Unit Goals

*= yearlong
1. Knowledge
a. Know the names of some poets and approximately in what time periods they
lived/wrote
b. Know the authors of certain poems
c. Know the key elements of different forms/structures of poems (sonnets, free verse,
ballads, dramatic monologue, blank verse, odes)
d. Know the definition of key elements of poetry: rhyme, meter, stanza, couplet,
metaphor, simile, tone, audience
2. Deep Understanding and Reasoning
a. Understand how the stylistic decisions of a poet (i.e. rhyme, meter, structure/style,
tone, etc.) relate to/affect the meaning
b. Understand the difference between the text/poem and the author/authors bio
c. Understand how poems can be connected/speak to one another
d. Some understanding of what makes something poetry (or being able to think/talk
about it) An understanding that it may not be so clear. Understand difference between
poetry vs prose, but also how difficult that distinction can sometimes be.*
e. Understanding poems in their entirety/entire context - not individual lines or ideas.
How context (scene, characters, situation, etc.) relates to meaning
f. Understand the different circles of audience and how a poem can have different
meaning for different audiences
g. Understand how tone affects/manipulates/shows meaning
3. Skills
a. Able to identify the form of a poem
b. Able to determine/plot the rhyme scheme of a poem
c. Able to determine what kind of meter a poem uses
d. Able to read a poem and understand its general meaning*
e. Able to read a poem aloud correctly and with confidence (knowing the correct places
to break up a phrase)*
f. Able to perform a close reading of a poem and use that method to construct a reading
of a poem - create/identify/talk about meaning*
g. Ability to identify some key authors of poems based on style
h. Able to write/speak about a poem with confidence*
i. Ability to carry out a debate/discussion and make an argument, and do so
respectfully*
j. Utilize/cite text in making an argument*
k. Ability to annotate a text*
l. Able to read and understand literary criticism/analysis*
4. Affective
a. Enjoy reading poetry*
b. Feeling more comfortable reading poetry*
c. Enjoy discussing/desire to discuss the poems*
d. Appreciate the significance of poems and of studying/reading them*
e. Feel engaged and excited by the classroom discussion*

Big Ideas
Close reading*
Role of the reader
Reading as investigation
Literature linked to time/society
Web of texts
Politeness*
Author vs text
Source of meaning
Multiple meanings
Audience
Enduring Understanding
Close reading can uncover many layers of meaning*
There are many potential interpretations to a text*
A text can tell us about time/place in which it was written
Ideas/meaning/arguments supported by text*
Texts exist in relation to/dialogue with each other
You can disagree with someone and still be polite*
Essential Questions
Is a text a representative of the author? Are they one in the same? Can we say a text speaks
for its author?
What do we do with an author whose actual ideals or ideals represented in his works are
different/insulting/hurtful to us (eg. antisemetic)?
Where does meaning come from? Text? Author? Reader? *
What makes something poetry? *
Does Poetry need to be beautiful (or about pleasant topics) to be poetry? *
How we deal with unanswerable questions? *

Curriculum Map
*=ongoing goal
Goals

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Assessment
Pre-assessment
General reading comprehension skills:

ability to identify plot, character

Some knowledge about poetry as a form
Some knowledge of/comfort with
literature in general
Some experience analyzing texts
Some comfort in reading and
understanding age appropriate scholarly
texts and relating it to the piece of
literature/poem in question

Learning Goals
Corresponding
Unit Goals (see
full list on page
6)
Session 1
1.c.
Intro and Housekeeping
1.d.
2.d*
Respect for each other in
discussions
4.b*
Discussion/creation of norms for
how we speak/debate with each
other
What is poetry:
To recognize some of the
elements of poetry
To understand how difficult it is
to define poetry*
Start to become familiar with
some poetic terminology
Session 2
3.f.*
Close Reading/Annotation
3.k.*
Understand definition/purpose of 4.b.*
close reading
Able to perform a close reading*
Able to annotate a text*
Affective: Feel comfortable
annotating/performing a close
reading*
Session content and objective(s)

Activities

Assessment

Direct
Instruction
Jigsaw

Direct
Instruction
Group
Brainstormin
g
Paired
Learning/pee
r review
Group
Discussion

Fan and pick

(with elements
of poetry)
Exit ticket: What
do you think
when you think
of poetry?

Vote with Feet

and discussion
(do you think
this process is
annoying,
helpful, or
somewhere in
between)
Individual Work
(annotating a
poem) and peer

Session 3
Reading Poetry I: Rhyme and line
breaks:
Able to read poem out loud with correct line breaks*
Able to plot a rhyme scheme
Begin to know some common
rhyme schemes/which are
commonly used by different
forms*
Understanding of how rhyme
relates to meaning/interpretation

1.c
1.d
2.a.
3.b.
3.e.*
3.f.*
3.k.*
4.b.*

Session 4
Reading Poetry II: Rhythm and Meter:
Know the definition of rhythm
and meter and foot
Able to identify meter
Understand how meter relates to
meaning

1.d
2.a.
2.b.
3.a.
3.c.
4.b.
4.e.*

Direct
Instruction
Think-pairshare and
discussion:
what does
rhyme
scheme add?
Paired
learning/prac
tice reading
to each other

Direct
Instruction
Group work
finding
poems that
fit each type
of meter on a
list,
explaining
Discussion

Session 5
Context:
Know what is meant by context
in poetry
Understand meaning of a poem
in its context/ understanding
context of poem as important for
meaning.
Practice close reading and
annotating*
Understand poetry can be
vulgar*
Understand the relationship
between poet and
poem/characters*
Know:
o who wrote To His Coy
Mistress and

1.a.
1.b.
2.b.
2.e.
3.a.*
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.g.
3.h.*
3.k.*
4.b.*
4.c.*
4.e.*

Everybody
writes
Group Work
Direct
Instruction
Class
Discussion

review of work
Walking
around/listening
to the paired
readings quick
check in with
each group
how did each of
you do?
Exit ticket: plot
the rhyme
scheme, what do
you think
looking for
rhyme scheme
adds to
reading/understa
nding
Group work will
be collected.
Each group will
choose one type
of meter and
read a stanza
from the poem
they chose for
the class how
did you identify
the meter?
Exit ticket
what do you
think meter
contributes to
meaning?

Exit ticket: What is

metaphysical poetry?
Did this class change
your definition/view of
poetry? How so?

approximately when
was it written
definition of
metaphysical poetry

Session 6
Tone I:
Able to define tone
Able to identify the tone of a
poem
Know who wrote:
o My Mistress Eyes are
Nothing Like the Sun

1.a.
1.b.
1.d
2.g.
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.h.*
4.b.*
4.c.*
4.e.*

Session 7
Tone II:
Able to identify tone (more
practice)
Understand how tone relates to
meaning
Understand how tone fits with
context both are clues to
meaning
Understand relationship between
author and character/poem*
Ability to perform close
reading/annotate*
Know who wrote:
o The Road Not Taken,
approximately what
time period

1.a.
1.b.
1.d.
2.a.
2.b.
2.g.
3.d.*
3.f.*
4.a.*
4.b.*
4.c.*
4.e.*

Session 8
Audience:
Understand notion of multiple
audiences
Ability to identify different
audiences
Understand different potential
meaning for different audiences
Understand how a poem might
speak to its own time

1.a
1.b
1.d.
2.f.
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.k.*

Video
(texting
miscommuni
cation) and
discussion
Direct
instruction
Everyone
writes
Paired work:
Tone
Mapping
Vote with
your feet
Think-pairshare

Individual
work
reading
poem,
annotating,
and writing
thoughts
Discussion
Paired work
tone
mapping
Listen to
reading of
poem
Videos:
poem in pop
culture
Fishbowl
discussion
Direct
instruction
Paired
learning:
audience
mapping
identifying
audiences
and filling
out graphic

Thumbs up thumbs down

(throughout lesson) is
tone positive or negative?
Exit ticket

What does tone

mean in poetry?

Give a short
stanza, student is
asked to describe
the tone

Do you have any

questions?

Thumbs up, thumbs down

Exit ticket
Name one way
in which tone is
related to
meaning? Give
an example from
a poem we saw
today or in past
Do you have any
questions?

Collect graphic
organizers/circul
ate during paired
learning
Game Who
Wrote It?
(teams) all
poems from unit
up until this
point included

Ability to perform close

reading/annotate (ongoing)
Know who wrote:
o I, Too, Sing America
o The Canterbury Tales

Session 9
Literary Criticism:
Able to read and understand a
piece of literary criticism

3.l.

Session 10
Sonnets:
Know the elements of a sonnet
Able to identify a poem as a
sonnet
Understand that form is a poetic
decision what is added by this
form?
Ability to perform close
reading/annotate*
Identifying rhyme scheme*
Identifying meter*
Know who wrote:
o Sonnet 18 (Shall I
Compare Thee to a
Summers Day)
o Ozymandias
o How Do I Love Thee?

1.a
1.b
1.c.
2.a.
3.a.
3.b.*
3.c.*
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.i*
3.k.*
4.b*
4.c.*
4.e.*

organizers
Jigsaw
(researching
different
audiences for
a specific
poem)
Fishbowl
discussion
(actually a
model of
multiple
audiences!)
Direct
Instruction
(go through a
piece of
criticism on
a given
poem, break
it down)
Group work
each group
receives a
different
critic
analyzing the
same poem.
Debate
Jigsaw
(elements of
sonnet)
Ongoing
Popplet
(populated
with
students) of
different
forms of
poetry
populated as
we learn
about each
one
Paired work:
close
reading/anno
tating
sonnets,
identifying
rhyme
scheme
Class
discussion

Exit ticket give

one example of
how meaning is
connected to
audience

Debate
Exit ticket
whats one
new/interesting
thing you got
from the literary
criticism with
regards to this
poem

Circulate during
Jigsaw and
paired work
Quizzlet:
Elements of
Sonnets, and
Who Wrote It?

Session 11
Ballads:
Know the elements of a ballad
Able to identify a poem as a
ballad
Identifying rhyme scheme*
Understand that form is a poetic
decision what is added by this
form?*
Know who wrote:
o The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner
o Annabel Lee

1.a
1.b
1.c.
2.a.
3.a.
3.b.*
3.c.*
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.i*
3.k.*
4.a.*
4.b*
4.c.*
4.e.*

Session 12
Dramatic Monologues:
Know the elements of a dramatic
monologue
Able to identify a poem as a
dramatic monologue
Able to read and understand a
poem*
Understand that form is a poetic
decision what is added by this
form?*
Know who wrote:
o My Last Duchess
o The Flea
o To His Coy Mistress
(revisited from earlier in
unit)

1.a
1.b
1.c.
2.a.
3.a.
3.b.*
3.c.*
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.i*
3.k.*
4.a.*
4.b*
4.c.*
4.e.*

what does
this form do
for you?
Paired work
reading a
ballad poem
find
elements of
ballads,
make a list
(pay
attention to
elements of
poetry weve
learned
about)
Discuss with
another
group, swap
notes
Direct
instruction
Group close
reading (if 11 devices,
shared
document,
everyone
annotates
together)
and
discussion
Populate
popplet
Direct
Instruction
Group work
present the
missing
response
from the
Duchess in
My Last
Duchess How would
she respond?
(can be done
as a picture,
a poem, free
writing, a
song)
present your
response to
the class
with

Circulate during
paired work
Thumbs up
thumbs down
give poetic
element, is that
an element of a
Ballad (can
intersperse these
questions
throughout class
time)
Exit Ticket
have any poems
up until this
point resonated
with you? If so
which? And
how?

Group presentations (and

circulate during group
work)
Exit ticket
What is added
by the use of this
form?
Who wrote it?
matching

Session 13
Odes:
Know the elements of odes
Able to identify a poem as an ode
Understand that form is a poetic
decision what is added by this
form?*
Ability to perform close
reading/annotate*
Know who wrote:
o Ode to a Grecian Urn

Session 14
Free Verse:
Know the elements of free verse
Able to identify a poem as free
verse
Understand that form is a poetic
decision what is added by this
form?*
Ability to perform close
reading/annotate *
Know who wrote:
o Dover Beach
o The Snow Man
o Fog
o This is Just to Say
Session 15
Making Connections:
Understand how poems speak to
one another. How can we read a
poem through the lens of another
poem*

1.a
1.b
1.c.
2.a.
3.a.
3.b.*
3.c.*
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.i*
3.k.*
4.a.*
4.b*
4.c.*
4.e.*
1.a
1.b
1.c.
2.a.
3.a.
3.b.*
3.c.*
3.d.*
3.f.*
3.i*
3.k.*
4.a.*
4.b*
4.c.*
4.e.*
2.c.*
3.h.*
3.f.*

explanation
Class
discussion
Populate
popplet
Direct
Instruction
Everyone
writes
Group close
reading/anno
tating
Class
discussion
inside
outside
circles
Populate
popplet

Thumbs up
thumbs down
do you think this
form was good
fit for the
content?
Exit ticket list
the elements of
odes

Listen to
some free
verse poems
being read
Everyone
write
Discussion
of The Snow
Man
Populate
popplet

Game: name that

poet/name that poetic
form

Direct
instruction
connection
to Gemarah
all texts
linked.
Reading in
one area
affects
reading in
another.
Group work
every
group gets 2
poems, see
what

Group Presentations

Silent conversation
which poetic form spoke
to you the most and why?
Write your answer on
post-it and post on board.
Then everyone goes
around and can add one
comment to a post and
one thumbs up/like to a
post

Exit ticket

Session 16:
Final Presentations
Able to construct a reading of a
text and present it

3.d.*
3.e.*
3.f.*
3.h.*
3.k*

connections
you can find,
how reading
of one might
affect the
other, etc.
Groups
present their
findings/argu
ments to the
class
Class
Discussion
Final
Presentations
- Each
student
constructed
reading of a
poem. Will
read the
poem and
present his
reading,
using the text
to support
his claims.

Final Presentations
Exit Ticket how did this
assignment feel for you?
Did it make you
appreciate the poem
better or in a different
way?
Do you have any
questions remaining?