Wednesday, March 9

In-Class:

• We got in to the same groups as last time and finished our four poems.  Those who were absent picked up the poems they missed and completed them. 
• I passed out the choices for the final poetry assignment. Students told me which one they would be doing. 

Poetry Final Project Choices

1)    Modeled after the poems by Ms. Houston that we read for a journal assignment, write a letter to the past, present, or future.  If you choose this option, your poem does not have to be written in stanzas.  It can be a free form letter.  It needs to be at least 300 words.

2)    Modeled after the poem, “Hate” in our Language Arts text, write a poem that is focused on an emotion.  Your poem needs to be at least 6 stanzas with a minimum of four lines each. If you choose this option, the poem will not rhyme.  Thoughtfully choose where to break each line for effect. 

3)    Write a humorous poem with a pre-determined rhyme scheme in each stanza.  For example, you could write with an ABAB pattern, with lines 1 and 3 and lines 2 and 4 of each stanza rhyming. Your poem needs to be at least 6 stanzas with a minimum of four lines each.

 

4)    Pick a social issue to discuss through poetry, as the author did in, “Disposable Wisdom.”  Your poem needs to be at least 6 stanzas, four lines each, and should follow an ABCB rhyme scheme, just like the poem we read.

• For journal, students read a poem and graded it on a rubric (see below) that is the same rubric students will be graded on for their own poems. 

Name: _____________________________                             Title of Poem: __________________________________

Poetry Final Assignment Rubric

______ Poem has at least one *effective simile (10 pts.)

______ Poem has at least one effective metaphor (10 pts.)

______ Poem has at least one effective example of personification (10 pts.)

______ Poem includes alliteration that emphasizes an important part (10 pts.)

______ Poem has a at least one effective example of repetition (10 pts.)

______ Poem has at least one effective example of parallelism (10 pts.)

______ Poem meets the length requirement of either 6 stanzas or 300 words (10 pts.)

______ Poem has a creative title that connects to the meaning of the poem (10 pts.)

______ Rhyming is consistent and/or effective.  If not a rhyming poem, stanzas are thoughtfully broken up (10 pts.)

______ Poem effectively develops and conveys a specific idea (10 pts.)

*”Effective” for this rubric means the figurative language device is creative, original, and helps paint a picture for the reader.

__________ Total out of 100 points

 

Journal: Pretend you are grading the poem below on this rubric. Please identify each one of the elements from the rubric found in the poem by circling and labeling them.  Then, assign points for each category on the blanks above.

Slimming Pants 

Her exhausted bones peer in the mirror 
The glass, a broken lie detector,
Projects weight
Where there is none.

So she begins to stop again.
Slowly sinking, not swimming[
Gradually dying, not growing.
Helpless to rescue herself.

Meek as a child
But with grown-up weight on her shoulders
She curls on the ground
Willing her body to fall asleep.
So she can forget.

As she peers out of half closed eyes
She notices all the doors.
Cupboard doors. Refrigerator doors. Oven doors.
They taunt her mind as it frantically runs away.

Nothing else occupies her mind
When awake.
Nothing fits.
Nothing flatters.
Nothing feels good.

Her life is built on the lies
She tells herself
Every morning.
Every afternoon.
Every evening.

Rinse. Repeat.

Homework:

• None