Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 47372
Exploring Immigration and America through Poetry,
Photography, a Speech and Fine Art: Part 1
This lesson is the first of three interrelated lessons in a unit which use both literary and informational text, and fine arts (photography and paintings)
to convey the theme(s) of immigration, shared American ideals, and civic responsibilities in a democracy. The first lesson asks students to analyze
"The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus. Students' understanding of text and earlier waves of immigration will be fostered by viewing photographs of
immigrants to Ellis Island.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 9, 10
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Internet Connection, Interactive Whiteboard, LCD
Projector, Speakers/Headphones, Microsoft Office
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: poetry, speech, immigration, America, Statue of Liberty, literary analysis, Emma Lazarus, "The New
Colossus"
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction, Argumentation, Cooperative Learning
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
POETRY ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK.docx
POETRY ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK Teacher Answer Key.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will analyze how poetic devices, word choice and form of the poem "The New Colossus" convey the poem's content, meaning, tone and theme.
Students will demonstrate, through small group work and presentations, their ability to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Students will analyze the representation of a subject in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized about immigration to the U.S. and civic
participation and responsibilities, through literature and photography.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students will have had academic experience with the following:
analyzing how meaning is enhanced through various features of poetry, including sound, structure and form;
identifying and analyzing descriptive language (e.g. tone, irony, mood, imagery, allusion) and figurative language (e.g., symbolism, metaphor, personification,
hyperbole), and how they impact meaning of text.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
Considering past periods of immigration to the U.S. to current waves of immigration, how has the influx of immigrants shaped the development and continuity of
American ideals?
page 1 of 4 What are the challenges and responsibilities that face Americans, including those who immigrated in the past and those who have newly arrived to the country?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
The "Hook" and Activation of Prior Knowledge
1. Teacher will discuss with students the guiding questions (from above) to gauge students' understanding and introduce the topic of immigration and what it means to
be an American, with the challenges and responsibilities of personal and civic life.
2. Teacher can show students a short video from the History Channel such as Arriving at Ellis Island to hear and see information on Ellis Island and voices from those
who entered the U.S. and were excited when they first saw the Statue of Liberty. Background knowledge can be provided here or after the next step, so that students
who may not have knowledge of immigration at the turn of the century can have some visual and personal references. Also, from the History Channel students could
watch a video of how the Statue of Liberty came to be, and/or stories by recent immigrants and how they felt being naturalized.
Introducing the Concept/Modeling the Skill
1. From this discussion, the teacher will move into a presentation to students of photographs showing Ellis Island immigrants. Photographs of Ellis Island immigrants
can be found at the following Ellis Island Museum collection: flickr or the National Park Service (includes family stories) or Google Images (Search "Ellis Island
immigrants"). Teacher may use these links to select 4 photographs for students to analyze. Teacher can model analysis of one photograph prior to having students do
the same with the other three photographs.
2. Teacher can use the How to Read a Photograph handout from the National Park Service to model answers to the first image located at: flickr. Suggested answers are
provided: Photograph Reflection handout answer key.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Students will then conduct the same type of photo analysis just modeled by the teacher with three other photographs. They could work with partners or in small groups
to spur discussion. Ask students to engage in conversation regarding these images. They will be motivated because their responses will not be deemed "correct" or
"incorrect" and they will have opportunity to share ideas with their peers and teacher. The use of the Photograph Reflection handout will help engage them in writing
and discussion. Please see the steps below:
1. The teacher will select three photographs of Ellis Island immigrants that can be found at the following Ellis Island Museum collection: flickr or nps (includes family
stories) or Google Images (Search "Ellis Island immigrants") for students to analyze in pairs or small groups.
2. Teacher provides students a copy of the Photograph Reflection handout and a copy of the photographs or, preferably, projects the photographs on an Interactive
whiteboard.
3. Students will complete their How to View a Photograph handout for three images, using the teacher's modeling of photograph one, the woman with her children, as
an example of what to include in their analyses. The teacher will circulate among groups asking them to back up what they have viewed with evidence from the
photograph.
4. Students will use their completed handout and be asked to discuss their photographs with classmates in the same way that the teacher has modeled viewing
photograph one.
5. Teacher will then lead a whole group discussion projecting the photographs on the white board while students from each group share their responses. Teacher
ensures that students back up their comments by asking students to pinpoint details in the photographs to support their answers. Students from other groups may add
points to the discussion that may have not been included by other groups.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
1. After discussing the photographs and what details or messages students think the photographer was conveying, or how life was for those being photographed,
teacher places students in small groups of varying abilities in order for students to read the poem "The New Colossus" and to answer the questions on the poem. A
Poetry Analysis Guide handout is available from ReadWriteThink.org OR the Poetry Analysis Framework handout can be used (an answer key has been provided). Links
to the poem can be found at the Liberty State Park site as well as at this link which includes an interpretation of the poem as a teaching resource.
2. After students read the poem, self-selecting reader(s) to read the poem aloud to the group, teacher reads the poem aloud to the entire class to model fluency.
Teacher may choose questions to suit the needs of their class or may choose both to differentiate instruction. The Poetry Analysis Guide is more open-ended and can
be used by more advanced students, whereas the framework handout is more structured and can help students in need of more teacher direction.
3. Students will work in their groups to record answers to the questions on their chart paper. Students will select a scribe and a presenter who will present their ideas
to the larger class.
4. While students are engaged in this task to complete the answers, teacher circulates from groups to clarify, probe and maintain student accountability for their work.
5. Students will present their analyses to the group, adding only new information as groups present, to save time. Teacher provides immediate feedback, clarifies or
redirects with probing questions in order for students to fully understand the poem. Teachers may use this rubric, or create their own, to assess student
presentations.
6. Students will return to their photo analysis to reflect upon which words or lines from the poem, if any, compare or contrast to details in the photos. Students need
to cite textual support for their answers. The teacher will discuss how students' perceptions of the photographs may have changed due to their study of the poem. The
teacher will be able to gauge students' ability to analyze photographs and make connections to text.
7. Students will view and discuss a photograph of The Colossus of Rhodes to help students, especially ELL, to envision the differences between the Colossus and the
Statue of Liberty, and why Lazarus chose this comparison in her poem. They will determine what word(s) from the poem convey the appearance of The Colossus of
Rhodes. They will work to determine how the description differs from Lazarus's description of the Statue of Liberty. Images of The Colossus of Rhodes can be found at
this link.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
At the completion of all the presentations, students will be asked to take a Gallery Walk, reviewing not only their groups' answers but those of their peers, to take
pertinent notes in their Writing Journals. Teacher will tell them that these notes will be used as brainstorming for the subsequent culminating writing assignment at the
end of Lesson 3 of this unit, in which they will be asked to compare the poem to a speech and artwork. Tell students to write down at least one of the most important
points from each chart paper.
The Gallery Walk in which students transfer the most important points from the chart papers into their Writer's Notebooks will provide students the organization and
preparation for Lessons 2 & 3 forthcoming.
page 2 of 4 A closing discussion led by the teacher to ascertain commonalities of what students selected to write in their journals will enable the teacher to determine if students
grasped the most salient points of the poem, and if not, to provide further clarification to students prior to moving into Lessons 2 & 3.
Summative Assessment
After each student presentation the chart paper will be updated and displayed on the classroom walls. This chart paper of sample responses to the questions on the
poem and students' discussion will serve as brainstorming for the following, independent writing summative assessment:
Students will independently conduct a brief written analysis in which they analyze how poetic devices, word choice and form of the poem "The New Colossus" convey
the poem's content, meaning, tone, and theme.
Formative Assessment
1. As introduction to the study of "The New Colossus" poem by Emma Lazarus, the teacher will use an Interactive whiteboard or LCD projector and screen to show
students four photographs dealing with immigrants to Ellis Island and will complete a handout in which they describe and analyze details in the photos.
2. Students will share their responses in whole group discussion. They will be asked to support their answers with details from the photographs. If students do not
offer much in terms of their reactions to the photographs, perhaps, due to a lack of background knowledge of immigration from this era, then the teacher may allow
students to "wrestle" with the poem and then return to the photographs to solicit more reaction and response from the students.
3. Students will then read, or reread, the poem and in small groups will be asked to analyze the poem in terms of content, language, meaning, and theme. They will
record their answers to questions on the handout on chart paper and will be asked to choose a group member to serve as spokesperson to share out to the entire
group their findings in presentation format. As new groups present, only new or different information from each group is added to the discussion. Teacher will provide
feedback throughout this process to develop and gauge students' understanding of the poem.
4. Students will return to their photo analysis to reflect upon which words or lines from the poem, if any, compare or contrast to details in the photos. Students need
to cite textual support for their answers. The teacher will discuss how students' perceptions of the photographs may have changed due to their study of the poem. The
teacher will be able to gauge students' ability to analyze photographs and make connections to text.
5. Students will view and discuss a photograph of The Colossus of Rhodes to help students, especially ELL, to envision the differences between the Colossus and the
Statue of Liberty, and why Lazarus chose this comparison in her poem. They will determine what word(s) from the poem convey the appearance of The Colossus of
Rhodes. They will work to determine how the description differs from Lazarus's description of the Statue of Liberty. Images of The Colossus of Rhodes can be found at
this link.
Feedback to Students
The teacher will provide feedback on students' handouts as they work to analyze the first photograph. The teacher will show a sample answer key of the handout filled
in for the first picture, focusing on pointing out to students the evidence in the photograph that was used to make inferences. Students can apply this feedback as they
analyze three additional photographs independently.
The teacher will rotate to small groups as students work on answering the questions for the poem to provide direction and assistance. The teacher will direct students
with such probing questions as "Which words in the poem support your answer?" and/or "How do you know from the text that is the correct answer?" Which line(s)
provided you the clues?" to ensure that students are including references to text in their answers.
Students will receive oral feedback from the teacher as small groups are making their presentations about the poem. The teacher may create a rubric of their own or
they may use the following rubric to assess student's presentations: sites4teachers. During the presentations, the teacher will provide corrective feedback as needed if
students demonstrate any misunderstandings about the poem. Students can apply this feedback to their summative assessment writing assignment where they will
independently conduct their own analysis of the poem.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations: 1. Use of visual aids, photographs, to help students dive into the era of early immigration – Ellis Island ­Listening of the audio reading of the
poem.
2. Two different handouts for questions on the poem; one more open-ended and less structured for advanced learners, one more structured and scaffolded for students
with special needs. Teacher may use different handouts or pair less advanced and more advanced students with the 'harder' handout.
Challenging vocabulary can be addressed with students working in partners, or teacher using a semantic map to discuss words in the poem that might be difficult
for students with limited vocabulary. i.e brazen, colossus, wretched, huddled.
A picture of the Colossus of Rhodes can be shown to discuss brazen. The stance and appearance of this Colossus can be compared to an image of the Statue of
Liberty to highlight the war faring vs. welcoming images. Colossus of Rhodes images that the teacher may choose from are at the following: Colossus of Rhodes.
3. Working and thinking collaboratively with partners and peers in discussion and in writing answers to questions.
Extensions:
Students can also be asked to make personal connections to the text by relating/researching their family history. Many students will have had ancestors that
immigrated or may have recently immigrated to the U.S. themselves, so this will allow students to gain a sense of belonging in the class and broaden students'
perceptions of themselves and others to help bridge any cultural gaps with their learning or in the classroom environment itself, as students learn more about
themselves and their classmates.
Lessons 2 & 3 of this 3 lesson unit will continue to extend this lesson.
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, Interactive Whiteboard, LCD Projector, Speakers/Headphones, Microsoft Office
Special Materials Needed:
Interactive Whiteboard or computer and LCD projector
Computer speakers if playing audio of the poem or the videos referenced in the Hook section of the Teaching Phase
Further Recommendations: Tips for preparing and managing materials:
Teacher planning
Copying of poem and/or photographs; loading onto computer the photographs-having LCD projector ready from beginning of class
page 3 of 4 Having desks already in quads so that students can easily work in partnership and then transition to small group work
Determining which students will be in which groups based upon varying abilities and students' strengths ahead of time, to be efficient and manage time wisely.
Classroom management tips:
Partnering strong with weaker students will help students maintain focus.
Formulating groups with varying levels of ability helps students stay engaged and accomplish their tasks.
Having students take notes in their Writer's Notebooks while classmates are presenting produces better student involvement in the activities and provides them a
forum to contain information necessary for subsequent assignments of Lessons 2 & 3 of this unit.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This unit of three lessons asks students to read, comprehend, and synthesize ideas from multiple texts, both print (literary and informational), and non-print media (fine arts:
photography and paintings) to write an analytical essay on thematic connections between texts. These lessons can be used not only by English Language Arts teachers (ELA),
but could also be part of a cross curricular unit with ELA and Social Sciences teachers, as the focus of the lessons is on immigration (new and recent) and the impact on
American society of immigration, and the responsibilities of those living in the U.S. These lessons are relevant in that many Florida students have family backgrounds from other
countries and/or may be newly arrived immigrants to Florida.
In the second lesson, students will analyze informational text, a speech by Learned Hand, in terms of how language is used in a speech to shape meaning and influence
listeners. The third lesson asks students to interpret the paintings Four Freedoms by Norman Rockwell in terms of messages. All lessons ask students to understand the works
in terms of their historical context and the impact that these works had on readers and listeners, and how they continue to have a lasting effect and place in the literary and
artistic canon.
Lessons #2 and #3 in this unit have been attached as related CPALMS resources.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Erin Cuartas
Name of Author/Source: Erin Cuartas
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Miami-Dade
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.910.RL.1.1:
LAFS.910.RL.1.2:
LAFS.910.RL.2.4:
LAFS.910.RL.3.7:
LAFS.910.SL.2.4:
LAFS.910.W.4.10:
Description
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
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.
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).
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).
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and
task.
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
page 4 of 4