Lesson Plans

							                                       Lesson Plans




Lesson Plan: Fall Poetry Unit, Lesson 1


Title: Descriptive Descriptions- 4 Line Poem


Prepared by: Jeanette D‟Argenio


Grade: 5th and 6th Grade Special Ed.


Overview: This lesson will introduce students to our unit on fall poetry. We will begin

with class discussions on what poetry is and what it isn‟t. We will also discuss the season

and what types of changes we notice in the weather, holidays we celebrate, and things

typical of fall. After our discussions we will take a nature walk and read a poem about

fall while outdoors. Afterwards, we will brainstorm as a class and create a graphic

organizer about fall that we will then use to help us write our first poem. In each lesson

of the unit we will go over what it means to use descriptive language in our writing and

how we use our senses to gain that information. Today we will start with two items from

our description charts- a pile of leaves and a flower.


References: “Fall” poem by Eve Merriam
Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to discuss how we use description/our

senses in writing. They will create a graphic organizer in their Poetry Packet and use it as

a tool to write a 4-line descriptive poem.


       Standard 3.2. A. 3. Use graphic organizers to assist with planning writing


       Standard 3.2. A. 4. Compose first drafts from prewriting work


       Standard 3.2. B.1. Write a descriptive piece, such as a description of a person,

       place, or object.


       Standard 3.2. B. 6. Develop a collection of writings (e.g., a literacy folder or

       portfolio).


Materials: For this lesson students will need their Fall Poetry Packets and brown paper

bags with their names on them for collecting leaves on our nature walk. I will need a

copy of Eve Merriam‟s poem “Fall”, as well as leaves collected from outside and a

flower for our description activity, and finally, chart paper for our KWL chart.


Prior Knowledge: This lesson will build on the student‟s knowledge of many things,

starting with the season and the changes that take place in the fall, also what we have

been learning about description and how to use our 5 senses to explain and describe what

things are like, and finally, what poetry is and what types of poems there are.


Activities/Method: I will begin this lesson by having a class discussion about poetry and

creating a KWL chart with the whole class to discuss what we already know, and set

class goals to find out more about poetry. Then I will explain that we will all be writing
our own poetry and that we will be focusing on the season we are in. To make

observations about the fall we will go for a class nature walk and collect leaves that we

will later use to decorate a finished poem. Outside I will read aloud Eve Merriam‟s poem

entitled “Fall” and after we come in we will discuss the season, what changes we see in

the weather, upcoming holidays, and other things related to fall. After we discuss fall,

students will create a graphic organizer Word Web in their Poetry Packet. Next I will

explain how to write a 4-line poem and that we need to use many descriptive words. To

help students think about a variety of describing words I included a list in their Poetry

Packet as well as a blank Description Chart that we will do together each day for practice

and consistency, today we will talk about „a pile of leaves‟ and „a flower‟. Once we have

talked about using describing words and how to write a 4- line poem we will go over the

example in their packet and I will give students time to will write their own rough draft

poem on the topic of “fall” using their graphic organizer and their description list. Later

we will edit, revise, type, and then mount our poem on Fall colored paper.


Assessment: As students participate in class discussions and the KWL chart I will be

checking for understanding and assessing prior knowledge. As I walk around while

students are writing I will be able assess comprehension if students are able to understand

the concept, follow directions, and create a poem independently. I will also ask my

Instructional Assistant to help walk around and check for understanding.


Closure: At the end of this lesson I will recap what we talked about during our KWL

and explain to students that this is a project we will be working on for many days and that

they will have time later to revise their poem and create a good copy that we will share
with each other at a poetry reading. I will explain in depth what we will be doing for our

poetry reading, like drinking hot chocolate, having snacks, listening to jazz music,

dressing in all black and wearing sunglasses, to help keep the kids invested and interested

in this unit.


Adaptations: Accommodations made during this lesson included using several

strategies to allow success for students of all learning modalities, for instance, taking a

nature walk for kinesthetic and visual learners and having group discussions for auditory

learners. Also, I build in extra time for processing questions and wait for children to

respond if I feel they have an answer but take longer to verbalize it. Finally, I walk

around the classroom the entire time students are writing to provide help, explain or

clarify the lesson.




Lesson Plan: Fall Poetry Unit, Lesson 2


Title: Super Cinquain


Prepared by: Jeanette D‟Argenio


Grade: 5th and 6th Grade Special Ed.


Overview: This lesson is intended to teach students the steps of writing a cinquain poem.

Students will also complete a graphic organizer of a Venn diagram to provide continued

instruction on description.
Instructional Objectives: Students will taste-test different types of apples and as a

whole class fill in a triple Venn diagram about they way they taste. Students will also use

their 5 senses to describe an apple in their Description Chart and follow directions in

order to complete a Cinquain poem.


       Standard 3.2. A. 3. Use graphic organizers to assist with planning writing


       Standard 3.2. B.1. Write a descriptive piece, such as a description of a person,

       place, or object.


       Standard 3.2. B. 6. Develop a collection of writings (e.g., a literacy folder or

       portfolio).


       Standard 3.2. C. 1. Use Standard English conventions that are developmentally

       appropriate to the grade level: sentences, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.


       Standard 3.2. C. 5. Write legibly in manuscript or cursive to meet district

       standards.


       Standard 3.2. D. 4. Write to express thoughts and ideas, to share experiences, and

       to communicate socially.


Materials: For this lesson students will need their Fall Poetry Packets and Description

Charts, and I will need different kinds of apples, pre-sliced, a poster board and a copy of

a fall-themed Mad Lib, as well as sentence strips with an example Cinquain poem cut up

for students to assemble.
Prior Knowledge: This lesson will build on the student‟s knowledge of the season as

well as continuing their understanding of the information we take in from our five senses.


Activities/Method: As a hook, I will begin this lesson with a Mad Lib I wrote about

Halloween. To get the kids excited about description I ask them all to help contribute to

our silly Halloween story and once it is completed I read it aloud to them. Then I explain

that we will be writing another poem today called a Cinquain that calls for lots of

describing words. To get help students understand description in a more complex manner

we do an activity that helps them find different ways of describing the same thing. I start

off by passing out slices of red apples; next we brainstorm different descriptive words

and write them on the board. I repeat this with slices of yellow apples and then slices of

green apples, and each list has some overlapping words and some words unique to that

apple. Next I pass out a triple Venn diagram and together we put the words that are

unique in the correct spots and then fit in our overlapping descriptions. Finally, they

independently fill in their Description Chart about apples.


       In the second part of this lesson I instruct how to write a Cinquain poem, what the

rules are and then I read an example aloud. After that I pass out sentence strips with

words from the Cinquain example and have the students come up to the board to re-

assemble the poem by following the rules of the Cinquain. For example, line three must

be actions words so I prompt the children to look for words that are actions or end in –

ing. Once the children have assembled the poem and are familiar with the rules they will

have a chance to write independently about September, October, or November. Later we

will edit, revise, and write out our poem on fall colored paper.
Assessment: During the description part of the lesson I will check for understanding as

students answer questions and volunteer ideas, also, when they are completing their Venn

diagrams and Description Chart I will be able to assess who is on target and who needs

additional assistance. As I walk around while the children are writing their poem I will

be able to check for comprehension and see if students are able to understand the concept

of the Cinquain and are able to create a poem independently. I will also ask my

Instructional Assistant to help walk around and check for understanding.


Closure: At the end of this lesson I will explain that soon we will begin to create

finished products from our rough drafts and that we will be editing and typing or writing

out good copies of our poetry. Also, I will reread the class‟ Halloween Mad Lib and post

it up in the room.


Adaptations: In this lesson, I planned for activities, like reconstructing the poem, that

involved moving around the room and using manipulatives to incorporate different

learning modalities for kinesthetic and tactile learners, as well as reading aloud for

auditory learners and group activities, like the Venn diagram brainstorming for students

who work best with additional support. The Instructional Assistant and I also walked

around the class while students were writing to provide additional support.




Lesson Plan: Fall Poetry Unit, Lesson 3


Title: Awesome Acrostic Poem
Prepared by: Jeanette D‟Argenio


Grade: 5th and 6th Grade Special Ed.


Overview: This lesson is intended to teach students what an Acrostic poem is by using

the graphic organizer Word Web about fall that we previously did as a whole class and

the list of description words we have been using as we practice with sight, smell, touch,

taste, feel, and hear. We will all taste Pumpkin Pie and then write about it in our

Description Chart, then write an Acrostic poem together as a class as an example before

writing their own.


Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to explain what an acrostic poem is, as

well as choose and vertically write a word related to fall on their acrostic poetry sheet to

begin their own poem. If all students do not finish by the end of the lesson they will have

another opportunity to work at a later time.


       Standard 3.2. A. 8. Begin to develop author‟s voice in own writing.

       Standard 3.2. A. 11. Use computer word-processing applications during parts of

       the writing process.


       Standard 3.2. B.1. Write a descriptive piece, such as a description of a person,

       place, or object.


       Standard 3.2. B. 6. Develop a collection of writings (e.g., a literacy folder or

       portfolio).
Materials: For this lesson students will need their Fall Poetry Packets and Description

Charts. I will need one pumpkin pie, plates, forks, and napkins. I will also large

construction paper leaves for the students to cut and write on for their final product.


Prior Knowledge: This lesson will build on the student‟s knowledge of what poetry is

and how people choose to express themselves in different ways, as well as the season and

what we have been learning about description and how to use our 5 senses to explain

what things are like.


Activities/Method: I will begin this lesson by slicing and passing out pumpkin pie for

students to taste and then write about in their Description Charts. After that, I will

explain the lesson to the class, letting them know that now that we have had some

practice using our senses to describe fall-related things we will use those kinds of

descriptions in our Acrostic poem. I will explain what an acrostic poem looks like and

how to write one and also read and show 2 examples of an Acrostic poem to the class.

Then, as a whole class we will write an acrostic poem together on the board using the

word „fall‟. After that I will give the children a choice of a few words to select for their

poem, such as „Fall‟, „Leaves‟, or „Autumn‟, and then let them write independently in

their poetry packets. I will walk around as the students write to answer questions or give

suggestions. Later we will revise and write out poems on large, fall-colored construction

paper leaves that will be hung on our bulletin board, and on the left hand side will be the

word ACROSTIC with an acrostic poem about their work:


       Amazingly

       Creative,
         Really

         Outstanding

         Student poetry that’s

         Terrific,

         Insightful, and

         Clever!

Assessment: As I ask questions and have students help to create our class Acrostic poem

I will be able to monitor comprehension and make adjustments to the lesson as needed.

While students are writing I will walk around and check for comprehension to see if

students are able to understand the concept and create a poem independently. I will also

ask my Instructional Assistant to help walk around and check for understanding, also.


Closure: At the end of this lesson I will recap the different types of poetry we have been

learning about so far throughout this unit and then give the students a chance to share the

Acrostic poem they wrote today. Then I will let them know that later this afternoon we

will be editing and writing our poems on leaves like the ones I used as an example for the

class.


Adaptations: To help students understand the concept of an Acrostic poem I will

provide multiple examples, as well as doing a whole class collaborative poem that will

give students a chance to partake in the process of writing with guidance. Also, by giving

students a limited number of words to choose from my hope is that they will not feel

overwhelmed by endless possibilities, as poetry tends to be very open-ended. As usual I

will be available and accessible to students throughout the lesson to provide assistance or

additional explanation.
Lesson Plan: Fall Poetry Unit, Lesson 4


Title: The Big 5 Poem- Who, What, Where, When, Why?


Prepared by: Jeanette D‟Argenio


Grade: 5th and 6th Grade Special Ed.


Overview: During this lesson students will have the opportunity to try some roasted

turkey before we describe it in our Description Chart. Next I will instruct the 5 W‟s

poem and as a class we will write one on the board about Thanksgiving as I pull names

from a hat to give kids a chance to contribute. Then students will then have the

opportunity to create one of their own 5 W‟s poem about Thanksgiving and when they

are done they will use leaves from our nature walk as the feathers of a turkey that we

decorate with our completed poem. Also, we will continue to fill in our KWL chart that

we started during the beginning of the unit.


Instructional Objectives: This lesson is intended to teach students how to write their

own 5 W‟s poem using their prior knowledge of fall, description, and the elements of

fiction. Students will be able to explain what each line of the 5 W‟s poem includes and

write their own poem.


       Standard 3.2. A. 8. Begin to develop author‟s voice in own writing.

       Standard 3.2. A. 13. Reflect on own writing, noting strengths and areas needing

       improvement.
       Standard 3.2. B.1. Write a descriptive piece, such as a description of a person,

       place, or object.

       Standard 3.2. B.6. Develop a collection of writings (e.g., a literacy folder or

       portfolio).


Materials: For this lesson students will need their Fall Poetry Packets and Description

Charts, as well as their leaf bags from out nature walk. I will need to bring a roasted

turkey, plates, forks, and napkins, as well as construction paper, turkey tracers, and

markers for the finished product. I will also need to have our KWL chart posted for our

closing discussion.


Prior Knowledge: This lesson will build on the student‟s prior knowledge of the season,

what we have been learning about description, and also the elements of fiction they use

during Reading Mastery to answer the questions who, what, where, when, and why.


Activities/Method: We will begin this lesson by eating and discussing the roasted

turkey, how it looks, smells, feels, and tastes. Then the students will respond in their

Description Charts and I will read aloud some examples of 5 W‟s poems. I will instruct

how to write the poem and explain that each line answers a different question- who, what,

where, when, and why. We will write one together on the board and I will pull student‟s

names from a hat to choose who answers the next question about their family on

Thanksgiving. By not knowing whose name will be called, I hope to keep all children

engaged and paying attention. The students will write their own 5 W‟s poem about their

family on Thanksgiving and the Instructional Assistant and I will come around and edit

with students. When their poem is ready they will trace a turkey and neatly write their
poem on his body. Then they will staple their leaves collected on our nature walk around

his body as his tail feathers.


Assessment: As I ask questions during this lesson and when I pull students names from

a hat to have them help write our group poem I will get a clear idea of who understands

the concept of the 5 W‟s poem. Also, as I walk around to help students during their

independent writing time, and as I edit with them before they are allowed to start their

turkey, I will be able to monitor comprehension and make any necessary adjustments for

students that need extra help. At the end of this lesson I will review what we will be

doing for our poetry reading the following day, getting kids excited to share their work

and partake in a new, fun experience.


Closure: To help the students make connections before our exciting Beatnik Café poetry

reading I will go over the KWL chart with them to finish the lesson. We will discuss

what we have learned about poetry, what types of poetry we wrote, and why people write

poetry.


Adaptations: Adaptations made for this lesson include: providing real life experience of

eating roasted turkey before we describe something otherwise intangible, allowing extra

time for students to answer when called on to allow them to process information and

answer the 5 W‟s questions, as well as moving around the room to provide support,

suggestions, or clarification to students who need additional help.
Lesson Plan: Fall Poetry Unit, Lesson 5


Title: Beatnik Poetry Café


Prepared by: Jeanette D‟Argenio


Grade: 5th and 6th Grade Special Ed.


Overview: This is the culminating lesson of the unit and is intended to pull together all

they types of poetry we have learned about, the work we have done, and provide students

an opportunity to share their poetry with their classmates.


References: Leaf by Leaf- Autumn Poems by Barbara Rogasky


Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to identify which type of poem they

have chosen to read aloud; also they will express their thoughts and ideas and

communicate socially. They have developed a collection of poetry and now can share it

with their peers, I will take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of being

respectful to each other and saying positive things during our reading, and always. Also,

students will be asked to respond to a poetry survey/quiz in the back of their packet.

There will be objective questions about different types of poetry as well as subjective

questions asking for feedback about the unit.


       Standard 3.2. A. 13. Reflect on own writing, noting strengths and areas needing

       improvement.

       Standard 3.2. B. 4. Present and discuss writing with other students.
        Standard 3.2. B. 6. Develop a collection of writings (e.g., a literacy folder or

        portfolio).

        Standard 3.2. D. 4. Write to express thoughts and ideas, to share experiences, and

        to communicate socially.

        Standard 3.3. A. 1. Develop and deliver a formal presentation based on a central

        theme, including logical sequence, introduction, main ideas, supporting details,

        and concluding remarks to an audience of peers, younger students, and/or parents.

        Standard 3.3. D. 3. Accept others‟ opinions and respond appropriately.


        Standard 3.4. A. 1. Listen actively for a variety of purposes such as enjoyment

        and obtaining information.


Materials: For this lesson I will simulate a café and therefore need to bring cups and

saucers, snacks and drinks, jazz music and a cd player, as well as other props for an

authentic experience, like sun glasses, berets, and bongo drums. The children will need

copies of their poems and poetry packets.


Prior Knowledge: This lesson will draw on what they children have learned about

poetry, however it is also important for me to activate their prior knowledge about what a

poetry café is and who the Beatniks were from past discussions we have had leading up

to this activity.


Activities/Method: I will begin this lesson by asking questions/having a discussion

about what a poetry reading is and why people write poetry. I would like to touch on

poetry as another form of expression. Then, as I set the mood with music, lights, and
snacks I will ask the students to complete their poetry survey/quiz. Once we are set up

the children will come up and get their snacks and then I will pass back their poetry and

ask them to choose which two they feel were their best poems. Then I will call on

students to come up one at a time and read one of their poems aloud for the class, having

the child state their poem title, type, and name, and then cycle through one more time to

keep all students engaged as long as possible. When each student is done reading their

poem, their classmates will snap for them in appreciation, and we will make positive

comments only about each others work poetry.


Assessment: There will be two types of assessment during this lesson- informal as I

listen to each child‟s selection of poetry, as well as formal from the answers in their

poetry survey/quiz.


Closure: At the end of this lesson I would thank students for being a part of the poetry

café and working hard to create such a beautiful collection of writing.


Adaptations: By allowing students to interact with each other and their poetry I am

hoping that it will reinforce the concepts we have been learning, as well as give them a

new understanding of different ways of expressing themselves. When students have the

chance to be involved and interactive it often motivates them and helps them to pay

attention. By giving everyone two chances to come up and read I believe it will keep

more students engaged for longer. Also, before the students fill out the survey/quiz I will

read it aloud to them to assure understanding.