Unit 5, Week 5, Day 2
FCAT SKILL: Literary Elements: Personification and Imagery
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Readers enjoy poetry by recognizing when the
author uses personification (a way of speaking about a thing as if it were a
person) and imagery (words that make a picture in the reader’s mind).
Materials: 289Q, 290/291
Connection: (activate prior knowledge and focus student attention on the lesson)
Yesterday we practiced comparing and contrasting by telling how things are alike
and telling how things are different. Compliment a student that used this in their
independent reading yesterday.
Today I am going to teach you how to enjoy poetry by recognizing when the author
uses personification (a way of speaking about a thing as if it were a person) and
imagery (words that make a picture in the reader’s mind). This is important because
poets sometimes use personification and/or imagery in their poems and being able
to recognize when they do will help you enjoy the poem you are reading.
We will practice enjoying poetry by recognizing when the author uses
personification and imagery while reading the poem “Night Comes…” on page 290.
Teach: (demonstrate the teaching point as if you were working independently)
Let me show you how I practice enjoying poetry by recognizing when the author
uses personification and imagery. First, I will look for personification.
Personification is a way of speaking about a thing as if it were a person and could
do things that people do. Read aloud the poem “Night Comes…” on page 290. I
noticed that the poet says that the stars come peeking. I know that peeking is
something that a person or animal can do. I know that stars cannot really peek. So,
“Stars come peeking” is an example of personification. Now I will reread the poem
and look for an example of imagery. Imagery is the way a poet uses words to make
a picture in the reader’s mind. Reread the poem. I noticed that the words Moon
comes sneaking, silvery-sly make a picture in my mind. These words help me see
how the poet pictures the moon slowly appearing in the night sky. Did you see the
way I was able to enjoy this poem by recognizing when the author uses
personification and imagery?
Active Engagement: (coach and assess students during this time)
Now you are going to have a try. I will read a small section of the poem while you
try to notice the personification. Remember that personification is a way of
speaking about a thing as if it were a person and could do things that people do.
Read aloud the third sentence in the poem. Turn and Talk to your partner about what
the moon is doing in this part of the poem and decide if it is an example of
personification. Listen in and compliment a pair of students who successfully noticed
that the “moon comes sneaking” is an example of personification because the moon
cannot sneak, only people and animals can. Now I will read another small section of
the poem while you notice the imagery. Remember that imagery is the way a poet
Unit 5, Week 5, Day 2
FCAT SKILL: Literary Elements: Personification and Imagery
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Readers enjoy poetry by recognizing when the
author uses personification (a way of speaking about a thing as if it were a
person) and imagery (words that make a picture in the reader’s mind).
Materials: 289Q, 290/291
uses words to make a picture in the reader’s mind. Read aloud first sentence of the
poem. Turn and Talk to your partner about the picture that this part makes in your
mind. Listen in and compliment a pair of students who successfully discussed how the
author uses words to get the reader to visualize the darkness of nighttime slowly spreading
all over.
Link: (review and clarify key points, globalizing their utility from the now to the future)
Today and everyday when you are reading, you can enjoy poetry by recognizing
when the author uses personification (a way of speaking about a thing as if it were a
person) and imagery (words that make a picture in the reader’s mind).