Lesson 3- Poetry
Weekly Lesson Plans
I.
Background and Rationale
The Writing through the Harlem Renaissance unit is intended for use in a 7th, 8th or 9th grade class. The unit
could be impactful in any school setting, but would be particularly poignant for a diverse classroom in an
urban setting. There are powerful themes of social injustice, race, oppression, slavery, inequality, triumph,
power through voice, and overcoming hardship, and identity creation and expression. The goal of the unit is
to immerse a class in the culture and experience of the Harlem Renaissance, so that students gain a deep
understanding of what the Renaissance was, how it impacted and shaped black culture, how it contributed to
the arts sector of the entire nation, and how it still influences people today.
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of creative explosion within the African American creative sector in the
city of Harlem. For nearly two decades, during the 1920’s and 1930’s African Americans created a large body
of writing, music, dance, theater, and art, and the movement started in Harlem. Up until this point in history
African American’s had little cultural identity in the eyes of the nation. The Renaissance was both an
expression of a long silenced identity, and a key element in shaping cultural identity. The movement began
after the Great Migration, where nearly 200,000 African Americans fled to the north in search of jobs, and in
an attempt to escape the Jim Crow south. In Harlem, colored people found a place to express their creative
identities without shame or fear.
Students will explore themes within the Harlem Renaissance writings. They will get to know the key
creatives of the times, as well as use their writings for personal inspiration in their own writing. The class
will explore several different writing genres through this unit, including memoir, essay, poetry, short story,
and editorial. Students will literally, “write through the Harlem Renaissance.” The teacher will support
student learning through using multimodal texts, diverse teaching strategies, multi-level group techniques,
and differentiated instruction for all learners. Prior to this lesson students will have have practiced various
writing techniques, including essay, poetry, and short story. Students will have also completed a unit on the
text “The Skin I’m In” by Sharon Flake, which features the idea of writing to express identity. This theme will
connect to the Harlem Renaissance unit. Students will also have experience using literature circles and
Socratic seminar techniques.
II. Social Studies Theme People, Places, and Environments
III. Essential Questions
1. Who is Langston Hughes and how did his writing help shape African American identity during the
Harlem Renaissance?
2. How do the people in our lives help form our identity?
3. How can editing my writing make my pieces more powerful?
IV. Vocabulary
 Ballad
 Socratic seminar
 Simile
 Metaphor
 Personification
 Tone
 Point of view
 Imagery
 Alliteration
V. Connections to Middle Level
Adolescence, more than any other time in life, is a period marked by the search for identity.
Everything is changing, and students are searching for ways to create, understand, and express their own
identities. Adolescence is also a time that seems to accentuate bullying, stereotyping, and discrimination for
any number of attributes. This unit is primarily about how people create, and express their identities through
creative facets. It is about how the beauty found in art can traverse any stereotypical line that humans draw,
and bring people together. Students will get a chance to learn about a time where black American’s
flourished in the arts, expressing a collective, and personal identity that they had been denied for so long.
Students will get to learn how to write with them, and express their own identities, as they study the Harlem
Renaissance.
VI. Mentor Texts
 “I, too, sing America” – Langston Hughes
 “Harlem Wine” – Countee Cullen
 “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” Langston Hughes
 “The Ballad of Booker T” – Langston Hughes
 “The Ballad of Booker T” drafts http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcestarters/langstonhughes/pdf/lang
stonhughes.pdf
Date
I.
Learning Objective
a. Students will learn about Langston Hughes and his contribution to African American writing
during the Harlem Renaissance.
b. Students will participate in a Socratic seminar to demonstrate their ability to analyze poetry..
c. Students will demonstrate an understanding of revising poetry by writing and revising their own
poem using The Ballad of Booker T. drafts as examples.
II. GPS Standards
a. ELACC8RL10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas,
and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently
b. ELACC8RI4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
c. ELACC8W5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on
how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
III. Introduction (10)
a. Writing Spark- Students have 5 minutes to write about a person who has made an impact on
their life. This person should be someone who they look up to, and someone who has helped
them form their identity.
b. Students will answer the questions below as they write about their chosen person
i. Who is a person who has had a huge positive impact on your life?
ii. How did you meet them?
iii.
Why do you look-up to them?
iv.
Describe their character.
v. What have you learned from this person and how have they helped you find your
identity?
IV. Body (30)
a. Teacher will introduce the artist of the day: Langston Hughes
i. Students will watch the short Hughes bio video:
http://www.biography.com/people/langston-hughes-9346313
b. Teacher will conduct a mini-lesson on poetry (ballads)
c. Teacher will show students the final draft of the poem “The Ballad of Booker T.”
d. Students will work in groups of three to fill out the poetry analysis sheet for “The Ballad of
Booker T.” They will use this sheet as they begin writing their own poems
e. Teacher will show students Langston Hughes’s first draft of the poem “The Ballad of Booker T.”
In their groups the students will compare and contrast the two drafts of the poems.
i. What did Hughes change?
ii. How did his changes affect the tone of the poem? the meaning of the poem? the overall
feel of the poem?
iii.
Do you agree with the changes that Hughes made?
iv.
Students will use highlighters to color code the drafts
1. What I like- yellow
2. What I don’t like- blue
3. What I am not sure about (don’t understand, uclear words, etc.)- pink
f. Students will begin writing the first drafts of their poems. They are to use the person whom they
wrote about in the introductory activity of the lesson.
V. Conclusion for Day 1
i. Homework: Teacher will give each student a copy of the first and second drafts of “The
Ballad of Booker T.”
1. Students are to read the first two drafts and develop two open-ended questions
about the drafts. The questions will be used in a Socratic seminar discussion
format the following day.
a. Teacher will provide students with some examples for clarity
2. Students will also use the same color coding system on the homework drafts.
VI. Assessment Day 1
a. Author’s Chair- Students will be asked to read their poems so far and get feedback
fellow writers
b. Teacher will assess student understanding through whole class discussion and
observation of paired/group work
c. Teacher will assess student understanding by collecting the group poetry analysis
forms
Day 2
VII. Introduction (5)
a. Writer’s Spark
i. “I, too, sing America” by Langston Hughes will be displayed on the screen. What
does the poem mean? What does the poem tell you about Hughes?
VIII. Body (40)
a. Teacher will set-up the room for a Socratic Seminar with an inner and outer circle
b. Teacher will remind students of their Socratic Seminar guidelines, rules, and goals.
c. The focus of the seminar is Langston’s use of revisions to strengthen the power of his piece
i. Teacher will pair up students and give them 5 minutes to prepare their discussion
points, and code their poems with the following topics in mind
1. lingering questions about the piece
2. powerful terms and terms you do not understand
3. overall opinion of the revisions he made
4. suggestions for other revisions
d. The inner circle will have 12 minutes to discuss the poem and Hughes's revisions
e. Partners will meet to get feedback on how they did based on the rubric
f. Teacher will hand each pair copies of Hughes’s third and fourth drafts and they will have 10
minutes to read through them and develop their questions for the next round of discussion.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
The outer circle will switch places with the inner circle and will have 12 minutes to discuss the
revisions in the third and fourth drafts; they may also discuss the overall changes from draft one
to draft four.
Students will again meet with their partners for feedback, and to fill out their evaluation sheets.
After the Socratic seminar is over, the teacher will hold a short discussion about the overall
thoughts on Hughes’s revisions to the poem.
Each student will be given a highlighter and will be asked to take out their first draft of their
poem and highlight and color code their own writing. What I like. What I don’t like. What I am
not sure about.
Students will work with their seminar partner with feedback forms to analyze one another’s
writing. Students will offer suggestions to the first draft.
.
IX. Conclusion (10)
a. Author’s Chair
i. Teacher will ask students to share their drafts so far with the class.
1. Students are free to read their piece and then discuss the changes they have
made thus far and why they chose to make them
b. Teacher will remind students of the final copy due date.
X. Assessment
a. Teacher will assess student understanding of revising and editing by collecting each of the three
drafts for evaluation, and by working with students in their groups as they revise their pieces.
b. Teacher will evaluate student writing by examining the final draft of their poem using a feedback
form.
XI. Differentiation for Students with Exceptionalities
a. Students with exceptionalities will be paired with a peer helper for the Socratic seminar.
b. Students who need extra writing help will also be given a graphic organizer to help them
organize their poetry project.
XII. Materials and Resources
a. Copies of all drafts of Langston Hughes’s poem “The Ballad of Booker T.”
b. video bio on Langston Hughes
c. highlighters
d. Rubric for socratic seminar
e. Poet Feedback form
f. socratic seminar guidelines
g. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2010/11/higher-order-comprehensionpower-socratic-seminar
Socratic Seminar Circle Rules
Rules: A Socratic seminar is a : discussion and not a debate. In other words, we are not looking for a
winner. In a Socratic seminar, every person in the room not speaking is expected to listen respectfully.
Inner circle participants may:

ask for clarification if a person’s comment confuses you.

add to a comment made by another person.

voice an opposing viewpoint.
No one may:

criticize anyone’s opinions, comments, or beliefs.

interrupt when someone is speaking.

respond in a manner that is in any way contemptuous or derogatory.
Inner Circle Guidelines:

You engage in discussion, actively participating but not dominating. (Silence = consent)

You read aloud excerpts of the text to support or make a point, drawing our attention to the
words the author chose to use (diction).

Listen to each other carefully.

Look the speaker in the eye (eyes, shoulders, knees, toes!).

Do not interrupt.
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Use each other’s names: “What Amanda said about Steinbeck’s uses of pathetic fallacy...”

Paraphrase what the speaker before you has said to respond responsibly. Support or refute the
prior speaker’s ideas.

Stick to the text. Your point or opinion only matters if you can support your ideas.

If you are confused about another’s point, question her/him.

Discuss ideas; do not attack people. It is the dialectic, the debate,that makes us all more
informed. Changing your mind or adding to your understanding means that your mind was open.
We all win, if we learn from our discussion.
Outer Circle:
 You are silent but “talking back” by taking notes.

When do you think the inner circle “sparked”? How did that happen?

Track the person most directly in front of you. Did he/she contribute well (neither dominate nor
duck discussion)? Explain.

To what idea were you dying to respond? What would you have said?

What was the single most important idea that was discussed? Why?

What was the single most important idea that didn’t get discussed? Why?

What could have made the discussion even more constructive?
Socratic Seminar Student
Grade Sheet
Name:
Topic/Question:
Score your performance in today’s seminar using the following criteria:
4-Excellent 3-Good 2-Poor 1-Unsatisfactory
_____ I studied the text carefully and took notes in advance.
_____ I contributed several relevant comments.
_____ I stated ideas and questions in a concise and precise manner.
_____ I cited specific evidence from the text to support an idea.
_____ I asked at least one thoughtful, probing question.
_____ I questioned or asked someone to clarify their comment.
_____ I encouraged other participants to enter the conversation.
_____ I treated all other participants with dignity and respect.
Overall Score (circle one)
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Two goals I have for our next seminar are:
1)
2)
Socratic Seminar Facilitator
Grade Sheet
Group Members:
Topic/Question:
Score the group’s performance in today’s seminar using the following criteria:
4-Excellent 3-Good 2-Poor 1-Unsatisfactory
_____ The group used the text as a reference throughout the Socratic Seminar.
_____ Group members shared in the discussion of the topic.
_____ The group asked in-depth questions.
_____ Everyone in the group was respectful of other ideas.
_____ The group was able to take the Socratic Seminar to a high level of understanding.
SOCRATIC SEMINAR: Grading Rubric
A





clarifies for a better understanding
encourages others to participate
relates to another person or idea
asks questions
is an active participant
B
 relates to another person or idea
 asks questions
 is an active participant
C
 one comment made
 listens
 takes notes
D
 listens
 takes notes
F
 is not participating
SOCRATIC SEMINAR: Grading Rubric
A = Exemplary











demonstrates patience with others’ opinions
moves the conversation forward
speaks to all participants
thinks before answering
refers directly to the text
makes connections to other speakers
considers all opinions
writes down thoughts and questions
builds on others’ comments
asks for clarification when needed
identifies key words/phrases/details in the text







comments often
responds to questions
refers to text
offers interesting ideas
pays attention
a few questions
takes notes







emphasizes only own ideas
ideas not always connected
refers to text
loses track of conversation
judges others’ ideas
a few questions
takes some notes
B = Commanding
C = Competent
D = Developing






leans toward debate, not dialogue
disruptive, argumentative
mumbles or is silent
repeats same ideas
little to no notes taken
no questions asked


is not participating
is lost/overwhelmed with the seminar
F = Emerging
Adapted From: https://www.collierscshools.com/gifted
Poetry Analysis Sheet- Read the poem as a group and answer the following questions
What do you think the title means?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Answer these questions:
• Who is the subject of the poem?
__________________________________________________
• What are they talking about?
____________________________________________________
• Why do you think the author wrote the poem?
_______________________________________
• When is the poem happening? __________________________________________________
• What is the poet’s
attitude?______________________________________________________
Poetic devices: Tools of the poet
Identify different poetic devices and how they convey the poem’s message.
Theme
Identify the theme (central idea) of the poem. How does the theme convey the poem’s
message?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______
Historical and cultural context: Integrate the research you have done on your author into your
poetry analysis. Explain how the author’s history and culture have influenced the poem.
List two important experiences that influenced the author:
1. __________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________
List two conditions in the author’s country that influenced his/her life (poverty, political unrest,
war, lack of opportunities, social constraints especially for women):
1.___________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________
Feedback for the Author:
What do you like? What would you change?