LESSON FOUR: Native American Poetry
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Students listen to poems, make inferences, determine author’s purpose, and identify text features of poetry.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
R2A Students will locate and recognize the text features of poetry
R2C Students will use details from the text to make inferences and determine author’s purpose.
L1A Students will listen for enjoyment and will interpret tone and mood.
LESSON MATERIALS
§ Sources of literature
o Woodland Indians by Elaine Cleary
o The Sign of the Bear by Elizabeth George Speare
o Collection of different types of poems to read aloud
§ Supplies
o Bookmark glossary
o Literature response journal
§ Handouts provided
o Making Inferences Graphic Organizer
§ Words to know
o alliteration
o author’s purpose
o inferences
o mood
o rhyme
o rhythm
o text features
o tone
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Literature Response Logs, Making Inferences graphic organizer.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Read several types of poems to students. Discuss text features of poetry including rhyme patterns, stanzas, rhythm, alliteration, shape, etc. Create a list of text features found in the collection of poems.
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Idea
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Review author’s purpose Messages and information they are trying to convey Moral lessons they want to teach entertainment
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2. Read the poem Woodland Indians by Elaine Cleary. Students determine author’s purpose for writing the poem.
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Questions for Students
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What was Elaine Cleary’s purpose for writing this poem? What do you believe she wants us to know about Native Americans? What information from the poem helped you understand the author’s purpose? How did Elaine Cleary describe Native Americans? How did the poet’s word choice affect the mood of the poem? |
3. Role play situations that help students understand what it means to make an inference. For example: arrange for a student to ‘fall asleep” during class. Other students infer why the student may have fallen asleep, such as illness; a noisy baby at home; staying up too late watching television, etc. Reread the poem Woodland Indians. Assist students in making inferences about the treatment of Native Americans.
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Strategy
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To get more information on making inferences see Strategies That Work by Harvey and Goudvis. You will find mini-lessons and list of pictures books that help teach comprehension strategies.
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4. Divide students into small groups allowing time to meet and discuss Lesson Two’s bookmark glossary words and their literature response journals.
5. Students independently read chapters nine through 11. As they read, students complete the Making Inferences graphic organizer that illustrates making inferences. In their journals, students create titles for new chapters. Students complete the poetry section of the matrix.
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Questions for Students
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What message is this work trying to convey? How do technical techniques help convey this message? How do written techniques help convey this message? How do symbolic techniques help convey this message?
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