Language and literature

lntertextuality Style
Self-expression Structure
Factual How does writing prose differ from writing
verse?
ln what ways are verse ad prose different and similar? Can there ever be any crossover?
Factual We can communicate our feelings and
experiences in many ways. How does using poetry
help us achieve this endeavor?
ln what ways do students write poetry in order to express and communicate their feelings?
Conceptual What is poetry and where does it exist? Can individuals connote poetry differently through their interaction and experiences with the world or is there
one defnitive term which we all should recognize?
Debatable Does the human condition transcend time? What can be learned of the human condition through reading classic verse poetry written hundred of years
ago?
Teacher(s| David Marrinson, Julie Clarke Subject group and d|sc|p||ne Language A: English
Un|t t|t|e Who You Are (Poetryj MYP Year Grade 8 Un|t durat|on 6 Weeks
Inqu|ry: Estab||sh|ng the purpose of the un|t
Key concept Re|ated concept(s| G|oba| context
Creativity
Ident|t|es and
re|at|onsh|ps
Students will better understand
"Self" through the cathartic art
of crafting poetry.
Statement of |nqu|ry
Humankind can learn much about "Self" through interacting with modern and classic texts created throughout time and place. By doing so, we can refect on our journey
toward self-realization through reading, analyzing, emulating, and sharing poetry.
Inqu|ry quest|ons
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Object|ves Summat|ve assessment
B: Organ|z|ng
employ organizational structures that serve the
context and intention
organize opinions and ideas in a coherent and
logical manner
use referencing and formatting tools to create a
presentation style suitable to the context and
intention.
C: Produc|ng text
produce texts that demonstrate thought,
imagination and sensitivity while exploring and
considering new perspectives and ideas arising
from personal engagement with the creative
process
make stylistic choices in terms of linguistic,
literary and visual devices, demonstrating
awareness of impact on an audience
select relevant details and examples to develop
ideas.
D: Us|ng |anguage
use appropriate and varied vocabulary, sentence
structures and forms of expression
write and speak in an appropriate register and
style
use correct grammar, syntax and punctuation
spell (alphabetic languagesj, write (character
languagesj and pronounce with accuracy
use appropriate non-verbal communication
techniques.
By putting together presentations about poets and
comparing the poets' experiences to their own themes,
students will make a connection to the past and draws
parallels to the current.
By penning refective poetry and creating small poetry
collections based upon a theme of choice (their
chapbooksj and including poems written by classic and
modern poets, students continue to examine where
they've been, where they are, and where they are
headed on their path toward self-discovery.
Approaches to |earn|ng (ATL|
IB ATL CATEGORY MYP ATL CLUSTER SPECIFIC ATL SKILL LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Commun|cat|on
I. Commun|cat|on sk|||s
Read|ng, wr|t|ng and us|ng |anguage to
gather and commun|cate |nformat|on
Write for different purposes
Preview and skim texts to build
understanding
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Use a variety of organizers for academic
writing tasks
Find information for disciplinary and
interdisciplinary inquiries, using a variety of
media
Organize and depict information logically
Exchang|ng thoughts, messages and
|nformat|on effect|ve|y through |nteract|on
Use appropriate forms of writing for different
purposes and audiences
Participate in, and contribute to, digital social
media networks
Research
VI. Informat|on ||teracy sk|||s
F|nd|ng, |nterpret|ng, judg|ng and creat|ng
|nformat|on
Collect, record and verify data
Access information to be informed and
inform others
Make connections between various sources
of information
Present information in a variety of formats
and platforms
Evaluate and select information sources and
digital tools based on their appropriateness to
specifc tasks
Understand and implement intellectual
property rights
Create references and citations, use
footnotes/endnotes and construct
abibliography according to recognized
conventions
VII. Med|a ||teracy sk|||s
Interact|ng w|th med|a to use and create
|deas and |nformat|on
Locate, organize, analyse, evaluate,
synthesize and ethically use information from
a variety of sources and media (including
digital social media and online networksj
Demonstrate awareness of media
interpretations of events and ideas (including
digital social mediaj
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Make informed choices about personal
viewing experiences
Understand the impact of media
representations and modes of presentation
Seek a range of perspectives from multiple
and varied sources
Communicate information and ideas
effectively to multiple audiences using a
variety of media and formats
Compare, contrast and draw connections
among (multijmedia resources
Th|nk|ng
VIII. Cr|t|ca| th|nk|ng sk|||s
Ana|ys|ng and eva|uat|ng |ssues and |deas
Gather and organize relevant information to
formulate an argument
lnterpret data
Consider ideas from multiple perspectives
IX. Creat|ve th|nk|ng sk|||s
Generat|ng nove| |deas and cons|der|ng
new perspect|ves
Use brainstorming and visual diagrams to
generate new ideas and inquiries
Design improvements to existing machines,
media and technologies
Apply existing knowledge to generate new
ideas, products or processes
Create original works and ideas; use existing
works and ideas in new ways
Practise visible thinking strategies and
techniques
Generate metaphors and analogies
X. Transfer sk|||s
Ut|||z|ng sk|||s and know|edge |n mu|t|p|e
contexts
Make connections between subject groups
and disciplines
Combine knowledge, understanding and
skills to create products or solutions
Transfer current knowledge to learning of
new technologies
Change the context of an inquiry to gain
different perspectives
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Act|on: Teach|ng and |earn|ng through |nqu|ry
Content Learn|ng process
Learn|ng Exper|ences
How will students know what is expected of them? Will they see examples, rubrics, templates, etc.?
How will students aquire the knowledge and practice the skills required? How will they practice applying these?
Do the students have enough prior knowledge?
Throughout the unit, the teacher will model various poetic structure and forms. The teacher also shares the
rubrics (or how students are assessedj beforehand.
Students will do this by analyzing other poets' (and students'j work and by creating their own pieces according
to templates, formulas, and free-verse.
We test to see what students know before the unit by giving a basic "literary devices" quiz. We can later teach
the terms and devices that most students need to know in order to have greater success through the unit.
Teach|ng strateg|es
How will we use formative assessments to give students feedback during the unit?
What different teaching methodologies will be employed?
How are we differentiating teaching and learning for all? Have we considered those learning in the language other
than their mother tongue? Have we considered those with special educational needs?
Formative assessments will be used to indicate to students their understanding of how to employ poetic devices
and recognize them in the work(sj of others.
There will be direct teaching in the introductory stages of the unit and when modelling forms of poems
(structurej. Largely, the unit is inquiry based with students researching different poetic styles, poets, and
structure. Students are encouraged to be risk takers in fnding their own voice and creating their own pieces.
We will implement open-ended tasks. We will look at pieces from individual students' cultures and have them
translate them for the rest of class. For those with special education needs, we use templates to model the
structure or form of poetry. We can modify the tasks (and timelinej on an individual basis.
Describe how you will differentiate teaching & learning for this unit?
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Learner Pro|e
Inqu|rers: Students will inquire more knowledge about the presented poets and their styles.
Commun|cators: After gathering information about poets and their styles, students will work with one another and share their fndings with the large group.
Students will work together to create "dynamic poems" through implementing Google Docs. Here, students will collaborate in writing poetry and revise on the fy.
Reect|ve: Students will write refective poetry focusing on their experiences and why they are the individuals they are today. ln doing so, they will consider how they know
what they know and force themselves to get metacognitive.
Internat|ona| M|ndedness
ln this unit, we included poetry from a variety of cultures and periods of time.
Reect|on: Cons|der|ng the p|ann|ng, process and |mpact of the |nqu|ry
Pr|or to teach|ng the un|t Dur|ng teach|ng After teach|ng the un|t
Before we began teaching this unit, we spent a
signifcant amount of time in planning what
information we really wanted our students to be able
to "get" out of completing the assigned tasks. We
knew that we wanted our students to be able to form
a list of characteristics for any poet's work by
knowing the defnitions of literary devices. We made
sure that students spent time researching and being
able to identify these terms where they were used
across several different types of poems. We also
found a collected list of characteristics or traits of
poetry from Walt Whitman. This list acted as a model
for future student-lists and provided a framework or
scaffold for students who were new to poetry and
poetic devices.
We also made sure to introduces several websites to
students where they would be able to explore poetry
in greater depth. Showing students sites such as
Poetryfoundation.org and Soundcloud.com allowed
students to understand the types of sites they could
*While teaching, we found the different types of
poetry that different personality types of students
were creating and whose work they were attempting
to emulate. What challenged us was having enough
base knowledge in order to recommend certain
poetry (or poemsj to particular students. Much of this
relied on really knowing the students well at this point
in the school year and being able to recommend
something that would be close to their learning level.
lntroducing poetry that was either too easy or too
diffcult could potentially turn students off to poetry if
they do not understand it or if they fail in fnding
success in emulating the work.
*What l found particularly interesting was having
students fnding poetry and poems that l was never
exposed to before. lt allowed me to look up more
information about the poet, their life, and their style
on my own time and pushed me to become a better,
more knowledgeable teacher and learner. An
*Working alongside each other in our eighth grade
subject group is always enjoyable, for we are able to
bounce ideas off of each other, bringing about new
and boundless opportunities for our students.
Personally, Julie kept me grounded and made sure
that l remembered to ensure that the students knew
the basics of poetry before progressing and moving
on to more complication terms and work. Although
we didn't work with other subject groups during this
lesson, linking interdisciplinary units together would
work perfectly in the future.
*Students were encouraged to research biographical
information about their chosen poet and many
students chose from poets who stemmed from
different cultures than their own. This could allow
students to connect facts they learned in the
humanities with what they were learning in Language
A. Students also looked at ekphrastic poems and
wrote some of their own. By defnition, ekphrasis is
art created from (or inspired byj other art. These
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use when further exploring poetry on their own during
the inquiry-based part of the unit.
extension activity that was created during the unit
was to have students select a poet of their choice
after researching and studying them, and then
creating a list of characteristics on their writing style,
a short biography on their lives, and emulating the
poet's style.
*During the lesson, l made sure to take notes when
something worked and connected with students and
especially when a particular lesson fopped and no one
connected to the content or lesson for the day. Since most
of grade eight focused on students fnding new ways to
discover who they are and their journey toward "Self," it
was interesting to see how the unit meshed well with other
lessons from previous units, and how they could be
improved to help students better connect to that previously
attained knowledge. lt also allowed me to refect back on
other units from the year and alter assignments to help
students build to get to this point of metacognition.
*Students were required to be inquirers, gain and
share knowledge, be thinkers, communicate through
small groups and large group presentations and daily
interaction, be principled when researching and citing
their work, being open-minded to learn about poets
whose perception of reality is different from their own,
be caring when working on dynamic poems with
students of different learning paces and abilities, be
risk-takers by choosing new styles of poetry to read,
write, and share, and, before reaching the end of the
unit, be refective when considering what they
learned, why they learned it, how it was relevant, and
how they could apply and translate it to their
everyday life. Most all of the opportunities that arose
in the unit started from student-led initiatives and
grew from there.
poems could certainly be linked to the work they are
creating in the visual arts program in grade 8.
*Students were able to demonstrate their learning by
creating thematic refective chapbooks. ln these
chapbooks, students including work of their own based
upon a common theme of their choosing, work from famous
poets also relating to that said theme, and refections on
their own work and why they chose the famous texts. Thus,
they were able to refect on their own writing why analyzing
the texts of famous poets and inquiring more about the
path they have set for their journey of life.
*The assessment tasks were based upon the initially
created learning objectives for the unit. Here, students were
prompted to look at their list of characteristics for the
poems they selected to study during the unit and ensure
they used this list while emulating their selected poet's
work.
*Students explored the rubrics or criteria with the teacher
before the unit and continued to revert back to them for
each formative rough draft so as to make sure they were
following the right path and not losing focus on the end
product.
*Students can now always refect back on their formative
rough drafts and summative chapbooks and see the
progression they made to reach their fnal product. They
can also visually see and imagine the path they were on at
this point of their life-journey.
*The data that was collected throughout the unit
through student work (formative rough draftsj were
compared to the work students submitted in their
refective summative chapbooks to ensure that
learning was taking place. Although qualitative in
nature, the collected data showed signifcant growth
in writing style, understanding and analysis of text(sj,
and refection on the journey of existence.
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