The unit that follows will first and foremost teach middle school students to view themselves as poets. In order for students to have the courage to share the sounds of their inner animal, they must feel like a beast worthy of sharing. It is critical to boost students' confidence and create a safe environment for them to blossom as writers/readers. Students will develop a repertoire of authentic poems in their writing notebooks. No poet has only a single poem. Poets must have a collection of poems that can show growth from one to the next as well as a stock of poems on different themes and topics and in varying forms. Students will be able to add style to their lines and descriptions through the use of a variety of style devices such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, repetition, onomatopoeia, and personification. Students will also be able to discuss the impact of the style devices on the way poems sound. How will a reader know what the poem is supposed to sound like? How will the reader know how to read the poem? Students will also be able to identify rhythmic patterns in a poem and create their own rhythm in their poetry to establish a deeper understanding through sound. Students will also establish a list of interesting and unique words through word exchanges. Students will use interesting words, style devices, and sound effectively to write and share poetry in an open mic forum.
