LESSON THREE: Poems With Tone and Mood

                             

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Students identify and understand the importance of tone in poetry.

 

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

R2C         Students use details from the text to evaluate the effect of author’s tone.

LS2         In discussions and presentations, students defend ideas and respond to feedback.

LS1         Use active listening behaviors.

 

LESSON MATERIALS

§         Sources of literature 

 

§         Supplies 

o        Poetry anthologies and available texts for each student

o        Overhead projector

o        Internet Access to locate poems or teacher could bring resources from the internet

 

§         Handouts provided

o        Tone and Mood graphic organizer

 

§         Words to Know

o        evaluate

o        graphic organizer

o        mood

o        tone

 

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 

Students complete a Tone and Mood graphic organizer (title, poet, mood, tone) as they read a minimum of eight poems for tone and mood. Students share a favorite poem with group members. Group members respond and critique the student’s assessment of tone.  Scoring guide provided.

 

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

  1. Read the poem We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks (or other poem of social commentary) aloud and display on overhead projector.

 

  1. Model one example of the graphic organizer to set the expectation. ( We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks)

 

Questions

for

Students

What is tone?

How is tone different from mood?

 

  1. Using the anthologies and texts, students choose and read a minimum of eight poems that have social commentary and complete the Tone and Mood graphic organizer. Instruct students to copy two of their favorite poems on the back of the Tone and Mood graphic organizer.

 

Strategy

 

Advanced Graphic Organizer modeling:

Title: We Real Cool

Poet: Gwendolyn Brooks

First line: “We real cool. We”

Mood: resigned, rebellious, satirical, arrogant

Tone: wasted youth through poor decisions

 

  1. Students select one poem to share with a small group.

 

 

  1. Upon completion of Tone and Mood graphic organizers, model active-listening and other speaking behaviors for small group work.

 

Strategy

 

Active-listening behaviors: asks questions, uses body language and facial expressions to indicate agreement, disagreement or confusion.

Model sitting forward, making eye contact, asking a relevant question.

 

  1. Divide students into groups of four; students read one of their selected poems to the group and identifies tone. Group members discuss the group’s assessment of tone in the poem shared and evaluate how the poem should be read orally to express the intended tone.

 

  1. Observe active-listening behaviors in small group discussions and ask one or two groups to share with the class their evaluation of how a poem should be read orally. Student or teacher modeling would add to this element.

 

Strategy

 

Start a sign-up sheet on which students indicate their performance poem. Encourage students to select as soon as possible to extend practice time and to eliminate duplication of poems.