LESSON:
REWRITE OF CRITICAL NARRATIVE INTO A FREE-VERSE, NARRATIVE POEM FORMAT by Tamara Wong-Morrison (6/14/11)
Rationale: Students need to find the rhythm in their writing. Narratives by
new writers often lack rhythm because they are focused on the
story. When a writer distills one’s narrative piece into a free-verse
format, the “internal” rhythm and the sound of one’s voice intensifies.
Also, when a writer knows how to create and use an X of Y metaphor, one’s writing becomes more creative because, “A picture paints a
thousand words, but the right metaphor paints a thousand pictures.”
(Daniel Pink)
.
Core Standards: CONVENTIONS IN WRITING & SPEAKING:
MAKE EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE CHOICES:
Gr. 3 Use words for effect.
Gr. 4:
a. Maintain consistency in style and tone.
b. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
Gr. 5:
a. Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning,
reader/listener interest, and style.
Gr. 6:
a. Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener
interest, and style.
Gr. 7:
a. Choose words and phrases that express ideas concisely,
eliminating wordiness and redundancy.
Gr. 8:
a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the
conditional and subjunctive moods to achieve particular
effects.
Gr. 9-12 standards to be included later.
Performance Indicators: SWBAT (student will be able to!) convert narrative piece into a free-verse (narrative) poem format by
highlighting, specifically chosen excerpts from
narrative.
SWBAT cut-and-paste these excerpts and re-space
or align these into free-verse poem format.
SWBAT identify free-verse poem format.
SWBAT identify rewrite of narrative into new form
as a “Found Poem” teaching strategy.
SWBAT create and use an X of Y metaphor form to
enhance, emphasize an excerpt or image.
SWBAT revert rhythm and sounds from poem form
into narrative forms of writing.
SWBAT create and use Core Standard for grade level.
Assessments: Formative: Peer and teacher comments on drafts.
Summative: Rubric (to be developed) on FINAL version.
Instructional Component & Development (50 minutes total):
15 minutes
(Explanation/ Teacher explains schedule: 15 minutes instructional,
Discussion) 25 minutes rewrite, and 10 minutes to pair-and-share.
T. asks students “What three things are in every poem?”
T. writes correct answers on board when students have identified them: meaning/feeling (“Disguised words from the heart—Robert Frost), sound (sound of words strung in sequence: “Words are sacred. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little” – Tom Stoppard, playwrite), and rhythm!
T. elicits discussion on which of these three is the
most important. Answer: All three things are equally
important. Some will argue that sound or rhythm are
more important because they will elicit meaning/feelings faster than meaning/feeling without
specific sound and/or rhythm..
T. asks for a student author to share his/her narrative piece by slowly reading aloud the piece.
Before student author reads, T. asks student-audience to listen carefully for the words-lines-excerpts that are significant-important-memorable.
T. tells student audience to raise their hands when
they hear the memorable excerpt.
T. will write-note excerpt on board that a lot of students
have identified by raising their hands.
T. tells students that these selected excerpts will be
realigned, re-spaced into a free-verse poem format
that does not have strict end-rhymes or meter.
T. says that after the student-audience has identified the
awesome excerpts, the author of narrative piece will add an X of Y metaphor to enhance the poem.
T. models creating an X of Y metaphor by writing on
board, “Sea of ______” and asks students to fill that
metaphorical sea with anything BUT things that are
actually found in the sea.
T. writes student suggestions on board, i.e. Sea of stars,
sea of surprises, sea of sorrow NOT sea of starfish or
sea of water because starfish and water are found in
the real sea, not the metaphorical sea.
T. tells students that metaphors create magic because
they create things that can only happen in our imaginations. Yipee!
T. jumps up and down and acts crazy while students
wonder what’s going on.
25 minutes
(Selection Activity/ T. asks student-author to slowly read piece.
Focused Engagement) T. writes-notes excerpts on board that audience has
identified as significant by raising their hands.
Student-author continues slowly reading piece.
T. continues writing significant excerpts until the
entire narrative is completed.
T. asks student-author to re-read the free-verse
poem.
T. asks audience to identify places in the poem where
the author could insert an X of Y metaphor,
i.e. “A metronome of disppointment” (Mahalo Jessica)
“An oasis of pain” (Mahalo Beth)
T. suggests that author may use suggested metaphors.
T. tells students that they are the FINAL EDITORS of their writing and suggests that they READ ALOUD their piece THREE TIMES and listen for their “internal” rhythm.
10 minutes
(Closure) T. asks students to pair-and-share their free-verse
poems.
Extension Activities: Students post a blog with their narrative piece and
rewrite of it in free-verse poem form. Peer reviewers
create Venn Diagram comparing/contrasting both.
Students select a poem and convert it into narrative form, i.e. “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost is converted into narrative format.
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