Sample Lesson Plan #3
Responding to the reading of the first section of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
Objectives:
Students will
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1. listen to the reading of the poem.
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1. fill in on a map the probable course of theMariner and his ship.
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2. do some research on the Albatross.
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3. draw a picture of some event or image within thepoem, such as: the storm, the albatross, the ship in the storm or in the arctic, the killing of the bird, etc. Students will choose lines from the poem to caption their pictures. Ideally eachchild might pick a different segment of the poem.
Materials:
A copy of the poem for each child, markers, crayons, drawing paper, access to a library or research materials, and copies of world maps for students to trace on.
Procedures:
The poem can be introduced at Halloween time as a kind of scary story that has ghosts, spirits and a strange old man. In reading the poem the students should be clear on what a Mariner is as well as what life was like on an old ship. It is probably best for continuity’s sake that the teacher do the first reading of the poem. The activities described here would probably be best after a rereading of the poem when the students have become more comfortable with the language of the poem and the events.
Follow Up Activities:
Make a tape recording of the poem available in the listening center for students to use. There is one by Richard Burton available on tape. Let each student practice reading a different stanza of the poem and record them all for the class to listen to. Have students continue this activity as the poem is reread and collect the pictures into a book.
