2014-2015 HISD EXEMPLAR UNIT
Reading Elective Grade 9
2nd Cycle
Exemplar Unit User Information
Unit 2: Poetry
In this unit, students will explore poetry and its different aspects. Students will focus on learning and applying the
reading process and building metacognitive reading comprehension skills. Students will enhance their abilities to
make connections, visualize a text, summarize events and information, and make predictions and inferences.
Unit Overview
During this unit, students will read a variety of poems and analyze the various elements each one contains.
Students use a range of reading skills in assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message.
Exemplar lessons include approximately thirty minutes of systematic, explicit instruction followed by guided and
independent practice activities. In order to promote adequate decoding and language comprehension, instruction
includes word recognition strategies, systematic word study, and effective comprehension strategies.
Exemplar lessons have set aside approximately 15 minutes for independent reading. Texts for independent reading
are chosen by the student with guidance from the teacher. Independent reading aims to motivate students, provide
necessary practice, promote self-monitoring, and expand word and world knowledge.
The teacher and the student set goals for improved reading competency, e.g. use prediction or rereading. The
student keeps a reading log or a reading journal. The teacher monitors student’s comprehension through a review
of the reading log or journal. Ideas for responses in logs or journals are available at:

http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G4-5/45CPartFour.pdf

http://www.adlit.org/article/40436/

http://www.adlit.org/pdfs/strategy-library/doubleentryjournal.pdf

http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/I-chart_socstudies.pdf

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/double-entry-journal-30660.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/printouts/reading-record-chart-30220.html
The teacher and the student will conference periodically. During the reading conference, the student reports on
learning, asks questions, and reports problems; the teacher clarifies student’s understandings and supplies
necessary instruction or redirection.
When the student completes a text chosen for independent reading, learning is assessed, e.g., student may
present an oral or written summary of the content and/or report on problems that were encountered during reading
and how they solved the problem. The student may engage in periodic text discussions, e.g., literature circles with
classmates.
A variety of texts that are at an appropriate level are necessary for student selection. Quantitative and qualitative
measures should be taken into consideration.
It is recommended that during this unit, text selections focus on poetry different genres of poetry. Students may
enjoy expository text that explores the life of noted poets including Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Emily
Dickinson, Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, Gary Soto, Sandra Cisneros, or Alice Walker, just to name a few.
Students may also review poetry that was created by teens at http://www.teenink.com/. Below are some books
related to poetry and geared to teens:
© Houston ISD Curriculum
2014 – 2015
Page 1 of 2
2014-2015 HISD EXEMPLAR UNIT
Reading Elective Grade 9
2nd Cycle








The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation
You Don’t Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys
You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys
Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems
Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs
Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love
A Wreath for Emmett Till
True Believer
List of Exemplar Lessons
Time Allocations
 Lesson 1: “Thumbprint”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 2: “Dream Deferred”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 3: “Dreams”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 4: “A Road Not Taken”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 5: “The Raven”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 6: “Incident in a Rose Garden”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 7: “A Psalm of Life”
3, 45-minute Class Period(s)
 Lesson 8: “The Arrow and the Song”
2, 45-minute Class Period(s)
© Houston ISD Curriculum
2014 – 2015
Page 2 of 2