Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Hannah Leong

Date November 24, 2015

Subject/ Topic/ Theme Shape Poems

Grade 1st

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
-Students will learn about another type of poetry (shape poems) and begin to compare them to other the other types of poetry that we
have studied
Learners will be able to:
Explain what a shape poem is and compare and contrast it to acrostic, rhyming, and sensory
poems
Comprehend the meanings of and use new descriptive vocabulary when writing poetry
Write to create shape poems as a class and on their own
Use poetry to explain a topic or express their feelings about a topic

Become aware of the works of some Hispanic and/or American childrens poets
Draw pictures that match their poems/create shape poems that match the main idea of the
poem

cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

physical
development

socioemotional

An
Ap
C

X
X

R/K
X

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
- Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4).
-With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1 (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.10).
-Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2).
-Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly (CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1.4).
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

-Knowledge of acrostic, rhyming, and sensory poems

-Spatial skills/ability to recognize shapes
-Knowledge of descriptive words
Pre-assessment (for learning):
What do you think a shape poem is?
Formative (for learning):
-Group brainstorm students share what words they can use to describe a cake, a castle, and a fish
-Discussion questions: What do you notice about shape poems? Do you need to use complete sentences?

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Formative (as learning):

Students re-read the poems they write and check that their poem uses descriptive words that match their shape.
Check spelling on word wall and vocabulary lists.

Summative (of learning):

-Discussion questions How is a shape poem different from other poems weve talked about?
-Completed student poems

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Provide Multiple Means of

Representation
Provide options for perception- making
information perceptible
-Allow students to use word
wall/vocabulary lists for spelling
-Post brainstorm lists on board for all
to see and use while writing their
poems (Bairon can copy words and ask
questions about words he doesnt
recognize)
Provide options for language,
mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect language

What barriers might this

lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?

-Read shape Spanish and English

poems
-Brainstorm descriptive words

Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

-I do, we do, you do approach

(provide examples for activation,
write a poem together, and have
students write on poems on their
own to apply knowledge)

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?

How will your classroom

be set up for this lesson?

Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression
Provide options for physical
action- increase options for
interaction

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement
Provide options for recruiting
interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats

-Students color/decorate poems

-Exercise brain break

-Let students choose from three

shape poem topics to write about
cake, castle, fish

Provide options for expression

and communication- increase
medium of expression

Provide options for sustaining

effort and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

-large group discussion

-partner reading
-individual writing and
coloring/decorating

-Write poem as a class

-Brainstorm word ideas as a
class then challenge students to
write their own poems

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short &
long term goals, monitor
progress, and modify strategies

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection

-short term goal of creating

their own poem using
template
-long term goal of poetry
book

-Students read and check their

spelling/wording when they are
finished writing

-Example poems to read:

Gato y espejo by Diana Briones and English translation
Lashondra Scores! from Doodle Dandies by J. Patrick Lewis and Lisa Desimini (book)
Popsicle by Joan Bransfield Graham from A Poke in the Eye (book)
-ELMO document camera
-Audio recording of Gato y espejo read in Spanish
-Large paper and markers for writing poem as class and for brainstorming
-Shape poem handouts (cake, fish, and castle)
-Tape recorder for Bairon to speak his poems

Large group discussion on the rug

Write poems at desks (long table groups)

III. The Plan

Time

Components

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Gather students on rug

5 min

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

Ask: Now that we have learned about acrostic,

rhyming, and sensory poems, what do you think a
shape poem is?

Students respond with guesses

Say: Good thinking. Ill show you a shape poem

and well see if your guesses were correct. This is
exciting because shape poems are very different

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from all the other poems weve studied.

Show Popsicle poem on ELMO
Say: Does this poem look different? How?

Students appear amazed.

Students respond Its not in lines, the words are
squished together etc.

By looking at the shape, can you tell what the

poem is about?

Students guess poems topic.

Say: This poem is called Popsicle by Joan

Bransfield Graham and its shaped like a?
Read the poem aloud to students.
Ask: What is this poem telling us about popsicles?

Respond: Popsicle!
Students respond their sticky, messy etc.

Say: Thats right! And when you write poems you

can use descriptive words like sticky, drip, and melt
too. Heres another shape poem by a poet named
Diana Briones, who is from Argentina. It is called
Gata y espejo or The Cat in the Mirror. Listen
to it in Spanish first and then Ill read it in English.
Play recording and then read the poem in English.
Display text on the ELMO.
Ask: What was this poem about? Does the picture
match the words?
8
min.

Students respond: A cat looking in the mirror who

thought her reflection was another cat. Yes.

Say: Right. So when you write your own shape

poems the words you use should also go along with
your picture. People should know what your poem
is about just by looking at the poems shape!

Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

Ok one more shape poem I really like is

Lashondra Scores!
Hold the poem up in the book and read the poem
aloud.
Ask: What is this poem about? What else did you
notice?

Say: Good job. Are you ready to write a shape

poem together? Lets write one about ice cream.

8
min.

Students listen.

Draw ice cream cone shape on the board. Ask

students about what words they would use to
describe ice cream and write them on the board
next to the shape.
Say: These are some great descriptive words! Now

Students respond: A girl named Lashondra was

playing basketball and she made a basket. The
words are in the shape of the basketball soaring
through the air, all the os in the poem are shown as
basketballs etc.

Yeah!!

Students: Give examples yummy, sweet,

chocolate, oreo, sprinkles, cold etc.

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we can put them into our ice cream shape. What

should come first?

Students raise hands and give suggestions.

Discuss words and write them into picture as

students suggest them. Purposefully make a few
spelling errors.
Read the finished poem.
Say: Great work! Good poets and writers always
check their work. So do you see any words we
spelled wrong? Do our words match our picture?

Students point out and correct spelling errors.

Correct spelling and read poem again.

Say: Great job! You just wrote a shape poem! Now
you get to write one on your own! But first lets
stand up and take a break.
2
min.

Lead students in brain break activity (banana song,

20-second shake down, etc.)

Students participate enthusiastically and then sit

down.

Hold up shape poem handouts and say: Now you

get the choice to write a shape poem using one of
these pictures. A fish, a castle, or a cake. Before
you decide, lets work together and brainstorm so
you have some good ideas for your poem.
Place three large papers on the board and mark
them Fish, Cake, and Castle. Brainstorm as
group for each topic.
10
min.

Say: First, close your eyes and picture a fish. What

does it look like? What color is it? Where is it
swimming? (wait time) Now open your eyes and
tell me about your fish!

Students close eyes and think. Students raise hands

and give suggestions.

Record answers on the fish poster. Repeat this

process for all cake and castle topics. (2-3 min per
poster)
Say: Now youre ready to write! You can look up
here while you write for ideas and to check your
spelling on words.
Place handouts at table groups and explain that
Table 1 will write about fish, Table 2 will write
about cake, and Table 3 will write about a castle.
Say: It will be cool to see how other people at your
table are writing about the same topic as you but all
of your poems will be different because you are all
creative writers that think differently!
Say: Im looking for students who are quiet and
ready to write. When I call your name you can
stand up quietly and pick a table and a topic to

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write about. There are eight desks at each table

group so you should all be able to find a topic that
you like and can write a great poem about! If I see
that you are arguing about where you will sit, I will
choose a table for you, but I think you are all
responsible and should be able to choose without
my help.
Students choose a table and begin writing.
Call students to choose a topic.

10-15
min

5
min.

Walk around room and answer questions.

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

Say: When you are finished, read your poem to

yourself once and check to see that you spelled
everything correctly, you used descriptive words,
and your words match your picture. Then turn to a
neighbor and read your poem to them!

Students write!

Students review poems and read to a partner.

5
min.
Say: Good job poets! You have five minutes now
to be illustrators and color and decorate your shape
poems.

Students color pictures.

Lesson Reflection
I left all my resources for the rest of my unit with Mrs. Anderson in case I was unable to return from home to Csar
Chvez in order to finish teaching. There was a misunderstanding with timing for the lessons, and Mrs. Anderson ended
up teaching the shape poem lesson to the first graders yesterday. I am actually glad she did this though because now I
wont be teaching my unit up to my last day of aiding. I wont have to scramble to finish the poetry lessons, and I will get
more time to say goodbye to my students on Friday! Mrs. Anderson explained how the lesson went this morning, and it
seemed like the students really enjoyed shape poems. Although I had only planned to read students one shape poem from
Doodle Dandies called Lashondra Scores!, Mrs. Anderson said she read the students about eighty percent of the book
because they kept asking for more. Mrs. Anderson explained that she didnt go over the Spanish shape poem with the
students because she didnt know what to do with the Spanish. Today, I reviewed all the different types of poems with
the students, and I finished the shape poem lesson by reading them the Spanish poem and the poem Popsicle from A
Poke in the Eye. We then spent the rest of the time working on revising the other poems we have written.
We posted the acrostic, rhyming, and sensory poems we wrote as a class on the door, so I referred to these as we reviewed
the different types of poems. I have found that students still cannot really name the types of poems. When I ask What
type of poem is this? and point to a certain poem, they usually respond with, A Thanksgiving poem! or A popcorn
poem! They understand what the senses are and what rhyming is, but they have trouble naming poems as sensory or
rhyming. I was a bit discouraged today after these informal assessment discussion questions because I felt like my
teaching and my unit were unsuccessful! I must remember though that because of Thanksgiving break, it has been a week
since the students have studied acrostic, rhyming, and sensory poems. I must also remember that the first graders have
never studied poetry before. Accordingly, my goal for the unit is not for students to master every aspect of poetry. Rather
the goal is for students to be introduced to poetry as a genre of literature and writing, to develop an appreciation for and
interest in poetry, and to begin writing poetry themselves. I am also glad we have a few more days to review the concepts
weve learned. Tomorrow I plan to ask the review questions differently. Rather than pointing to a poem and saying,
What kind of poem is this? I will ask, Which of these poems is an acrostic poem?

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While students worked on revising their shape poems at their desks, Mrs. Anderson and I conferenced with students at the
U-table and on the rug. I met with five or six students and loved hearing them read their poems! Interestingly, the most of
the students I worked with chose to write their shape poems about cake. They wrote about cake with great details using
words like blue, yummy, birthday, ice cream, and family. I was also impressed by students coloring and
decorations on their shape poem worksheets. They are so creative both in their art and their writing! One obstacle I
noticed while conferencing is that many students write full sentences on their shape poem worksheets. They have trouble
moving from writing personal narratives and stories like they have in the past few months to transitioning to simply
writing descriptive words and phrases. I prompted students to reconsider this writing choice, saying Do poems always
have to be written in complete sentences? What words could you change? Should I require students to rewrite their
poems? I do not want to discourage their creativity, and I am happy they are writing well. Although poetry is free form
and there arent really any wrong answers, it seems wrong for students to write in entirely full sentences because then they
are writing narratives not poems.
As I walked around the classroom observing students working, some students were reluctant to change their writing
because they didnt want to mess up their pictures. Mrs. Anderson reminded students not to color too hard on top of their
words because then no one can read their poems. I wonder how to approach this when we put together students poetry
books. Mrs. Anderson and I plan to type up students revised poems, but should we use their original rhyming and shape
poem worksheets that they have already drawn illustrations for? Or should we have students draw new pictures for the
typed versions?
My lesson was broken up today because some members of the Grand Rapids Symphony came to play for students at
Csar Chvez. We went to the forty-five minute performance in the upstairs library, and the kids (and teachers) loved it!
As we returned to the classroom though, I only had about ten minutes left to guide students in their revision work. I found
it hard to motivate students again after seeing such a great musical performance! Some students were saying Im done!
and were just waiting to conference with a teacher. I didnt have time to have students fill out the acrostic rubrics during
the acrostic poem lesson, so I planned to do it today. I explained the acrostic poem rubrics on the ELMO and instructed
students to work on revising their acrostic poems if they were finished with their shape poems. Students worked on this
for a few minutes, but many students filled in two faces for one requirement on the rubric and others were struggling
because they misplaced the acrostic poems in their writing folders. I needed to leave, but it was clear that students needed
more guidance, so Mrs. Anderson stepped in, having all the students take out their acrostic poems at once and fill in the
rubric together as a class. The lesson could have gone much more smoothly at the end, but I am thankful for Mrs.
Andersons help and expertise. I have never explained a rubric before or led a whole class assessment. It was good for me
to see how much my students really understand about the writing and revising process for poetry.
I am looking forward to another review and work day tomorrow. I think it will be more productive now that I know what
areas my students need more scaffolding in. I need to more clearly state whole class instructions for revising their poems.
I will try to give only one or two directions at a time, rather than overwhelming students with a rubric and two different
poems to revise. I can also use our poetry jam and final poetry review game as motivation for students to work efficiently
and quietly during our second work day tomorrow. I will remind them of the authentic task of doing their best work fixing
up their poems to put in their poetry books that they will give their families as Christmas gifts.

Resources:
Bransfield Graham, J. (2001). Popsicle. In P. B. Janeczko (Ed.), A poke in the I (p. 17). Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Briones, D. (2008). Gato y espejo. In Bibliopeque. Retrieved November 15, 2015, from
http://garabatocurioso.blogspot.com/2013/07/caligramas-de-diana-briones-poesia.html
Lewis, J. (1998). Doodle dandies - Poems that take shape. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Poetry prompts: Shape poems (n.d.). In Enchanted Learning. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/poetry/shapepoems/

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