Kelly Price
Computers in the Classroom
Software Lesson Plan Project on
Poetry Using Encarta
Introduction
The lesson plan is designed to complement a 20th Century
poetry unit for 10th grade. The plan is targeted for high school
language arts students. This lesson is designed to introduce modern poetry to
students by allowing some initial exploration with guided instruction from the
teacher in order to keep students focused. The Encarta Encyclopedia program
will enhance the lesson for students, as it will allow them to explore modern
poetry and find poetry that will potentially interest or inspire them. In
addition, the software will provide a homebase for
students who are beginning a new unit of study and a starting point for
investigation. The program can direct students to useful web links and keep
research more focused than a traditional search.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
Identify several important poets from the 20th
Century.
Identify themes such as freedom, naturalism, and
racism found in modern poetry.
Respond to a poem or group of poetry through
two-sided journal entries and class discussion.
Conduct research utilizing the Encarta Encyclopedia
program.
Instructional Materials
Poetry handouts & assignment sheets
Encarta Encyclopedia 2000
LCD projector
Computer lab or library computers
Lesson Sequence
The instructor will spend 5-10 minutes introducing modern poetry by reading
the poem "The Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks aloud. The teacher will
invite students to comment on the overall message in the poem as well as the
form. The unit assumes that students are familiar with traditional poetry and
that students can identify the basic elements of a poem. "The Mother"
is written in a straightforward manner and the topic is one that will interest
students. The teacher will then turn to the Encarta program and use Gwendolyn
Brooks and her poetry as a starting point in the program. The instructor will
use the LCD projector to guide students through the Encarta Encyclopedia
software. Following the overview of the program, the instructor will give
students the Major poets handout and copies of several
compelling poems. The major poets handout will provide
a list of poets for exploration and it will help to keep students on task.
Students will be expected to find at least 3 of the poets from the list and
encouraged to find several poets on their own. The teacher will spend time
circulating in the room to make sure students are navigating the program in
meaningful ways or reading/discussing the handouts. At the end of day 1, the
instructor will explain the assignment and give students a copy of the
homework. Students will be expected to respond to at least 4 poems from 2
poets. Responses should include commentary on the style, unusual features,
themes, and their personal thoughts about the poem.
The instructor will begin day 2 of the lesson by asking students to work in
small groups to share their responses to the poetry selected from the previous
day. Students will spend 10-15 minutes working together and the instructor will
circulate through the groups to observe and contribute as needed. The
instructor will compile information and share it with the entire class
reviewing student feedback and observations about the poetry. The instructor
will spend 10-15 minutes of class time on the Encarta program highlighting some
of the important ideas from modern poetry such as style, the use of symbolic
language, and various open forms of writing. The teacher will demonstrate the
process of linking to the Internet to conduct further research by choosing one
poet and following through to a specific web site. The instructor will then
encourage students to use the remaining class time to utilize the Encarta
program to conduct further research into the poet (or topic) of their choice.
Students will keep a log of web sites they visit and turn it in to the teacher
for review. Homework will include preparing a proposal for a research topic
relating to modern poetry or a particular poet.
The follow up to this lesson plan will be to continue investigating modern
poetry as a class and to guide students through the research process on an
individual basis. Students will continue to prepare written responses to modern
poetry and the instructor will share professional reviews/responses with the
class. The instructor will link to relevant areas of contemporary art, music,
and video on the Encarta program and discuss the idea of language as a form of
expression. A research project will be ongoing with student selected topics
(teacher approved). The final product may or may not be traditional
paper-students will be allowed creativity in their projects as demonstrated by
linking other disciplines to poetry. The instructor will provide student models
such as PowerPoint presentations, web sites, artwork, a music video, and/or
research papers from previous classes.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated in several ways including class
participation in discussion and responses to the poetry, written assignments
including responses, research proposals, and a portfolio of material to include
a research project. Students will present material to the class describing
their process and final product. Students' performances will be judged on their
contribution to the group and individual contributions. Self-assessment will be
included in the student evaluation.