Judith J. Katz
What follows is the way in which I intend to guide my students through the progressive navigation between task and process to product. How much time I will spend on each of these steps depends on how many students I'm working with and how quickly they internalize what I'm teaching.
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I.
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Task:
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Familiarize students with the Haiku form
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Process:
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Read many Haiku, silently and out loud
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Answer the question: What do you like about this Haiku?
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Product:
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Long-term product goal is to write Haiku
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My intention:
I intend to begin the unit by bringing into the classroom as many books of Haiku as I can get. I prefer to have enough books that each student can have access to one at all times for at least the first week of class.
The task is for each student to open the book, anywhere in the book and read as many Haiku as the student has to, until they find one that resonates somewhere in them. I don't expect that this task will be the least bit difficult for them to accomplish and the benefit of the process is that they will become steeped in the sound of Haiku very quickly.
I want each student to read a Haiku they like, every time they find one. After a student reads I will ask them "What do you like about this Haiku" and I'll keep a running list on the board of the Haiku qualities they like, When possible I'll begin to rename what they said using the elements of the common vocabulary.
Depending on the size and behavioral tenor of the class this task can be handled in a strict manner by simply starting with one student and moving in a geographic pattern around the room. This task can also be accomplished in an open and free form discussion format with students raising their hand, or calling out when they find a poem that suits.
I'll read some of my favorites first in order to get the ball rolling.
If it's not possible, due to budget or class size, for me to have enough books in the room for the students to have their own, I'll copy pages or type up handouts. It is important to this process that the students have a lot of Haiku to choose from so that they have a sense of involvement with the words and form. I want them to have a sense that they are shopping for a Haiku with limitless funds.
What I really think will happen in the classroom:
I have a tendency to let my students run a bit wild especially at the beginning of a unit. I expect to hold their attention with my introduction of the materials and my favorite Haiku. I expect to let them loose after that and encourage them to call out Haiku as they find them, even though that can get loud. I'll act as a moderator in case two people want to read simultaneously. I hope that two or more people may be attracted to the same Haiku and will want to read it. If that happens, I'll put those on the board as "mascot Haiku". I'll let them trade books and papers. I'll let them look on together in one book. I'm also open to my students reading Haiku they detest so I can ask them what they detest about it. The key is to encourage them to have a response and become involved with the form. I'll be happy to spend an entire class period doing this.
For Example
A favorite one line Haiku of mine is:
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Butterfly stomach you just met.
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Theo Coleman, 10th Grade
When my student Theo wrote this Haiku and I put it on the board the students said they liked it. What do you like about this Haiku, I asked them. They told me they liked that it felt real and they knew what the feeling he described felt like because they'd had that feeling.
I said Theo did a good job painting a picture. His words made us feel the way that moment feels in real life. He brought us to the Haiku moment and he only used five words to do it. Pretty cool, don't-cha-think?
It's their "ah-ha" response that I'll be looking for and we'll continue reading and talking until we get it.
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II.
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Task:
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Introduce elements of the common vocabulary
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Process:
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Discuss elements of the common vocabulary handout with Haiku
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Product:
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Long-term product goal is to write Haiku
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My intention
I intend to use the definitions of the 13 ideas described earlier in this paper as a working dictionary. I will hand the definitions out and talk about each one using examples gathered from the books and handouts of the prior day.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
My students will suffer through my attempt to teach them the definitions in a fairly routine manner. I will give them handouts of the definitions. I will ask them to take turns reading the definitions out loud. We will pause after each definition to discuss it and I will encourage them to ask questions about the definitions, and give examples from prior readings if they can.
For example
Hosimi: I can't think of any circumstance in which the word "very" as in "very dark" could be considered hosimi. In Haiku when we're using the idea of hosimi, slenderness, the thing observed is either dark or not. If you want to stress how dark it is, you don't say very. You use a detail like a recognizable color (black, indigo) or an observation of position (under porch, in shadow), or a time of day (dusk, night). Any one of these detailed descriptions paints a clearer picture than "very dark."
In this way I will weave elements of the common vocabulary into discussion immediately. Using as much of it as possible at all times. The repetition of elements of the common vocabulary is essential. The prior example uses the elements of the common vocabulary 8 times to make a point.
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III.
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Task:
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Begin applying elements of the common vocabulary to Haiku
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Process:
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Model usage of elements of the common vocabulary to discuss Haiku
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Product:
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Long-term product goal is to write Haiku
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My intention
I'll choose several of my favorite Haiku as examples. I'll write them on the board using elements of the common vocabulary to discuss the ways in which the container, content and concepts work.
In the classroom I'll often used published Haiku of very high quality. But I'll also use interesting examples of my own and prior students work. In this paper I am using my own and prior students work.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
Since I intend to use a mixture of Haiku as examples I think I will be able to engage my students in discussion.
For Example
I might write the following poem on the board and ask the students to tell me what they think is right and wrong with it. They have to use elements of the common vocabulary to describe what works and doesn't. I'll encourage my students to call out what they're thinking. If the class is unruly, I will require raised hands.
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Busy black winged bee
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Lands quietly in flower
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Gathers sweet pollen
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Rachel Holtzberg, 5th Grade
The kinds of comments and conversations I expect are:
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Student:
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"I like it"
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Me:
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"What do you like about it?"
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Student:
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"I can see it."
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Me:
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"Does it paint a picture for you?"
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Student:
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"Yeah"
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Another possible conversation:
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Student:
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It's not hosimi
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Me:
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What's not hosimi about it.
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Student:
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To much extra stuff, extra words
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Me:
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Like what?
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Student:
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She doesn't need 'busy'.
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Me:
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I agree, anything else.
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Student:
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She could lose 'quietly' it doesn't really help much.
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Me:
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Really? Much?
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Student:
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I mean it doesn't help.
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Me:
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Good on the fly editing there!
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IV.
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Task:
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Discuss Haiku forms as containers, give a brief historical perspective of Haiku, introduce the Modern English Haiku Form
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Process:
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Give examples of forms and begin writing from observation
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Product:
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Long-term product goal begin writing Haiku
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My intention
I will begin by discussing the idea of containers using many of the examples and discussion points in the early part of this paper. I will give a brief history of the Haiku form including how it resulted from the longer Renga form and the way in which it has been changed through it's translation into an English language form. Historical perspectives on the development of Haiku are easily accessible in several of the books listed at the end of this unit.
I will introduce the accepted form of the Modern English Haiku including the container, content and concept. I'll give some examples, I'll write some examples on the spot, I'll discuss why they're not great, or why they are.
We will take 20 minutes to write our first Haiku. A word about subject matter: since Haiku rely on observation I will encourage my students to observe something visible to them at the moment they are writing like the weather out the window, the colors in the room, etc.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
By the time we get to this lesson it will be day four of working with Haiku and we won't have written one. I imagine that my students will be chomping at the bit to write. My guess is they'll think it's no big deal. It looks easy. It's short.
When they tell me they're done I'll ask them to get their elements of the common vocabulary worksheet out and check their Haiku against it to see if they think they've met each of those standards. They will complain, they will tell me they have before they look, they will beg for clemency. I'll make them check anyway.
When they think they really are done, I will ask them to write their Haiku on the board and sign it. While they are waiting for others to finish they may start on a second Haiku.
When everyone has written a Haiku on the board I will ask each student to take a turn reading their own. After they read I will encourage the rest of the class to discuss what elements of the common vocabulary the student/writer met and didn't. I will ask the student writer to take notes so they can edit the Haiku during the next class.
I will add my opinions based on the elements of the common vocabulary when everyone in class is done, in the event that they missed something. Otherwise I'll complement them on the writing and constructive criticism and move on. This process is meant to be encouraging, move briskly and keep everyone engaged.
For Example
I have written a terrible Haiku of which I am very proud because it is a great example.
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I love my dog Fluffy
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He is really, really, loud
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And also funny and a fast runner
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Judith Katz
I predict that my students will have no trouble giving constructive criticism to me because there is plenty to work with and criticizing the teacher is always fun.
A line-by-line critique of this first draft appears in lesson plan 1, attached.
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V.
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Task:
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Continue editing of first draft, begin next Haiku
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Process:
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Work on writing and editing for entire class. Answer questions as they arise.
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Encourage students to share work in progress with me and each other.
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Product:
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3-5 Modern English Haiku
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My intention
It is my intention to create an environment in which my students will be steeped in the ideas of Haiku writing. To create that environment I intend to encourage them to spend time in quiet, contemplative states. Background music of all kinds, as long as it doesn't have words, can be helpful. I will encourage my students to bring in music to share. I will encourage them to spend time staring out the window, looking around the room, and recalling moments in their recent past that might be Haiku material.
I will encourage them to speak to me and each other quietly about what they're thinking and writing. Anyone is free to write a Haiku on the board when they feel finished or stuck. Our contract as a classroom of writers is that we will stop writing to discuss a collegue's work when they ask us to.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
I believe initially it will take some students time to slow down to a Haiku speed. Haiku is not fast writing, although it's short. It takes time to observe the details of the moment. It takes time, when you're a teenager especially, to understand and be comfortable with the idea that someone is interested in your observation and wants you to dig deep and find something genuine.
I expect everyone will settle into the rhythm of Haiku in time. I expect students who get their first will lose patience with students who don't want to do the work and they will help me lead everyone to create the environment we want. But hey, I'm an optimist.
For example
Having used my Haiku as an example in the prior class (see lesson plan 1 for details) I will model editing techniques using elements of the common vocabulary to produce improvements in their Haiku. Here is an example of the impact minimal editing can produce.
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First Draft
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Improved Haiku
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Rain pouring down hard
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Rain pouring down hard
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Boom. Big snake in sky, thunder
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Silver snake sky. Boom, thunder
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Goose bumps, shivering
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Goose bumps, shivering
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Leora Petashnik, 7th grade
Leora rearranged the second line to give a more logical progression. In addition she added the detail of color (silver) and removed the word "in" to get a more hosimi line. She did not make enormous changes and yet the Haiku paints a clearer picture, and the use of hosimi gives the movement of the poem a feeling of suddenness and speed that helps bring us to the Haiku moment.
I would also model the behavior of observation by reminding my students to use their five senses as part of observing. Leora used not only what she observed by looking, but what she observed about the way her body felt as she was looking.
By writing quietly with my students, staring out the window, making observational notes and checking in with them to see if they need help, I can model the kind of behavior I expect them to exhibit.
My task at this point in the process is to begin to balance the different speeds of development each student exhibits. Some students will work quickly, observing, writing, editing, and repeating the task/process easily. Some will get hung up in a specific part of the process. I have to keep each student engaged and moving forward.
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VI.
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Task:
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Take a Haiku walk.
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Process:
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Leave the classroom and observe nature and the surrounding areas. See what
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there is to see.
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Product:
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Honing observation skills
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*Lesson Plan Included
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My intention
My goal is to reintroduce my students to the world around them. I want them to meet the world as Haiku writers. I want them to take the time to use as many of their senses as possible to build an inventory of observational experiences they can write about later.
I want my students to take comprehensive, clear notes about everything they sense while they are on the walk. I want the walk itself to take about 20-30 minutes.
Reminder: Get signed permission slips from each students parent or guardian, plus permission from the school administration, in advance, to take my students out of the building for a walk.
My plan is to use a double period for the Haiku walk. Since I have most of my students for a double period it's not a problem, but I will have to get signed teacher's permission slips for the students who are only with me for one period.
I would like to introduce the goal of the Haiku walk, walk for 20 minutes, stop and get a snack (at Dunkin Donuts or a local coffee shop-so everyone needs to bring a little snack cash). During the break I'd like to discuss how the observation process is going and give guidance on how maximize the walk back to school. Then walk back.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
I think my students will spend a minimum amount of time acting out because they are free of the classroom environment. Depending on the size of the class, I may need additional chaperone help from a parent or another teacher.
Since my students will have been practicing observation in an enclosed space, I think they will quickly realize there is a lot of information to take in and will want to take it in. In addition my expectation is they will write Haiku based on these observations, and they will be graded on them. Which can be a motivating factor.
For example
Even in an urban setting nature manages to exist. Our urban setting is not at all barren. There are houses with trees, lawns, ivy, gardens, and various forms of wildlife including people. There's a sky, weather, sounds, structures, walkways, light and shadow. There are vehicles, dumpsters, and garbage of all kinds. There are infinite opportunities for observation.
I will encourage my students to write as much detail as possible. When they look at something I'll encourage them to describe it using all of their senses.
Later when I ask them to use their Haiku-walk journals to write they may say to me…Well how does it help. My Haiku journal says: dirty, icy, slushy, snow. I can ask them what that reminds them of. I can ask them to remember what, exactly they were looking at when they wrote that note. I can ask them to describe what they saw more fully, as a Haiku moment. That is how the following Haiku was born.
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Dirt on snow
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Pulverized ice and salt
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Plow trucks leave.
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Mimi Smith, 10th grade
Might she have written that Haiku without her journal? Sure. Was it easier because she had the support of written observation to get her started? I think so.
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VII.
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Task:
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Introduce the concepts of task, process, repetition, and editing
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Process:
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Work through a few cycles of task/process/repetition/editing
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Product:
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Continue working to complete 3-5 Modern English Haiku
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My intention
My intention is to keep each student working toward completion of the assignment (product) of 3-5 Modern English Haiku.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
I think by this time in the process my students will be committed and working toward their goals. This is the time in which I will have to work very closely with each of them to help them refine their understanding of how to use elements of the common vocabulary. Most of the teaching to this point is general. From this point on the teaching becomes individualized and more coach-like. Each student will have different needs, strengths and weaknesses and this is when they'll really blossom. It's crucial to me that they see their problems as creative opportunities. And it's my job to make sure they do.
For example
During this period of time is when I expect to hear my students wailing words to this effect…Ms. Katz:
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a. I'm done
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b. Why do you keep taking my words away?
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c. What do you mean a Haiku doesn't rhyme?
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d. "Goodbye" is not a greeting it's an observation
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e. "Pretty" is not an opinion it's an observation
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f. I can't make this 5-7-5
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g. Why are we doing this?
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When all avenues of one-on-one negotiation with a student fail, I intend to put the disputed Haiku on the board and let the class use elements of the common vocabulary to make my point.
I have complete faith that by this time in the repetition process the class, as a whole, will be able to tell if a Haiku paints a picture, is hosimi, or is using statement versus observation. Sometimes a dose of reality from your peer group can be beneficial.
I will remember to be open to the idea that I might be wrong and that a piece might work beautifully, even though it does not meet all the standard elements of the common vocabulary.
This is a good time in the process for that easing of standards to begin.
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I close my eyes as
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The wind blows and lifts me
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Off my broken heart
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Michelle James, 12th grade
I put this Haiku on the board as soon as Miss James finished it. It is not a typical or standard Haiku. It is a variation of the Modern English Haiku. It is not 5-7-5, it is not strictly observational. It does paint a picture and it takes me to her Haiku moment and one of my own.
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VIII.
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Task:
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Introduce Haiku variations including the one line Haiku
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Process:
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Loosen the container while continuing to work through a few cyles of
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task/process/repetition/editing
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Product:
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Have students begin to organize their own workload toward the final goal of 3-5
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Modern English Haiku, 3 one line Haiku and 2 Haiku in their choice of variation.
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My intention
My intention at this point is to begin to loosen the reigns. I want to give my students a feeling of freedom within what is actually a pretty restrained format. Loosening the container to allow their expression to flow as a one line observational Haiku, or a Modern English Haiku variation (in which the syllable count can be slightly off 17), or to allow them five hosimi lines will seem like running wild to them at this point.
I will let them pick and choose what standards from elements of the common vocabulary they will use to express themselves. In this way I believe the standards from elements of the common vocabulary will become tools for them to use at will to enhance their understanding and verbal and written communication abilities. Which is one of my major goals.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
Actually I think it will take them a few minutes to realize I mean it. And then I think they'll start writing quite a bit and pretty quickly. I think they'll come up first drafts they may even find remarkable.
Again, I will encourage them to put completed work on the board, if they want. I will encourage the class to discuss the work. I expect to be having fun as we work through this section of task/process/repetition.
I expect my students to breathe a giant exhale. Even though these Haiku variations have rules and standards, I think there is a feeling of relief to opening up the process.
For example
I think the one line Haiku is very appealing at this point because it is in effect, one observation, simply delivered.
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Night full moon Morning its fading shadow
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Rosiland Hennah, 10th grade
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Black leather coat lying across table
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Jason Fraser, 10th grade
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Cat Ferrari Splat
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Harris Neuberg, 6th grade
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Is there any question where the Haiku moment is in each of these.
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IX.
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Task:
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Wrapping up
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Process:
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Continuing to work through the cycles of task/process/repetion/editing until all
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students have completed products
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Product:
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Each student should complete 3 Modern English Haiku, 3 one line Haiku and 2
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Haiku in the form of their choice
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*Lesson Plan Attached
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My intention
I intend for each student to have a body of completed work to be handed in to me for grading in the unit.
I also intend for each student to pick one Haiku that they've written to read to the class on the last day of the unit. Each member of the class will listen to the student/poet and take notes on how well he adhered to the standard elements of the common vocabulary.
The student/poet can ask to hear that feedback or not as they wish. All notes will be confidential and will be given to me. I will be using a similar format to grade the work.
Since time will be limited, I will most likely divide the number of students into the number of minutes available for the class period. Each student may have 2 minutes to read. A strict presentation format will be adhered to for this "staged reading". See Lesson Plan 3 for details.
What I really think will happen in the classroom
I really think the students will be attentive to each other's readings and work. Because each student will have gone through the process, they will be interested in what their classmates have done and because they have to hand in a grading sheet as part of their grade, they'll have to be somewhat attentive.
In my experience when students know something, they want to show it off and this will be an opportunity to show off a bit.
For example
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• I'll walk to the front of the room with my Haiku and say:
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• Hello, my name is Ms. Katz and I'll be reading a Modern English Haiku
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• I'll take a breath in and out and read my Haiku: In Memory of Fluffy
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Walking my white dog
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In the midnight falling snow
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We are earth glitters
• I'll take a breath in and out and read again
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Walking my white dog
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In the midnight falling snow
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We are earth glitters
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• I'll take a breath in and out and say
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• Thank you.
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• I'll return to my seat where I'll ask to hear feedback, or wait until I get my annotated grade from my teacher.
