Connecting
inferencing
with Poetry
A deeper look at Figure 19
TEKS
TEKS
3.6(A)
4.4(A)
describe the
characteristics of
various forms of poetry
and how they create
imagery (e.g., narrative
poetry, lyrical poetry,
humorous poetry, free
verse).
explain how the
structural elements of
poetry (e.g., rhyme,
meter, stanzas, line
breaks) relate to form
(e.g., lyrical poetry, free
verse).
TEKS
5.4(A)
analyze how poets use
sound effects (e.g.,
alliteration, internal
rhyme, onomatopoeia,
rhyme scheme) to
reinforce meaning in
poems.
Reading Poetry
TEKS
TEKS
3.18(B)
4.16(B)
write poems that
convey sensory details
using the conventions
of poetry (e.g., rhyme,
meter, patterns of
verse).
write poems that
convey sensory details
using the conventions
of poetry (e.g., rhyme,
meter, patterns of
verse).
TEKS
5.16(B)
write poems using:
(i) poetic techniques (e.g.,
alliteration,
onomatopoeia);
(ii) figurative language
(e.g., similes, metaphors);
(iii) graphic elements (e.g.,
capital letters, line length).
Writing Poetry
When inferring, good readers...
Draw conclusions from text
Piece 1
Make reasonable predictions as they read
Piece 2
Test and revise their predictions as they read
further
Piece 3
Interpret text or understand themes
Piece 4
Analyze characters
Piece 5
Figure out unfamiliar words
Piece 6
Are actively building meaning beyond literal
interpretation
Piece 7
Big Ideas
Students need to know:
❏ We infer all the time
❏ Inferring is not guessing,
predicting, or an opinion
❏ Inferring uses exact clues
from the text and
background knowledge to
come up with an idea that
is not written down in text
Teachers need to know:
❏ Teaching inference is a
process
❏ Strategic pacing will pay
off
❏ Building the language for
making inferences will help
students understand
inferencing
Poetry
Good
Lesson
★ Begin with the foundation of inferencing Anchor Lesson Activity
○ Backpack Activity
★ Build Key Vocabulary
○ Inference/Infer
○ Clues
○ Background Knowledge
○ Predict
○ Draw Conclusions
○ Text Structure
○ Theme
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
Reasonable Prediction
Implied
Lyrical
Free Verse
Stanza
Textual Evidence
Plot (rising action/problem,
climax, resolution/solution
Poetry
Good
Lesson
Think
Brainstorm
Turn
Talk
❏ What is another anchor activity you could use to introduce inferencing
to your class?
❏ What activities could you use in the classroom to teach key vocabulary
terms for inferencing?
Poetry
Good
Lesson
★ Teacher provides definition of poetry.
○ visualization activity
○ students silently read poem, “Victory”
○ students are asked to use clues from the
text about what they infer about the poem
○ students write their thoughts in their
reader’s notebook
Poetry
Good
Lesson
★ Have students complete:
What I read
Inference
What I know
My
Poetry
Good
Lesson
★ EXIT TICKET for students: Identify one thing
you learned today.
Poetry
Good
Lesson
Think
Reflection
Turn
❏ Is this a good lesson? If so, what makes it good?
❏ What is missing from this lesson?
Talk
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Anchor Lesson Activity
○ Backpack Activity
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Build Key Vocabulary
○ See Good Lesson for Key Terms
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Teacher reads poem, “Victory,” to class
○ Model think aloud: “This poem reminds
me of…”
○ Discuss how you came to that conclusion
(schema)
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Students will read poem and highlight
important words that helped them gain
meaning
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Students will determine if poem is lyrical or
free verse
○ Have students draw a line between
stanzas and number each stanza
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Have students complete What I Read, What I
know, My Inference Activity using highlighted
poem
Clues from Text
My Inference!
What I Know About the Clue
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ Conclusion: Discuss text structure, rhythm,
rhyming words, alliteration, figurative
language: metaphor & simile, imagery, tone,
visual effect of poem, plot and students’
inferences.
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ EXIT TICKET for students: Identify one thing
you learned today and one thing you need
clarification on.
Poetry
Better
Lesson
★ REFLECTION:
○ Think, Turn and Talk:
■ What do you think was good about this lesson?
■ What do you think made it a better lesson?
■ What is missing?
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Anchor Lesson Activity
○ Backpack Activity
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Build key content area vocabulary
★ Introduce vocabulary that will build
background knowledge
grit
glance
crouch
drape
victory
worry
pause
weight
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Touchstone Strategy
○ 5 senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch,
smell
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Think Aloud Strategy
○ Tell students, “As we read the poem
together, we are going to look at the key
vocabulary terms we have discussed. We
are also going to look for emotions,
character’s feelings, the 5 senses, text
structure and many other features as we
read through the poem.”
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Think Aloud Strategy Continued...
○ Teacher reads through the poem one
time.
○ Then teacher reads the poem line by line,
modeling a think aloud with the poem on
chart paper using sticky notes to guide
students through analyzing of the poem.
■ Be sure to use the STAAR Question
Stems
Poetry
Best
Lesson
STAAR Stems:
What is the speaker doing in this poem?
What is the main message of the poem?
The poet helps the reader understand how it felt mainly by . . . ?
The reader can tell that the poem is written in free-verse form because it
does not have…?
Which poetic structure is found in the poem?
The poet mentions ________ at the beginning of the poem to convey…?
Poetry
Best
Lesson
STAAR Stems Continued...
The poet places the words "_______” on a line by themselves most
likely because the words…?
The repetition of the line "______" suggests that the speaker . . . ?
Lines ___ through ___ are included in the poem because they . . . ?
There are many more questioning stems
available on the additional handout.
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Building the Reading-Writing Connection
○ Teacher will model writing a poem about a
victory
○ Students will apply strategy to write
individual poems
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ EXIT TICKET for students: Read a partner’s
poem. What can you infer about the event
mentioned in his/her poem?
Video
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ EXTENSION:
○ Infer the missing piece
■ Students will read the beginning and
end of a poem (with the middle
removed) and create the middle of the
poem
○ Connect to other content areas
Poetry
Best
Lesson
Poetry
Best
Lesson
★ Planning Time
○ Use this time to plan your best lesson for
inferencing using poetry
Poetry
Poetry
★ Contact Information
○ Christel Applon
■ capplon@esc18.net
■ 432-567-3291
○ Robyn Jackson
■ rjackson@esc18.net
■ 432-567-3216
○ Tracy Harper
■ tharper@esc18.net
■ 432-567-3299
Poetry