Lesson Overview (see also poems with notes)  

No quiz today and you need to get started right away.  I usually stand at the door (with one of today's song's playing) and give the handout with the poems to the students as they enter (and tell them to start looking at it right away).  For more specifics on the actual poems - see the notes below next to the Poems & Songs handout.

As soon as the bell rings, you want to get them into groups (2-3) right away.  This is NOT group work - you want to put them into small groups or partners based on their geography of sitting (to save time) and put a number of people in the analysis group based on the length and to a lesser extent the difficulty of the poem.  The poems are also about the same the length (and difficulty). There are 9 (we listen to the songs together - usually without comment - though  while the songs are playing you want to have the students take notes as they listen, tying it to the poems we are discussing) poems.  So that means in a typical class of 23-30 students you will put either 2 or 3 students together.  For this first time - you will have to eye it - you want them started on the poem analysis right away (in fact - tell them to start reading it right away - don't wait for everyone to be in a group).

Since this is the third time they have done this - there are not specific directions, Tell them to read the poem aloud without stopping.  Next - go through it line by line and try and figure out what it means.  Remind them - they can look up words or names BUT NOT the poem.  I've never had students do that - hurray!  Tell them - and mean it - there are no wrong interpretations.  I tell them I don't care about SYMBOLISM (boo!), themes, etc.  Just try and figure out what is happening in the poem.  What is the story?  What are the cool words - ideas.  If they have time they can look at the poem as a metaphor - for what?  That's up to them.   The AP version has them look at methodology as well (they're going to be tested on it).

Give the students about 6-8 minutes (in a 50 minute period) to look at their poem.  You can't give more than that - because you want to come together as a class to discuss them.

After that time- tell students they need to now listen (and take notes) on what their classmates came up with.  REMIND them to take copious notes - and tell them - if they haven't figured it out - that the ideas in these poems will help them and give depth to the reading of the novel they are about to embark on.  The teacher has to be very cognisant of time here - spend as much time on each poem as you can - and still get through all of them.  The notes on my version of the handout (see below) form the basis of the questions and ideas that I will present about the poems BUT remember it is always better to hear from the students - if it is a matter of time - let what they have to say be the final word.

Go through each poem (and play the songs in-between) and AS YOU DO make sure students are taking notes.  Have the students read the poem aloud - either one of them or taking turns or in a creative way - and remind the class before the poem is read aloud that the rest of the students should at that time TAKE NOTES on what they think the poem means BEFORE the small group gives their interpretation.  The bookmark for this novel has lines from the poems on it - so it will bring this class - these ideas to the forefront as they are doing their reading.  At the end of class, remind them of what is due - there will be a quiz - and to follow their bookmarks (which have excerpts from the poems on them) and read ahead.  The prose quotes - like the songs - you can do as a class.  Ask for a volunteer to read.

The songs are so important to this lesson - I've included the Spotify Playlist (you'll need a premium account) - but I'm sure you can find them on YouTube as well.  The lyrics are found on the handout.