4th Grade Native American Poetry Lesson Plan Example

Topic: Native American Poetry

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to write a poem inspired by a native american poem.
• Students will be able to analyse poetry and give opinions about its characteristics.

Materials

• Native american poems for inspiration
• Examples of poetry for analysis
• Pencils and paper for writing

Warm-up

• Have the students sit in a circle and play a quick game of "I Spy." Choose an object in the room and have the students take turns saying something about the object that they can see ("I spy with my little eye something that is round"). Once a student can no longer guess what the object is, they are out of the game. The last student standing is the winner.
• After a few rounds, ask the students if they have any ideas of what they might write about in their poetry.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the native american poem that the students will be analyzing.
• Ask the students to read the poem out loud as a class.
• As the students read, record their thoughts and ideas on the chart paper.
• Ask the students to look for certain elements of poetry, such as imagery, figurative language, and rhyme.
• Have the students brainstorm ideas for their own poems inspired by the native american poem.

Guided Practice

• Have the students work in pairs to create their own poems using the ideas they brainstormed.
• Have the students share their poems with the class and discuss the similarities and differences between the two poems.
• Analyze the poems as a class, looking for the different elements of poetry.

Independent Practice

• Have the students choose a native american poem to study further.
• Have the students write a report on the poem, including information about the author, the style, and the themes.
• Encourage the students to be creative and add their own interpretation to the poem.

Closure

• Have the students share their poems with the class and discuss what inspired them to write it.
• Review the skills covered in the lesson, including reading, analyzing, and writing poetry.

Assessment

• Observe the students during independent practice and give feedback on their understanding of the skill being covered.
• Collect and review the students' poems to assess their ability to write poetry and their understanding of the theme and form of the native american poem they chose to write about.