Language Arts Poetry Unit Lesson Plan 

Lesson Title: Poetry Basics            Grade: 8

Learning Target:  Students should be able to understand and distinguish the different forms of
poetry, and be able to eloquently develop their own poems based on the examples given.     

Grade Level Guide: Content Standards 

Content Curriculum Common Core State Standards Interdisciplinary Connections

Focal Points (IRA)

IRA Standard 2.1: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.E: This lesson, while grounded in

Curriculum and Establish and maintain a formal Language Arts, can also be
Instruction style. connected to History. 

Candidates use CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.6: History: While teaching within this

foundational Use technology, including the poetry unit, the teacher while
knowledge to design Internet, to produce and publish collaborating with a history
or implement an writing and present the instructor  can give background
integrated, relationships between knowledge on different poetry forms
comprehensive, and information and ideas efficiently and how they originated. Certain
balanced curriculum. as well as to interact and poets are known for writing specific
collaborate with others. kinds of poetry, and the partnership
IRA Standard 3.1: between both the language arts and
Assessment and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.10: history teachers will help students
Evaluation  Write routinely over extended make connections to History, tracing
time frames (time for research, origins of poetry through both a
Candidates reflection, and revision) and literary and historical mindset.  
understand types of shorter time frames (a single
assessments and sitting or a day or two) for a
their purposes, range of discipline-specific tasks,
strengths, and purposes, and audiences.
limitations.

IRA 5.4: Literate

Environment

Candidates use a
variety of classroom
configurations (i.e.,
whole class, small
group, and individual)
to differentiate
instruction.
Academic Language: The Academic Language specific to this lesson are the following: haiku,
cinquain, acrostic, syllable, poet, and poetry. The teacher will model the meaning of new words
by speaking them aloud, and will use visual examples of each type of poem. 

Students’ Needs: Students will need to have a basic foundation of knowledge on poetry, and to
know and understand what syllables are and how they function within a word or phrase. This
prior knowledge will be connected to the concepts being taught through student collaboration
and the teacher’s instruction and guidance in class. While being taught on several different
kinds of poetry, the students will also get to connect their prior knowledge and use of syllables
and apply it to poetry.    

English Language Learners Special Needs (can be a group such as

“struggling readers” or individuals)

 Student can be provided a  Students will be made aware of the types

reference sheet with of assessments that they will be taking
pronunciations and definitions of further in advance than the rest of the
words to remind them of the general education students. This ensures
correct usage of the terms as the that they will have enough time for
practice writing their own explanations on assignments and know
examples  their purpose. 
 Student can maintain a formal
style by utilizing charts, graphs,
and visuals of the information to
keep everything in order and
organized

Materials:

Student Materials: writing utensil, paper, wifi access, computer

Teacher Materials: slideshow, examples of each poem, wifi access, computer, list of students 

Prior to the lesson we will prepare a comprehensive slideshow for the students to utilize as we
go over the information. The examples of each type of poem will be done and incorporated
throughout the slideshow as well. 
Language Function: The teacher and students will incorporate these terms from the Academic
Language section into the lesson through discussion as a class.  Students will be moved
beyond lower level thinking to engage them in the content area through analyzing their prior
knowledge and comparing it with what they learned in class.

Analyze, Argue, Describe, Evaluate, Explain, Interpret, Justify, Synthesize

Lesson Plan:

Before:  Begin by addressing the personal overview of how the lesson would be set up. We
will explain the physical environment of the classroom. Students will stay at their desks during
the slideshow, and then later they will be split up into small groups. Students will be broken up
into groups of three. Then, we will move into the lesson and start by asking the students their
knowledge, if any, on the three types of poems we are going over during class. 

During:  The teachers will run through the slideshow and present information on three types
of poems; haiku, cinquain, and acrostic. We will provide well-written examples of each type of
poem as we go through the slideshow. At the end of the lesson, the students will break off
into their small groups. Each group will be assigned one type of poem to work on and create
their own example; one example poem per group. The groups will be given 5-7mins to create
their new masterpiece before we come back together as a whole class. 

After:  As we all come back together as a class, the groups will present their newly created
masterpieces to the class. As they present them, the group will have to give a brief overview
of the type of poem as a reminder to the rest of the class of what it is. This will ensure that the
students know the types of poems, especially their own.  
Assessment:  

Type of assessment Description of Modifications  Evaluation Criteria

assessment 

 This lesson is  Students  Student can  As long as

Informal will give a nod their head students
formative thumbs up yes, or shake participated in
because in it or thumbs their head no to their groups,
we are down for indicate their and either
evaluating each type understanding raised a thumb
student of poem for each type of up or down, or
progress by we have poem we have shook their
means of reviewed reviewed head yes or no,
lessons within they will
our poetry unit receive credit.
that are In this type of
incorporated in assessment we
the everyday are able to
instruction of track student
our  Students can progress by
classroom.  write down evaluating and
 Students what they did assessing their
will share during group day-to-day
their work and work and
completed explain their efforts.  
 Informal poems with poem through
formative  the class writing.

 
 Each group
  needs to turn in
their completed
  poems at the
end of the
  class so the
teachers are
able to assess
the work at
hand. As long
as the criteria
for their
specific poem
fits, they will
receive full
 credit. 

Resources: 

Slideshow:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lsuzb8ttuAsqC3UyBEsmUyYdnpnhs9Jfies_Bh-
pdgg/edit#slide=id.g728235a218_1_9 

10 Strategies to Build on Student Collaboration in the Classroom:

https://gsehd.gwu.edu/articles/10-strategies-build-student-collaboration-classroom

Benefits of Collaboration:  

http://neatoday.org/new-educators/benefits-of-collaboration/