Poetry Unit on The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia

[Cassandra Hawkins Wilson]

Introduction to Poetry

By Cassandra Hawkins-Wilson

Grade Level: 10-12, Developmental English, and Freshman/Sophomore Composition

Unit Length: 8 Class Sessions

Unit Overview

This unit introduces poetry to students, who may not have the opportunity for meaningful poetry exploration. Students develop poetic vocabulary through the study of selected poems from “The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia.” Students acquire a poetic vocabulary through a series of interactive learning activities that include class discussion, critical writing assignments, and personal reflection. This unit culminates in an anthology of student work, fostering an intense understanding of poetry and how to analyze and interpret poetry.

Learning Objectives:
1. Students will appreciate poetry as a medium of written expression.
2. Students will identify literary techniques used by poets.
3. Students will identify and discuss the significance of specific themes in poetry.
4. Students will apply strategies for analyzing poetry.

Lesson 1: Written Poetry

Poems used from The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia:
• “The Rules”
• “A Country View”
• “One Room School”
• “Shades of Lovely”

Time Frame:
Eight sixty minute classes

Resources and Materials:
• Copies The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia
• Definitions of Literary Terms
• Pen/Paper

Activities
1. Students will receive a copy of the textbook.
2. Students will be introduced to the rules and conventions of poetry and the role of literary techniques.
3. Students will take turns reading aloud each poem.
4. Students will read each poem silently.
5. Students will underline or highlight unfamiliar words or phrases.
6. Students will identify emotions in each poem.
7. Students will identify symbols in each poem.
8. Students will participate in class discussion on the relevance of one poem to their life.
9. Students will write a reflection of their thoughts.
10. Students will be divided into groups and will analyze a different poem in each group.
11. Teacher will facilitate discussion and focus on the effectiveness of each groups’ analysis.
12. Students will be tested on the literary techniques and strategies discussed.
13. Students will be tested on the poems analyzed.

Lesson 2:

Learning Objectives
1. Students will identify the relevant poetry themes found in The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia and connect theses themes to their lives.
2. Students will vocalize their feelings in an original poem.

Resources:
Notes from previous lesson
Graphic organizer
Pen/Paper
Copy of The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia

Activities:
1. Brainstorm themes found in the poetry of The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia.
2. Students will organize their thoughts by writing the themes down on a graphic organizer.
3. Teacher will facilitate discussion on writing poetry.
4. Students will write their poetry and maintain an electronic file of their poetry on a jumpdrive.
5. Students will participate in a poetry slam and share their poetry with classmates.
6. Students will create a poetry blog to continue writing their poetry and will receive a grade for the originality of the appearance of their poetry blog.
7. Teacher will compile the poetry and create a poetry anthology.
8. Each student will receive a copy of the anthology.


Poetry Project

Activities
1. Students will use the book, The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia, to create a poetry project.
2. Teacher will discuss relevant terms and examples of each term during the class session.
3. Each student will find poems that contain the terms listed below:
a. Rhyme
b. Imagery
c. Simile
d. Metaphor
e. Alliteration
f. Personification
g. Onomatopoeia
4. Each student will find a minimum of ten different poems using the above terms.
5. Each student will create six original poems to be included in the project’s portfolio. The remaining four poems must come from The Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia.
6. Images (photos and graphics) must accompany each poem.
7. Each student will complete a write reflection on the poetry unit.