“Abandoned Farmhouse” Poetry Investigation
Follow the steps below carefully and accurately, checking in with Mrs. Moege
as needed. Use your work time wisely and efficiently to stay on track.
Day 1
Step 1: Word Association/Predicting
- In your iPad notebook, brainstorm for 5 minutes about what the title “Abandoned
Farmhouse” might mean, what the poem might be about, what “abandoned” looks like.
- Date and title this entry “Abandoned Farmhouse.”
Step 2: Reading and Annotating the Poem
- Pick up a poem from Mrs. Moege.
- Read the poem several times.
- As you read the poem, write down questions or comments you have next to the
lines/words you have questions/comments about (at least 5-7 questions and/or
comments). See Mrs. Moege’s examples on the homework page.
o What do you think certain lines mean?
o Are there words/phrases you do not understand?
o What questions do you have about certain lines?
Step 3: Partner Discussion
- With a partner, talk about what you marked in the poem and why.
- What do you learn from each other?
Step 4: Written Reflection
- In your iPad notebook, thoroughly answer the following questions in three separate
paragraphs:
o What does the text say? (summarize what you understood or know for sure;
review the facts presented in the poem)
o What does the text mean? (review the facts and infer what you think is going on;
read between the lines and interpret the poem)
o Why does the text matter? (review what the author’s message might be; review
what’s important and why)
- Date and title this entry “Say, Mean, Matter.”
Day Two
Step 5: Small Group Discussion
- Review the written reflection from Step 4 (what the text says, what the text means, and
why it matters). What do you learn from each other? What questions do you still have
about the poem?
Step 6: Whole Group Discussion.
- Review written reflection from Step 4 (what the text says, what the text means, and why
it matters). What do you learn from each other?
Step 7: Written Prediction:
- Based on the class discussion and the theories presented, what do you think is the
“something” that happened? Why?
- Write what you think happened with this family. You can create your own short story,
write in diary/journal form, or explain in several paragraphs. You must write a minimum
of 250 words.