The Power of Poetry

In this lesson, students compare and contrast two pieces of literature and analyze how the authors’ messages are made clear through their word choices and rhetorical strategies. Students compose a poem, evaluate how poetry can be used to send a message, and consider how different perspectives bring different meaning to our writing. 

Grade(s)

Subject

Course

Time Frame

Duration

9

ELA

English I

2 - 3 Classes

120 - 180 mins

Standards

Essential Question(s)

5E Snapshot

  1. Engage 

Students watch and respond to a video of the poem “In This Place: An American Lyric.”

  1. Explore 

Students read and compare “The Hill We Climb” and an excerpt from the “I Have a Dream” speech using Categorical Highlighting. Then, students answer the question “What makes a piece of writing poetry?”

  1. Explain 

Students watch and reflect on Amanda Gorman’s Ted Talk “Using your voice is a political choice.” 

  1. Extend 

Students create a Blackout Poem using an excerpt from a speech by Abraham Lincoln.  

  1. Evaluate  

Students participate in a Gallery Walk and respond to peers’ poems.

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