Thursday, April 9

Classwork

1. Finish storyboards for poem

2. Free time: do make-up work, talk to me about your grade, or read. Just do something reasonable ;)

Homework

None, it's a little late. But you should always be reading!

Wednesday, April 8

Classwork
1. Recitations: finish grading your peers!

2. Storyboard project: watch "Leap of Faith" clip from Indiana Jones and look at the storyboards for the scene. How do storyboards translate to the screen?

3. Get into assigned groups and work on storyboards. Choose a poem and work on storyboarding it. Discuss what medium you would use, if you were to film this (cartoon? stop-motion? traditional film? CGI?). Will you do a literal interpretation (line-by-line, each line is a storyboard), or will you make it more conceptual? It's up to you.

Homework
Tomorrow is last day to turn in missing work! Get it in!

Tuesday, April 7

Classwork
1. Recitations: this time, grade two of your peers.
2. Watch Poetry videos: see poems put to video. What is effective about these videos? Consider the medium (cartoon and stop-motion animation), the narrator, the length, etc. We watched "The Giving Tree" and "Sick," both by Shel Silverstein.

Homework
Read and do makeup work! Bookmark #7 is due tomorrow!

Monday, April 6

Classwork

1. Review expectations for recitations
2. 10 students recite poems (everyone should grade one other student each day)
3. Free time (finish up poetry packet, ask questions about recitation grade, etc.)

Homework
Missing work. Read!

Friday, April 3

Classwork

1. Look at speech rubric; discuss Delivery expectations. We are using the Oregon Speaking standards rubric (which high schoolers use as a basis for grading work samples) as a guide, because students will see this a lot before they graduate. However, because this is a poetry recitation, and not a speech, we are concerned only with the Delivery category. The recitals start Monday. The delivery is worth 36 points, and the illustrated point is 14, for a total of 50. Students will be called on randomly to deliver their poem.

2. Practice delivering poem. If poem isn't yet memorized, read poem out loud. Students were to focus on enunciation, pronunciation and emotion.

3. Watch some poetry recitations. The best source is to head to YouTube, and type in "Poetry Out Loud." This is a competition in which high-schoolers recite poetry. Some of the clips are amazing!

Homework
Poetry portfolio is due Monday, so finish it! Also, practice poem!

Thursday, April 2

Classwork

1. Practice reciting poem
2. Hand back Poetry test and go over correct answers. Anyone can complete a makeup test if they want to improve their grade (the scores will be averaged). Students absent on Friday, March 20 should also come in for a makeup.
3. Work on poetry packet or poetry portfolio.

Homework
Finish poetry packet (notes and worksheets—it's on white paper).
Work on poem memorization!

Wednesday, April 1

Classwork

1. Head to library to work on illustrated poem. Students are to illustrate the poem they chose for recital; try to draw one image for each line. This should be hand-written. This is due on the day you recite it!

Homework
Finish poetry packet. Start memorizing your poem!

Tuesday, March 31

Class work
1. Discuss a few things:
*Grades are updated. Some students are missing a lot of work—next Friday is a day off for a grading period, which means you have about 9 days to make up that work!
*The poetry tests have been graded. We will go over these tests together on Thursday. If you want to take the test again, you can, for a grade averaged between the first test and your makeup. Makeup tests must be taken on your own time (before or after school, on break, or during 1st 4th), however.
*The poetry packet (notes and bookwork) is due Friday, April 3. Poetry Portfolio (poems written in class and self-evaluation) is due Monday, April 6th.
*You can earn extra credit by turning a poem in for the Cal Young Echo's Poe-Tree contest.

2. Library
Students chose a poem that they would like to recite. The stipulations: it is at least 10 lines long, and is in a book from the Cal Young library. We will start reciting these next week, so you have to have it memorized by Monday!

Homework
Bookmark #6 is due tomorrow!

Thursday, March 19

Classwork
1. Correct review worksheets
Wow, how disappointing. I had less than 25% of the students come to class with this complete. Nevertheless, we graded it and discussed. Those who were done will get full points for what they earned, while those who didn't bring it to class finished will automatically lose half credit. Homework is meant to be done at home.

2. read "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" by Shel Silverstein (p. 582 Elements of Literature). Answer questions in poetry packet. These questions are from p. 585 of the textbook; here they are, if you're finishing this at home:

2. One element of humor is exaggeration [also known as hyperbole]—describing something as bigger, smaller, better, or worse than it is. List three examples of hyperbole in the poem. Explain which is your favorite example.
4. Part of the humor of these poems comes from their clever rhymes. Silverstein has even found a rhyme for macaroni... Take one group of rhyming words from the poem, and see how far you can extend the list with other rhyming words.
5. Silverstein's poem is full of alliteration—the repetition of similar consonant sounds in nearby words. Sarah's entire name is an example of alliteration. Find three other examples of alliteration in Silverstein's poem. Which sounds are repeated in each of your examples?
7. In "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout," the poet says, "Poor Sarah met an awful fate,/That I cannot now relate." What do you think that fate might be?

Homework
Study for test!

Wednesday, March 18

Classwork
1. Journal
Pick any object or set of objects in this room and study it or them for a couple of minutes. Then write a paragraph (3-5 sentences) describing it or them, focusing on appealing to one sense (most likely sight)... We discussed imagery, and I read a stanza from the poem "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold.

2. Concrete poetry
The key thing about concrete poetry is its shape; the shape of the poem reflects the subject of the poem. If you were to reform your poem into the shape of a square, it would destroy most of the meaning of the poem. Examples are here, here and here.

Students need to complete the blue concrete poetry worksheet in class. This sheet gives an example of a concrete poem, as well space for brainstorming and other guidelines. The rough draft should be written on the back of the sheet, and a final copy should be written on a separate piece of paper and turned in with the Poetry Portfolio on April 6.

Homework
Study your poetry terms.
Purple poetry review worksheet is due tomorrow! We will correct in class together.

Tuesday, March 11

Classwork
1. On the "Found Poem" worksheet, summarize the article you brought in 3 sentences.

2. Complete the "Found Poem" worksheet. Highlight at least 10 words in your article, and write them on the worksheet. You will create a poem using at least ten words from the article. You may not add any words!

3. You will need to turn in the yellow worksheet, the article, and a final copy of your found poem in with your Poetry Portfolio. Remember, your Poetry Portfolio is due April 6—do not lose any of your work!

If you'd like an example of found poetry, check this example out. Page one is a found poem extracted from a passage from the book Holes by Louis Sachar.

Homework
Bookmark #5 due tomorrow
Study poetry terms and definitions! Test is on Friday.

Monday, March 16

Classwork
1. Read "all in green went my love riding" by e.e. cummings (Elements of Literature, 601).
In poetry packet, complete quickwrite and questions (which are found in the text on 605).
While reading this poem, we focused on symbol (what/whom is represented by the deer?), repetition and how current pop music compares/contrasts with classic love poems.
Before reading the poem, it's helpful to note that classically, women were symbolized by deer, and men by hunters. So try to figure out who the speaker of the poem is (remember, it's rarely the author) as you read. Also consider who the love is, why he is riding (why is he carrying a bugle and bow? why does he wear green? What's with the hounds?)...

2. Discuss Poetry Portfolio project (due April 6th).

Name: ___________________ period___













Poetry Portfolio (50 points) Checklist

_______ cover (include title, your name, and class period) (5)
_______ this checklist (5)
_______ limerick (written on this checklist) (10)
_______ concrete poem (10)
_______ found poem (10)
_______ self-evaluation (10)—On a sheet of notebook paper, or typed, please answer the following questions in at least eight sentences:
Did you enjoy learning about poetry?
What part did you like the best? The least?
Which poem project did you put the most effort into? The least?
Do you think this unit will help you in the future when you study poetry?
What could you do to improve your work next time?
Of everything we did so far, what do you think you did your best on?


Is everything in order? yes no

On a scale of 1-10, 0 being absent or no effort, and 10 being excellent or much effort, grade the following:

Completion 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Neatness 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Creativity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Homework
Bring an article to class tomorrow. It can be from a newspaper, a magazine, a website, etc. The topic is anything that interests you!

Fridy, March 13

Classwork
1. Rhythm and meter notes. We took notes and looked at a sonnet, determining the meter (obviously, it's iambic pentameter, because it is an English sonnet—but we aren't worrying about that!).

Notes on Rhythm and Meter

meter: means measure in Greek. A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
anapest: unstressed-unstressed-stressed (but of course!)
dactyl: stressed-unstressed-unstressed (honestly)
iamb: unstressed-stressed (collapse)
trochee: stressed-unstressed (pizza)

foot: the building block of meter. As you can see above, a foot consists of two or three syllables.
monometer: a line of one foot
dimeter: a line of two feet
trimeter: a line of three feet
tetrameter: a line of four feet
pentameter: a line of five feet
hexameter: a line of six feet


2. Limerick notes. We wrote a few things down about limericks in our packet, specifically:
It follows a definite rhyme pattern (AABBA)... it has a definite rhythm and number of feet (line 1 is 3 feet, line 2 is 3 feet, line 3 is 2 feet, line 4 is 2 feet, line 5 is 3 feet). Each foot is anapestic (unstressed syllable-unstressed syllable-stressed syllable) or iambic (unstressed syllable-stressed syllable).

If this is confusing, please have your student talk to me during break, or before or after school.
We will not be testing on rhythm and meter, aside from what the number of feet in a limerick is. This is some pretty intense material!

Homework
Write your own limerick; the worksheet is due Wednesday 03/18. The first limerick on the worksheet may be one we started in class. In most cases, it starts as follows:
There once was a Jedi from Dag'bah
That met this guy Skywalkah
Each time it ends with a fight
saber shines so bright
_________________________

Thursday, March 12

Classwork
1. Notes: how to read poetry
Why read aloud? Poets design their poems to be read aloud; it was originally an oral form (chanted, sang, recited). Plus, you'll understand and remember more.
Steps to a good reading:
Have the right tools handy—a pencil, a dictionary, and the Internet (or encyclopedia).
*Look up unfamiliar words or allusions (brief reference to person, place, event or literary work).
*read silently first—note the title, structure, author. It's helpful to take notes on unfamiliar concepts.
*Determine who the speaker is (it is rarely the author); is the speaker a character or a disembodied voice?
Read aloud
*find an appropriate tone of voice. Engaged: show interest in what you have to say.
*be conversational; don't shout or whisper. Sound natural.
*Don't rush! Read at a deliberate pace. ENUNCIATE!
*Pause for power: consider dashes, periods, semicolons, commas and white space. The stronger the punctuation or larger the white space, the longer the pause. Also consider ends of lines and stanzas.

2. Read "Arithmetic" by Carl Sandburg. Discuss free verse poetry, and how rhythm is often created through repetition. How does one read a poem effectively? Critique Ms.King's reading of the poem; how could she give a better reading?

Homework
song assignment due tomorrow!

Wednesday, March 11

Classwork
1. Journal
A symbol represents something else. It's an A that stands for a B, which results in a deeper meaning. For example, the eagle (A) represents America (B). The deeper meaning is that eagles are free, and our country's ideals are based on our citizens having freedom (C). Please identify a symbol—the A, B, & C!

2. Literary Devices through Song
Using the lyrics to "Lovecats" by The Cure, and one of the following: "The Wrestler" by Bruce Springsteen, "Hard Times" by Run-D.M.C., or "I am a Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel, the class identified literary devices in the songs. We listened to each song and underlined literary devices, labeling what they are. We then discussed them. Homework is an extension of this; students are to pick one song and identify three different literary devices in it. If students do not have access to lyrics, they can use one of the songs from class that we didn't cover together.


Homework
Poetry through Song /10 Name: ______________________ period: ______

Identifying Literary Devices in Song
Please attach this sheet to your song lyrics. Your task is to choose a song and identify three literary devices in it. You can find animism, alliteration, imagery, metaphor, personification, repetition, simile or symbol. You need to find three different devices in your song.
*Please circle the three devices you find and label what type of device they are. /6
*Write two sentences explaining what the song means. Why would the writer use figurative language? /4
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Due Friday, March 13.

Tuesday, March 10

Classwork
1. Poetry Pre-test

2. Literary devices: copy definition into packet and come up with an example.

animism: assigning animal characteristics to humans. see example
alliteration: repetition of the same sound in a line. Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds/ Towards Phoebus' lodging! (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, III, ii, 1).
imagery: descriptions meant to appeal to the five senses. One minute it was Ohio winter, with doors closed, windows locked, the panes blind with frost, icicles fringing every roof... (Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles, 1).
metaphor: direct comparison between two unrelated things. Her brother is a pig.
personification: giving human qualities or actions to something nonhuman. The Pop Rocks danced on my tongue.
repetition: the use of sounds, words, phrases, or whole lines more than once; used to emphasize an idea or feeling. Today, as never before, the fates of men are so intimately linked to one another that a disaster for one is a disaster for everybody (Natalia Ginzburg, The Little Virtues, 1962).
simile: comparison between two things using like or as. When Jayne punched Jackson, his stomach gave like a sack of flour.
symbol: something that stands for or represents something else. The eagle is a symbol of America.

Homework
Bookmarks due tomorrow.

Monday, March 9

Classwork
1. Journal: What is poetry? What are some common elements? (2-3 sentences).

2. Poetry terms and definitions (copy into poetry packet):
poetic: being graceful, expressive, beautiful, elevated, or uplifting in your word choice and style.
poetry: writing that uses language in special ways so that its sound reflects its meaning more powerfully than in ordinary speech and writing. Usually has shorter lines and often rhymes and/or has rhythm.
foot: a syllable section that makes the smallest unit of rhythm in a poem.
meter: this is a repetition of the rhythmic pattern and is determined by the combination of both the number of syllables in a line and the pattern of accented syllables in a line.
rhyme: repetition of sounds at the ends of words.
end rhyme: rhyme that occurs at the ends of lines.
internal rhyme: rhyme that occurs within a line.
rhyme scheme: the pattern of rhymes in a poem; can be described by using a different letter of the alphabet to represent each rhyming sound.
concrete: a poem that suggests its subject with the shape of the words. see example
free verse: poetry without regular patterns of rhyme or rhythm is called free verse. Free verse can sometimes sound like conversation. see example
haiku: a poem about nature that follows a 5/7/5 syllable pattern. see example
limerick: a humorous 5-line poem with an a-a-b-b-a rhyme pattern and a certain rhythm. see example

Homework
None

Greetings

My name is Kristina King, and I will be guest teaching for Alia Turner through April 10. For the next month, your student will be working on a poetry unit in Language Arts. This works out to be an entire grading period; however, this period will be combined with the prior period for a quarter grade. That being said, I am using the same grading policies and scales as Ms. Turner.

If you have questions or concerns about your student's progress, e-mail is the best way to contact me. You can reach me at King_K@4j.lane.edu.

Additionally, each evening I will update this blog with the day's classwork and homework.

I look forward to working with your student and you. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Kristina King