Unit Plan
Exploring Poetry – Year 3 and Year 4 Unit Plan
This English unit addresses common poetic devices such as sound play, word play and imagery and explores how these may be applied to narrative poetry.
It consists of 10 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration.
The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance with the individual learning needs of their class.
An independent writing task, which may couple as an assessment task, is included in the unit. The number of lessons required to complete this task may vary from class to class.
Teachers are also encouraged to collect samples of students’ work throughout the unit to reflect their learning journey.
Overview
Objectives
- To develop a definition of poetry.
- To identify the purpose, intended audience and subject matter of a poem.
- To explore the common literary devices found in poetry.
- To identify and explore alliteration in poetry.
- To identify and explore onomatopoeia in poetry.
- To identify and explore word play in poetry.
- To identify and explore imagery in poetry.
- To explore storytelling through poetry.
- To plan and write a narrative poem which includes a setting, characters and a storyline.
- To create a class anthology of narrative poems.
Preparing for Learning
Prior to commencing the unit, develop a poetry wall in the classroom. Display posters, word wall vocabulary and learning goals to stimulate the students’ interest and assist in their learning throughout the unit. For examples of teaching resources to display in your classroom, browse the Poetry topic on the Teach Starter website.
Expose the students to a range of poetry before and during the unit. Encourage the students to share the poems they enjoy with the class and add these to a classroom display. Look for and identify poetic devices in picture books, songs and other narrative texts.
Some of the resources which accompany this unit plan will need to be prepared prior to teaching. For this reason, it is advised that teachers browse through all lessons before commencing the unit.
Lessons
Lessons
Resources
Common Core State Standards alignment
- Grade 3 > English Language Arts Standards > Reading: Literature > Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently....
- Grade 4 > English Language Arts Standards > Reading: Literature > Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range....
- Grade 3 > English Language Arts Standards > Writing > Production and Distribution of Writing > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.4
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)...
- Grade 3 > English Language Arts Standards > Writing > Production and Distribution of Writing > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 3 here.)...
- Grade 3 > English Language Arts Standards > Writing > Production and Distribution of Writing > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.6
With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others....
- Grade 4 > English Language Arts Standards > Writing > Production and Distribution of Writing > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)...
- Grade 4 > English Language Arts Standards > Writing > Production and Distribution of Writing > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 4 here.)...
- Grade 4 > English Language Arts Standards > Writing > Production and Distribution of Writing > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page ...
- Grade 3 > English Language Arts Standards > Speaking & Listening > Comprehension and Collaboration > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly....
- Grade 4 > English Language Arts Standards > Speaking & Listening > Comprehension and Collaboration > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly....
- Grade 3 > English Language Arts Standards > Language > Vocabulary Acquisition and Use > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings....
- Grade 4 > English Language Arts Standards > Language > Vocabulary Acquisition and Use > CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings....
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