Enrichment Activity for ELA 6 Unit 3: Survival
“Transforming Poetry to Prose”
Creating a story in Prose to portray messages from the Poem, “On the Pulse of Morning”
Common Core State Standard(s):
RL
6.2
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2 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.
RL
6.4
Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 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
W
6.3
Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, relevant descriptive
details, and well-structured event sequences.
Placement in Sequence of Unit:
Part 2: “Survival of the Fittest”
This enrichment can take place during the
analysis of poetry. Ideally, these students will
have discussed the poem, “On the Pulse of
Morning,” by Maya Angelou. If the poem is not
used for the whole class, the advanced students
can be grouped to analyze the poem
collaboratively before beginning the
enrichment activity/product.
Materials Needed:
Essential Questions:
Instructions for Students
1. How does a poem convey important
Copies of Tone words/Mood words
messages to the world about survival?
Poem, “On the Pulse of Morning” (There is a
2. What techniques in poetry can be used
separate student copy with boxes to annotate to
in prose to convey messages effectively?
specific criteria)
3. How does symbolism affect meaning?
Access to Technology to watch mini biography of
Maya Angelou, video of her reading the poem
and video of her talking about “doing right.”
Rubric
Rationale:
This enrichment is used for advanced/motivated
students who have a strong base in annotation
and can work collaboratively with peers to
discuss deeper meanings.
Lesson is designed to guide students through a
critical analysis of a poem, and then creatively
write the messages portrayed in the poem in the
format of a story.
Wake County Public Schools, 2014-15
Enrichment Team
Sources:
WCPSS CMAPP ELA6 - Unit 3
http://youtu.be/59xGmHzxtZ4 (Maya Angelou
reciting her poem at Clinton’s Inauguration)
http://youtu.be/LyHqafC740Q (Mini Biography
of Maya Angelou)
http://youtu.be/bxrV2J_OjGo (“Just Do Right”, a
short conversation with Maya Angelou)
Page 1
Poetry to Prose– Student Directions
Objective: Create a story based on the messages presented through Maya Angelou’s poem, “On the
Pulse of Morning”. The story will be effective in portraying those same messages using critical and
sophisticated word choices along with detailed elements of story.
Introduction to Students:
In this activity, you will learn about a famous poet and writer who is still alive today. Her name is
Maya Angelou and she was asked to compose a poem to read at President Clinton’s Inauguration in
1993. There are videos provided for you to learn about her life, watch and listen to her recite her
poem and watch a video of a short conversation with her where she talks about people “just doing
right”. With a partner, you will then analyze her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning” and finally
transform this poem into a story told through the point of view of either The Rock, The Tree or The
River.
Steps: Make sure you read through this entire document before beginning your activity
1) Watch the following video to gain a sense of Maya Angelou and her life:
http://youtu.be/LyHqafC740Q (Mini Biography of Maya Angelou)
2) Watch the following video to get to know Maya Angelou and her viewpoint on “doing right in
life”.
http://youtu.be/bxrV2J_OjGo (“Just Do Right”, a short conversation with Maya Angelou)
3) Get a copy of Maya Angelou’s poem, “On the Pulse of Morning”. Your first task with this poem
is just to read it. You can read it silently to yourself or read it with a partner.
4) After reading the poem once through, watch the following video of Maya Angelou reciting her
own poem at the Presidential Inauguration of President Clinton, in 1993.
http://youtu.be/59xGmHzxtZ4 (Maya Angelou reciting her poem at Clinton’s Inauguration)
5) Now, follow the directions on the poetry page, and annotate the poem, section by section,
according to the criteria in the boxes next to the stanzas. Of course, you can add any other
notes you choose. Having the tone and mood resource pages out will help you.
6) Your final creative task will be to present the overall messages of this poem to America in the
form of a story! Your story should be told through the point of view of one of the symbolic
objects in the poem. You can choose to tell the story as The Rock, The Tree, or The River. Plan
your story strategically, making sure that you use all story elements effectively in creating a
cohesive detailed story. You should definitely include some of the word choices from the poem,
manipulating them in ways that fit into the theme.
7) Your format can be your choice. You may choose to write your story using Word Processor. You
may choose to add original artwork/illustrations to your story. You must have a title, a detailed
story (3-4 pages), and an “About the Author Page” which tells about you and the overall theme
of your story (which should connect to the theme of the original poem). You may even choose
to video-tape your story or present your story live to an audience.
8) Follow the Rubric and score yourself on the rubric when you complete your story.
Wake County Public Schools, 2014-15
Enrichment Team
Page 2
"ON THE PULSE OF MORNING" by Maya Angelou
A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon,
The dinosaur, who left dried tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.
But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow.
I will give you no hiding place down here.
You, created only a little lower than
The angels, have crouched too long in
The bruising darkness
Have lain too long
Face down in ignorance.
Your mouths spilling words
Armed for slaughter.
The Rock cries out to us today, you may stand upon me,
But do not hide your face.
Across the wall of the world,
A River sings a beautiful song. It says,
Come, rest here by my side.
Each of you, a bordered country,
Delicate and strangely made proud,
Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.
Your armed struggles for profit
Have left collars of waste upon
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.
Yet today I call you to my riverside,
If you will study war no more.
Wake County Public Schools, 2014-15
Enrichment Team
Page 3
Come,
Clad in peace, and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the rock were one.
Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your
Brow and when you yet knew you still
Knew nothing.
The River sang and sings on.
There is a true yearning to respond to
The singing River and the wise Rock.
So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew
The African, the Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.
They hear. They all hear
The speaking of the Tree.
They hear the first and last of every Tree
Speak to humankind today. Come to me, here beside the River.
Plant yourself beside the River.
Each of you, descendant of some passed
On traveller, has been paid for.
You, who gave me my first name, you,
Pawnee, Apache, Seneca, you
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then
Forced on bloody feet,
Left me to the employment of
Other seekers -- desperate for gain,
Starving for gold.
You, the Turk, the Arab, the Swede, the German, the Eskimo, the Scot,
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought,
Sold, stolen, arriving on the nightmare
Praying for a dream.
Here, root yourselves beside me.
I am that Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved.
Wake County Public Schools, 2014-15
Enrichment Team
Page 4
I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours -- your passages have been paid.
Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.
History, despite its wrenching pain
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.
Lift up your eyes upon
This day breaking for you.
Give birth again
To the dream.
Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands,
Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For a new beginning.
Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.
The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out and upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.
No less to Midas than the mendicant.
No less to you now than the mastodon then.
Here, on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, and into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope --
Good morning.
Wake County Public Schools, 2014-15
Enrichment Team
Page 5
Poetry to Prose Scoring Rubric
NAME: ______________
Poem: “On the Pulse of Morning”
Category
Content and
Development
Final Grade: _____
Organization
Final Grade: _____
Style
The choice, use, and
arrangement of words
and
sentence structures that
create tone and voice.
Final Grade: _____
Conventions
Final Grade: _____
Level 4 (25 points)
Story shows complexity of
thought in portraying
messages and central ideas.
Story includes consistent
use of supporting details
within paragraphs to tell the
story. Unique development
of ideas seen.
Logical order and sequence
of paragraphs shown.
Includes a sophisticated
beginning developing
strategically through the
middle to the end of the
story. Uses a variety of
effective transition words
and phrases that are fluid
and rhythmic.
Level 3 (22 points)
Complexity of thought is
evident in portraying the
main message and there
are some supporting
details within paragraphs.
More information is
needed to tell the story
sufficiently.
Organization of
paragraphs is shown. The
story flows with some use
of effective transition
words, but variety could
be enhanced. Some
parts of story may be
hard to follow or story is
simple in its order.
Level 2 (20 points)
Central ideas are not
clear. More supporting
details are needed
within paragraphs to
tell the story.
High variety of word choices
and sentence variety. Mood
shifts and central ideas parallel
the poem. Voice is
Some variety of
vocabulary and sentence
structure.
Voice lacks some
expression to engage the
audience. Point of view is
consistent but not always
convincing. More
parallels to poem needed.
Limited variety of
vocabulary and the
sentence structure is
simple or may
interfere with point of
view. Writing is not
smooth.
Some mistakes in
grammar,
spelling or punctuation,
but overall meaning is still
clear.
Many errors in all
areas of conventions.
Errors get in
the way of the
meaning.
natural and expressive
engaging the audience.
Point of view is consistent
and convincing. Choices of
phrases are fresh and
original.
Very strong use of
conventions
make writing meaningful
and easy to read. Few or no
errors at all.
Little organization of
Paragraphs seen.
There may not be a
consistent flow from
beginning through the
middle to the end.
Ideas are not
tied together and
writing may
lack rhythm.
TOTAL SCORE: ________ Comments:
Wake County Public Schools, 2014-15
Enrichment Team
Page 6