Response to Literature: Poetry Mentor Author Study

Unit Overview Sixth Grade Response to Literature: Poetry Mentor Author Study Response to Literature: Poetry Mentor Author Study During this Reader s Workshop unit, students will be learning how to read poetry with a critical eye and writing their thoughts. They will be reading poems and talking about the experience of reading them what they noticed or liked about the poem, how the poem is constructed, what the poet s message is for the reader, how it makes them feel, etc. Throughout the unit students will be examining a series of poems by a mentor poet. They will be comparing poems from one author, discovering the poet s message, critiquing poems, and investigating the use of craft. In her book, Naming the World, Nancy Atwell describes principles of literary criticism that she asks teachers and students to adopt as they engage with poetry as readers and writers: Critically reading poetry together to improve our ability to experience poems to notice their features, unpack their meanings, bring the meanings into our own lives, and cherish them. Learning the language of criticism to experience what is meant by poetry terms such as alliteration, assonance, cadence, coded language, form, imagery, line break and stanza break, metaphor, personification, rhyme scheme, simile, symbol, and theme. Improving our ability to write poems that other readers will want to experience. Because of the coded nature of the language of poetry, reading poems multiple times to discover what they mean. It is important to provide students with a scaffold as they experience poems as readers. One way of doing this is by looking at the doors of poetry as described by Georgia Heard in Awakening the Heart. Students can be thinking about these doors as they read poetry and discuss the door through which the poet is writing. They will return to the doors of poetry when they begin crafting their own poems during Writer s Workshop. The six doors of poetry that Heard identifies are these: The Heart Door: Poems are written about inner life they give our inner images, longings, and feelings space to breathe. The Observation Door: Poetry is the door of our eyes what we observe, what we re amazed by, what s beautiful in the world. The Concerns about the World Door: Poems can be about our concerns world events, war, hatred, pollution, etc. The Wonder Door: Questions can be a lever for a poem. The Memory Door Infinite Poetry Doors: Anything that doesn t fit into one of the other five doors creates a new door (i.e. reflection, humor, dreams, etc.) The doors are endless and we want students to know that poetry can be written about anything. Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet who is very clear about why she writes her poetry and the reader can easily discern which door the poem is written through. She writes about her honest reactions to what is going on in the world. She makes her thinking and feelings transparent through her poetry. For these reasons, Shihab Nye was selected as an example of a mentor poet for the lessons in this unit. Teachers may choose other poets, as well. By the end of this unit students will have responded to literature in a variety of ways. They will write a written response comparing several poems written by one poet. They will also create a class anthology of their favorite poems written by the mentor poet. The anthology will include student written responses that show that they know how to critically read a poem. Purpose: To teach students how to read and respond to poetry using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes To teach students how to support their assertions with evidence from the text To teach the essential elements of poetry assonance, imagery, line breaks, similes, metaphors, etc. To teach students how to recognize thematic and structural connections across several poems from a body of work by one poet Framing Question: How can we analyze the work of one poet and identify what makes that poet unique? May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 1

The following standard benchmarks are specifically addressed in this unit and are reflected in the Purpose section on page 1. The complete 2010 MN English Language Arts Standards can be found on the center website at: http://thecenter.spps.org/elemlit.html 2010 Minnesota English Language Arts Standards: Sixth Grade Benchmarks 6.4.1.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 6.4.2.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. 6.4.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. 6.4.10.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature and other texts including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently and independently with appropriate scaffolding for texts at the high end of the range. a. Self select text for personal enjoyment and other purposes. b. Read widely to understand multiple perspectives and pluralistic viewpoints. 6.7.9.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. ) b. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. ). 6.9.1.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building others ideas and expressing their own clearly. 6.11.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning to extend word consciousness. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty). May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 2

Suggested Materials: Professional Resources: Atwell, Nancy. (2006). Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Flynn, Nick and Shirley McPhillips. (2000). A Note Slipped Under the Door. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse. Heard, Geogia. (1999). Awakening the Heart. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Mentor Poets: Naomi Shihab Nye is one poet who could be selected as a mentor poet for this unit. The teacher(s) may choose a different poet to use in this unit. Some possible poets include: Nikki Grimes Valerie Worth Georgia Heard Jane Yolen Siv Cedering Ralph Fletcher Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye included in this unit: The Rider Valentine Running Egret The Time Supple Cord Famous Adios Interview with Shihab Nye: http://www.prx.org/pieces/17098-naomi-shihab-nye-on-poetry-for-children Biographical Information and Selected Poems: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmpid/174 Transcripts of Interviews with Shihab Nye 2002 With Bill Moyers (also includes additional resources) http://www.pbs.org/now/classroom/poet.html#sites 2003 CCBC Interview http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/experts/shihab Nye.asp PIF Magazine http://www.pifmagazine.com/sid/240/ 2008 with Foreign Policy in Focus http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/5519 Analysis of Shihab Nye s Poetry and Life: A Poet Walks the Line http://www.thefreelibrary.com/a+poet+walks+the+line-a0154333761 Shihab Nye Talking about Writing Poetry: An excerpt from her lecture "Words Along the Peace Trail - How Poems Help Us Find Our Way" (also includes additional resources) http://www.barclayagency.com/shihab Nye.html May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 3

Unit Overview Sixth Grade Response to Literature: Poetry Mentor Author Study OVERVIEW Week One: Learning about the Mentor as a Person and A Poet During this week students will be immersed in the work of the mentor poet. They will examine the writer s poems to develop theories about the writer s life and work as a poet. Week Two: Examining the Poetic Elements of the Mentor Poet s Work Students will be noticing the poetic elements of the mentor s poetry. They will be comparing several poems as they notice and name poetic elements. Week Three: Analyzing the Poet s Intent/Message During this week students will read/reread and discuss common messages that run throughout the mentor poet s work. They will begin to craft written responses to the poems. Week Four: Creating a Class Anthology of the Mentor Author s Poems Students will choose a favorite poem written by the class mentor to be included in a class anthology. A written response will accompany the poem showcasing students ability to think and write critically about a poem through personal, thematic, and craft lenses. May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 4

Unit Overview Week 1: Learning about the mentor as a person and as a poet Week 2: Examining the poetic elements of the mentor poet s work Week 3: Analyzing the poet s intent/message Sixth Grade Response to Literature: Poetry Mentor Author Study Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Suggested Poem: The Rider ML: Read one poem together as a class. Discuss and begin to chart What We Are Noticing about Naomi Shihab Nye WT: Students read other poems by Shihab Nye and jot down noticings Learning about the poet by listening to an interview with the writer. See resources on page 3. Suggested Poem: The Rider The teacher defines author s message and reads one of Shihab Nye s poems. The class discusses the possible messages of the poem. The class co-creates a chart listing their understanding of the poem. Suggested Poem: Valentine ML: Read poem and add to the chart begun yesterday WT: Students continue to read other poems by Shihab Nye and jot down noticings Suggested Poem: The Time ML: Read the poem and jot down noticings about the elements of the poem and discuss the possible reasons why Nye made these decisions begin chart, What I Notice/Why the Poet Does it WT: Students continue examining the poem (and others), jotting down noticings and developing theories The class continues to explore the author s message in a different poem written by the mentor poet. The class adds to the chart of understandings about this poet s work. Suggested Poem: Blood ML: Examining Shihab Nye s poems to learn about her as a person, the issues she grapples with, topics she writes about, etc. WT: Students read poems by Shihab Nye and jot down noticings Suggested Poem: Supple Cord Suggested Poem: Famous Describe the poet s intent in writing this poem. What message is she trying to convey to the reader (you)? Suggested Poem: Running Egret Synthesizing information and developing theories about Shihab Nye by looking across several poems Learning about the poet by reading biographical information from the internet, book jackets, and a radio interview. See resources on page 3. The teacher selects 2-3 additional poems written by Naomi Shihab Nye for students to read and analyze, continuing to chart the characteristics of her poetry. Suggested Poem: Adios Written Response: Write a written response-- sharing insights learned by reading Shihab Nye s poetry lessons she is teaching, ideas she is grappling with, etc. May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 5

Week 4: Creating a class anthology of the mentor author s poems Introduce anthologies ML: Chose a few poetry anthologies a variety of types. Read a few poems (or a poem and some titles) and suggest possible reasons they would be grouped together. If possible avoid showing the title. WT: Students look at other anthologies and chart some of the themes. Choosing possible poems ML: Choose three of your favorite Shihab Nye poems. Discuss why you chose them. Model taking notes. WT: Students chose three Shihab Nye poems and share their choices and reasons in groups. Narrowing the choice ML: Chose one poem form the day before. Discuss the reasons you chose the poem based on the Choosing a Poem response protocol (see Appendix). Make notes on the paper as you answer the questions. WT: Students narrow their choice to one poem and write a rough draft of their answers to the protocol. Choosing a door ML: Create a chart with the six doors of poetry. Write the title of your chosen poem on a sticky note and place it under the appropriate door. WT: Students categorize their poems. Continue working on their response protocol. Finishing touches WT: Finish up their response to their chosen poem, editing etc. Peer review with a partner. Students may choose to include an illustration with their response. Assessment Conferring notes, anecdotal notes Student is able to name specific elements of poetic craft (i.e. line breaks, stanza breaks, imagery, assonance, alliteration, etc.) and articulate the effect of craft on the reading of the poem Student is able to determine possible intentions of an author naming possible messages Student is able to think critically about a poem demonstrated in a written response Student Work Biographical information about a mentor poet Response to Literature: Students responses to a favorite poem written by the mentor poet that is included in the class anthology Response to Literature: A concise description of Shihab Nye s work as a poet, her life, messages she conveys to the reader, the issues that concern her, and the elements of craft she employs Artifacts of Teaching and Learning Co-created charts (see suggestions below) Standards-based teaching bulletin board Co-created list of possible craft strategies Written responses Poems written by the mentor poet are displayed throughout the classroom along with student analysis Biographical information about the mentor poet A collection of the poet s work along with student responses that are a part of a class anthology May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 6

Possible Charts: What We Notice about Naomi Shihab Nye She asks questions and writes about her wonderings She uses what other people say in her poems She has a deep interest in ordinary people, their lives, and their thoughts She expresses her passion for poetry She is struck by the beauty of ordinary things Sometimes her titles are part of her poem Her language is simple but her ideas are complex She does not use a lot of imagery She expresses her concerns about the world She writes through the lens of many poetic doors She sometimes answers her own questions Analyzing Elements of Poetic Craft What I notice in the poem Why the poet does it Our name for it Line breaks don t always match where periods are. Mixture of long lines and short lines. Chooses unusual details. Drifts from one image or idea to another. No simile or metaphor. Does not rhyme. Strange juxtapositions The title is taken from the first line of the poem, but the word time is never used again. Uses bits of overhead conversation Puts emphasis in certain places. Changes the pace of the poem. Long line mirrors the tumbling river. Short lines draw attention. Makes a picture in your head. Gets your attention. Sounds like a person thinking. Very simple but about big ideas. Sounds like thoughts in your head. Focus is on the ideas. She is interested in expressing her thinking. Gets the reader s attention Line breaks. Line breaks. Imagery. Thinking out loud. Overheard conversation May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 7

Reader s Workshop Plan (Lesson 1, Week 1) Standard(s): Identify and analyze literary elements and devices Focus of lesson: Examining the elements of Naomi Shihab Nye s poetry Mini-lesson (5-15 min.) Key idea: Mini-Lesson is a short lesson that focuses on one main teaching point. Teacher resources What students bring to lesson Connection: How this fits in with what we ve been doing During this lesson the teacher will present a poem written by a mentor poet. The students will read the poem as one way to learn about the mentor poet. The Rider is one example of a poem that could be used. Note: This unit suggests Naomi Shihab Nye as the mentor poet, but the teacher may select a different poet. Materials: Student copies of The Rider Poem enlarged on chart paper, transparency, smart board, etc. Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye We are going to be starting a poetry unit in Reader s Workshop. Throughout this unit we will be working together to closely examine the work of one poet. The poet I selected to use for this study is Naomi Shihab Nye. We will be learning about her as a poet and as a person by reading some of her work and by locating biographical information about her. The teacher may want to share some background information about Naomi Shihab Nye and show a few samples of her anthologies, poems, etc. Teach: Direct instruction Set purpose Tell students what we want them to focus on/learn/know Model/Think Aloud for students: something we d like them to try Activate prior knowledge or Build background knowledge Active Involvement: Think-Pair-Share Turn and Talk Buddy Share Triads/Peer Support Link/Off you go: Send off with a purpose Today we are going to begin learning about Naomi Shihab Nye by reading one of her poems. The poem is titled The Rider. I m going to start by reading the poem to you, and I want you to just listen as readers. We will then go back and reread the poem, jotting down our noticings. The teacher reads the poem while students follow along on the enlarged copy of the poem. Now I m going to show you how I can go back and reread the poem jotting down my noticings as I read. The teacher begins rereading the poem, this time making notes in the margins of the poem or jotting noticings on chart paper (see sample chart below). For example: The title of the poem is connected to the topic of the poem She writes about emotions feeling lonely and feeling victorious She does not use a lot of imagery I m going to read the poem one more time. This time I want you to be thinking about the things that you are noticing about Naomi Shihab Nye as a poet. The teacher reads the poem again and then asks students to share what they noticed about Naomi Shihab Nye by reading the poem. Jot down noticings on the chart paper. You are going to continue reading poems written by Naomi Shihab Nye during independent reading. While you are reading her poems I want you to jot down your noticings in your Reader s Notebooks. We will add to our chart of noticings during the share. May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 8

Literacy Work Time and Conferring (35-45 min.) Guided Oral Reading Reciprocal Teaching Book Club Independent Reading Independent/Small Group Literacy Activities Conferring Share (5-10 min): Sharing what happened... Link to focus Reinforce teaching point Demonstrate new learning Popcorn share Celebrate learning Students read and jot down noticings based on the work of the mentor poet (Naomi Shihab Nye). Students can work in partnerships, individually, or in small groups. As a class we have just read a variety of Naomi Shihab Nye s poems. We are going to take a few minutes to talk about the things that we noticed about her work as a poet by reading her poems. The teacher should ask students to share their noticings and then add these noticings to the chart. Sample Chart: The Rider A boy told me if he roller-skated fast enough his loneliness couldn t catch up to him, the best reason I ever heard for trying to be a champion. What I wonder tonight pedaling hard down King William Street is if it translates to bicycles. A victory! To leave your loneliness panting behind you on some street corner while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas, pink petals that have never felt loneliness, no matter how slowly they fell. What We Notice about Naomi Shihab Nye The Rider Her title is connected to the topic of her poem She writes about emotions loneliness Defines her own meaning of what it means to be victorious Uses ordinary language to describe a complex emotion She uses stanza breaks to slow the reader down and to draw emphasis to certain parts Writes about her wonderings or questions Compares not being lonely to floating in a cloud of flowers -metaphor from Fuel: Poems by Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye, 1998 Boa Editions, Rochester, NY May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 9

Reader s Workshop Plan (Lesson 2, Week 2) Standard(s): Identify and analyze literary elements and devices Focus of lesson: Examining the use of poetic elements of Naomi Shihab Nye s poetry Note: Prior to this lesson make sure students are aware of the elements of a poetry, i.e. line breaks, stanza breaks, similes, metaphors, rhythm, etc. Mini-lesson (5-15 min.) Key idea: Mini-Lesson is a short lesson that focuses on one main teaching During this lesson the teacher will model how to read a poem critically and identify the use of poetic elements in a poem. Materials: Student copies of The Time Poem enlarged on chart paper, transparency, smart board, etc. Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye point. Teacher resources What students bring to lesson Connection: How this fits in with what we ve been doing Teach: Direct instruction Set purpose Tell Students what we want them to focus on/learn/know Model/Think Aloud for students: something we d like them to try Activate prior knowledge or Build background knowledge We have spent a lot of time gathering information and learning about Naomi Shihab Nye. We have critically read several of her poems as a way to get to know her as a writer and as a person. Today we are going to begin looking at her poems using another lens the lens of poetic elements, noticing the ways in which Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye crafts her poetry. We are going to begin this process by looking at The Time. This is another poem in which Shihab Nye has written about a simple topic (slowing down) in a complex way. I m going to read this poem to you and I want you to think about all that you have learned about Shihab Nye as a poet. Then we will reread the poem together, going back and identifying elements of the poem. The teacher reads the poem while students follow along on the enlarged copy. Now, I am going to reread The Time this time paying attention to how Shihab Nye wrote this poem. I am going to look for the elements of poetry that she uses. Once we identify these elements of poetry, we will talk about why the poet may have chosen to make that writing decision. The teacher should begin rereading the poem, this time making notes in the margins of the poem or jotting noticings on chart paper (see sample chart below). For example: Line breaks don t always match where periods are Mixture of long lines and short lines The poem does not rhyme. The title is taken from the first line of the poem, but the word time is never used again. Active Involvement: Think-Pair-Share Turn and Talk Buddy Share Triads/Peer Support We will read the poem together. This time I want you to be thinking about the things that you notice while reading and listening to the poem. After reading once or twice, the teachers asks students to share what they noticed. Continue to add to the Poetry Elements chart (see sample below). The teacher leads a discussion about why the poet may have made particular choices in the use of the poetic elements and adds the students thinking to the chart under the column, Why the poet does it May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 10

Link/Off you go: Send off with a purpose Literacy Work Time and Conferring (35-45 min.) Guided Oral Reading Reciprocal Teaching Book Club Independent Reading Independent/Small Group Literacy Activities Conferring Share (5-10 min): Sharing what happened... Link to focus Reinforce teaching point Demonstrate new learning Popcorn share Celebrate learning Sample Chart: The Time by Naomi Shihab Nye You are going to continue reading and rereading poems written by Naomi Shihab Nye during independent reading. While you are reading her poems I want you to jot down your noticings in your Reader s Notebooks. We will add to our chart of noticings during the share. Students read and jot down noticings while reading The Time and other poems written by Shihab Nye. We are going to take a few minutes to talk about the things that we noticed about Shihab Nye s poems. The teacher should ask students to share their noticings and why the poet might have made these choices as a writer. Analyzing Elements of Poetic Craft What I notice in the poem: Why the poet does it: Our name for it: Line breaks don t always match where periods are. Mixture of long lines and short lines. Chooses unusual details. Drifts from one image or idea to another. No simile or metaphor. Does not rhyme. Strange juxtapositions Puts emphasis in certain places. Changes the pace of the poem. Long line mirrors the tumbling river. Short lines draw attention. Makes a picture in your head. Gets your attention. Sounds like a person thinking. Very simple but about big ideas. Sounds like thoughts in your head. Focus is on the ideas. She is interested in exploring a train of thought Gets the reader s attention Line breaks. Line breaks. Imagery. Thinking out loud. The title is taken from the first line of the poem, but the word time is never used again. Uses bits of overhead conversation May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 11

Reader s Workshop Plan (Lesson 1, Week 3) Standard(s): Identify and analyze literary elements and devices Focus of lesson: Analyzing Author s Message Mini-lesson (5-15 min.) Key idea: Mini- Lesson is a short During this lesson the teacher will model how to read a poem in order to identify the author s message. Materials: Several poems written by Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye Enlarged copies of the two poems chosen for the lesson. These poems can be ones previously read. lesson that focuses on one main teaching point. Teacher resources What students bring to lesson Connection: How this fits in with what we ve been doing Teach: Direct instruction Set purpose Tell students what we want them to focus on/learn/know Model/Think Aloud for students: something we d like them to try Activate prior knowledge or Build background knowledge We have been spending a lot of time familiarizing ourselves with Naomi Shihab Nye. We have gathered a lot of information about her and have also analyzed her poems in a variety of ways. Today we are going to begin analyzing the author s message in poetry. We will do this by exploring a variety of poems written by our mentor poet, Naomi Shihab Nye. The author s message is the meaning he or she wants to portray to the reader. This is also knows as the main idea of the poem. The teacher selects a poem written by the mentor poet and reads it aloud one or two times. Then s/he asks students to follow along, this time stopping periodically to share her or his thinking about the poem and the author s message. I want you to listen to me as I share a poem with you. As I am reading this poem you can follow along. I am going to stop periodically to share my thinking with you. As I am reading I am going to be identifying what I think is the author s message in the poem. The teacher reads the poem again, this time thinking aloud about the poet s message. As the teacher thinks aloud, s/he probes beyond the surface meaning of the poem, giving students a model of how to think about all that the class knows about what this poet cares about and what she is saying to the reader. May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 12

Active Involvement: Think-Pair-Share Turn and Talk Buddy Share Triads/Peer Support Link/Off you go: Send off with a purpose Literacy Work Time and Conferring (35-45 min.) Guided Oral Reading Reciprocal Teaching Book Club Independent Reading Independent/Small Group Literacy Activities Conferring Share (5-10 min): Sharing what happened... Link to focus Reinforce teaching point Demonstrate new learning Popcorn share Celebrate learning The teacher displays another poem by the mentor poet. Now it s your turn. We ll read this poem together. The class reads in a shared reading. Turn and talk to your neighbor and share your thinking about this poem. What do you think Shihab Nye is trying to convey to the reader? What is the poet s message? The teacher listens in on a few partnerships, making some of the students thinking public. If students find it difficult to go beyond the literal meaning of the poem, probe further. When I send you back to work, I want you to look through your copies of Shihab Nye poems and choose one that stands out for you. I want you to read that poem several times, writing what you think is the poet s message. Use your Reader s Notebook. Write what you think the poet s message it and what it means to you. Students work alone choosing and reading poems written by the mentor poet. We are going to take a few minutes to talk about some of the messages you identified in Naomi Shihab Nye s poetry. The teacher selects two or three students to share the poems they selected and the writing they did in response to the poet s message. May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 13

Reader s Workshop Plan (Lesson 2, Week 4) Standard(s): Identify and analyze literary elements and devices Focus of lesson: Choosing poems for the anthology Mini-lesson (5-15 min.) Key idea: Mini- Lesson is a short During this lesson the teacher will share three of her favorite poems by Shihab Nye and talk about her reasons for choosing them. Materials: Three poems displayed on chart paper, transparency, smart board, etc. Other poems written by Naomi Shihab Nye lesson that focuses on one main teaching point. Teacher resources What students bring to lesson Connection: How this fits in with what we ve been doing Teach: Direct instruction Set purpose Tell students what we want them to focus on/learn/know Model/Think Aloud for students: something we d like them to try Yesterday we looked at different anthologies of poetry and discussed how they were organized. Today we are going to begin the selection process for our class anthology of our favorite Shihab Nye poems. Today you will pick three poems and explain why you chose them. These are my three favorite Shihab Nye poems. I chose the first one because (I have a connection, I like the imagery, I care about this issue, it makes me feel happy, etc). Describe you reasons for selecting the other two poems. I am going to write a short sentence or two about each poem and why I chose it. I am not going to begin each line I chose this poem because. That would be boring. Notice how I change my sentences. The teacher writes down why she chose the poems using different beginnings for each sentence. Supple Cord reminds me of my sister and I Shihab Nye s message in Running Egret When I read The Rider Activate prior knowledge or Build background knowledge May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 14

Active Involvement: Think-Pair-Share Turn and Talk Buddy Share Triads/Peer Support Link/Off you go: Send off with a purpose Literacy Work Time and Conferring (35-45 min.) Guided Oral Reading Reciprocal Teaching Book Club Independent Reading Independent/Small Group Literacy Activities Conferring Share (5-10 min): Sharing what happened... Link to focus Reinforce teaching point Demonstrate new learning Popcorn share Celebrate learning Turn and talk to your neighbor and think of some more reasons you might choose a particular poem. Write up some of their suggestions. When I send you back to work, I want you to look through your copies of Shihab Nye poems and choose three that stand out for you. Write a sentence or two about why you chose each poem. Think about the theme of the poem, the imagery, the message, a personal connection, etc. Remember; try not to start all your sentences with I chose this poem because. Students work alone choosing poems and crafting short responses about the poems they selected. We are going to take a few minutes to talk about some of the poems you chose and why you chose them. I am going to put you in groups of three and I want you to quickly name the three poems you chose and then each share one reason for choosing one of the poems. May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 15

APPENDIX Selected poems written by Naomi Shihab Nye Chart template used during lesson Protocol for selecting poems May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 16

Kindness Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness. How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop, the passengers eating maize and chicken will stare out the window forever. Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness, you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho lies dead by the side of the road. You must see how this could be you, how he too was someone who journeyed through the night with plans and the simple breath that kept him alive. Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing. You must wake up with sorrow. You must speak to it till your voice catches the thread of all sorrows and you see the size of the cloth. Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore, only kindness that ties your shoes and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread, only kindness that raises its head from the crowd of the world to say It is I you have been looking for, and then goes with you everywhere like a shadow or a friend. - Naomi Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 17

Blood A true Arab knows how to catch a fly in his hands," my father would say. And he'd prove it, cupping the buzzer instantly while the host with the swatter stared. In the spring our palms peeled like snakes. True Arabs believed watermelon could heal fifty ways. I changed these to fit the occasion. Years before, a girl knocked, wanted to see the Arab. I said we didn't have one. After that, my father told me who he was, "Shihab"--"shooting star"-- a good name, borrowed from the sky. Once I said, "When we die, we give it back?" He said that's what a true Arab would say. Today the headlines clot in my blood. A little Palestinian dangles a truck on the front page. Homeless fig, this tragedy with a terrible root is too big for us. What flag can we wave? I wave the flag of stone and seed, table mat stitched in blue. I call my father, we talk around the news. It is too much for him, neither of his two languages can reach it. I drive into the country to find sheep, cows, to plead with the air: Who calls anyone civilized? Where can the crying heart graze? What does a true Arab do now? --Naomi Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 18

The Rider Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye A boy told me if he roller-skated fast enough his loneliness couldn t catch up to him, the best reason I ever heard for trying to be a champion. What I wonder tonight pedaling hard down King William Street is if it translates to bicycles. A victory! To leave your loneliness panting behind you on some street corner while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas, pink petals that have never felt loneliness, no matter how slowly they fell. from Fuel: Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye, 1998 Boa Editions, Rochester, NY May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 19

Running Egret We want our nature to have a face. An eye we can look into, not like ours clearer. Strong body moving swiftly over land, belonging to no one. Nonpartisan egret, beyond everything that burdens us, unexpected, unpredictable, sheer motion flash of white creates with a silence wider than our own. There are days we wake and need an egret. --Naomi Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 20

Supple Cord My brother, in his small white bed, held one end. I tugged the other to signal I was still awake. We could have spoken, could have sung to one another. We were in the same room for five years, but the soft cord with its little frayed ends connected us in the dark, gave comfort even if we had been bickering all day. When he fell asleep first and his end of the cord dropped to the floor, I missed him terribly, though I could hear his even breath and we had such long and separate lives ahead. --Naomi Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 21

Adios It is a good word, rolling off the tongue no matter what language you were born with. Use it. Learn where it begins, the small alphabet of departure, how long it takes to think of it, then say it, then be heard. Marry it. More than any golden ring. it shines, it shines. wear it on every finger till your hands dance, touching everything easily, letting everything, easily, go. Strap it on your back like wings. Or a kite-tail. The stream of air behind a jet. If you are known for anything, let it be the way you rise out of sight when your work is finished. Think of things that linger: leaves, cartons and napkins, the damp smell of mud. Think of things that disappear. Think of what you love best, what brings tears to your eyes. Something that said adios to you before you knew what it meant or how long it was for. Explain little, the word explains itself. Later perhaps. Lessons following lessons, like silence following sound. --Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 22

Famous The river is famous to the fish. The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth before anybody said so. The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds watching him from the birdhouse. The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek. The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom. The boot is famous to the earth, more famous than the dress shoe, which is famous only to floors. The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured. I want to be famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured. I want to be famous to shuffling men who smile while crossing streets, sticky children in grocery lines, famous as the one who smiled back. I want to be famous the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do. --Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 23

The Time Summer is the time to write. I tell myself this in winter especially. Summer comes, I want to tumble with the river over rocks and mossy dams. A fish drifting upside down. Slow accordions sweeten the breeze. The Sanitary Mattress Factory says, Sleep Is Life. Why do I think of forty ways to spend an afternoon? Yesterday someone said, It gets late so early. I wrote it down. I was going to do something with it. Maybe it is a title and this life is the poem. --Naomi Shihab Shihab Nye May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 24

Analyzing Elements of Poetic Craft What I notice in the poem: Why the poet does it: Our name for it: May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 25

Choosing A Poem: Response Protocol Remember to support all of your answers with examples from the poem. The end product should be in paragraph format. Meaning: Audience: Intent: Craft: In your opinion, what do you think this poem is about? Whom is the poem written to? (Anybody, a certain group of people, a family member?) What do you think is Shihab Nye s message to the reader? What poetic craft does she use? Give examples. Imagery Rhyme Stanza breaks Rhythm Line breaks Shape Questioning Assonance Word choice Alliteration Which one of the poetry door or doors is the poem written through? Personal: Why did you choose this poem? Does it make you happy, sad, optimistic, or pessimistic? Do you have a connection with the poem? Why do you think it should be in our anthology? May be reproduced by SPPS staff for instructional purposes only. Last revised April 25, 2010 26