FRANKLIN COLLEGE
Education Department
LESSON PLAN
Student Name Carolyn Moore
Cooperating Teacher Name
Lesson Plan No 1
Ms. Hughey
Subject Area
English Grade Level 8
Signature for Approval (Cooperating Teacher)
Date Prepared 1/19/2011
Related Standard (Number)
(Description)
Date Taught
1/24/11
8.3.1, 8.3.6, 8.3.7
Standard 8.3.1: Structural Features of Literature: Determine and articulate the relationship
between the purposes and characteristics of different forms of poetry (including ballads, lyrics, couplets, epics,
elegies, odes, and sonnets). 8.3.6: Identify significant literary devices, such as metaphor, symbolism, dialect or
quotations, and irony, which define a writer's style and use those elements to interpret the work.:8.3.7 Literary
Criticism: Analyze a work of literature, showing how it reflects the heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs of its
author. (Core Standard)
TOPIC (key point; concept; skill):
Identify the difference between figurative and literal meaning and the historical context in relation to a poem
OBJECTIVE (TSWBAT + performance, conditions, criteria):
In order to understand the use of figurative and
literal meaning and the writing devices related to poetry, TSWBAT read a selected piece of poetry and identify,
through oral communication, the ways in which the poet uses these devices and discuss the meaning of the
overall literary piece in the historical context that is presented in the classroom discussion.
MATERIALS:
Teacher: Teacher edition of the Prentice Hall Literature book, whiteboard, whiteboard markers.
Student: Prentice Hall Literature book, notebook paper, pen or pencil
I.
PROCEDURES (teacher and student tasks)
A.
Beginning of lesson
Classroom management two-part step (to have students ready to learn, in listening position, where
they need to be):
The teacher will call attention to the front of the classroom and ask students to
look at the board when they are ready to begin. The teacher will instruct the students to take out their
Literature books and turn to page 703.
2. Statements to initiate or set the stage for the lesson; motivation; overview; or establish an atmosphere:
During the past few weeks, we have discussed various types of poetry, as well as the sound devices
and figurative language poets use in their writing. Today, we will be looking at three new terms-figurative meaning, literal meaning, an analogy-- during our reading and discussion of two famous
poem’s, “The Road Not Taken,” and “ O Captain, My Captain.”
B.
Instruction Steps:
* Modifications (strategies to meet individual special needs at a particular step)
1. The teacher will review with the students the poetic terms they have discussed in class during the
past two weeks; specifically sound devices and examples of figurative language. The teacher will
then discuss new and previously taught terms by defining the terms symbolism, figurative
meaning, literal meaning, an analogy on the white board. The students will be expected to record
these terms in their notebook.
2. The teacher will then instruct the students to turn to page 703 in their literature textbooks. The
students will be instructed to follow along as the teacher reads aloud information about the two
poets, Robert Frost and Walt Whitman. The teacher will discuss that aspects about the poet’s life
can help us understand the context or meaning behind a specific poem.
3. The teacher will then have the students turn the page to “ The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost.
The teacher will read aloud the poem for the students, as they follow along.
4. Once the teacher has completed the poem, she will spark classroom discussion by asking “ Is
Frost talking about two real, dirt path’s in which he had to choose between?” The teacher will look
for the answer “no” to guide discussion of the literal versus figurative meaning of the poem.
5. When the teacher is satisfied that the students have achieved understanding of the figurative
meaning of “ The Road Not Taken,” she will then introduce students to the next poem to be
discussed, Whitman’s “ O Captain, My Captain,” by reminding students of the information they
read about Whitman. The teacher will look for a student answer that discusses that Whitman
helped wounded Union soldiers during the Civil War.
6. The teacher will have students turn in their literature books to the selected piece of poetry. Before
reading the poem aloud, the teacher will discuss that this poem was written as an eulogy for
President Abraham Lincoln. During this time, the teacher will prompt students to share information
They may know about President Lincoln’s death, and about the historical events that surrounded
his death during that time, i.e. the Civil War and the Confederate surrender only a few days later
that ended the Civil War in the United States.
7. The teacher will then read the poem, “O Captain, My Captain,” aloud to the class. At the end of the
poem, discussion of what the poem means, and the way in which that meaning is conveyed, will
begin. To prompt discussion, the teacher will ask students who the “captain” in the poem is
referring to ( Lincoln), and what the “ship” in the poem is referring to( the United States).
8. The teacher will then instruct students that they will be having a “paper discussion” of the poem.
The students will be asked to respond to 2-4 questions that the teacher writes on the board. The
students are to respond on their own notebook paper. Once all students have had a chance to
respond, the class time will end with group discussion of the posed questions.
Closure statement (brief lesson review, summary; doesn't have to be the last step if something is going to
be made or an activity will follow):
In the past few weeks, we have worked on identifying poetry
terms and identifying their use in various poems that we have read and discussed. Who can tell me what
new terms we defined and used today?
II.
ASSESSMENT (how is objective met by students: observation, written work, presentations, quiz, etc.):
All students will be assessed through teacher observation on their participation during classroom
discussion. Students will receive a participation grade for the day if they are alert, follow directions, and
have written answers to the posed questions during “paper discussion.”
III.
EXTENSION (what will be done beyond lesson): To extend this lesson the teacher will provide copies of
another poem that was written about President Lincoln’s death “The Martyr” by Herman Melville .The
students would compare the feelings and thoughts regarding Lincoln’s death to that of the poem “O
Captain! My Captain!,” through a compare and contrast graphic organizer.
IV.
REMEDIATION (strategies for those who need further instruction, assistance):
Students needing
further assistance will be given a worksheet to answer during reading of the poem, with the assistance of
a teacher or teaching aide ( depending on class period*). The worksheet will have questions that break
down each stanza of the poem to help students take notes during the reading and during the class
discussion for understand of the text.
V.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT(S): Students will be assigned to read the next poetry selection in their
Literature books as homework, and to note the use of figurative and literal language, by citing specific
examples from the text.
Remediation Work Sheet
Guided Reading Worksheet
“O Captain, My Captain”
Read the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman. Think about the author‟s feelings about
President Lincoln‟s assassination.
1. Who is Whitman referring to as the „captain‟?
2. What does the „ship‟ represent in this poem?
3. What is the „prize that is sought and won‟ referring to?
4. How does the author feel about the „captain‟?
5. What does “The ship has weathered every rack” mean?
6. Why won‟t “My Captain” answer?
Extension
THE MARTYR
by: Herman Melville (1819-1891)
OOD Friday was the day
Of the prodigy and crime,
When they killed him in his pity,
When they killed him in his prime
Of clemency and calm-When with yearning he was filled
To redeem the evil-willed,
And, though conqueror, be kind;
But they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And they killed him from behind.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand:
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.
He lieth in his blood-The father in his face;
They have killed him, the Forgiver-The Avenger takes his place,
The Avenger wisely stern,
Who in righteousness shall do
What the heavens call him to,
And the parricides remand;
For they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And his blood is on their hand.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand:
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.