Poetry Friday: Talking Back to Poems

Today I’m sharing a brief description of an activity from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.  I used this activity last June,  but this year I plan to use it during the first week of school.  I'm going to be teaching five sections of Reading Intervention, and it’s sometimes difficult to get them to participate in class discussions. So, I try to plan lessons that engage them in topics they care about. For this lesson, I chose my poem “Silence” which I’m honored to have included in the anthology. The lesson was quick (15  minutes), took little planning, met Common Core standards, and the kids loved it! What more could a teacher ask for?

 

Activity: Talking Back to Poems
Grades 6
Common Core Standard: RL6.5 Analyze how the poem’s lines or stanzas fit into the overall structure and contributes to the development of the theme. (This lesson covers more than one standard, but I like to choose one as my main objective.)

• I began the lesson by showing the class my cell phone (Take 5! - Activity #1).  I confessed that I have never sent a text message and wouldn’t know how to do it. This led to lots of giggles and offers to teach me how to text. (More on that in a future post.)
• I projected the poem onto the screen and read it aloud.

Silence

I sent you a text
and when you sent me one back
the teacher caught us—
now you’re not speaking to me
my phone is silent

·       Then, I asked, “Which is worse, waiting for a text message that may never come or sending an inappropriate text message?”  (Take 5!- Activity #3).  That question led to a lively discussion about the boundaries of friendship, and the expectations of friends.

·         Next, I projected the poem written in a single line of prose as a “Tweet” and read it aloud without any pauses. I asked students to focus on the line breaks, and use of punctuation (or lack or it) in the poem and how these elements affected the meaning.  (Take 5!- Activity #4)

·         Finally, I told students that they were going to have a chance to “talk back” to the speaker  by writing a poem in response to mine. I asked them to use my poem as a model for their own.  Students worked on their poems during their extended learning period so this didn't take any time away from our essential curriculum.

     This is a small sampling of their poems.  I think they did a great job with their responses.Students read their poems in their small groups and compared and contrasted their responses.

                       My Phone

 

You sent me a text

             and when I sent you one back
             the teacher blamed me--
             You didn't speak up for me
             My phone will text another.

               -J.

 

I do not like you anymore.
We are not friends, buddies,
                  or best friends-
              so that's it, it's over
                 we're not friends.

                             -A

                                                                                          Why?

 

                                                                         Why did you text me now?

                                                                         You got me in trouble--
                                                                           we are not friends

                                                                                    Bye!
                                                                            The teacher is calling my mom.

                                                                                                    -JW

                                          Gone!          

                                           I did not respond
                                           because the teacher caught me reading your text
                                           my parents took my phone away
                                           I don't like you anymore
                                           My cell phone is gone

                                                                                    -T.

You did not apologize to me

so I am still mad at you

don't call my house anymore

I won't talk to you
You are not sorry.

               K.

 

Teachers who haven’t gotten a copy of THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong  are missing out on a fabulous time-saving resource. The poems are written specifically for the middle school crowd, and the “Take 5!” activities are flexible enough to use during a transition or as part of a more in-depth lesson. I’m going to use the school-themed poems and activities at the beginning of each grade level section as ice breaker activities during the first week of school. You can learn more about the anthology here.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this activity along any suggestions you might have.  This is my last Friday off before returning to school on Tuesday.  And so it begins, like teachers everywhere, I’m busy getting ready for another year:  going to meetings, planning lessons, organizing my classroom…

Wishing all of you parents, teachers, and students—
Happy New Year!

Renee is our Poetry Friday hostess today at No Water River. I can't wait to see what goodies she has in store for us!