Published on AASL Learning4Life Lesson Plan Database
The Holocaust-From The Eyes of The Poet
Created by: Gloria Coleman
Title/Role: Teacher/librarian
Organization/School Name: C.A.Johnson High School
Location: South Carolina
Grade Level: 9, 10
Type of Lesson: Stand-alone lesson
Type of Schedule: Flexible
Collaboration Continuum: Moderate
Content Area:
Language Arts
Content Topic: Holocaust Poetry
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
Skills Indicator(s):
4.1.2 Read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world, and previous reading.
4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.
Dispositions Indicator(s):
2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in drawing conclusions by demonstrating that the pattern of evidence
leads to a decision or conclusion.
4.2.4 Show an appreciation for literature by electing to read for pleasure and expressing an interest in
various literary genres.
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.
4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
4.4.4 Interpret new information based on cultural and social context.
Scenario: This assignment is designed for students to practice recognizing the poet's "theme and
purpose", to make inferences and predictions, and to make life connections through learning about the
atrocities of the Holocaust. The teacher will have the students read and discuss the book, "Night" by Eli
Wiesel. The library media specialist will set up learning stations to further enhance the student's
understanding of the Holocaust. The stations can be a photo story set to music of primary source
photographs taken during the Holocaust, an audio of a Holocaust survivor reading a poem inspired by a
photo of an exit from the Wausau ghetto, a video clip of interviews from Holocaust survivors titled, "Why
Remember?" and an audio cassette and book on "Anne Frank". The library media specialist will also use
Holocaust poetry to teach a lesson on determining "theme and purpose" in poetry and to guide students in
making inferences and predictions.
Overview: Students will employ analytical skills to determine the poet's "theme and purpose", make
inferences and predictions using a question/answer strategy, and make life connections through analyzing
Holocaust poetry and going through the learning stations. The essential question is, " How does reading
poetry from survivors of the Holocaust relate to your life today."
Final Product: The students will turn in an analysis sheet which will reflect the student's understanding of
the poet's message and its relationship to the student's life experiences. Students will also answer
questions from what they are learning from the learning stations to show their understanding of the horrors
of the Holocaust.
Library Lesson: Students will learn how to determine the poet's message by gaining an understanding of
"theme and purpose" through using an analysis sheet.
Estimated Lesson Time: 90 minutes
Assessment
Product: Students will be assessed based on completion of the analysis sheet, the learning station
questionnaire and the exit slip. The library media specialist will create the questionnaire based on the
content in the learning stations. Sample questions could be: 1. Write a summary of what you learned at
this station. 2. In whay way does what you learned relate to your own life. 3. How does your
understanding of the Holocaust change your perspective on the world? 4. If you were to interview a
survivor of the Holocaust, what question(s) would you ask?
Process: Students will read and discuss, "Night" by Eli Wiesel in the classroom. Students will form two
groups. One group will work with the library media specialist on Holocaust poetry while the other group
visits the learning stations. After 45 minutes the groups will switch. The teacher will work with the
students at the learning stations to ensure that they are staying on task.
Student self-questioning: Students will ask, "What is the poet trying to say?" "What is the poet's
theme and purpose?" "Why did the poet choose this title for the poem?" "How does this poem relate to
my life?" "How does learning about the Holocaust change my perspective on the world?"
Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Still image (i.e.paintings, drawings, plans, and maps)
Moving Image (i.e. animations, movies, tv program, video)
Sound (i.e. music playback file, audio compact disc, recorded speech or sounds)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)
Resources instructor will use:
Projector
Laptop
White board
Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction: Using a PowerPoint, the library media specialist will utilize video clips to give direct
instruction on the definition of "theme and purpose" in poetry.
Modeling and guided practice: The library media specialist will project the poem, "The Butterfly" by
Pavel Friedmann on the screen. The library media specialist will use a question/answer strategy to allow
the students to formulate a prediction and make inferences. The library media specialist will say, "We
already know that our poems today will be from actual survivors of the Holocaust, without reading the
poem, why do you think the poet titled this poem, "The Butterfly"? "What does a butterfly represent?"
After the question/answer strategy, the library media specialist will read the poem aloud, then have the
class read it twice in unison, stressing the importance of reading a poem at least three times. The library
media specialist will take the first two verses and model how to interpret the poet's message using the
poetry analysis sheet. The library media specialist will then have the students work in pairs to analyze
the rest of the poem. The library media specialist will walk around to assist and to answer questions
when needed. The group will come together to share their responses.
Independent practice: After the class has successfully analyzed the first poem, the students will be
given the poem, "There Is No Exit" by Magalena Klein to analyze on their own. The library media
specialist will walk around to check for understanding and to help with any questions that the students
may have.
Sharing and reflecting: At the conclusion of this lesson the students will share what they have learned
in the lesson and at the learning stations. They will be given an exit slip to complete and turn in at the
end of class.
Have you taught this lesson before: Yes
Strategies for differentiation: Each student receives their own poetry packet containing-copies of two
poems, the analysis sheet, the learning station questionaire, a resources list of books, videos, websites
and other resource materials, and an exit slip. Each student has the opportunity to work in pairs. Students
are paired with students who can assist if their partner is struggling in reading and writing. Each student
has the opportunity to visit the learning stations that is designed to comply with the visual, auditory and
kinetic needs of the student. All of the students will have access to the Holocaust materials that the library
media specialist has put on display. Poetry selection is done with consideration of the reading level of the
students.
AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk
English Language Arts:
CC9-10WH/SS/S/TS1b » Writing Standards » b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying
data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and
counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form and in a manner that anticipates the audience's
knowledge level and concerns. (9,10)
CC.9-10.W.2.b » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » b. Develop the topic with wellchosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. (9,10)
CC.9-10.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Gather relevant
information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively;
assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for
citation. (9,10)
CC9-10RS/TS8 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 8. Assess the extent to which the
reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific
or technical problem. (9,10)
CC9-10RS/TS9 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 9. Compare and contrast findings
presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the
findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.1 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 1. Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
(9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine a central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and
refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze how the author unfolds an
analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are
introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze in detail how an author's
ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a
text (e.g., a section or chapter). (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Analyze seminal U.S.
documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg
Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they
address related themes and concepts. (9,10)
CC.9-10.W.1.a » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » a. Introduce precise claim(s),
distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes
clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. (9,10)
CC.9-10.W.1.b » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » b. Develop claim(s) and
counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both
in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.10 » English Language Arts » Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity » 10. By the
end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 910 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end
of grade 10, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of
the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine a theme or central idea
of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and
is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (9,10)
CC.9-10.W.6 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 6. Use technology,
including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking
advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and
dynamically. (9,10)
CC.9-10.SL.1 » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » 1. Initiate and participate
effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively. (9,10)
CC.9-10.L.4 » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » 4. Determine or clarify the
meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.10 » English Language Arts » Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity » 10. By the
end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently
and proficiently. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.6 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 6. Analyze a particular point of view or
cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide
reading of world literature. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Analyze how an
author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a
theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare). (9,10)
CC9-10RH/SS4 » Reading Standards for History » 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of
history/social studies. (9,10)
CC9-10RH/SS5 » Reading Standards for History » 5. Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize
key points or advance an explanation or analysis (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the
cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court
opinion differs from that of a newspaper). (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.6 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 6. Determine an author's point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
(9,10)
CC.9-10.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Analyze various
accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia),
determining which details are emphasized in each account. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze how complex characters
(e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other
characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the
cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a
sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze how an author's choices
concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g.,
pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. (9,10)
CC.9-10.R.L.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Analyze the
representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is
emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts" and Breughel's
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus). (9,10)
CC.9-10.W.9.a » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » a. Apply grades
9-10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source
material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how
a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]"). (9,10)
This lesson plan is subject to copyright by the American Library Association and may be used for the noncommercial purpose of
scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address usage requests
to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
Poetry Analysis Worksheet
Theme and Purpose
Names(s): ______________________________
Title of Poem: ___________________________
Author: __________________________________
1.
Read the poem three times.
2. What are some words in the poem that brings images to your mind?
3.
What do you think is the theme (message) of the poem? What line or lines from the poem gave
you that indication?
4.
What is the poet’s purpose for the reader (How did the poet stir you?).
a. Emotional- Does the poet wants the reader to become emotional about the message?
(angry, sad, happy, peaceful, complacent, courage, fear, etc.) What is your evidence?Share a line.
b. Take Action: Are you motivated to start doing something or stop doing something. Make
an outward change, or learn something . What is your evidence?-Share a line.
c.
Reflective: Think about the message in terms of your own life, be inspired, do selfexamination, etc. What is your evidence?-Share a line.
Option 1: If you were to meet Pavel Friedmann, the author of the poem “The Butterfly”, what three questions would you
ask him?
Option 2: If you could have chosen another title for Magdalena Klein’s poem , “There Is No Exit”, what would that title
have been and why?