Poetry

=Unit Overview=

The **GOAL** of this unit is simple: reading and responding to poetry. The focus is aesthetic response not analysis, so I want you to have gut reactions: it’s funny; it’s sad; you like it; you don’t like it; it sounds good; it makes you wonder. The primary activity during the unit will be reading poems from a wide variety of sources, picking ones that interest you, writing in response to them, and sharing what you’ve found.

[|Poetry Out Loud] [|Academy of American Poets] - Check out the buttons in the sidebar for poems by theme. [|Poetry Foundation] - They have great search tools. You can look for poems by subject/mood. [|Representative Poetry Online] - I especially like their random tab. Check it out! [|Favorite Poem Project] - Go here for favorite poem videos.
 * Websites** - Use these sites to browse poems. (BUT remember that half of the poems you use in your anthology have to come from books or magazines.)

The **ASSESSMENTS** for this unit will be:

You’ll be responsible for knowing poetry devices and poetry types -. You must be able to identify and/or create examples and explain them using the definitions of the terms. Knowing this vocabulary prepares you to think about and discuss poetry intelligently. Use this scavenger hunt to help you study for the quiz -.
 * 1.** A poetry **quiz** on **Friday, February 5**.

You must choose a poem from the Poetry Out Loud website or anthology, memorize it, and prepare a dramatic recitation according to the Poetry Out Loud guidelines (see website). Everyone will compete in the classroom competitions, February 3-4. Eight winners, one from each Lit & Comp class, will compete on Thursday, February 11, for a chance to move on to the regional competition on Sunday, February 28. This document explains how punctuation can guide your reading of poetry -.
 * 2.** A poetry **recitation**, prepared by **Wednesday, February 3**.

You must create a poster to be hung in the halls of the school during either Black History Month (February) or Women’s History Month (March). See the list of African American poets below if you need help identifying one. You may reuse the information on your poster in your anthology. Each poster must have: a poem by an African American (for Black History Month) or a poem by a woman (for Women’s History Month); a short biography of the poet (2 or 3 sentences) and a picture of the poet; and a personal reflection on the poem. See the assignment sheet (distributed in class on Friday, January 29) for details.
 * 3.** A poetry **poster**, due **Friday, February 5** (for Black History Month) or **Monday, March 1** (for Women’s History Month).

You will choose 12 poems to include in a book that you will create. You must choose these poems from an equal number of print and online sources. For each poem, you will write a reflection or a poetic response. You will also collect complete source information so that you can create a thorough bibliography. You will format your anthology with all of the elements of a book—a title, a title page, a table of contents, page numbers, etc.—using advanced features in Word.
 * 4.** A personal poetry **anthology**, due **Thursday, February 25**. [[file:Anthology Assignment.pdf]] [[file:Anthology Grading.pdf]]

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Elizabeth Alexander Maya Angelou Amiri Baraka Arna Bontemps Gwendolyn Brooks Lucille Clifton Countee Cullen Toi Dericotte Rita Dove W. E. B. Du Bois Paul Laurence Dunbar Nikki Giovanni Robert Hayden Terrance Hayes Langston Hughes James Weldon Johnson Yusef Komunyakaa Audre Lorde Claude McKay Jean Toomer Natasha Trethewey Alice Walker Margaret Walker Phyllis Wheatley
 * African American Poets** - This is a list of some African American poets whose work you may want to browse as you select a poem for your Black History Month poster.

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