Revolutionary
& Early American Poetry
Jennifer
McQueen – Summer 2008
To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.
Intended Class Level
11 &12
grade English or History Course
Abstract
Students
will examine poems from a variety of Revolutionary & Early American
poets. They will look closely at
not only the literary elements of the poem but what the poem can reveal about
the time period. This is a way for
a class of students to be exposed to a larger number of poems but still
provides an opportunity for close reading and study.
Essential Questions
á What themes
did early Americans address in their poetry?
á What can
poetry teach us about the lives and values of early Americans?
Background
á This lesson
is intended as a piece of a larger unit about the Revolutionary and Early
American time period. Students
should have a general background about the lives, values and struggles of early
Americans. The lesson is intended
to show students how these ideals were expressed through poetry.
á In addition
this lesson can be lengthened if basic elements of poetry need to be further
introduced and explained to the students.
Again students should have a basic working knowledge of the elements of
poetry to be discussed in their groups.
á The lesson
is intended to take one class period but can be extended as needed. I have conducted this lesson either
over one or two class periods.
á Poems to be
used should be copied on to overheads so that students can present their
groupÕs poem to the class. Other
poems may be added or substituted as needed or desired by the instructor.
Procedure -
á The
instructor should choose a poem to use as an example for the class. The instructor should read the chosen
poem for the class and go through all of the questions that students will be
expected to discuss in their groups.
The class can generate answers together so they know what they will be
expected to work on in their groups.
á The
instructor should break the students in to groups (no more than 3 students in a
group) and hand out the Poetry Group Sheet. The instructor can either hand pick
groups, randomly assign groups or have students choose; it really depends on
the climate of the classroom.
á Students
should work through the questions on the sheet and prepare to read the poems to
the class. The instructor should
circulate to make sure that students are on task, answer any questions and
probe groups in to deeper discussions.
á When groups
are finished (about 15-20 minutes) they will then present their poem to the
class. The instructor can ask follow up questions or question the class as a
whole about issues brought up by the groups. Depending on the size and length of the class the
presentations may have to take place the next day.
á Groups
should turn in their Group Poetry Sheets to the instructor at the close of the
lesson.
Assessment
The
instructor will monitor the small group work as well as review the completed
Group Poetry Sheets to check for student understanding.
Sources
Huswifery
http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/taylor14.htm
The Joy of Church Fellowship
Rightly Attended
http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/taylor12.htm
To My Dear and Loving
Husband
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/bradhyp.htm
On Being Brought from Africa
to America
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/brought.html
On the Death of a Young
Gentleman
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Phillis-Wheatley/18532
Before the Birth of One of
Her Children
http://www.annebradstreet.com/before_the_birth_of_one_of_her_children.htm
A Hymn to the Evening
http://www.americancenturies.mass.edu/classroom/curriculum_8th/lesson2/hymn.html
Indeed Young Man I Must Deny
(pg. 17)