Running Head: HANNAH KOOK’S LESSON PLAN
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Name: (Your name)
Hannah K. Kook
Grade Level:
10th grade
Title of Lesson Plan:
Identify Figurative Language in Poetry: Similes and Metaphors in Langston Hughes' "A
Dream Deferred"
Summary:
I wanted to teach poetry for 2nd quarter, so I decided to start off the unit by
introducing figurative language in poetry. I wanted to focus on similes and metaphors in
particular. Also, I wanted to teach my students about how poets are inspired to write.
For this particular lesson, I wanted to teach "A Dream Deferred" by Langston
Hughes (1996). He was a part of the Harlem Renaissance, and also a significant member
of the Black community during that time. Langston Hughes primarily uses similes and
metaphors in this particular poem. I will be using modern pop culture references in this
lesson. In particular, I wanted to introduce “Empire State of Mind” By Jay-Z and Alicia
Keys as the song has similar themes with Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred.”
Student Learning Objective:
Students will be able to identify similes and metaphors and also explain why the
poet is using these devices. Also, students will be able to explain the poet's intention for
writing this poem. After the lesson, students should be able to write a short poem that
explores their dreams for the future using similes and metaphors correctly.
Students will gain knowledge on similes and metaphors in poetry, and will be
able to identify these figurative devices in a poem. I will be using Bloom’s Taxonomy
(1956) to assess my students. In the learning stage (Bloom, 1956), they will be able to
explain how and why the poet is using these figurative devices as a comparison point. In
the analysis stage, they will have to use the information they have learned to recognize
hidden meanings from the poem. In the synthesis stage, students will have to produce
their own poems using similes and metaphors, and in order to do this correctly; they
must be able to use old ideas to create new ideas. In the evaluation stage, students
must explain their poem in two paragraphs, and also explain what the similes and
metaphors are used for in their poems.
Materials Used by the Teacher:
Projector, Laptop, copies of "A Dream Deferred," Whiteboard, PowerPoint
lecture on Figurative Language in poetry with a focus on similes and metaphors, You
Tube video of Alicia Keys' and Jay-Z's "New York State of Mind" to introduce the
significance of New York City to Langston Hughes, You tube video introducing the
Harlem Renaissance
HANNAH KOOK’S LESSON PLAN
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Materials Used by the Students:
Writing materials, drawing materials (if they wanted to decorate their poems,
since I will be putting them around the classroom), paper, and the PowerPoint lecture
for reference and guidance in doing their assignment.
Technologies Used by the Teacher:
PowerPoint, projector, laptop, You tube videos
Technologies Used by the Students:
Laptops, Photoshop (if they wanted to decorate their poems for display),
Microsoft Word, and the Internet (for further research)
Intended Learning Outcomes:
Students will gain knowledge on the Harlem Renaissance, and why that time
period prompted Langston Hughes to write his poems. Students will also know how to
identify metaphors and similes in poetry; and they will also be able to use them properly
in a poem, in which I will choose the theme they will write about.
Instructional Procedures:
As students come into class, they will first be required to do the bell work for the
day, which are their journals. The journal topic for the day will ask students to write
about what their future dreams consist of. After their journals are complete, I will
introduce the anticipatory set which will be the Alicia Keys and Jay-Z music video for
"Empire State of Mind." I will ask students what they thought of the video, but most
importantly what they thought the song was saying about New York City. The song goes
into detail about how New York City is the place where "dreams are made of." As
students identify this, I will introduce Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. I
will introduce him by saying that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys would not exist today without
Langston Hughes.
I will then show my students the video on the Harlem Renaissance, and ask them
what they thought of the video. I will then ask my students why this particular time
period was called the Harlem Renaissance. Once they are able to explain that Langston
Hughes was inspired during this time period, I will then give them a brief biographical
explanation on Langston Hughes. Once students are more familiar with the author's
background, I will call on some students to read the poem. They will all have individual
copies, and the poem will also be displayed through the projector. Once we have
completed reading it as a class, I will ask students what they thought of the poem. After
I hear their thoughts, I will ask them what Langston Hughes is comparing a deferred
dream to. At this point, I will also have to explain the definition of "deferred."
I wanted to read the poem as a class before I start my lecture on figurative language.
After we discuss the poem as a class, I will introduce the lecture and talk about how
Langston Hughes was able to write his poem. Students will be able to see that similes
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HANNAH KOOK’S LESSON PLAN
and metaphors are the primary figurative devices Langston Hughes used in his poem.
Once students have an understanding of this, I will ask students to reread the poem
again, and this time, identify the metaphors and similes on their paper.
We will go over this together as a class, and I will make sure that the students
answered it correctly. After this part is complete, I will then ask students to write a
poem (10 lines total) using similes and metaphors (2 examples each) to describe their
future dreams and goals. I will offer them the option of doing the final draft at home if
they wanted to use Photoshop or other computer software to make it look more
presentable, but their rough drafts must be checked by me before they leave the class,
as that is their exit ticket.
Extensions:
The great thing about this lesson is that since I will be teaching poetry as one
unit for the whole quarter, this is an introductory lesson to poetry. Throughout the next
couple of weeks, we will continue to build upon the knowledge of poetry and poetic
devices, that by the end of the unit, students will have a complete understanding of the
mechanics of poetry. For the final project of the quarter, students will have to write a
poem that uses all poetic devices. In February, my school has a poetry festival, so
students will use their poems they write to perform it at the festival.
Assessment Plan:
The grading rubric for the students' poem will be on a 20-point scale. For every
example of a correctly used simile and metaphor, students will receive 2 points each.
For this portion, students will have the opportunity to receive 8 points total, since they
are required to come up with 2 similes and 2 metaphors each for their poems. For
meeting the length requirement (10 lines), students will receive 6 points. Students must
also title their poems, and that will be counted as 4 points. Also, presentation will be
graded. That will be worth 2 points.
References
(1996, June 25). A dream deferred by Langston Hughes.
HANNAH KOOK’S LESSON PLAN
Retrieved January 26, 2013, from:
http://www.cswnet.com/~menamc/langston.htm
Bloom, B. S. (2010, July 5). Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains.
Retrieved January 26, 2013,
from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html
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