Inspired Writing Identity Poem Using Literature Models for Student Writing Lesson Plan What is Inspired Writing? With Inspired Writing, students use the texts they read as models for their own writing. Each lesson shows students the connections between the literature they read and the writing that they can do. This lesson provides students with inspiration from classic poems, and they imitate one characteristic of a text for their own authentic writing. Overview In this lesson, students read poems from classic American authors and then write poems about themselves. To begin, they read poems including Langston Hughes’s “I, Too,” Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” and Barbara Kingsolver’s “Naming Myself.” After reading the poems , they respond to creative writing prompts which require them to ‘”think outside the box.” Finally, they use their pre-writing to author a poem about themselves as individuals, as members of the class, and as citizens of the United States. This lesson incorporates all strands of the Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) Standards. Common Core English Language Arts Standards ✓Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. ✓Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. ✓Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. ✓Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. ✓Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. ✓Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. ✓Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. ✓Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. ✓Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. © 2018 K.Patrick (OCBeachTeacher 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Getting Started Have students write responses to the following sentence starters: America is..., America was…, America will be… Encourage students to respond both literally (a country made of 50 states) and figuratively (lions in the jungle). Direct students to complete think-pair-share. A variation may be to complete a carousel writing activity with the prompts on chart paper at different locations around the room. This strategy would benefit kinesthetic learners. Moving On Complete the reading of the poems. Depending on the class, the teacher may want to model reading strategies, use graphic organizers, or employ other instructional methods to support the students’ reading comprehension. Lead a discussion of the major ideas and themes in the poems. These may include the importance of names, family, and ethnicity to one’s identity. Additionally, the teacher should discuss various perceptions of America. For instance, in the poem “I Hear America Singing,” a theme would be “America’s people work hard to achieve freedom and prosperity.” Distribute the “Poetry Warm Up” activity. Guide students as they work through the steps, stopping to discuss their responses. Encourage students to be creative, challenging them to generate original images. After the “Poetry Warm Up” has been completed, give students the assignment, including the poem model and student sample. Wrapping Up 7. Have students read their poems aloud for the class or share them in small groups. Display them on a bulletin board. Ideas for Extension & Differentiation • • • • Some students may benefit from review on figurative language including similes, metaphor, and personification. More advanced students may want to read Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” or Langston Hughes’s poem “Let America Be America Again.” Another option is to have students read “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyone. Have students take their poems through the writing process including peer review and editing. Allow them to personalize their polished drafts with pictures. Match poems with student reading levels. Use a jigsaw activity for the poem reading. © 2018 K.Patrick (OCBeachTeacher Poetry Warm Up 1. Look around the room. Is anyone here an eraser? A closed book? What else can you be? Make a list of any object that you could be. Next to two of the objects, write why you selected them. 2. Now choose one (or some) of the following and write where it takes you: Yesterday I was… Today I am… Some days I am… Once I was… You (or he/she/my mother, my best friend) think (s) that I am _________, but really… 3. Who are we, in this class, right now? Are we pebbles in a stream? Are we trees in a forest? Are we weeds growing wild? Make a list describing the class in metaphorical language. 4. Go back to your lists. Cross out images that you don’t like and circle the ones that you do like. 5. Choose one of your circled images and create a “word picture.” Add details that help paint vivid pictures. Here’s an example: I am ink in a pen, Silky, black, waiting to slither along the page with brilliant ideas. For now I am trapped In this cold, hard prison of plastic tubing. Name Yourself, Sing Yourself, or Proclaim Yourself Identity in America Poem Assignment Consider the poems we’ve read as an introduction to American identity. Many deal with the speaker’s search for himself and the desire to write in an entirely new and “American” way. The authors are of different times, races, and genders, yet they all create speakers who are greatly influenced by their country and its traditions. I’d like you to write a poem that deals with the same themes and topics as those we read. Furthermore, it should be representative of your feelings and ideas about yourself and your place in America. Your poem should be free verse like the ones we’ve studied; remember, though, to make it rhythmic and use poetic devices. Your poem may … •begin with the same line as one of the poems we studied. •have the same title as one of the poems studied. •imitate the style of one of the poems we studied Your poem must… •include ideas from just one, two, or all of the poems studied •communicate ideas about your identity as an individual and American •use poetic form and devices "Poetry begins in delight and ends in wisdom." --Robert Frost Identity in America Poem 1st Stanza: I am.... Use a simile or metaphor which symbolizes your qualities, personality, interests, and/or moods. Then create a word picture with vivid details that elaborate on your ideas. 2nd Stanza: We (the class) are... Use a simile or metaphor which symbolizes our qualities, personalities, interests, and/or group dynamic. Then create a word picture with vivid details that elaborate on your ideas. Think about how do you fit into the "we"? 3rd Stanza: Americans are... Use a simile or metaphor which symbolizes America's ideas, qualities, strengths, and weaknesses. Then create a word picture with vivid details that elaborate on your ideas. Think about how Americans represent the "we" and your "I". Sample Student Poem I am like a bear cub, Asleep in the woods, About to come out of hibernation. Just as a snake sheds its skin As part of its growing process. I shall shed mine on my way to adulthood. We are like a flock of geese, Afraid to get out of formation, Afraid others will laugh and point. There needs to be someone who stands out, And it might as well be me. Americans are like lions in the jungle, At the top of the food chain. Like the lion’s roar, the mere sound of Americans Strikes fear in our enemies’ hearts. But, even a lion can be caught off guard By a stealthy crocodile waiting for its victim. Without the support of the snakes And the geese in this world The lion will fall off its throne. Thank you for downloading this resource! I hope you find this activity beneficial to your instruction and students’ learning. Please consider following me. As a follower, you will be the first to receive information about new products and updates. © 2018 K.Patrick (OCBeachTeacher) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ocbeachteacher All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. Not for public display Find OCBeachTeacher on If you liked this lesson, you may also be interested in the resources below. Just click on the images above for the lessons! © 2018 K.Patrick (OCBeachTeacher
