Implementation Plan
11th Grade
Theme: The Human Spirit
Selection: “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
Overarching Essential Goals:
__X__ Goal I: Describe, interpret, and evaluate classical and contemporary fictional texts of
many cultures in order to construct meaning, extend understanding and demonstrate
appreciation. (1.3, 1.4)
____ Goal II: Interpret and evaluate informational text in order to construct meaning.
__X__ Goal III: Produce written texts in a variety of modes appropriate to audience, purpose,
and tasks. (3.1, 3.5)
__X__ Goal IV: Employ research skills. (4.4)
__X__ Goal V: Communicate effectively in creative and critical formats using various media.
(5.1, 5.3)
Unit Theme Introduction: “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
Through reading “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman the student will appreciate
Whitman as a voice of America’s diversity and a spokesperson for progress.
Learner Outcomes:
Differentiated Instructional
Activities/ Strategies:
1.3—Read and respond to poem.
Quickwrite response and list activity.
Listen to audio-recording of poem.
Paraphrase poem.
Students will answer and discuss Response and
Analysis questions.
1.4—Recognize and apply with increased
proficiency the elements of the author’s
craft in analysis and interpretation.
Literary Focus- Cataloguing
Review poetic devices used in piece.
Show students mural and hold discussion
on how mural relates to the poem.
Discuss elliptical construction and how to
infer and understand contextual
meaning and inversion.
3.1—Produce texts in a variety of
lengths that demonstrate an
understanding of the structure
and elements of blended forms.
Students catalog the ‘songs’ of
contemporary workers.
3.5—Compose, revise, and edit with
increasing proficiency works suitable
for publication and/ or presentation.
Write a response to literature analyzing literary
elements in this poem (parallelism) and
cataloguing them. (With teacher generated
rubric.)
4.4—Use print, auditory, and visual media
in research.
Identify examples of cataloguing, cadence, and
parallelism in advertisements and/ or music.
5.1—Apply effective listening and
speaking skills in a variety of settings.
Present a dramatic reading poem to class.
5.3—Select a means to communicate
understanding and interpretation of ideas.
Produce a mural that reflects American or local
trade and technologies.
Research, identify and share with class a musical
selection which contains repetition, cataloguing
and/ or parallelism.
Resources:
Holt Elements of Literature Fifth Course-annotated Teacher’s Edition pages 306-312.
The Holt Reader Fifth Course pages 128-130.
Quickwrite: The Holt Text page 310.
CD ROM text audio-recording.
CD ROM text selection summary in Spanish.
Vocabulary: The Holt Text page 313.
Vocabulary: Holt Reading Solutions pages 105, 107, and 113.
Author Background: (Walt Whitman) The Holt Text page 307-309.
Reader Response Log—side bar questions in The Holt Reader Fifth Course pages 129.
The Holt Reader Fifth Course Skills Practice—Parallel Structure page 130.
Holt Assessment rubrics on page 61.
Extension Activities:
Scan poem for cadence and other poetic elements.
Use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast “Song of Myself” and “I Hear America
Singing”.
Write a poem that makes use of poetic elements in the style of “I Hear America Singing”.
Produce an advertising campaign which catalogs the trade offerings.
Translate the poem into another language and present a reading to the class.
Research examples of cataloging used in print.
Informal Assessments:
Reader Response Log—side bar questions
Participation in small and large group discussion.
Formal Assessments:
Response and Analysis Questions on page 312.
The Holt Reader Fifth Course Skills Practice—Parallel Structure.
Vocabulary and Comprehension in Holt Reading Solutions page 107.
Vocabulary: The Holt Text page 313.
Vocabulary: Holt Reading Solutions pages 105, 107, and 113.
Recitation Poem. (See Holt Assessment rubrics on page 61.)