Authentic Voice in Poetry | Lesson Plans | Weeks of 10/19/15 & 10/26/15 Katz
Weekly Objectives—Students will be able to (SWBAT):
 Share out their poetry emulations from last week
 Give constructive feedback to each other on the work
 Study the ideas behind the Transcendental Poetic Movement and apply those principals to his/her original work
 Continue to focus on the use of Appositives and developing fresher not stale or cliché metaphors in their poetry
(cumulative goal.)
 Work independently to write and give peer reviews to each other
 Work with instructor to move toward deep revision
 Prepare for the Creative Writing Showcase reading this Thursday
NOTE: Due to the preparations and rehearsal needed to perform in the CW/Metamorphosis Showcase on Thursday this
lesson plan will cover two weeks. All time not spent rehearsing and preparing for the showcase will be spent working on
the research and writing of the Transcendentalist Poem.
10/19/15 & 10/26/15
Meta Monday:
 Readers:
o share out the poem you wrote last week.
o Introduce the poem by using the cover sheet questions
 Listeners:
o Give positive, writerly, useful feedback to readers
Transcendental Tuesday- Introduction of the Transcendental Movement in poetry
 Introduction of Walt Whitman as a transcendentalist—scaffolding for the upcoming reading and writing unit on
his “Song of Myself.”
 Begin writing like a transcendentalist
 Use of the website compendium of transcendentalist poetry “Poet Seer.Com” to find a poem to emulate.
Wednesday/Thursday:
 Performers prepare and rehearse for the CW Showcase reading on Thursday.
 Students not performing will continue to work on their poem
Friday through Friday of the following week:
 Writing, revising
 Intro to Whitman’s Song of Myself (if we have time.)
Authentic Voice/Poetry: Checklist 2B Intro to Transcendentalism
How to eat a Poem: Section 1—Magic Words

Name __________________ Date _______
final
SWBAT turn in a packet that includes the following
revisions and the answers to the
questions below. Plan to have at least three drafts and deep revision conference with Ms. Katz on
this poem.
1. Before you show your poem draft to me the following revisions and edits should be made. I will
not read it if anything on this list is missing. This is basic good writing!
 Poetry should be in 12 pt type.
 Typeface should be one of the following only: Palatino Linotype, Calibri, Cambria, or
Times New Roman
 No word art! (Not even in the title)
 Poetry should be single spaced within stanzas and double spaced between stanzas
 The title of the poem in bold with your name under it should appear at the top of the
poem
 Yes, it must have a title. If you can’t think of one, initially, it’s perfectly
respectable to use the first word or line of the poem. But eventually a title,
which enhances the meaning of the poem will be expected.
 Spell checked
 Upper and lower case decisions made by you…not Microsoft Word
 Punctuation well thought out
2. Draft 3 or more and post Katz review with fine tuned edits (your last edits might be the
difference between one word and another…poetry is for the obsessive compulsive writer…be
one.)
Mini Mighty Capstone Questions:
A. What is the name of the poem and poet that inspired/influenced your poem?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
B. What are the Literary and Transcendental Elements you stole from the original poem to write your poem?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
C. What did Transcendentalism come to mean to you…answer with both your head (intellectually) and your
hear (emotionally.)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
D. In what way has transcendentalism affected your writing this week.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________