Introduction
Hello 7th Graders! What do you know about poets from the United States and from other parts of the world? This Webquest will help you to become aquainted with a few different American poets and will ultimately allow you to read and analyze a poem of your choice. After that, you and a partner will write a poem together.
Task
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn about three American poets. You will answer questions about the poet, will read some of their poetry and then analyze two literary devices used in a poem of your choice. Finally, you will then work with a partner to write a poem in the style of the poet you selected.
Process
1. Please use the links below to learn about famous American poets. They each have something unique about their work and are famous because of it.
Links to famous American poets and to at least one of their poems:
- Maya Angelou: http://www.shmoop.com/africa-maya-angelou/
- Allen Ginsberg: http://www.shmoop.com/supermarket-in-california-poem/
- Langston Hughes: http://www.poemhunter.com/langston-hughes/
2. Answer the following questions about the poets above:
- Where is your poet from/where was he/she born?
- Select one or two interesting facts about each poet.
3. Select a poem written by one of the poets (there are links to ther poetry on each of the web pages above):
4. Please answer the following questions about your poem:
- What is its title?
- When was it written or published?
- What is the gist of the poem? Please explain in at least 2-3 sentences.
- Did you like the poem? Why or why not?
5. Use the following link to select two poetic devices used by the poet: http://quizlet.com/9916695/poetic-device-terms-and-examples-flash-cards/
- Explain which devices you chose and cite examples of how the device is used in the poem (e.g., Jane Doe used alliteration in her poem in the lines "Betty bopped Bob beligerently..." She also used hyperbole, "Jane's Texas-sized smile..."
6. You and a partner will write a poem using at least one of the literary devices you selected above. You may use the poetry written by the poets above to guide you.
Evaluation
|
Beginning 1 |
Developing 2 |
Accomplished 3 |
Exemplary 4 |
||
| Responses to Questions | Answered with brevity, punctuated incorrectly and did not use complete sentences. | Answered with some detail, used some correct punctuation and also used some complete sentences. | Answered with detail, correct punctuation and mostly in complete sentences. | Answered with a lot of detail, always used correct punctuation and complete sentences. | |
| Use of Poetic Devices | Did not use poetic devices properly. Only used one poetic device instead of two. | Used some poetic devices properly. May have used two poetic devices but was brief in their examples. | Used poetic devices properly. but only with a little detail. Used two devices as asked. | Used poetic devices properly and used a lot of detail. Used two or more devices. | |
| Partner Work | Did not work well with partner. Struggled to communicate and/or to be flexible. | Worked amicably with partner but could have been more agreeable and more communicative while working together. | Worked well with partner, was agreeable and flexible most of the time while working together. | Worked very well with partner and was always agreeable and flexible while working together. | |
| Finished Poem | Did not complete the poem or poem is brief and clearly demonstrates low effort. It does not incorporate any of the poetic devices discussed in the WebQuest. | Completed part or all of the poem. Poem has some detail and demonstrates a little bit of effort. It may incorporate poetic devices but only a bit but the device(s) may or may not be used correctly.. | Poem is complete and has detail and shows effort. It incorporates poetic devices. | Poem is complete, detailed and shows a great deal of effort. It correctly incorporates at least one poetic device. |
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning about a few famous American poets. As you now know, they are famous for different reasons. I also hope you learned a few things about these poems and about poetic devices. As I always say, I am most concerned about the process and the effort you put forth. Only you know if you tried your hardest, but I hope you enjoyed yourself and learned something during this WebQuest.
If you're interested in learning about other American poets, check out the following links:
- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/theodor-geisel
- http://www.akoot.com/
- http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/Courses/ResourcesForCourses/Influenti…
:)
Credits
Common Core Standards:
Authors: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers Title: Common Core State Standards (insert specific content area if you are using only one) Publisher: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington D.C. Copyright Date: 2010
Websites used for this WebQuest:
Teacher Page
This WebQuest is geared toward 7th grade and uses the following Common Core Standards:
Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.