UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE

Title of Unit 10 ELA – Poetry – From Form to Meaning Grade Level 10

Curriculum Area(s) ELA Time Frame 6 Lessons (Days Variable)
Mohamed Noordeen - 10030537
Developed by

IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Programs of Study Foundations
What program foundations form the emphasis of the unit? What big ideas from the program of studies will you include?

Foundations (Big Ideas) & Why (Brief)

1. Explore, Shape, and Clarify Thoughts & Ideas --> Forming Understandings & Interpretations, Accessing Alternative Perspectives,
2. Comprehend Literature & Construct Meaning --> Extending Thinking and Develop Critical Understanding
4. Create texts, enhance the clarity of understanding, and artistry of communication --> Develop effective and artistic communicative skills,
develop creative expression, and innovative ways of text creation

Essential Question
What is the big, overarching question guiding your unit plan?

Overarching (Teacher): How can language change the way in which we construct meaning?
(Student): How can the way words are said or formed together change the way we understand them?

Topical:
To what extent does form, structure, and context shape our thoughts and feelings?
--> A deeper understanding of form and structure helps to build understanding of text? How?
--> Think about the way something is formed, structured, and the effect it has on our thoughts and feelings
Does poetry have a role in modern language?
--> role of poetry in rhetoric
Can an understanding of form and structure in language help us to improve the quality our lives?
--> in accessing our thoughts and feelings, to become better and more effective communicators
How does language shape our understanding of our selves, others, and the world?

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)

 Unit Plan Outcomes
What are the program of studies general outcomes and specific competencies to be covered in your unit?
What will students understand, be able to do, be able to apply?

General Outcome 1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.

 1.1. 1. b - form tentative understandings, interpretations and positions on ideas and issues communicated in literature and other texts
by expressing own explorations and considering others’ explorations

General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write,view and represent to comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual
and multimedia forms, and respond personally, critically and creatively

 2.1.1 c - describe the relationship between text and context [for example, constraints of time and space, issues of gender and culture,
whether or not the audience is present]
 2.2.1 c - describe a variety of organizational patterns and structural features that contribute to purpose and content
 2.2.2 a - describe rhetorical devices [such as parallel structure and repetition] and stylistic techniques [such as purposeful use of precise
denotative language and straightforward sentence structure] that create clarity, coherence and emphasis in print and non print texts
 2.3.1 b - respond personally and analytically to ideas developed in works of literature and other texts; and analyze the ways in which
ideas are reflected in personal and cultural opinions, values, beliefs and perspectives

General Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write,view and represent to create oral, print, visual and multimedia texts, and enhance
the clarity and artistry of communication.

 4.1.2. a - select a text form appropriate to the purpose for text creation and consistent with the content to be presented in the text [for
example, select a photo essay to demonstrate a personal or critical/analytical response to poetry or other literature when the content to
be presented is well suited to the creation of a visual text]

UNIT PLAN RESOURCES

What resources will you require? Will there be guest speakers/field trips to plan for?
Will you need particular resources/materials/technologies?

Smartboard / Projector
Computer
Various Texts of Poetry
Markers
Handouts (as required by lesson)
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
UNIT PLAN SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
What will you accept as evidence that learning has occurred at the conclusion of this unit?
Save the Stanza! Vive La Verse!

The Summative Performance Assessment for this unit is a literary project

involving the creation of 2 texts:

1) A personal, creative response to a piece that has personal significance

or importance. The response is not limited to being an actual piece of text;
it can take a variety of forms: an image, a story, a performative piece, an
animation or short video. The response must evoke poetic elements such
as a consideration of form, expressive language and literary devices!
What is the summative performance assessment for the unit?
2) A 500 word critical rationale of your response piece. In your
explanation, you must describe the rationale behind the creation of your
work (why you chose to respond to the original text of your choosing, the
inspiration behind your response, etc.) as well as reflect on the way the
poetry impacted you and what factors had an influence, with emphasis on
form, medium, and context.

Please see attached Performance Task Handout "Save the Stanza! Vive La
Verse" for Full Performance Task
The goal of the performance assessment is to have students:

 understand the way in which language, poetic language and

What is the goal of your summative performance assessment
devices, can have impact and influence how we understand text.
as framed within the outcomes and competencies? What do
 to develop an understanding and a way to articulate the way in
you hope to learn?
which form influences the way we think and feel
 extend their creative language ability through the creation of
various pieces of text that requires reflexive and critical thinking

This assessment will student learning and my practice as a teacher in that

How will this assessment inform student learning and your
it will help me understand what is important at the heart of the student
practice?
through the demonstration of their response text. The response text will
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 help to demonstrate how the student extends their thinking and the way
in which they make connections. The critical thinking piece will help to
develop their critical thinking ability by asking students to explain their
thinking, support it with proof, which will help to ensure their response
piece is supported by theory (a way of keeping the response in check).

In gauging the products of the student work it will give insights into
student interest and passions and will help to influence future lessons in
English which require extensions into the real world.

LESSON PLAN SEQUENCE/OUTCOMES

For each lesson in the unit, consider the primary topic/activities, outcome and assessment. Does each lesson build on the next?
Consider the following questions as you plan your sequence of lessons:
What events will help students engage with, explore, explain, elaborate on and evaluate the big idea in the unit?
How will you help guide students to reflect, rethink and refine their work/ideas/understandings?
How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their developing skills/knowledge/understandings?

What is the primary

objective of this What are the primary activities How will you assess whether learning has occurred in each
Lesson #
lesson in your own in this lesson? lesson? How will you employ formative assessment?
words?

1-2 Periods: Formative Assessment Strategies:

1) Check Prior Knowledge and
Examining
Introduce Background 1. Small Group Literature Circle
Traditional Poetic
Information 2. Observations & Anecdotal Records
Forms to explore
2) Examining excerpts from 3. Reflective Journal Writing
1. thoughts and
Romeo & Juliet,
Traditional construct meaning --
and other traditional poems in How will you assess? In small groups, students will lead literature
Poetry > focus on
Small Group Literature Circle circles where they examine various traditional poetic texts.
relationship between
("Hold the thought" Strategy) Adopting the "hold the thought" strategy, students will look at the
form, literary devices,
various the ways the text elicits reactions from them, such as
and meaning (GO1)
3) Reflective Journal Writing questions, reflections, emotional reactions, etc. Students will also
4) Introduce Summative focus on the role of form and literary devices in influencing
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 Performance Task Assignment meaning. While literature circles are occurring, i will be
circulating and documenting the discussions that I am hearing.

To wrap up the class, students will have to write in their journal

about what they have learned about the role of form and literary
devices in shaping understanding

Differentiation:
Special Needs: Allow for individual or group work, have less
challenging poetry available
ELL: Group ELL's together to discuss less challenging poem, have
ELL's of similar background grouped together and ask if they can
think of any poem or poetry from their home country in their
language, ask them to look for the relationship of form
Gifted: Allow for complexity --> encourage them to look for more
examples of poetry that involves form and meaning in other
works we've covered so far, or to look back to Romeo and Juliet
for more examples.
1. Review last lesson, check for understanding of key
concepts/ideas
2. Show class a portion of the video of Martin Luther King Jr's
famous "I have a dream speech" + Barack Obama's Inauguration
Exploring the 1 Period: Speech + Muhammad Ali's "I am the greatest" poem
famous speeches of 1) Show videos of Famous
Historical Figures --> Speeches After showing the videos - give students a few minutes to reflect
lead students towards 2) Closely Reading Famous on what they just heard / saw, ask them to consider what had an
2. Poetry in
thinking how is poetry Speeches to check/discern for influence on them. Regroup for discussion with a copy of the 1st
History -
present in these texts, presence of poetic elements, form, speech on the board + handouts for the students to annotate of
Famous
how does the poetic and resulting effect of these each speech. After working through first speech as a class,
Poetic
elements influence elements. organize students into groups for close reading and have them
Speeches
meaning, impact the working through the remaining 2 speeches to check for the way in
reader/listener? 3) Class Discussion which poetic elements influence understanding and the effect they
have on the reader/listener's thoughts and feelings.
GO1, GO2 4) Practice Poetry Writing activity
Formative Assessment Strategies:
Class Discussion
Observations & Anecdotal Records

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)

 How will you assess? In our discussions, i'm looking to see if
students are able to identify how the form of each speech is having
an influence on understanding. Are students picking up on things
such as the couplets and rhyming scheme in Ali's speech, the
repetition in Obama's speech, etc. Conclude with giving students
time to create a poem in any form they like to allow them time to
develop their poetry crafting ability. Have students submit their
work to assess where they are at in terms of crafting ability, for
students that need more assistance this will provide insight into
how much time and assistance will be required for the production
stage.

Differentiation:
Special Needs: Allow for individual or group work, have less
challenging speech available
ELL: Group ELL's together to discuss less challenging speech, have
ELL's of similar background grouped together and ask if they
know of any famous speeches from their home country in their
language, ask them to look for the relationship of form
Gifted: Allow for complexity --> If finished, ask them to look for
more examples of famous speeches that involved powerful poetic
rhetoric. Ask them to find and explain.
1. Introduce concept of Poetry in popular culture (Hip Hop / Slam
1-2 periods:
Poetry)
1) Listen to Lupe Fiasco's "Hurt Me
Examine the way in 2. Provide brief background information of significance of Hip Hop
Soul", M.I.A's "Borders" and Saul
which poetry is as a political tool and cultural movement.
Williams "Coded Language" -->
present in Popular 3. Have class listen to a verse from Lupe's "Hurt Me Soul" + M.I.A's
Brief Lessons on cultural and
3. Poetry in Culture --> Lead "Borders"
political significance of Hip Hop as
Popular students towards Have them share with a partner what they were able to gather
a medium
Culture - thinking about the from listening
Hip Hop, way language 4. Regroup to discuss on board, have verse on board for class
2) Have a fishbowl discussion on
Slam influences how we analysis --> work as a class to determine the presence of poetic
the role of poetry in music and
Poetry, understand self, elements, literary devices, and form in the music and how it
popular culture today
others, the world impacts the listener / reader
3) Reflective Journal Activity
(GO1, GO2) Formative Assessment strategies:
Class Discussion
4) Exit Cards
Fishbowl Activity
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 Reflective Journal Activity - "does putting poetry to music or
performance impact how we develop meaning and
understanding? what about the form and structure of hip hop or
slam poetry influences the listener / viewer?"
Observations & Anecdotal Records

How will you assess? Gauge from Class discussion and check in on
Reflective Journals to check to see how student learning is
progressing. Fishbowl discussion will give strong insight into the
pulse of how students are making connections between the role
language plays in making meaning, the importance of form, and
medium, and if poetry has an impact on popular culture. Conclude
with student's writing in their reflective journal of the question
above and exit cards to assess how they feel so far about what
they have learned about the relationship between form and
meaning.

Differentiation:
Special Needs: Allow for individual or group work, have less
challenging or stimulating Poetry available
ELL: Group ELL's together to discuss less challenging poem, have
ELL's of similar background grouped together to examine a poem
from their home country in their language, ask them to look for
the relationship of form
Gifted: Allow for complexity --> If finished, ask these students to
explore poetry in other formats (such as movies or advertising) to
see the relationship between form and meaning.
Pre-Assess to see what students think constitutes poetry thus far
(formats, rules, guidelines, etc) based on Traditional, Historical,
Exploring Abstract / Contemporary examples we have covered.
1 period:
Unconventional
forms of Poetry Introduce Abstract / Unconventional Forms of Poetry, start with
4. Poetry Look at Visual Poetry from E E
--> to explore the e.e. Cummings. (L(a')
Beyond Cummings, also Blackout Poetry
relationship between and other examples of Abstract / Unconventional forms of poetry
form and meaning --> have students consider how is this poetry? what about it is
Blackout Poetry Activity
(GO1,GO2,) poetic?
--> focus on form and how form impacts meaning and
understanding
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 Introduce Blackout Poetry Activity and Share with Peer

Debrief Discussion after activity to see how their thinking of

poetry, particular emphasis to form and structure, has changed.

Formative Assessment Strategies:

Class Discussion
Observations & Anecdotal Records

How will you assess? This activity will challenge students notions
about what they think is poetry. What I will be looking for is to see
during the discussion is if there has been a shift in perspective
from the beginning pre-assessment discussion to after.

Differentiation:
Special Needs: Allow for individual or group work, have a less
complicated poem on hand. If having difficulty, allow students
opportunity to not take part in this activity as it's abstractness
may be overwhelming --> instead direct them to start working on
their summative assignment.
ELL: Group ELL's together to discuss less challenging poem, have
a less complicated poem on hand. If having difficulty, allow
students opportunity to not take part in this activity as it's
abstractness may be overwhelming --> instead direct them to
start working on their summative assignment.
Gifted: Allow for complexity --> encourage them to create their
own abstract poem
Formative Assessment Strategies:
Conversations & Interviews, Observations, & Anecdotal Records
Purpose of this lesson
5. Producti 2-3 Periods:
is to provide students
on Time - How will you assess? I will be circulating to assist where needed. I
independent time to
Independe Independent work for SPT will setup a time to meet with each student to check in on the
work on their SPT
nt Work Researching, Drafting, Creating progress of their SPT. When not interviewing, I will have an
(G01,G02,GO4)
anecdotal record form on hand to make notes of student
performance.
6. Peer Purpose of this Class 1 Period: Formative Assessment Strategy:
Assessment is to provide peer Peer Review
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
& SPT assessment feedback Students will have Peer
Submission of their 2 texts Assessment Feedback form, will fill Final Peer assessment forms are due back to peers. Final
(personal response it out and return to peer Submission of Performance Task.
and critical rationale)
and once feedback has How will you assess? Peer review gives students an opportunity
been considered, to to critically engage the work of their peers to gauge the degree to
modify SPT which they understand the content themselves in critiquing the
and submit. work of their peers. Students will have their SPT handout and
(G01,G02,GO4) rubric and should be referencing it throughout their peer
assessment. The students should use the feedback from the peer
review to modify and adjust their SPT. I will be circulating again to
assist where needed as students will be working with one another
reviewing their SPT before submission.

PRE-SERVICE TEACHER SELF-REFLECTION

 How do you feel your students experienced this unit?
 Were they able to make explicit and self-evaluate their growing understanding, skills and/or knowledge?
 Were you able to make good use of formative assessment for/of/as learning? How did this information impact your summative
assessment?
 Were you successful in reaching all students? How do you know? How did you accommodate for diverse learners and those
requiring accommodations?
 Were there opportunities to address Indigenous, multicultural and interdisciplinary activities and knowledge?
 What went well and what needs refinement? What might you do differently next time?

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)