English Language Arts & Reading
Fourth Six Weeks: Weeks 1-2
Theme: Painting with Words
Time Frame: 10 Days
Genre: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Writing: Poetry
Objective:
 The students will define poetry; identify characteristics/techniques of genre.
 The students will develop and use wall charts and work collaboratively with peers to
support learning.
 The students will read and/or listen to poetry daily.
 The students will write short responses to questions about theme, genre, and
techniques related to the study of poetry as genre.
 The students will participate in a whole group inquire-base discussion.
 The students will engage in study to deepen understanding of grammar concepts.
 The students will identify and use characteristics and features of poetry to
comprehend and write poems.
 The students will use elements of the writing process to compose texts (literary
analysis, poetry).
 The students will select a book and begin reading and planning independent study
task.
time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues. ELAR 8.28; Speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language ; ELAR 8.27; Work productively with others in teams. ELAR
8.28; Determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes. ELAR 8.2A; Use a dictionary, glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or
electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words. ELAR 8.2E; Analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme
and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. ELAR 8.3; Understand, make inferences and draw conclusions
about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding; analyze the importance of graphical elements (e.g., capital letters, line length, word position)
on the meaning of a poem. ELAR 8.4A; Understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author’s sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Determine the figurative meaning of phrases and analyze how an author’s use of language creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and creates mood. ELAR 8.8A;
Synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres, and support those findings with textual evidence. ELAR
8.10D; Identify, use and understand the function of verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles, adverbial and adjectival phrases and clauses. ELAR 8.19A; Use context to determine or
clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or ambiguous words ; ELAR 8.2B; Make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. FIGURE 19: 8110.20D; Use elements of
the writing process (planning ) to compose text: . . Revise drafts to improve style; ELAR 8.14 A, B, C, D, E); Write a poem using poetic techniques (e,g., rhyme scheme, meter); figurative language
(e.g,, personification, idioms, hyperbole); and graphic elements (e,g,, word position). ELAR 8.15B (I, ii, iii); Write responses to literary or expository texts that demonstrate the writing skills for multiparagraph essays and provide sustained evidence from the text using quotations when appropriate. ELAR 8.17C
TEKS: Use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings. ELAR 8.26; Participate productively in discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set
8th Grade
Overview:
 Develop a deeper understanding of characteristics of poetry as genre
 Develop a deeper understanding of devices and techniques authors use to convey
ideas in poetry
 Develop a deeper understanding of interpretation and literary analysis
Literary Terms:
Poetry
Genre
Interpretation
Analysis
Ballad
Limerick
Haiku
Ode
Syntax
Dialect
Diction
Metaphor
Idioms
Syntax
Alliteration
consonance
Repetition
Connotations
Six Weeks Project:
Write a collection of original poems that communicate a perspective of the world based on
topics drawn from the novel, The Tree Grows in Brooklyn or Tears of a Tiger.
Essential Questions:
What is poetry?
What devices/techniques do poets use to impact readers and convey messages?
What points of view do poets convey about their subjects?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Introduce the unit with a brief review. Provide students a rubric on the six weeks project and
discuss the assignment, including the dates on which the project is due. The topics for the
poetry collection that students will write are to be drawn from their reading of the novel
chosen by the teacher. Consider providing independent reading time during class as an option
(one class set of 30 novels per teacher). They might create a reading log to answer guiding
questions). Allow some time for discussions, which may include pair/trio and whole group
sharing.
• Consider inviting students to view videos of poetry readings.
• Invite students to enter poetry competitions.
• Remind students of their independent reading task for the six weeks. They might choose a
book of poems or a book about a poet (biography or autobiography).
• Immerse students in the genre. Select poems to read to the class daily for enjoyment and ask
each student to identify his/her favorite poem and be prepared to read it to the class when
called upon. They should be able to explain why it is their favorite.
Lesson 1: Deepening Understanding—What is Poetry?
Connect and Engage:
• Ask students to engage in a quick write (3 minutes): What is poetry? List characteristics of the
genre. When they have finished, ask them to share their Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook entries in
a turn-and-talk and be ready to share with the whole group.
• Create a “Characteristics of Poetry” chart. Include the definition that the class agrees upon
and list the characteristics that are shared. Ask students to explain and give examples of the
characteristics they share to support and clarify ideas. Include the supporting information in
the chart.
• Project poetry definitions. Ask students to read them with a partner and discuss what, if any,
revisions they would make to the class definition based on new information they might have
gleaned.
• Remind students that they will read and listen to poetry daily. Introduce a video of poetry
reading (can be found on You Tube). Prior to viewing, give students the title and ask them
what they think the poem will be about. Have them share their ideas with a peer. After viewing
and listening to the reading, ask students to discuss: What is the poem about? What
connections do you make with ideas in the poem? Were your predictions accurate? Ask them to
first share with a partner, and then invite whole group sharing. (Video viewing and sharing
task –7-10 minutes).
Lesson 2: Reading “Mother to Son,” page 636, to Get the Gist
• Engage students in a discussion of poetic forms. Refer to the characteristics chart first,
discussing the forms that have been identified, and then introduce any of the following that
were not included: ballad, limerick, concrete poem, free verse, dramatic dialogue, lyric, ode, and
haiku. Guide students to add definitions, characteristics, and examples of these forms to their
notes and personal dictionaries. Let them know that you will focus on just a few of these forms
(Refer to the Literary Genres Workshop--Holt Literature, Grade 8, pp. 4, 6. See extension task.).
Connect and Engage:
• Focus attention on lyric poetry as a sub-genre. Review the characteristics, p. 633 and play a
song (e.g., Home by Chris Daughtry or teacher’s choice.) Discuss the fact that lyric comes from
the Greek lyre—that the related word, ”lyric,” refers to the words of a song.
• Introduce the poem, “Mother to Son.” Post the following gist (comprehension) questions:
What is the subject (What is the poem about?)? Who is the speaker? What do you know about
her? What is the occasion (setting)?--How do you Know?
• Tell students that they will read the poem first to establish the literal meaning. After
students have written a brief summary, answering the comprehension questions in their
Reader’s/Writer’s Notebooks, ask them to share their ideas with a partner in a turn and talk
and be ready to share with the group.
Lesson 3: Read to Interpret “Mother to Son”
• Remind students that interpretation and literary analysis are major concepts and foci for our
work in this unit. To assist learning, model the TP-CASTT strategy for analyzing and
interpreting poetry.
• Provide students a quick overview of the TP-CASTT strategy (see Resources). Then, teacher
model and engage students in guided and group practice in interpreting and analyzing a
teacher-selected poem using “TP-CASTT.”
• StepBack to Reflect On Learning. Ask students to reflect and write: What have they learned
about reading and analyzing poetry? What helped them learn? What questions do they have?
Chart and post responses.
• When students are ready, ask them to reread to interpret the text. Pair students for
support.
• Pose the text-specific interpretive question: The speaker repeats the sentence, “And life for
me ain’t been no crystal stair.” What do you think she means? As a reminder, all responses are
to be written in the Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook. Students should support their ideas with text
evidence. Allow pairs to share, then share and discuss responses among the whole group.
Facilitate the sharing to ensure that conversations/ discussions reflect Accountable Talk
features.
Lesson 4: Read “Mother to Son” to Identify and Analyze the Author’s Techniques
• Assign pairs to read the poem again to identify and analyze the author’s techniques. Observe
as pairs work; facilitate as coach, provide support, and identify next steps for instruction.
Include analysis of form and structure.
• Remind students that their analysis must include how the technique or device conveys
meaning and/or impacts the reader. Model processes to scaffold success.
• Have students share the results of the pair/trio work with the whole group when the work is
done. Establish a timeline for the task. Students will continue to develop their understanding
throughout the unit and consider invitations to complete tasks as homework. Begin a
“techniques” chart and record techniques/devices students identify in the poetry they study in
the unit. Include their descriptions of how the techniques worked in the poetry. This tool will
support success with the culminating project.
Technique/Device
Punctuation (dashes)
Example
And places with no carpet on
the floor—Bare.
How It Worked
Adds emphasis; creates
imagery of the absence of
comforts Mom had to
endure; emphasizes the
difficulty of Mother’s life.
Syntax (imperative sentences)
Guide students to analyze how the poet uses form, punctuation, syntax, dialect, and diction
(e.g., How is the poem structured/organized? What do you notice about how the author uses
verbs in the poem? . . .What is the poetic form? Why is the form effective?).
Lesson 5: Read “Speech to the Young Speech to the Progress-Toward” for Gist and
Significance
• Determine groupings based on formative assessment. Establish pairs purposefully to provide
the support that each peer needs. Establish a workshop setting. Teach mini-lessons as ongoing
formative assessment indicates, confer continually (roving conferences), and apprentice
students as poets and critics.
• Introduce the poem. Tell students that they will read and analyze this poem as they did the
first (Use TP-CASTT as appropriate). Remind them of the posted gist (comprehension)
questions. Before moving to significance task, check for understanding and ensure that
students get the gist of the poem. Engage in the significance tasks. Follow established routines.
• Students may experience difficulty paraphrasing. Press students to paraphrase the poem
before they begin to make inferences, if assessment indicates the need. They should be able to
state the theme of the poem—What is the poet saying?” Do allow students to work through the
difficulty, facilitating as coach, assessing and advancing ideas.
• Ask learners to reread the poem for significance. Tell them to identify the word, phrase,
sentence, or stanza they consider most significant to the speaker’s message. Remind them to
explain the idea they have selected using evidence from the poem. They should use a wall
chart that is posted from previous lessons or their notes to remind themselves of the criteria
for a significant moment or idea (e.g., single moment/idea from the text; explanation is based
on the text—not personal experience)
• Engage in the established routine of writing, pair-sharing, followed by sharing with the
whole group.
Lesson 6: Read to Analyze
• Pose the question: What techniques does the author use to convey her attitude/point of
view/message (metaphors, idioms, syntax, structure, alliteration, consonance, repetition,
connotations)? Use a different colored marker to add techniques to the “Techniques Chart”
(ref. Lesson 4). Guide students to compare and contrast the poets’ (Hughes and Brooks)
techniques and perspectives about their subjects.
Lesson 7: WriteLike
• Ask students to choose a technique from the chart and imitate it in an original stanza. Ask
students to indicate the technique they have imitated, and engage in a gallery walk to share
the work. Allow them to write “wonderings” and “noticings” about the technique. Model
examples of effective “wonderings” and “noticings” that invite reflection (e.g., I wonder
whether there could be a “shift” within a stanza?—prompting the writer to reflect on his/her
thinking about shifts and structure). Students do not need to respond to peers’ notes on their
work.
Lesson 8: WriteAbout (Literary Analysis)
• Connect and Engage. Briefly remind students that they have engaged in literary analysis
since beginning school. Ask them to give examples of how they have engaged in literary
analysis this year—in this unit. Ask them to make some connections to analytical tasks they
can recall as far back as 1st grade (e.g., A student might say, “We talked about why each of the
“Three Little Pigs” suffered the fate that he did.). Move the conversation to writing about
literature and (literary analysis essays).
• Tell students that their task is to choose a line or phrase that contains a literary device from
either of the two poems and write a short paragraph that explains how the device conveys
meaning or impacts the reader.
• Model the process and thinking to scaffold success. Use selected Holt resources (e.g., reading
and writing workshop resources, selected student models).
• Before students begin, collaborate with them to establish criteria for the task (e.g., includes
thesis statement, includes a specific example of the technique from the poem, explains how the
technique conveys meaning or impacts the reader, uses dashes, and/or other grammar
concept studied), supports ideas with evidence from text.
• Establish a timeline for completing the task (15-20 minutes). Confer with each student and
support them to set goals for improvement.
Differentiation:
During core program/core instructional time
• Identify small groups who need clarification about expectations, tasks, and timelines
discussed in the unit overview. Provide a calendar of the six weeks, and engage with students
to list tasks and due dates.
• Identify one or several students whose system for keeping track of assignments is an
effective model. Ask the student(s) to share his/her system with the class, including why it is
effective.
• Guide students through the Literary Genres Workshop (ref. poetry, Holt Literature, Grade 8,
pp. 4 and 6) as formative assessment indicates.
• Engage small groups in the Writing Workshop for poetry (paced and structured as
determined by need and readiness) as students study and draft their own poems, pp. 668-675.
• To develop comprehension skills, engage learners in the Unit 5 Reader’s Workshop:
Appreciating Poetry, pp. 604-609. Include notes and attention to p. 611.
• Guide students to paraphrase each stanza of the poem.
• Model writing a literary analysis paragraph in front of students (whole or small group
determined through formative assessment). Use the criteria that have been collaboratively
developed. Think aloud through the process.
Gifted and Talented Extensions:
• Ask students to identify examples of poetic forms that will not be read in this unit (e.g., ode,
sonnet). Tell them to analyze each poem to identify specific characteristics of the form and
determine the speaker and point of view, supporting their ideas with text evidence.
Ask them to bring their work to class and provide time for sharing, during which students
“instruct” their peers on characteristics and features of sub-genres.
• Invite students to create a “found poem” that gives advice to their generation. A definition,
examples, and related information are accessible at the site linked below (teacher resource).
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5780
• Invite students to read and analyze the poem “The Road Not Taken” (Robert Frost), using the
TP-CASTT strategy (individual or pair/trio work). Allow time for sharing and discussion.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/
Invite students to research ideas, subjects, and techniques that characterize poetry written in
different historical periods. Tell them to study the setting that characterizes the period and
make some inferences about how the poetry reflects the historical period.
Interventions:
Tier 2
 Engage individuals or small groups in selected parts or complete “Core Analysis Frame for
Poetry” based on need and/or readiness. Access at Holt online Resources: Analysis Frames
(located in Student Centers).
 Teach students to use the think aloud strategy to monitor their thinking as they read.
Access the strategy description and lesson at the following website, select “classroom
strategies” from the menu at the left of the screen then select “Think Alouds.”
http://www.adlit.org/
 Engage individuals or small groups in strategies to develop inferencing skills. Access the
following web site and select “classroom strategies” from the menu at the left of the screen.
Select “inferential reading.”
 http://www.adlit.org/
Tier 3
 Model the process and guide students to use the Frayer Model as a strategy for building
vocabulary. To access the strategy description and lesson at the following website, select
“classroom strategies” from the menu at the left of the screen.
http://www.adlit.org/
 Continue strategies to build comprehension skills. Help students to select books that match
their reading levels and interests. Partner read with individuals in tutoring sessions.
Definition of the strategy and lesson ideas can be accessed at the following website. Select
“classroom strategies” at the home page, then select the link for “Partner Reading:”
http://www.adlit.org/
 Provide poems or short reading passages for reading. Guide individual students to read the
selection and make inferences about an idea in the text. Prompt their inferential thinking
by asking questions based on the types of inferences skilled readers make [e.g., “What does
the author think about ______ (topic from the text). Have them highlight evidence in the text
that supports their inferences.
 Ask students to think about their processes. Have them reflect and write the steps they
took to arrive at their inferences. Discuss students’ processes, asking questions to help
them clarify.
Suggested Assessment:
Reader’s/Writer’s Notebooks
Individual fluency probes
Fluency Rubric Checklist
One Minute Fluency Checks
AR Testing
Teacher observations
Evidence of accountable talk
Completed T-Chart
STAR Diagnostic Report
Resources:
Holt McDougal Literature, 8
Teacher created material
Glencoe Writers Choice, 8
Wall Charts
Vocabulary Log
Graphic Organizer
Cornell Notes
Ancillary Material
Websites: Renaissance Place (AR),
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/readingproducts/products.html,
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/products/redbk4.pdf,
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/products/redbk2a.pdf, www.lexile.com,
www.allamericareads.org/pdf/single/during/thinkaloud1.pdf,
•College Board site about PSAT/NMSQT (PLUS) for students:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html,
• John Ulrich reading “We Real Cool”
http://www.favoritepoem.org/videos.html
• Poetry 180 Website: “How to Read a Poem Out Loud” Share important points with students.
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html
• Holt Online Resources
http://my.hrw.com
• Youth Poetry Competitions
http://www.teenink.com/Contests/PoetryC.php
Analysis: “Speech to the Young Speech to the
Progress Toward”
Ask: What do you notice about language—
diction and syntax (sentence structure)? How
does the author use structure and language to
impact the reader and meaning in the poem?
Significant Idea
Explanation
Select the word, line,
or phrase you consider
most significant to the
speaker’s message.
Explain why the idea is
significant. Support
your response with
evidence from the
poem.
TP-CASTT
TP-CASTT is an acronym for title, paraphrase,
connotation, attitude, shift, title (again), and
theme. It is designed to help students remember the
concepts they can consider when examining a poem.
This is not a lockstep sequential approach, but rather
it is a fluid process in which students will move back
and forth among the various concepts.
13 Types of Inferences Skilled Readers Make (Kyleen
Beers):
1. Recognize the antecedents for pronouns.
2. Figure out the meaning of unknown words from
context clues.
3. Figure out the grammatical function of an unknown
word.
4. Understand intonation of characters’ words.
5. Identify characters’ beliefs, personalities, and
motivations.
6. Understand characters’ relationship to one another.
7. Provide details about the setting.
8. Provide explanations for events or ideas that are
presented in the text.
9. Offer details for events or their own explanations of
the events.
10. Understand the author’s view of the world.
11. Recognize the author’s biases.
12. Relate what is happening in the text to their own
knowledge of the world.
13. Offer conclusions from facts presented in the text.
Literature Selections:
p.636
p.632
6 Weeks Novel: A Tree Grows in
Brooklyn, Tears of a Tiger
Mother to Son
Speech to the Young Speech to the
Progress-Toward
English Language Arts & Reading
Fourth Six Weeks: Weeks 3-4
Theme: Painting with Words
Time Frame: 9 Days
Genre: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Writing: Poetry
Objective:
 The students will engage in reading, writing, and talking as a way to achieve deeper
understanding of poetry.
 The students will listen actively and purposefully in a variety of settings to understand,
interpret, and monitor comprehension of the spoken word.
ELAR 8.28A; Adjust fluency when reading aloud grade-level text based on the reading purpose and the nature of the text. ELAR 8.1A; Use context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to
determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or ambiguous words or words with novel meanings. ELAR 8.2B; Summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical
order within a text and across texts. Figure 10.11020E; Synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres, and
support those findings with textual evidence.ELAR 8.10D; Make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. Figure 19.110.20D; Ask literal, interpretive,
evaluative and universal questions of text. Figure 19.110.29B; Analyze literary works that share similar themes across cultures. ELAR 8.3A; Summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways
that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts. Figure 10.11020E; Make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. Figure 19.110.20D;
Write a poem using poetic techniques, figurative language, and graphic elements. ELAR 8.15B; Identify verbs and participles ELAR 8.19i.
TEKS: Work productively with others in teams…participate productively in discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes and vote on key issues.
8th Grade
Overview:
 Develop a deeper understanding of using new vocabulary when reading and writing
 Develop a deeper understanding of structural patterns and features of poetry
 Develop a deeper understanding of working productively with others in teams
Literary Terms:
Poetry
Genre
Interpretation
Analysis
Ballad
Limerick
Haiku
Ode
Syntax
Dialect
Diction
Metaphor
Idioms
Syntax
Alliteration
consonance
Repetition
Connotations
Symbolism
Imagery
Tone
Six Weeks Project:
Write a collection of original poems that communicate a perspective of the world based on topics drawn
from the novel, The Tree Grows in Brooklyn or Tears of a Tiger.
Essential Questions:
What is poetry?
What devices/techniques do poets use to impact readers and convey messages?
What points of view do poets convey about their subjects?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Lesson 9: Activating Prior Knowledge
• Connect and Engage Ask students: What gives meaning to simple things? Begin by asking students to
think about what gives meaning to their lives. Encourage them to think about family friends, special
interests or hobbies etc. Have students take an informal survey of five to ten classmates to find out what
simple things have the most meaning for them. What types of things come up most often? As a class,
discuss and create an answer to the question “What gives meaning to simple things?”
• Suggested Homework: Ask students to survey five to ten adults (family, teachers, neighbors etc.) What
types of things come up most often? Students compare/ contrast responses to surveys of classmates and
adults.
• Introduce the poet by reading background information on p.501 in textbook.
• Students are encouraged to keep a personal word dictionary. It would be beneficial to provide a
meaningful and/or true-life story or point out etymological histories to help student grasp the meanings
of specific vocabulary. Display words on a classroom word wall.
• To enhance student understanding of poem, describe some of the different fabrics to help students
imagine their feel. Point out that organdies are stiff and transparent, white communion cotton is thin and
soft, flannel is fuzzy and warm, denim is the material blue jeans are made of, and tweeds are woven
wools. If possible, provide some cloth samples or pictures for student to see and touch.
• Preview the Title (T): Ask students to think about the title before reading the poem. What do you think
the poem might be about?
Refer to TP-CASTT chart to respond.
Lesson 10: Understanding Poetry
• Students listen to audio for “My Mother Pieced Quilts,” page 501. Explain to students that they will
prepare their own reading of the first four stanzas of the poem. For each stanza, list details that made an
impression on you or that seem important to the meaning. Students may try different ways to emphasize
the words and phrases they have identified. In small groups, members take turns reading the stanzas
aloud. Students should emphasize the words and details they noted for each stanza. Ask them to compare
readings. Ask
students to explain how different interpretations influenced their understanding of the poem.
Lesson 11: Read to Get the Gist
• Read aloud pp. 501-504. Have students listen to the poem as they follow along in their books. In the
Reader/Writer Notebook ask students to respond to the following: Who is the speaker of the poem? What
is happening in the poem? To whom is the narrator in this poem speaking? How do you know?
• Paraphrase (P): Ask students to restate the poem in their own words, focusing on one syntactical unit
at a time. Have student to write a sentence or two for each stanza of the poem. Use TP-CASTT chart.
• Shift/Progression (S): The discovery of shift can be facilitated if students are taught to watch for the
following: key words, punctuation, stanza division, changes in line or stanza length or both, changes in
sound that indicates changes in meaning or changes in diction.
• Because the poem has limited punctuation and no capitalization, readers must pay close attention to
other clues to the poem’s structure. Point out the repeated word how in lines 8, 13, 20, and 23. Explain
that each time this word appears, it introduces a new thought or memory that the speaker wonders
about or feels amazed by.
• Encourage students to notice that the flow of the poem imitates the speaker’s thoughts and feelings as
she studies each piece of the quilt and remembers its significance. Read the poem aloud to illustrate this
flow. Then invite small groups of students to prepare a choral reading of the poem. Give students the
opportunity to practice before they read aloud.
Lesson 12: Read for Significance
• Have students identify three ideas or phrases that strike them as most significant to understanding the
theme of the poem. Model creating a two-column note chart for their Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook. In
pairs/trios allow students to share their ideas/phrases and what they reveal about what the poet is
saying. Partners should listen for similarities/differences in the ideas/phrases that are chosen. Chart
student responses and explanations.
• Theme (T): In identifying the theme, the student will recognize the human experience, motivation.
Students identify and write the theme on TP-CASTT chart.
• Analyzing Visuals: Ask students to take a few moments to analyze the quilt on p. 503. What
recognizable objects can you find in this quilt? Tell what each might symbolize to the quilt maker. Ask
students to name examples of symbols in “My Mother Pieced Quilts.” What does each symbol stand for?
Students respond in Reader/Writer Notebook.
• Interpretation of Text Ask students: What does the poem suggest about the importance of family
members sharing information with the next generation? Use at least three details from the poem to
support your response. Students write responses in their Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook. Invite them to
share their entries with a partner and then with whole group.
Lesson 13: Drawing Conclusions
•You must often draw conclusions to understand the message a poet is trying to share. A conclusion is a
belief you arrive at or a logical judgment you make by combining your inferences about the poem with
your personal knowledge and experience. Ask students to record lines from the poem that illustrates the
practical, creative, and social reasons for quilting. Based on the list, students write their own conclusion
about the value in making quilts.
•Discuss the relationship between the mother and daughter. Have students collaboratively work in
pairs/trios to create a dialogue between the mother and the daughter. The dialogues should incorporate
details from the poem as subjects for the two characters to talk about. For example, the women might
discuss their memories, the quilts, making the quilts, or questions about the past or future.
Have each pair/trio act out its dialogue; then lead the class in a discussion about the differences students
observed among the scenes. Ask students if they felt the characters in each dialogue were true to the
poem.
Lesson 14: Poetry Interpretation:
• Title (T): Lead students in examining the title again, this time on an interpretive level.
• Ask students how does the speaker in “My Mother Pieced Quilts” see quilt making as a way to hold a
family together. Respond in Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook. Allow students to share responses with a
partner, then with whole group.
• Write About: In the poem, what does the speaker feel her mother provided by means of the quilts? What
does the poem say about the role of mothers?
• Engage students in a literary discussion to explain whether the poet was successful in making her
memories vivid and intimate for you as a reader. Ask students to think about the things quilts and
quilting are compared to in the poem, the senses appealed to within the poem, the speakers’ emotions
as revealed in the poem and their own emotional responses. Remind students to support their answers.
Students share responses.
• StepBack: Ask: Why do you think the memories described in the poem are so important to the speaker?
Students might think about the practical use of the quilts, how the quilts relate to the past and the
artistry of the quilts.
Lesson 15: Analyzing Writer’s Craft
• Poets use sound devices such as alliteration, consonance, assonance to express a musical quality to
their poems.
• Connotation (C): The term indicates that students should examine any and all poetic devices, focusing
on how such devices contribute to the meaning, the effect, or both of a poem. Working with a partner,
students create a chart to identify examples of sound devices used in the poem. Students briefly list
examples in appropriate columns of the chart, including line numbers. After chart is completed, ask
partners to discuss how sound devices effect the poem (e.g., creates mood, reinforces meaning,
emphasizes words, or unifies stanzas). Students will share their conclusions with the class.
• What role does imagery of color have in poem? In a pair or trio, students discuss their responses and
prepare to share with the whole group.
• Write LikeThe Author: To aid students in recalling a vivid childhood memory, have them create
cluster diagrams around the name of an adult who was important to them as a child. Ask them to list
associations and impressions relating to this person in some of the following areas: physical
characteristics, personality traits, hobbies or activities, values, special occasions shared skills, or talents.
Students write a brief paragraph.
Lesson 16: Introducing Poem “quilting”
• Invite students to take a few moments to analyze the picture on p. 505. Ask: What might the gesture in
this picture symbolize? Students share responses with whole group.
• Students read Meet the Author (p. 501) to learn about the writer of poem.
Lesson 17: Read to Get the Gist
• Post the following questions: Who is the speaker of the poem? What is happening in the poem? To whom
is the poet speaking to? Tell students to silently read the poem and answer the questions to get the literal
meaning. After students have read the poem, tell them to use their Notebook to paraphrase what the
poem is about. Students share with trio, then with whole group
• In “quilting,” where do the woman and her daughter quilt? What does the
woman in the poem find meaningful? Students respond in Notebooks.
Lesson 18: Read for Significance
• Ask students to identify three ideas or phrases that strike them as most significant to understanding
the theme of the poem. Model creating a two-column note chart in their Notebooks. In pair/trios allow
students to share their ideas/phrases and what they reveal about what the poet is saying. Partners
should listen for similarities/differences in the ideas/phrases that are chosen. Students share responses
and explanations with whole class.
• In “quilting,” the poem ends with the following question: “do the worlds continue spinning away from
each other forever?” Think about how the worlds are contrasted in the poem. Why might they be moving
apart? Explain in your answer in Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook. Share with a partner.
Lesson 19: Drawing Conclusions About the Poem
•When you read a poem, you draw conclusions to understand the message a poet is trying to share. You
make inferences based on what you read, and they you draw some kind of conclusion if you can. As
students read the poem, ask them the following: What conclusions can you draw about the two worlds in
“quilting?” List details that helped you draw those conclusions.
Lesson 20: Literary Analysis (Symbolism)
• Symbols are used in literature to represent deeper meanings in a text. They can be found in a name, an
action, an idea, or an event. Explain to students that in the two poems they have read, quilts and quilting
represent something more significant than an object or activity. Refer to Understanding Symbols in
Poetry. Ask students to use Symbolism in Poetry diagram to write clues that will help them understand
each symbol.
• Have students illustrate poem “quilting.” Students may decide to create an illustration that looks like a
quilt or they may wish to base their illustrations on other details. Encourage them to include symbolism
from the poem to show the two worlds, or possibly use patterns in a meaningful way. Suggest that they
include a border around their illustrations incorporating images or phrases from the poem. Students
write a paragraph describing the illustration, what symbols were used, and the meaning of each symbol.
Display students’ illustrations on a board.
Lesson 21: Comparing Two Poems: Ask students to create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast
“My Mother Pieced Quilts” and “quilting.” Then write an essay telling how poems are alike and different.
Lesson 22: Using Participles and Participial Phrases
• Refer to p. 507 Using Participles and Participial Phrases as grammar lesson on participles and
participial phrases.
• Write About: In “quilting” the woman and her daughter find meaning in quilting together. Identify
something that you do that you find meaning in and explain why it is meaningful. Write a paragraph or
two in Notebooks. Invite students to share their writing with a partner, and then with whole group.
• Write Like: Ask students to write a poem about something that means a great deal to them. They may
write in free verse, like the two poems they have just read, or they may write a poem that uses regular
rhythm and rhyme. Encourage students to think about the following as they write: imagery, word
sounds, line breaks, alliteration, and rhythm. Invite students to recite their poems with classmates.
Differentiation:
During core program/core instructional time
 To help students understand the structure of poem, read each stanza aloud. Point out that each stanza
presents a different aspect of how to piece together a quilt. For example help students to recognize
that the second stanza mentions the fabrics used and the third stanza explains the way the mother
created patterns from the fabrics. Ask students to speculate about why the poet uses this structure.
 If you made quilts like the mother in the poem, what colors or patterns would you use to show
important times in your own history? In each piece of the quilt, tell what colors or patterns you would
use. Write about why you chose each one. Then create a collage of your quilt.
 Explain that when poetry is read aloud, elements such as tone, sound devices, and rhythm become
more noticeable. Invite students to read “My Mother Pieced Quilts” or “quilting” aloud. They may
choose to act out some of the lines, using pieces of fabric or other props. They may choose to
pantomime some of the actions in the poem, or give a dramatic reading at the front of the class.
 After the readings, ask students what they noticed during the oral presentation that they missed when
reading silently. Did hearing it aloud give them additional insight into the poem’s meaning.
 Have students write one or two paragraphs for the following: What do the poems (“My Mother Pieced
Quilts” and “quilting”) suggest is the use or value of art such as quilts? Support you response with
details from the poems.
Gifted and Talented Extensions:
 Invite student to find out more about quilts. Students might research the following topics: materials
and techniques used to make quilts, famous quilts; contemporary quilt exhibits, the uses of quilts, and
quilts from different cultures.
 Students might contact a local craft shop for more information. Ask students to prepare a written
report and give a brief oral presentation.
 Imagine a museum has decided to show the quilts described in the poem. The speaker of the poem has
been asked to discuss her mother’s work. Write a one page speech in which the speaker explains to
the audience how the quilts were created and what they mean to her.
 Divide the class into small groups and assign each group to do research on a popular American quilt
pattern, including (but not limited to) the Underground Railroad, Lob Cabin, Crazy Quilts, Friendship
Quilts etc. Have each group make a poster showing what they learned about the pattern (or family of
patterns), its development, and what it looks like. Some groups may choose to explore the more
contemporary art form of quilting. Encourage students to include samples of quilting fabric on their
posters. Have each group present its poster to the class and share information about the pattern or
related quilting topic. Hang posters on a bulletin board.
 Have students write an editorial that articulates their point of view about the two worlds from the
poem “quilting.” Students may choose to champion one world over the other, or they may express the
point of view that the two worlds should work to come together. Remind students that a strong
editorial will include logical support for the opinion.
Interventions:
Tier 2
 In a small group setting, explain that readers should not pause at the end of every line of poetry, but
when there is a shift in thought. Remind students that stanzas are like paragraphs. Distribute a copy of
the poem and help them mark pauses by inserting punctuation marks where appropriate. Have
students practice reading the poem aloud to a partner.
 In Reader’s/ Writer’s Notebook, ask students to copy and complete the following statements: My most
vivid memory of a parent or other adult from my childhood is___________. At the time, I remember
feeling________ about the experience.
 Now I feel _______ about the experience.
 Ask students to design their own quilt squares in order to illustrate a meaningful childhood moment.
 Have students work in small groups to identify and categorize examples of figurative language form
the poem. Chart responses. Ask students to decide which is the most memorable or vivid image in the
poem. Have them discuss why it is so effective.
 Ask students to explain how each speaker in “My Mother Pieced Quilts” and “quilting” uses a quilt as a
symbol for love and connection. Students work in small groups to find the clues that support
symbolism used by each writer. Chart and discuss student responses.
Tier 3
• Encourage students to work with a partner to pantomime the meaning of words, create visual word
webs with related words and synonyms, and use graphic organizers for word building.
• Identify the main idea in the poem as well as the supporting details. Explain to students how the details
support the main ideas. Simplify text by paraphrasing and rephrasing sections of text, such as
sentences or stanzas. Break down complex sentences into simple sentences.
• To help students visualize, or picture the scenes a poet describes, ask them to pause and study the
details the poet uses. How does the writer describe a particular person, place or thing? Invite students to
draw several pictures reflecting their thoughts about the poem. With a partner or small groups talk
about the pictures they drew. Conversation topics might include:

Why did you draw these particular pictures in response to the texts?

How did these ideas relate to the poem?

Which of your pictures do you think the writer would choose as a representation of the poem?

If you could only choose one picture to use in telling someone else about the poem? Which one
would you choose? Why?
 Working with small groups assist students in completing the following sentences to analyze symbols.

In “My Mother Pieced Quilts,” the quilts symbolize_____ because ________.

In “quilting,” the act of quilting symbolizes ____

because _______.
Suggested Assessment:
Reader’s/Writer’s Notebooks
Individual fluency probes
Fluency Rubric Checklist
One Minute Fluency Checks
AR Testing
Teacher observations
Evidence of accountable talk
Graphic Organizers
STAR Diagnostic Report
Resources:
Holt McDougal Literature, 8
Glencoe Writers Choice, 8
Vocabulary Log
Cornell Notes
Audio Anthology CD
Teacher created material
Wall Charts
Graphic Organizer
Ancillary Material
Websites: Renaissance Place (AR), http://www.tea.state.tx.us/readingproducts/products.html,
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/products/redbk4.pdf,
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/products/redbk2a.pdf, www.lexile.com,
www.allamericareads.org/pdf/single/during/thinkaloud1.pdf,
•College Board site about PSAT/NMSQT (PLUS) for students:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html,
• John Ulrich reading “We Real Cool”
http://www.favoritepoem.org/videos.html
• Poetry 180 Website: “How to Read a Poem Out Loud” Share important points with students.
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html
• Holt Online Resources
http://my.hrw.com
• Youth Poetry Competitions
http://www.teenink.com/Contests/PoetryC.php
Poem
Allieration
(repetition of
consonant sounds at
the beginning of
words)
Consonance
(repetition of
consonant sounds
within and at the end
of words)
“My Mother Pieces
Quilted”
Understanding Symbols in Poetry
Use the following tips to understand symbols in
poetry:
 Think about the big ideas each line or stanza
expresses. Ask: what message about families, art,
or other big topics is the poem communicating?
 Pay attention to the poet’s word choice. Ask:
Which words have positive associations? Which
have negative associations?
 Notice how the symbol relates to the big ideas in
the poem. Ask: In what way do quilts or quilting
help convey the poem’s message?
TP-CASTT
TP-CASTT is an acronym for title, paraphrase, connotation,
attitude, shift, title (again), and theme. It is designed to help
students remember the concepts they can consider when examining a
Repetition
(a technique in which
sounds, word, phrase,
or line is repeated for
emphasis or unity)
poem. This is not a lockstep sequential approach, but rather it is a
fluid process in which students will move back and forth among the
various concepts.
Literature Selections:
pp.502-504
pp.527-528
6 Weeks Novel: A Tree Grows in
Brooklyn, Tears of a Tiger
My Mother Pieced Quilts
Participles & Participles Phrases
Grammar
English Language Arts & Reading
Fourth Six Weeks: Weeks 5-6
Theme: Painting with Words
Time Frame: 9 Days
Genre: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Writing: Poetry
Explain how the
values and
beliefs of
particular
characters are
affected by the
historical and
cultural setting
of the literary
work. ELAR
8.3C;
Summarize the
main ideas,
TEKS:
8th Grade
Objective:
 The students will read and reread texts to answer questions from the nit and students’ own
questions.
 The students will write to learn about ideas, style, language, and conventions and to develop
complex ideas and personal writing styles.
 The students will participate in pair/trio and whole group.
 The students will make language choices and use conventions that help us write more
effective narratives.
Overview:
 Develop a deeper understanding of the writing process to compose text
 Develop a deeper understanding of structural patterns and features of poetry
 Develop a deeper understanding of the function of and using the conventions of academic
language
 Develop a deeper understanding of working productively with others in teams
Literary Terms:
Poetry
Genre
Interpretation
Analysis
Ballad
Limerick
Haiku
Ode
Syntax
Dialect
Diction
Metaphor
Idioms
Syntax
Alliteration
consonance
Repetition
Connotations
Symbolism
Imagery
Tone
Narrative
Internal conflict
External conflict
Six Weeks Project:
Write a collection of original poems that communicate a perspective of the world based on topics
drawn from the novel, The Tree Grows in Brooklyn or Tears of a Tiger.
Essential Questions:
What is poetry?
What devices/techniques do poets use to impact readers and convey messages?
What points of view do poets convey about their subjects?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Lesson 23: Read “Barbara Frietchie” and “John Henry” to Get he Gist
• Connect and Engage
 Ask students: Is it ever right to give up? Brainstorm on what the word “persevere” means to
them. Have students think of someone they know who has continued despite obstacles. Ask
volunteers to tell a brief story about what the person did and how he or she was able to
persevere.
 QuickWrite: Ask students to think of a situation in which they gave up doing something such as
playing an instrument or being on a team. Encourage students to write a brief paragraph
explaining the positive and negative consequences of their decision.
 Find what students know about how an effective narrative poetry should look like. Record
students’ responses on a chart. Review the elements of a narrative. Ask: In what ways are
narrative poems similar to short stories? Emphasize the importance of the following elements in
a narrative poetry: characters (major or minor), setting (implied or directly stated), and plot
particularly the conflict (internal or external).Model how to identify elements of a narrative
poetry. (See example on TE p. 137.)
• Read to Get the Gist of “Barbara Frietchie” and “John Henry”
 Provide students with information about the author and background information to the poem
on page 291.
 Encourage students to use Active Reading Strategies such as annotating the text using the TPCASTT method to figure out what the poem means and to keep track of their thinking as they
read the text. (See TP-CASTT chart.)
 Ponder the Title. Guide students to pre view the text and point out the title. Ask students to turn
the title into a question. Ask: What could the title mean? Encourage students to predict what the
poem may be about. Remind students that sometimes the title is very straightforward, and it
tells a great deal about what to expect from the poem. More often, the title is somewhat cryptic
in nature and that one has to figure out what it really means.
 As students read the text, ask them to keep in mind the following comprehension questions:
What is the subject? (What is the poem about?) Who is the speaker? (Is it the main character?)
What is the occasion (Where and when the story happens?) How do you know? Post the
comprehension questions. Remind students to pay particular attention to the character’s
thoughts, words, actions, and the author’s descriptions as they read the poem.
 Begin reading the text aloud while students read along. Predetermine a check-point within the
poem to assess students understanding by asking comprehension questions.
 Paraphrase the Poem. Ask: What’s going on in the poem? Have students restate the poem in
their own words, focusing on one syntactical unit at a time, not necessarily on one line at a time.
Another possibility is to ask students to write a sentence or two for each stanza of the poem.
Students may turn and talk in pairs to discuss what has happened so far and to share their gist
of the poem.
• Whole Class Discussion of Comprehension Questions
 After students have finished reading and paraphrasing the poem, return to the comprehension
questions to make sure that all students have general understanding of the literal meaning, “the
plot,” of the poem.
 StepBack on Reading: Ask students “What helped you figure out and understand what
happened in this poem?”
Lesson 24: Reread “Barbara Frietchie” “John Henry” for Significant Moments
• Invite students to reread the text and identify what they think are the three words, phrases, lines,
or sentences that are most significant to their understanding of the poem. The significant moments
may be related to the understanding of the character (traits, belief, motivation, etc.), conflicts, key
plot events, theme, etc. They should use the T-chart as routine.
• StepBack: Encourage students to reflect with a partner. Ask: What did you do to explain the
significance to the text? What did you learn from hearing a range of moments and explanations?
Students record their responses in their Reader/Writer Notebook.
Lesson 25: Reread to Interpret and Analyze the Text
Examine Connotation (Poetic Devices), Attitude, Shifts, Title, and Theme that may be present in
the poems “Barbara Frietchie” and “John Henry”
• Invite students to reread the poem and respond to the following interpretive questions: What do
Barbara Frietchie and John Henry symbolize in the text? How has the setting changed? What is the
speaker’s attitude toward the main character’s action? How would you describe the main character’s
attitude? Encourage students to write their responses in their Reader/Writer’s Notebooks.
• Compare and Contrast. Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast the characters of Barbara
Frietchie and John Henry. Are they more similar or different?
• Examine the Title. Invite the students to look at the title again, this time on an interpretive level.
Ask students: What does it mean to you now that you have analyzed the poem?
• Determine the Theme. Guide students in identifying the theme by recognizing the human
experience, motivation, or condition suggested by the poem. Ask students to state the theme of the
poem in a sentence. Ask students: What truth about life is the poet making? Guide students in
identifying the theme because all too often students confused the subject matter as the theme. (See
Steps in Identifying the Theme in a Poem.)
• Analyze the sound devices (rhyme, rhythm, repetition, etc.) and other poetic techniques used by
the author. Ask students: What do these contribute to the poem’s meaning or effect?
• WriteLike Whittier. Model a WriteLike by writing at least three stanzas about a moment when
you persevere. Use rhyme (end words of couplets), rhythm (four stressed syllables in most lines),
repetition, and a dialogue to reveal character’s traits and values. Encourage students to begin writing
their three stanzas. Assist any students who are having difficulty in doing the task.
• Revisit Characteristics Chart. Ask students what they like about Whittier’s poem; have students
refer to the text when sharing. Then ask: What did the writer do to make you want to keep reading?
Guide students in comparing their responses with what is on the chart. Add only new ideas to chart.
“What Makes A Narrative Poetry Interesting to Readers?”
Lesson 26: Writing a Narrative Poem
• Prewriting
 When writing a narrative poetry, a good place to start is with one’s own life’s experiences.
Encourage students to choose experiences that can be captured in a snapshot. Ask students to
think of a moment when they “persevere.” Invite students to brainstorm four different
“snapshot” experiences that they may be able to write a narrative poem about. Choose one
moment to write about. Encourage students to use a poem writing template to help them gather
ideas for a possible poem.
 Ask students to think about their audience and purpose. If they are writing a narrative poem,
they need to make the readers feel as if they are witnessing the action firsthand. To accomplish
this, students must think about their audience. What kinds of details will draw the readers into
the poem and help them see or feel what you are writing about?
 Guide students in gathering sensory details (use figurative language) about that experience.
Students may list all possible details through clustering graphic organizer. Remind students not
to leave hole in the poem that would prevent a reader from connecting to their poems.
 Now that students have images, ask them to choose character/s for their poems. Encourage
students to complete a Character Traits Web or Character Map to help them understand and
sort out the thoughts, actions, traits, and motivations of a character. Ask students to think of
who will be the speaker of the poem and from what point of view the poem will be narrated.
 Ask students to determine the conflict in the poem. What are the internal or external conflicts in
the moment you have chosen? How is the conflict resolved?
 Guide students to create their own plot line.
• Drafting, Revising, and Editing
 Follow the guidelines in teaching students how to draft, revise, and edit their poems through
the Writing Workshop: Poem, on pp. 668-675. Guide students in generating a class rubric for an
effective narrative poem which will be used in assessing the effectiveness of their poems.
• Publishing Final Drafts
 Have a chair at the front of the class with a sign on it that says “Author Chair.” Invite student
volunteers to sit in the chair to read the final draft of their narrative poem to the rest of the
class.
 Remember to review the norms for listening before the sharing starts.
 After each student reads, as the class: What did you learn about perseverance from this narrative
poem?
 Invite students to post their final drafts around the room or in the hallway.
Differentiation:
During core program/core instructional time
• Encourage multiple readings of the poems. Read the poems aloud for students, or have students
listen to the poems on the Audio Anthology CD or by logging in this website: http://my.hrw.com ,
under Accessible Pages, click Play Audio icon. Then have students read each poem aloud to partner
and work together to summarize the narratives.
• Point out that poet may use unusual word order to help them rhyme words at the end of the lines
and maintain a regular rhythm. To illustrate, contrast line 33 (normal: verb follows subject) with line
23 (inverted: verb precedes subject). Pair students with fluent speakers to identify sentences with
inverted word order and restate them in normal word order. Students may write their answers in a
Two-Column Chart.
• Continue conferencing with individual students to suggest on areas they need to improve in their
writing.
• Based on observations and student conferences, work with small groups to provide mini-lessons
on specific concepts that students need reinforcement.
Extensions:
• Have small groups of students choose one of the poems and create a story map in which they
identify the setting, characters, plot (sequence of events including conflict), point of view, and theme.
• Invite students to learn more about the origins of the ballad of John Henry and listen to different
recordings of it at this website: http://www.ibiblio.org/john_henry/musicanalysis.html. In groups of
three, ask students to choose three recordings and listen to each several times. Have them choose
their favorite and make notes about why it impressed them. Be ready to share your findings to the
whole class.
• Have students give a dramatic reading (Reader’s Theater) of “Barbara Frietche.” Form groups of
four or five. Within these groups, students should break the poem’s narrative into logical parts:
exposition, conflict, and so forth-for individual readers. For example, lines 1-12 describe the setting
and background for the dramatic encounter between Frietchie and Stonewall Jackson. This section
could be assigned to the first reader. Give students enough time to practice before they present their
readings to the class.
Interventions:
Tier 2
• Tell students that when reading poetry, they should use punctuation to know when to pause.
Instead of stopping at the end of every line, encourage students to pause briefly after a comma
and slightly longer after a period or a semicolon. Encourage students to read poems aloud to help
them gain understanding. (See Resource manager-Copy Master, Reading Fluency, pp.178-179.)
• Ask students to retell the story of Frietchie or John Henry in prose using their own words. Before
they write, they should reread the poem aloud, paraphrasing the events in each stanza. Have
students skim the poem to list the key incidents and statements that tell the story. Have students
refer to this list as they write. Encourage students to make their retellings as interesting and
dramatic as the ballad. Suggest that they include one or more quotations that capture the
character’s traits.
• Have students locate the description of the Union flag (lines 13-14) and compare it to the
photograph on page 293. Discuss the symbolism of the stars and stripes. Then have students
draw or describe the flags of countries with which they have personal connection. Ask them to
explain what the various features of the flag mean.
• Have students copy four to six lines from the poem onto a sheet of paper. Then have one partner
read a line while the other indicates which syllables are stressed and unstressed, using the marks
shown on page 291. Partners should take turns until all the lines are marked. Encourage students
to notice patterns in each line.
• Invite students to read sample scored “2” TAKS/STAAR compositions. With a partner, ask students
to identify a character in the sample composition that they want to develop. Give students time to
rewrite the paper. Students share the revised compositions.
Tier 3
• Encourage students to work with a partner to pantomime the meaning of words, create visual
word webs with related words and synonyms, and use graphic organizers for word building.
• Identify the main idea in the poem as well as the supporting details. Explain to students how the
details support the main ideas. Simplify text by paraphrasing and rephrasing sections of text, such
as sentences or stanzas. Break down complex sentences into simple sentences.
• To help students visualize, or picture the scenes a poet describes, ask them to pause and study the
details the poet uses. How does the writer describe a particular person, place or thing? Invite
students to draw several pictures reflecting their thoughts about the poem. With a partner or small
groups talk about the pictures they drew. Conversation topics might include:
 Why did you draw these particular pictures in response to the texts?
 How did these ideas relate to the poem?
 Which of your pictures do you think the writer would choose as a representation of the poem?
 If you could only choose one picture to use in telling someone else about the poem? Which one
would you choose? Why?
 Working with small groups assist students in completing the following sentences to analyze
symbols.
In “My Mother Pieced Quilts,” the quilts symbolize_____ because ________.
In “quilting,” the act of quilting symbolizes ____
because _______.
Suggested Assessment:
Reader’s/Writer’s Notebooks
Individual fluency probes
Fluency Rubric Checklist
One Minute Fluency Checks
AR Testing
Assessments
Resources:
Holt McDougal Literature, 8
Glencoe Writers Choice, 8
Vocabulary Log
Cornell Notes
Reader’s Theatre
Teacher observations
Evidence of accountable talk
Graphic Organizers
STAR Diagnostic Report
Rubrics
Project
Teacher created material
Wall Charts
Graphic Organizer
Ancillary Material
Audio Anthology CD
Websites: Renaissance Place (AR), http://www.tea.state.tx.us/readingproducts/products.html,
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/products/redbk4.pdf,
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/products/redbk2a.pdf, www.lexile.com,
www.allamericareads.org/pdf/single/during/thinkaloud1.pdf,
•College Board site about PSAT/NMSQT (PLUS) for students:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html,
• John Ulrich reading “We Real Cool”
http://www.favoritepoem.org/videos.html
• Poetry 180 Website: “How to Read a Poem Out Loud” Share important points with students.
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html
• Holt Online Resources
http://my.hrw.com
• Youth Poetry Competitions
http://www.teenink.com/Contests/PoetryC.php
TP-CASTT
TP-CASTT is an acronym for title, paraphrase,
connotation, attitude, shift, title (again), and
theme. It is designed to help students remember the
concepts they can consider when examining a poem.
This is not a lockstep sequential approach, but rather
it is a fluid process in which students will move back
and forth among the various concepts.
Steps in Identifying the Theme in a Poem
1. Summarize the “plot” of the poem in a paragraph
(in writing or orally).
2. List the subject(s) of the poem (moving from
literal subjects to abstract concepts such as
death, war, discovery),
3. Write in a complete sentence what the poet is
saying about each subject. You have jus identified
the theme.







Poetry Collection Rubric
Word processed or neat penmanship
Creative, artistic presentation
Correct conventions
Subjects relate to topics drawn from The
Contender
At least _______ poems included in collection
Collection includes ________ (forms)
Techniques include: (list)
Literature Selections:
pp.292-299
pp.668-675
6 Weeks Novel: A TreeFGrows in
Brooklyn, Tears of a Tiger
Barbara Frietchie and John Henry
Writing Workshop
Writing