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Amanda Gorman Poetry Analysis One Pager

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This is a suggested outline that I will be following in my own classroom:
Day 1:
Go over poetry and figurative language in a mini lesson and work on identifying
different elements of poetry in small groups with short poems.
Day 2:
Introduce “The Hill We Climb” and discuss the background on which this poem
was created. Read the poem together or in pairs and scaffold annotating as you
see fit. Emphasize looking for the elements mentioned in the one pager.
Day 3:
Either work alone or in pairs to continue to annotate the poem. Display the one
pager with the directions on the board or post it in Google Classroom and
emphasize colorfulness and creativity. Cult of Pedagogy has great examples of
what one pagers can be! Have students work on their one pagers.
Day 4 (optional)
Depending on how long your classes are, you may want to allow for extra time. I
also plan on showing the video of Amanda Gorman reading this poem at President
Biden’s Inauguration.
**We also read Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird” poem, so I will explain that
Gorman’s earrings and rings are an allusion to that so that my kids can have
multiple places to pull information from!
Common Core Based Assignments
• Common Core Standards
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an
objective summary of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.2
Analyze the purpose of information presented
in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the
motives (e.g., social, commercial, political)
behind its presentation.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and nuances in
word meanings.

These are the standards that I think would

apply well to this assignment. Feel free to
tweak or use your own standards!
 Amanda Gorman
Youth Poet Laureate and
the youngest inaugural
poet in U.S History
“The Hill We Climb” - Amanda Gorman
When day comes we ask ourselves, between us
where can we find light in this never-ending but what stands before us
shade?
We close the divide because we know, to put our
The loss we carry, future first,
a sea we must wade we must first put our differences aside
We've braved the belly of the beast We lay down our arms
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace so we can reach out our arms
And the norms and notions to one another
of what just is We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Isn't always just-ice Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
And yet the dawn is ours That even as we grieved, we grew
before we knew it That even as we hurt, we hoped
Somehow we do it That even as we tired, we tried
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed That we'll forever be tied together, victorious
a nation that isn't broken Not because we will never again know defeat
but simply unfinished but because we will never again sow division
We the successors of a country and a time Scripture tells us to envision
Where a skinny Black girl that everyone shall sit under their own vine and
fig tree
descended from slaves and raised by a single
mother And no one shall make them afraid
can dream of becoming president If we're to live up to our own time
only to find herself reciting for one Then victory won't lie in the blade
And yes we are far from polished But in all the bridges we've made
far from pristine That is the promise to glade
but that doesn't mean we are The hill we climb
striving to form a union that is perfect If only we dare
We are striving to forge a union with purpose It's because being American is more than a pride
To compose a country committed to all cultures, we inherit,
colors, characters and it's the past we step into
conditions of man and how we repair it
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands
 “The Hill We Climb” - Amanda Gorman
We've seen a force that would shatter our nation will be the inheritance of the next generation
rather than share it Our blunders become their burdens
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying But one thing is certain:
democracy
If we merge mercy with might,
And this effort very nearly succeeded
and might with right,
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
then love becomes our legacy
it can never be permanently defeated
and change our children's birthright
In this truth
So let us leave behind a country
in this faith we trust
better than the one we were left with
For while we have our eyes on the future
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
history has its eyes on us we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous
This is the era of just redemption one
We feared at its inception We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the
west,
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
we will rise from the windswept northeast
of such a terrifying hour
where our forefathers first realized revolution
but within it we found the power
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the
to author a new chapter midwestern states,
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves we will rise from the sunbaked south
So while once we asked, We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? and every known nook of our nation and
Now we assert every corner called our country,
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us? our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
We will not march back to what was battered and beautiful
but move to what shall be When day comes we step out of the shade,
A country that is bruised but whole, aflame and unafraid
benevolent but bold, The new dawn blooms as we free it
fierce and free For there is always light,
We will not be turned around if only we're brave enough to see it
or interrupted by intimidation If only we're brave enough to be it
because we know our inaction and inertia
 Create a border that conveys the mood of the poem

List 3 power/key
Give two examples
words & draw an
of alliteration.
image to go along
Give one example with them.
of an allusion.

“The Hill We Climb” Poetry Analysis

Put a key quote here and why you chose it.
Create a border that conveys the mood of the poem

Create a border that conveys the mood of the poem

How did you feel Draw a symbol that
after reading this represents the
poem? theme of the poem.
Create a border that conveys the mood of the poem
“The Hill We Climb” Poetry Analysis
 One Pager

Proficient Emerging Beginning Incomplete

15 Points 12 Points 8 Points 5 Points

Textual Analysis 7 pieces of text evidence 7 pieces of evidence are At least 4 pieces of Less than 4 pieces of
are used to correctly used; however, not all of evidence are used to evidence are used to
support the required them are correctly correctly support the correctly support the
elements. identified. required elements. required elements OR the
given evidence is
unrelated to the required
elements.

Required Elements All 10 elements are At least 7 elements are At least 5 elements are Less than 5 elements are
included on the one included on the one included on the one included on the one
pager. pager. pager. pager

Legibility All writing or drawings are All writing or drawings are Writing OR drawings are Writing AND drawings are
neat and legible. neat; however, there may sloppy or not well done. sloppy and not well done.
be a few distractors with
legibility.

Creativity A student's time and A student's time and A student's time and A student's time and
effort creating relevant effort creating relevant effort creating relevant effort creating relevant
symbols are pictures is symbols are pictures is symbols are pictures is symbols are pictures is
evident. The entire one evident. Most of the one minimally evident. The not evident. The one
pager is colored and pager is colored and one pager is left pager is left unfinished.
draws people in. draws people in. unfinished.

This rubric was created with Quick Rubric and can be found at -
One Pager
http://www.quickrubric.com/r#/qr/michaelaleu/one-pager4

Proficient Emerging Beginning Incomplete

15 Points 12 Points 8 Points 5 Points

Textual Analysis 7 pieces of text evidence 7 pieces of evidence are At least 4 pieces of Less than 4 pieces of
are used to correctly used; however, not all of evidence are used to evidence are used to
support the required them are correctly correctly support the correctly support the
elements. identified. required elements. required elements OR the
given evidence is
unrelated to the required
elements.

Required Elements All 10 elements are At least 7 elements are At least 5 elements are Less than 5 elements are
included on the one included on the one included on the one included on the one
pager. pager. pager. pager

Legibility All writing or drawings are All writing or drawings are Writing OR drawings are Writing AND drawings are
neat and legible. neat; however, there may sloppy or not well done. sloppy and not well done.
be a few distractors with
legibility.

Creativity A student's time and A student's time and A student's time and A student's time and
effort creating relevant effort creating relevant effort creating relevant effort creating relevant
symbols are pictures is symbols are pictures is symbols are pictures is symbols are pictures is
evident. The entire one evident. Most of the one minimally evident. The not evident. The one
pager is colored and pager is colored and one pager is left pager is left unfinished.
draws people in. draws people in. unfinished.

This rubric was created with Quick Rubric and can be found at -
http://www.quickrubric.com/r#/qr/michaelaleu/one-pager4