Curricular Resources > 1989 Volume II > Unit 5 (89.02.05) > Section 6

Poetry

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 89.02.05

Unit Guide

Poetry for “Special” Students

Victoria Mallison

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Lesson Plan #4

Objective Students will be able to recognize Rap as a form of poetry.

Materials Copies of the lyrics to A Teenage Love by Slick Rick, cassette player, cassette recording entitled Mona Lisa by Slick Rick and, copies of the poem Blum by Dorothy Aldis.

Procedure A copy of the lyrics to A Teenage Love and the poem Blum will be handed out to each member of the class. The cassette recording will be played, then the teacher will read the lyrics aloud with emphasis on the rhyming words, next, the teacher will read the poem, then the teacher will ask the students to read the first two stanzas of both hand outs silently. The students will be asked the following questions:

1. What does the poem and the lyrics to the song have in common?
2. What does rhyme do for the poem?
3. Do the first and second stanzas have the same rhythm? Finally, the teacher will ask students to substitute two new words for the two words that rhyme in the first stanza (the new words should not rhyme). Does the poem have the same beat? Try this with the lyrics to the song? Teacher will continue with more discussion of rhyme and meter, citing more examples.

Worksheet (corresponds to lesson plan #2)

* Work with a classmate. Take turns reading the sentence below. Change the pitch of your voice to read this sentence in these three ways:

Tyshon plays baseball.

1. Make a statement
2. ask a question
3. show strong feeling
* Stress the underlined words to give meaning to these sentences. Then explain the meaning of each sentence to your partner.
4. There’ s a huge dog.
5. There’s a huge dog.
6. He’s crept into my basement .
7. He’s crept into my basement.
8. Did you see him?
9. Did you see him?
10. Where is he going?
11. Where is he going?
* Pause at each / mark to give meaning to each sentence. Explain the meaning of the sentence you read. Take turns with your partner.
12. Mary said/ he is here.
13. Mary/ said he is here.
14. Marquis/ is the best player here.
15. Marquis is the best/ player here.
16. Jamie/ your friend is going.
17. Jamie your friend/ is going.

Read each of these sentences in 4 different ways. Ask your partner to tell which of the feelings below you are trying to show.

SURPRISE ANGER JOY FEAR

18. Mike’s going away.
19. Lasonda is coming tomorrow.
20. Is this really yours?
21. What should I say?

Here is a list of other Rap personalities whose music I listened to while researching for this unit:

L.L. Cool J.
Kwame
Big Daddy Kane
Heavv D. and the Boys
Salt and Pepper
Roxanne
The Real Roxanne
D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Ice-T.
Rob Base and D.J. Easy Rock
Erik B. and Rakim

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