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 |
Students watch and respond to a video of the poem “In This Place: An American Lyric.”
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?”
Students watch and reflect on Amanda Gorman’s Ted Talk “Using your voice is a political choice.”
Students create a Blackout Poem using an excerpt from a speech by Abraham Lincoln.
Students participate in a Gallery Walk and respond to peers’ poems.