12th Grade English/Language Arts
Sixth Six Weeks: Week 1
Writer: Lacy Starnes
TEKS:
1E,3A, 14B
Objective:
 Students are introduced to the Romantic Period
 Students are introduced to Romantic Poets/Poetry
 Students review how to analyze elements of Poetry
Overview:
 Students begin this unit by learning some historical background and major ideas presented concerning
the Romantic Period
 After learning some major points about the Romantic Period, students are introduced to some of the
known Romantic poets such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Byron
 While looking at Romantic poets, students review and refresh their knowledge of how to analyze poetry
using TP-CASTT, and sharpening their skills to specifically locate diction, imagery and tone
Essential Questions:
What is the Romantic Period?
What identifying elements mark the Romantic Period?
Who are some of the most famous Romantic Poets?
What is TP-CASTT and why do we use it?
How does identifying diction, imagery, and tone help determine author’s purpose?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
REBELS AND DREAMERS
The Romantic Period
(P. 714 in Prentice Hall textbook)
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart”
-William Wordsworth
Welcome to the Romantic Period!
This is a time period that celebrated simplicity of nature, emotion over logic, and the individual over society. It is
important for students to understand what caused the Romantic movement just as much as what beautiful work
came as result of it. In reaction to such things as the Industrial Revolution and Age of Enlightenment, the Romantic
era acted as a revolt against societal and political norms. To further explain this time period, please consult the
Prentice Hall textbook starting on Page 714.
-On page 716, as a class, read “Snapshot of the Period” which gives an explanation into why British Romantic
writers began to lose faith in science and reason.
-On page 718, as a class, focus on some of the historical happenings occurring during this time period and discuss
why these events would influence others to begin revolting.
-On pages 720-727, break students into groups and assign each group a portion of this section. Allow them to
“teach” what they were assigned while others take notes. This is a great way to promote collaborative learning in
the classroom!
Romantic Poets
Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats—These are the names of some of the most famous Romantic Poets of
the era. Students should become familiar with these names and some of their most memorable pieces. It is
important that the teacher identify common themes that are associated with the ideals unique to the Romantic
Period.
William Blake-Pg. 747
William Wordsworth- Pg. 776
Samuel Taylor Coleridge- Pg. 819
Lord Byron- Pg. 853
John Keats- Pg. 881
TP-CASTT
While exploring the poetry of the Romantic Period, it can be difficult for students to understand and/or appreciate.
A great way for students to pull meaning from poetry is to use the TP-CASTT system. The major project of this six
weeks will require students to specifically analyze diction, imagery, and tone as a means to determine writer’s
purpose; therefore, TP-CASTT is a great way to start poetry analysis.
Here is the breakdown of the TP-CASTT process:
T=TITLE
Before you even think about reading the poetry or trying to analyze it, speculate on what you think the poem might be about
based upon the title. Often times, authors conceal meaning in the title and give clues in the title. Jot down what you think
this will be about.
P=PARAPHRASE
Before you begin thinking about meaning or tying to analyze the poem, don't overlook the literal meaning of the poem. One
of the biggest problems that students often make in poetry analysis is jumping to conclusions before understanding what is
taking place in the poem. When you paraphrase a poem, write in your own words exactly what happens in the poem. Look at
the number of sentences in the poem—your paraphrases should have exactly the same number.
C=CONNOTATION
Although this term usually refers solely to the emotional overtones of word choice, for this approach the term refers to any
and all poetic devices, focusing on how such devices contribute to the meaning, the effect, or both of a poem. You may
consider imagery, figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, symbolism, etc), diction, point of view, and sound
devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, and rhyme). It is not necessary that you identify all the poetic devices within
the poem. The ones you do identify should be seen as a way of supporting the conclusions you are going to draw about the
poem.
A=ATTITUDE
Having examined the poem's devices and clues closely, you are now ready to explore the multiple attitudes that may be
present in the poem. Examination of diction, images ,and details suggests the speaker's attitude and contributes to
understanding. You may refer to the list of words on Tone that will help you. Remember that usually the tone or attitude
cannot be named with a single word Think complexity.
S=SHIFTS
Rarely does a poem begin and end the poetic experience in the same place. As is true of most us, the poet's understanding of
an experience is a gradual realization, and the poem is a reflection of that understanding or insight. Watch for the following
keys to shifts:• key words, (but, yet, however, although)• punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis)• stanza
divisions• changes in line or stanza length or both• irony• changes in sound that may indicate changes in meaning•
changes in diction.
T=TITLE
Now look at the title again, but this time on an interpretive level. What new insight does the title provide in understanding
the poem.
T=THEME
What is the poem saying about the human experience, motivation, or condition? What subject or subjects does the poem
address? What do you learn about those subjects? What idea does the poet want you take away with you concerning these
subjects? Remember that the theme of any work of literature is stated in a complete sentence.
*It is suggested that the TP-CASTT system be used both as a guided practice activity and used for independent
practice. Using a formula like this will help focus the student and guide them through the major aspects of the
poetry. Once again, the major focus of the six weeks is on how diction, imagery, and tone promote a writer’s
purpose, thus focusing on those elements will be beneficial.
Suggested Assessment:
Submitted Group Work
Individualized submissions
Quizzes over covered material
Resources:
Prentice Hall Textbook
Teacher Created Materials
12th Grade English/Language Arts
Sixth Six Weeks: Week 2
Writer: Lacy Starnes
TEKS:
1E, 3A, 14B
Objective:
 Students focus on diction, imagery, and tone
 Students make connections to how diction, imagery, and tone promote writer’s purpose
 Students learn how to annotate music as poetry
Overview:
 In a more detailed fashion, students define and work with diction, imagery, and tone as means to explain
theme. In week one, students worked specifically with romantic poetry and in week two, students will work
with popular music.
 As an in-class activity, students will be handed a specific annotation guide that will assist them in looking for
diction, imagery, and tone in today’s popular music.
 Students will be introduced to a musical project which requires identifying how a particular music genre
presents a central theme.
Essential Questions:
What is diction, imagery, and tone?
How does, D.I.T. contribute to theme/author’s purpose?
How can one take analyzing D.I.T in Romantic poetry and apply these skills to analyzing music lyrics?
How does a certain music genre present theme differently?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Focusing in on DICTION, IMAGERY, AND TONE
Diction – A speaker’s (or author’s) word choice; conveys and emphasizes the meaning or theme of a poem through distinctions in
sound, look, rhythm, syllable, letters, and definition
Imagery – A term used to refer to 1) the actual language that a writer uses to convey a visual picture or representation of a
sensory experience; and 2) the use of figures of speech, often to express abstract ideas in a vivid and innovative way.
Tone – The attitude of the author toward the reader or the subject matter of a literary work. An author’s tone may be serious,
playful, mocking, angry, commanding, apologetic and so forth.
*For this unit, it is suggested that the teacher provide students with a list of tone words that can help classify not only
tone, but imagery and diction as well.
After focusing on D.I.T., it is time to review how these elements contribute to understanding a writer’s purpose, a.k.a. the theme of
a piece. In week one, students should have already practiced this skill by working with the TP-CASTT system and using Romantic
poetry. In week two, students will now work with modern day, popular music. There is no better way to get students involved
than in integrating music they are interested in. Ultimately, it is up to the teacher in which music he or she wants to use, but
for the sake of showing what this looks like in the classroom, a specific example will be used here.
Working with Music Lyrics
Students are introduced to the theme of “TOXIC LOVE”. Ask kids to define what they think this type of love is. Toxic Love could be
defined as a type of love that is destructive and/ or dysfunctional, and/or addictive. The goal of this activity, essentially, is to
provide students with music from different genres that promote this theme and allow them to decipher how this theme can differ
dependent upon uses of diction, imagery, and tone. Once again, it is ultimately up to the teacher on which genres and music he or
she wants to use in this activity. The example provided in this curriculum will pull from the genres of rap, pop, and country.
Rap: “Love the Way you Lie” by Eminem, feat. Rihanna (Edited Lyrics can be used)
*Toxic Love as destructive
An annotation guide, such as TP-CASTT can be used or altered for analyzing lyrics, however the teacher can use something less
formal such as seen below:
Guided Annotation
For
“Love the Way you Lie”
__ Read the opening chorus. What tone is established in these opening lines? Highlight the words that help to establish this tone.
_ The word “lie” is repeated in various forms throughout the song. Highlight each instance. Note what effect of this repetition.
__ Read line 6. What is “it”? Why doesn’t Eminem specifically name “it”?
__ Read line 8. Highlight the imagery. Note the tone this imagery creates/continues.
__ Read line 9. What word is repeated? What is the effect of the repetition?
__ Read line 10. Eminem juxtaposes the idea of right and wrong. Why? Highlight other places where he juxtaposes these ideas.
__ Read line 14. Why does Eminem use profanity? What tone does it create/continue/build on?
__ Read line 17. The words “right back” begin the idea/image of a repetitive cycle that continues throughout the song. Highlight
other lines/words where this idea appears. What is the effect of repeating this image of a cycle?
_ Read line 21. What connotation is associated with the word “ashamed”? How does the word “ashamed” contrast with the word
“snapped”?
__ Read line 36. Why does Eminem use profanity here? What tone does it create/continue/build on? (**if you are familiar w/
Eminem, you know he usually curses heavily through out his songs. Here, however, he only uses two curse words. Any thought to
why?)
__ Read lines 33-43. The word “’em” is used repeatedly. Who is “’em”? Why doesn’t he use the word “her” instead?
__ Read lines 39-40. Note the monosyllabic words he uses. Highlight these words. What is the effect?
__ Read line 60. Here Eminem is redundant. How so? Why?
Pop: ”Turning Tables” by Adele (Teacher should provide an annotation guide)
*Toxic love as painful/disparity
Country: “Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert (Teacher should provide an annotation guide)
*Toxic love as dysfunctional and/or destructive
Ultimately, the goal of week two is to guide students to annotate/analyze poetic elements in popular music while making the
connection to how a similar theme can be presented uniquely in different genres.
By the end of week two, students should feel comfortable with annotating for diction, imagery, and tone using song lyrics. At this
point, it is time to introduce the lyrical project. Students will be heterogeneously placed in groups of three and will be assigned an
individual genre and then given a group theme. They are to research 2-3 songs within their respected genre that focuses on the
group’s given theme. By the start of week three, they should have fully annotated their 2-3songs and should be prepared to share
their findings with the group.
*At this point, please ask students to jot down their top three favorite music genres and submit them to the teacher. The teacher
then needs to organize heterogeneous groups of three so that each group has three different genres in it. Ex: Group 1: Rap,
Country, Pop. Group 2: Indie, Rock, Pop, etc. Once groups are arranged, assign each group a different theme to research.
Ex: Heartbreak, Jealousy, Ambition, Unrequited Love, Family, Loneliness, etc.
Suggested Assessment:
Annotation quizzes
Submitted Group Work
Individualized Submissions
Resources:
Prentice Hall Textbook
Teacher Created Materials
12th Grade English/Language Arts
Sixth Six Weeks: Week 3
Writer: Lacy Starnes
Objective:
 Students research how their genre of music presents a given theme uniquely
 Students begin formulating a group essay that presents how diction, imagery, and tone
contribute to promoting a given theme uniquely
TEKS:
1E, 3A, 14B,
15A, 16C,
16D
Overview
 Students were to select three songs in their respected genre that promoted the theme given to the group.
They were to annotate for diction, imagery, and tone, and determine how those three elements helped
promote the theme. After sharing and discussing their findings, the student must select one song that he or
she can use as a part of a group essay.
 Students will work together to construct a group essay presenting how diction, imagery, and tone present
their group’s theme uniquely through the different music genres.
Essential Questions:
What is diction, imagery, and tone?
How does, D.I.T. contribute to theme/author’s purpose?
How does a certain music genre present theme differently?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Working with Lyrics: Poetry Evaluation Essay (Group Essay)
-Students will meet with their groups during this week to discuss the lyrics they have chosen and what findings they have
discovered. The teacher should walk around and visit with each group to discuss and reinforce purpose. For example, if a group’s
theme is “Family”, how does rap’s presentation of family differ from that of country? Or Rock? Students can answer this question
by taking a closer look at diction, imagery and tone used.
-After discussion, each student should select one song to use as part of the essay. Ideally, each member of the group with be
responsible for a body paragraph discussing how their genre uses D.I.T. to promote the group’s theme. Encourage students to
select the song that they feel most comfortable with and that has the most poetic value. Students will be expected to write a
rather lengthy paragraph seeing as they have to discuss D.I.T. and provide textual evidence. The teacher might consider
providing a pre-write document that would allow students to organize their thoughts.
-Below is an example paragraph, please notice how it is structurally presented. It will introduce the artist, genre, title, and how
the theme is uniquely defined. It introduces the type of diction used with textual evidence, the type of imagery used with textual
evidence, and the tone that is established in result:
In the rap song “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem, diction, imagery and tone combine to define the theme of toxic love as
destructive. Throughout the song, Eminem uses caustic diction. Words like “pissed”, and “scratch, claw, hit ‘em, throw ‘em
down, pin ‘em” assault the listener with their aggression (Eminem 1.22, 1.23-28). With these words, the listener truly comprehends
the violent nature of the couple’s love. With his repetition of the word “lie”-it appears twenty-two times- Eminem builds on the song’s
destructive feeling. The total lack of words with positive connotations creates a picture of the effects of a toxic relationship. In
addition to using diction, Eminem also adds to the idea of destruction with violent imagery. In the opening stanza, he describes
love as a “steel knife in [his] windpipe” (Eminem 2.3). The image of a knife instantly evokes violence; by adding the visual of the knife
in “[his] windpipe”, Eminem raises the level of violence by implicating death. This image of a violent death is repeated in the last
stanza of the song when Eminem confronts the listener with a visual of the woman “tie[d] to the bed” as her lover prepares to “set
this house on fire” (Eminem 20.15). These violent images coupled with Eminem’s diction culminate in this final picture and force the
listener to confront the destructive outcome of toxic love. By using caustic diction and violent imagery, Eminem creates an
aggressive tone throughout the song. This aggressive tone naturally ties into his theme by indicating the belligerent
nature of toxic love, a type of love that can only destroy those involved.
The teacher should consider walking through this paragraph noting the structure and style used to present this information.
*Once again, it is the teacher’s decision to the music he or she would like to use as a classroom example.
-After walking through the paragraph structure, students should then begin working on their paragraphs. Once completing their
individual paragraphs, students will return to their groups to share and edit/revise. Students should hand their paragraph to
another member of their group to revise for structure and edit for mechanics. Essentially, each paragraph should present D.I.T.
with textual evidence and commentary along with implementing proper transitions between ideas.
Suggested Assessment:
Submitted Group Work
Individualized Submissions
Writing Process Assessments
Resources:
Prentice Hall Textbook
Teacher Created Materials
12th Grade English/Language Arts
Sixth Six Weeks: Week 4
Writer: Lacy Starnes
TEKS:
1E, 3A, 14B,
15D, 16C, 16D
Objective:
 Students will work together to construct an entire rough draft of the poetry evaluation
essay
 Students will revise/edit rough draft
 Students will submit a typed, final draft of the poetry evaluation essay
 Students will work on a presentation based on their poetry evaluation essay
Overview
Students will edit/revise their papers for:
 Spelling
 Fragments/Run-ons
 Comma splices
 Doubled words
 Subject/Verb agreement
 Passive Voice
 Proper Transitions
Students will also check to see that their papers are following MLA format:
 Basic paper formatting
 In-text citations
-Students will then work together to present their theme by means of class presentation
Essential Questions:
Does the paper present how the given theme is viewed through each genre?
Has the paper been proofread for appropriate mechanics and MLA format?
Is the essay ready to be submitted?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
EDIT/REVISE OF POETRY EVALUATION ESSAY
-After editing/revising their paragraphs, the group will then work together to construct an introduction and conclusion that will
uniquely present their group’s theme. It is suggested that the introduction discuss art/writing in general and how every
artist/writer possesses certain tools that enable them to share their message. A thesis for this type of paper might look something
like,
“Through rock, rap, and country, the theme of heartbreak is uniquely defined though the use of diction, imagery, and tone.”
-After piecing together their rough drafts, groups will trade their papers with other groups for basic revising and editing. The
teacher should create a revision guide that will enable students to easily locate whether or not the group accomplishes their task
of presenting their theme uniquely and effectively. Students should check to see that effective transitions are in place between
body paragraphs, seeing as multiple people are working on this essay. The teacher should also create an editing guide that guides
students to locate basic grammatical errors in spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, passive voice, etc.
Here is a suggested example:
Group Self-Revision (Completed by the each individual in the group)
1.
Read the entire paper with a pen in hand. Make any corrections/revisions. Sentences that don’t make sense, run-on’s,
fragments, word choice.
2.
Check to see that diction, imagery, and tone is specifically described. (Earnest diction, angry imagery, impassioned tone)
Check to see that there are at least 2 quotes on diction, 2 quotes on imagery, and mentioning of tone.
3.
Are quotes lean in or embedded?
4.
Does every paragraph provide COMMENTARY about the diction, imagery, and tone?
5.
Does each body paragraph mention a specific theme? (….presents the theme of happiness as solitude.)
6.
Are there transitions between body paragraph?
*Please highlight and label where the answers to these questions are found.
PEER-EDIT
*Must be completed by someone outside of your group
Edited by: ____________________________
1.
Read through the entire paper with a pen in hand. Make any corrections/revision.
2. Check to see that diction, imagery, and tone is specifically described. (Earnest diction, angry imagery, impassioned tone)
Check to see that there are at least 2 quotes on diction, 2 quotes on imagery, and mentioning of tone.
3.
Are quotes lean in or embedded?
4.
Does every paragraph provide COMMENTARY about the diction, imagery, and tone?
5.
Does each body paragraph mention a specific theme? (….presents the theme of happiness as solitude.)
6.
Are there transitions between body paragraph?
Once full revision and editing is completed, it is time to submit the paper in its entirety.
After submitting their essay, students will return to their groups to work on a 3-5 minute class presentation that
both teaches and entertains classmates. The presentation can use anything from powerpoint, to moviemaker, to
glogster.com, to Prezi.com. Students are so technologically savvy that this will be reasonably easy and fun to do. This
allows students to not only integrate technology in the classroom, but it also allows them a creative outlet to proudly
display their findings over the last few weeks!
Suggested Assessment:
Submitted Group Work
Individualized Submissions
Submitted Essay
Group blueprints submitted concerning presentation ideas
Resources:
Prentice Hall Textbook
12th Grade English/Language Arts
TEKS:
Sixth Six Weeks: Week 5
3A, 14B,
Writer: Lacy Starnes
15D, 25A
Objective:
 Students work together to prepare a multimedia presentation based on their submitted
essay over diction, imagery, and tone.
 Students present their 3-5 minute presentation
Overview:
 Students work together to take their essay over D.I.T. and theme and adapt it to fit a class presentation
over their findings. The presentation must incorporate their music and their what they found about
their theme. They can use any type of technology to present this. The goal is to both teach and be
entertaining.
 Students present their 3-5 minute presentations
Essential Questions:
How do diction, imagery, and tone promote a theme?
How do different music genres present a similar theme differently?
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
MUSIC AND THEME PRESENTATIONS
It is ultimately up to the teacher how presentations are organized; of course, it also dependent upon what
technology is available. There are tons of websites like glogster.com and prezi.com that are easily accessible and
easy to use that would be perfect for this particular project. On glogster.com, students are able to embed music files
into their presentation so that other classmates can hear the group’s chosen songs. Of course, private software such
as Microsoft PowerPoint and Window’s Moviemaker work just as well. The goal of this presentation is to educate and
entertain; however, the best part about this is that it can be an easy and efficient method for measuring assessment.
Did the student effectively analyze and explain how D.I.T. can promote a theme? Was the group able to identify how
theme can vary in meaning across multiple music genres? It is recommended that the teacher make a rubric that
identifies how students can earn their points. This project would be a perfect six weeks test grade if the teacher
preferred to do so.
Suggested Assessment:
Students present multimedia presentation
Resources:
Glogster.com
Prezi.com
Window’s Moviemaker
Microsoft PowerPoint
12th Grade English/Language Arts
Sixth Six Weeks: Week 6
Writer: Lacy Starnes
TEKS:
Objective:
 Students take a comprehensive semester exam
Overview:
o Students will now take a semester exam that can either cover information just from the spring semester or
incorporate information from the fall semester as well.
English 4 Checklist
Sixth Six Weeks
At the completion of the Sixth Six weeks, the student will be able to:
_________
identify what influenced/caused the Romantic Period
_________
explain some of the major ideals/beliefs of the Romantic Period
_________
recall some of the major Romantic Poets
_________
recall and apply the TP-CASTT system for analyzing Romantic poetry
_________
identify and explain diction, imagery and tone
_________
identify and explain how diction, imagery, and tone contribute to theme
_________
identify poetic elements in song lyrics and explain significance
_________
work collaboratively on a poetry evaluation essay
_________
revise a poetry evaluation essay
_________
edit a poetry evaluation essay
_________
take a Six Weeks Test
__________
take a Semester Exam