Katie Purcelll

Lesson 2

Poetry lesson

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/251.html

Assemble short clips (one minute each works for me) of music. Try to incorporate modern, instrumental or any variety.

Set the mood by closing shades, dowsing lights and having them clear their desks except for pen and paper.

Have the students sit and listen to the music clips one at a time. They are not to talk until all of the clips have been heard.

While listening to the clips, they can jot down anything that comes into their minds be it feelings, old memories, or whatnot.

After all the clips have been listened to have those willing share what they wrote.

This is a great way to introduce and create some enthusiam for poetry. Explain to them that poetry and music are lot alike and that even if they don't "get" the poem, odds are they can take something from it anyways whether it is a feeling or an assoiciation. Just as they can listen to music and not be able to hear or understand all the words, but they can tell what the song is about or at least get an impression of it.

Also point out that not eveyone wrote down the same things for the same songs. Poetry and music is open to all kinds of interpretations.

I like to follow this up by having them bring in their own musical selections, having them type up the lyrics, read them to the class and explain why they like the song.

A very good icebreaker for students cynical about poetry.

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Literature/LIT0008.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=169

Experiencing Poetry Through Music

Audience: High school students, as a reintroduction to poetry.

Objectives: During this lesson, students will:

1. Compare music to poetry

2. Engage personal feelings about music

3. Recognize emotion in a poem through words and phrases

Materials Needed: chalkboard, ipod and speakers

Introduction:

 Tell students to get out a piece of paper and a pen and number the paper 1-12

 Explain that we will be listening to 12 clips of music from four different genres that will be different lengths

 Students will take notes on emotions, memories, thoughts, etc., the music gives them or particular lines they like on their paper either during the song or in the short break between songs

 Encourage creative words instead of happy/sad (example: overwhelmed, anxious, thrilled)

The Lesson:

 Students will listen to clips of music and take notes on their feelings (10 minutes)

 Pass out handout with titles and artists of the clips that were played for reference

 Divide the class into 4 sections and have them discuss portioned clips of music (i.e. group 1 discusses clips 1-3) (5 minutes max) During, write columns up on the board

 Each group reports on what they felt by each individual saying something they wrote and then allow time for other groups to respond and add that to the board as well

Connection to Poetry à

 Ask why students might they might have found something in the music that the other groups didn’t and write on board

 Ask why students used the words they did and if it reminded them of anything

 Have students flip over handout with poem on the back

 First, individually have the students read the poem to themselves and find emotional target words or phrases (2-3 minutes)

 Have them reconvene with their groups and talk about what they saw and record similarities and differences in opinion of emotion (3-4 minutes)

 Each group reports to the class what their similarities and differences are

Summary: The great thing about poetry is that it is limitless. You may have had someone tell you before that your read of a poem is wrong, but as we have experienced you can have a great amount of possibilities and meanings just based on emotion alone. Throughout the unit I will be asking for your interpretations of the poems and I want you to be able to express your own opinions as well as your rationale.

Assessment: Teacher sees the students pick out emotions from the poems and songs and realize why they have similarities and differences in opinions.

-Students will also bring in a song or poem to share with the class for homework and make a short summary of the emotions in the song or poem and why they relate.

Sources:

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/251.html

16 Song Clips Titles, Artists, and Times

1. Popcorn – Mrs. Perkins :10-:40

2. Diablo Rojo – Rodrigo y Gabriela 2:19-2:30

3. Office Theme – The Scrantones :05-end

4. Bolero – Maurice Ravel :48-1:34

5. Maria (I Like It Loud) – Scooter :20-:54

6. Techno Rocker – Base Attack :52-1:10

7. The Question is What is the Question? – Scooter 1:00-1:21

8. Paper Planes – M.I.A.. :55-:1:17

9. Life Support – Cast of Rent :27-end

10. All Out of Love – Air Supply :59-1:20

11. Tango de Roxanne – Ewan McGregor 2:00-2:34

12. Tocando Fondo – Kalimba :58-1:27

13. Green Eggs and Ham – Cast of Seussical :14-:33

14. Rent – Cast of Rent 3:19-3:43

15. Footloose/On Any Sunday – Cast of Footloose 6:40-7:06

16. What Do You Do With a B.A. in English – Cast of Avenue Q :11-:55

Picked A Memory – C. Sudlow

Trees stood tall adorned with colour, mostly brown and green. There was something about the air,it was fresh, felt so clean.

Autumn was approaching, natures golden tears seen clear. It's the time you bloom and flourish, your favorite time of year.

I casually walked behind, Contious of your space. Mindfully following with eagerness, careful not to embrace.

Expressing a desire to know you, I soaked in your every move. Smiling at your gentleness, how each branch you would gently move.

You bent to pick a pine cone every now and

then. you'd look at each so intensely even after ten.

Your thirst for knowledge amazed me, filled me with much glee, to see you in your element knowing your in it with me.

You would often look behind you, and smile me in the eye. Such a smile of happiness, that never told a lie.

I sensed you enjoyed my company, or was it the surroundings we would share? I was afraid to even ask so I pretended not to care.

That day I picked a memory to remind me of your smile I hold it my hands quiet often, and sit with it a while

You often stare at that pine cone, perched upon my shelf. You have no inclination, that you picked it once yourself.