Expository English 4B: Unit 1 Activity: Write a Poem or a PSA

In unit 1, we have learned the art of persuasive writing and we read poems about cities. Now
you get to explore the creative process of writing by creating your own work! You have two
options, write a poem about the city in which you live, OR create a persuasive commercial or
PSA (public service announcement) about something that will help your community.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR COPY OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

Objective: Create a poem or PSA that demonstrates your understanding of persuasive or

creative writing.

Poem Instructions: Create a poem about the city in which you live. Your poem can be written
in any form you choose, but it must include at least 14 lines (so, no haiku, sorry). Since you
get to choose the form, rhyming is also your choice.

Example Poems from Our Readings:

London I come from the fire city.
by William Blake (1757 – 1827) by Eve L. Ewing

I wander thro' each charter'd street, i come from the fire city / fire came and
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow licked up our houses, lapped them up like
And mark in every face I meet they were nothing / drank them like the last
Marks of weakness, marks of woe. dribbling water from a concrete fountain /
the spigot is too hot to touch with your lips
In every cry of every Man, be careful / fire kissed us and laughed / and
In every Infants cry of fear, even now the rust climbs the walls, red ivy /
In every voice: in every ban, iron fire and the brick blossoms florid / red
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear like stolen lipstick ground down to a small
flat earth / stand on any corner of the fire
How the Chimney-sweepers cry city, look west to death / the red sun eats
Every blackning Church appalls, the bungalows / the fire city children watch
And the hapless Soldiers sigh with their fingers in their mouths / to savor
Runs in blood down Palace walls. the flaming hots or hot flamins or hot
crunchy curls or hot chips / they open the
But most thro' midnight streets I hear fire hydrants in the fire city and lay dollar
How the youthful Harlots curse store boats in the gutters / warrior funeral
Blasts the new-born Infants tear, pyres unlit
And blights with plagues the Marriage
hearse.
PSA/Persuasive Commercial Instructions:
● Write a paragraph of no more than 90 words (could be as few as 75 words).
● Develop a strong hook that grabs the listener’s attention and holds it while the key
messages are conveyed.
● Prepare 5 to 7 main points that support a single message.
● Include facts or statistics with resources to back it up.
● If it’s an event, provide the day, date, time, location, and cost
● Close with a compelling call to action telling listeners to “call this number,” “talk to
your doctor,” “visit this website,” or “attend the event.”
● You may submit this as a Google Slides presentation to include pictures, a poster, or
as a written paragraph.

PSA/Persuasive Commercial Example:

● Click here for example video.
● Example Poster:
 ○
● Example Paragraph:
○ IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD IN YOUR DRINKING WATER
[Insert name of water system/community] found elevated levels of lead in drinking
water in some homes/buildings in our community. Lead can cause serious health
problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead is a common
metal found in the environment. Drinking water is one possible source of lead
exposure. The main sources of lead exposure are lead-based paint and
lead-contaminated dust or soil. Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Exposure
 to Lead in Your Water: Let the water run before using it for drinking or cooking.
If you have a lead service line, let the water run for 3-5 minutes. If you do not
have a lead service line, let the water run for 30-60 seconds. The more time
water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Use
cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Boiling water
does not reduce lead levels and may actually increase them. Call [insert name
of water system/community] at [insert phone number for your water system]
or visit our website at [insert website address] to find out how to get your water
tested for lead or for more information. For more information on reducing lead
exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit
http://www.epa.gov/lead or contact your healthcare provider. This notice is
brought to you by [insert name of water system/community].

Write Your Poem or PSA here:

There is a hotness in the air,

That peeps through every room.
It is that dry summer air
That leaves you wailing in the gloom

In that quiet, small town

There is not much
But a pale and unlovely view
That leaves those waiting for an edge,
Waiting in their rooms.

It is an angry, little town

That one day is a hundred and ten
And the next is below two.
You’ll never know with her,
She is a mighty little zoo.

Grading Rubric:
 4. Exceeding 3. Standard Met 2. Approaching 1. Standard Not Met
Standard (Points 6-5) Standard (Points 2-1)
(Points 8-7) (Points 4-3)

Language and Demonstrated a Demonstrated Demonstrated a Struggled to show a

Grammar highly skilled command of the basic command of basic understanding
command of the conventions of the conventions of of the conventions
conventions of standard English standard English of standard English
standard English capitalization, capitalization, capitalization,
capitalization, punctuation, and punctuation, and punctuation, and
punctuation, and spelling when spelling when spelling when
spelling when writing. writing. writing.
writing.

Figurative Language, Demonstrated Demonstrated Identified figurative Struggled to identify

Word Relationships, understanding of understanding of language, word figurative language,
and Word Meaning complex figurative figurative language, relationships, and word relationships,
language, word word relationships, nuances in word and nuances in word
relationships, and and nuances in word meanings. meanings.
nuances in word meanings.
meanings.

Gathering Gathered highly Gathered relevant Gathered relevant Gathered relevant

Information relevant information from information from information from
information from multiple multiple print and print and digital
multiple highly authoritative print digital sources. sources or prior
authoritative and and digital sources Showed evidence of knowledge. Assessed
credible print and using assessing the the credibility of
digital sources using advanced search credibility of each each source.
advanced search effectively. source. Quoted or Provided basic
effectively. Showed evidence of paraphrased to avoid bibliographic
Showed evidence of assessing the plagiarism and information for
assessing the strengths and follow a standard sources.
strengths and limitations of each format for citation.
limitations of each source in terms of
source in terms of task, purpose, and
task, purpose, and audience.
audience. Integrated
Integrated information and text
information and text selectively to
selectively to maintain flow
maintain flow while avoiding
while avoiding plagiarism or
plagiarism or
 overreliance on any overreliance on any
one source. Followed one source. Followed
appropriate standard appropriate standard
format for citation. format for citation.
Proposed where
extended real-world
research is needed

Evidence Supported analysis, Supported analysis, Supported analysis, Struggled to support

reflection, and reflection, and reflection, or analysis, reflection,
research by research by research by referring or research by
evaluating how a analyzing how a to literature OR referring to literature
modern work draws modern work draws informational text. OR
upon upon informational text.
traditional literature traditional literature
OR OR
outlining and outlining and
evaluating the evaluating the
arguments in a arguments in a
specific text. specific text.

TOTAL ___/32 = _____%