A second lesson plan 02-09-10

Lesson number 2
02-09-10

A poetic response
Just as people can respond to one another through dialogue, poems can also be used to respond to one another. In this exercise students will work as partners to write a series of two poems, one that, in some way, responds to the other.

Objective: Students work together to write effective poems that respond to themes and references made in other students’ poems.

Class periods: 1-2

Procedure:
1. Begin with a discussion of dialogue. What is the purpose?
2. Ask two students to dialogue about something in class for 15-20 seconds. Record the dialogue on the board. Point out that when we dialogue, we use what others are saying to determine how we respond. We often restate what people say or reference their comments.
3. Explain that this can be done in poetry as well. Poems can be written in response to other poems, to events, to pieces of art, or for many other reasons.
4. Share an example of two poems written as a response to one another. Point out how one poem might include references from the other poem, and visa versa.
5. Students will be given the class period, and possibly a second period if necessary to write the poems and type them if assigned to do so.