in class and small group discussion of progress in

the areas of comprehension, analysis, evolution and creatively. The instructor will

formatively monitor Group Participation with a formative assessment sheet he will use

while students are working in groups—sheet attached. The journal entry will serve as

formative component of a short paper that will serve as a precursor to a longer paper in the

next Unit. The instructor will assist, guide and lead students, individually, to the

development of a coherent essay.

ODE ON A GRECIAN URN By John Keats Thou still unravished bride of quietness, Thou foster child of silence and slow time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady? What men or gods are these? What maidens loath? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endeared, Pipe to the spirit dities of no tone. Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal---yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss Forever wilt thou love, and she be fair! Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unweari-ed, Forever piping songs forever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! Forever warm and still to be enjoyed, Forever panting, and forever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyed, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands dressed? What little town by river or sea shore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e'er return. O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity. Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty"---that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.