Lesson Name: Inferring Theme in Poetry Estimated timeframe: See Suggested Pacing BelowGrading Period & Unit: CRM2, Unit 3, Arc 2 Grade Level: 3rd Grade Reading

This lesson is appropriate for both Monolingual and Dual Language teachers.

Monolingual Pacing: Day 1 – Engage and SE Focus Lesson (Teacher Model)Day 2 – Partners complete Activity 1Day 3 – Teacher explains Activity 2 choices, Partners choose Activity 2Day 4 – Students complete Activity 2 Extensions and begin sharing with the class. Day 5 - Teacher Leads Closure Discussion, Students complete the “Three W’s” activity.

Students share entries to their partner or class.RecommendedDual Language Pacing: Day 1 – Engage and Beginning of SE Focus Lesson (Teacher Model)

Day 2 – Finish SE Focus Lesson (Teacher Model) and Partners begin Activity 1Day 3 – Partners complete Activity 1, Students write in Writing to Learn JournalsDay 4 – Teacher explains Activity 2 choices, Partner choose Activity 2Day 5 – Students complete Activity 2, Students write in Writing to Learn JournalsDay 6 – Students share Activity 2 products.Day 7 – Teacher Leads Closure Discussion, Students complete the “Three W’s” activity in

Writing to Learn Journals

Lesson ComponentsLesson Objectives: The student will synthesize background knowledge and poetry characteristics to infer the theme.

Language Objectives: The students will listen to peers and teacher, paraphrase what they are saying, and explain their own thinking effectively while discussing the poetry characteristics and themes.

Prior Learning: Students can understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry, as well as understand an author’s message. They can identify moral lessons as themes in well-known fables, legends, myths, or stories.Standards(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:3.19 ELAR TEKS Figure 19/Reading Comprehension /Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers.

3.F19 (D) make inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding RC2

3.5 Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.College and Career Readiness:Locate explicit textual information, draw complex inferences, and analyze and evaluate the information within and across texts of varying lengths.

Draw and support complex inferences from text to summarize and draw conclusions.Essential Questions:

How do the characteristics of a poem help me to understand the author’s message? What type or form of poem am I reading? How do I know that? How do poems open my eyes , or help me understand something, from a different

perspective? Why did the author write this poem?

Vocabulary Essential:Poetry, imagery, narrative poetry, lyrical poetry, humorous, free verse, theme, inference, stanzas, verse, literary elementsSupporting:Lines, line breaks, syllables

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Lesson Preparation

Printed copy of the poem, “If I Built a Village,” by Kazue Mizumura, or “Si yo construyera una aldea,” por Kazue Mizumura, one copy for each student. (They will need to write on the paper or use sticky notes.)

OR you may use another poem open to multiple interpretations, one copy for each student. Read the poem(s) in advance of the lesson and plan for strategic stopping points, using

open-ended questions.Teacher Notes: This lesson can follow a modified Share Inquiry Model (which can be used with any text

open to multiple interpretations or understandings). http://www.greatbooks.org/programs-for-all-ages/pd/what-is-shared-inquiry/ For technology options dealing with podcasting: Refer to AtomicLearning.com for

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/tcl_podcaststar

Recommended English Texts Recommended Spanish Texts Lyrics and music from a popular song that

shares an appropriate theme. Suggested songs: “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, “Fireworks” or “Roar” by Katy Perry, “Count on me” Bruno Mars.

Texas Treasures: Read Aloud Anthology poem: “If I Built a Village,” pgs. 16- 19 by Kazue Mizumura.

“De Colores” Traditional - Mexican Folk Song- Traducida por Abby F. Rivera 1/05

Texas Tesoros: En Voz Alta Antología, poema “Si yo construyera una aldea,” pgs. 16-19 por Kazue Mizumura

Texas Tesoros: En Voz Alta Antología “El buscador de zapatos,”pgs. 55-57 por Andrea Perry

Anchors of Support

Inferring Themes in Poetry Chart with supporting evidence (Students should create their own copies of this in their reading notebooks.)

Inferring Themes in Poetry

Clues (evidence) from the Poem

What I Know from my Experiences related to the

clues(words/or illustrations)

Themes Inferred

Examples of possible charts detailing Characteristics of Poetry and Forms of Poetry

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Inferencing Anchor Chart from Previous lesson:

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

*Because there are many common themes, it’s helpful to keep an on-going list of themes encountered in texts for students to refer to throughout the year. Charts can include title, theme, and evidence to support them.

Title Evidence Our Background Knowledge

Theme

The Three Little Pigs

The last little pig took time to build his house made with bricks, which would take the longest time compared to the sticks and straw. His house protected his brother’s in the end.

When I take my time on my work at school, my work is better. I get higher grades, and I learn more.

Hard work pays off

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

Nyasha’s singing made her crops more bountiful than anyone else’s. This was because Nyasha was kind and happy and sang while she worked in her garden.

In the Rough Faced Girl, the Invisible Being chose the girl who was kind and honest on the inside.

Kindness is rewarded over cruelty

NOTE: These are just examples.Common Themes in Books Word Bank PDF for reference - http://blogs.scholastic.com/.a/6a00e54faaf86b88330148c85fa34c970c-popup

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Differentiation Strategies

Special Education: Allow students to draw pictures of the general ideas in the poem that provide evidence of a particular theme. Act out the poem during the 1st and 2nd readings. Provide a template of the anchor chart so students can record inferences as they read.

English Language Learners: Provide multiple opportunities for students to listen to and read aloud poetry. Discussions between partners should be occurring throughout the lesson. Provide sentence stems:I noticed this poem has the elements…I think the author’s message is …This poem is a _________ poem because _______.This poem helped me understand …I infer that the author wrote this poem to teach me about…Based on ______, I infer that the theme of the poem is….

See also the ‘Explicit Vocabulary Instruction’ lesson.

Extension for Learning:See Podcast in 21st Century Skills (below).

21st Century Skills

COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATIONCommunicate Clearly• Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts• Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions• Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)• Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact• Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)

Create a Poetry Podcast Community: Students will choose a poem to “perform.” Emphasis should be placed on fluent and expressive readings. The recordings can be posted to Edmodo.com classroom site where others can respond with two purposes in mind:

1. Infer the theme or author’s message in the poem with justification in the form of evidence from the text - lines and stanzas with rich imagery and “clues” that lead us to understand the author’s message, theme, or lesson. (Possible Summative Assessment)

2. Fluency Feedback on performance of the poem –Did the reader read with accuracy? Give an example.Did the reader use good phrasing? Give example.Did they have expression and read the poem in a way that showed the feelings of the author? Give an example. “I enjoyed when you said “little” in a small voice because it helped me visualize how small the mouse really was.”

Podcasting Teacher Resources:https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/poetry-and-technologyStudents read, analyze and explore poetry through a class blog and/or podcasting.

“Podcasting is a wonderful way of allowing children to share their work and experiences with a potentially huge audience over the Internet.” http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/ict/podcasting.htm

English Language Proficiency Standards: Mandated by Texas Administrative Code (19 TAC §74.4), click on the link for English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) to support English Language Learners.

Lesson CycleEngage students with popular music and lyrics Play the song and prompt students with the following guiding questions.

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Engage Does this song relate to anything in your own life? This song reminds me of ___________________ . What details from the song help you to infer the theme/big idea/lesson of the song? How does the mood of the music help us figure out the author’s message or theme?

Explain your thinking. (Slow, fast, cheerful voice, deep voice, serious, silly…) Direct students to discuss their responses with their group. Next, have a few groups share out some ideas.

Explain that authors or poets rarely directly tell us the theme, lesson or message. We usually have to infer the themes. When readers infer, they need to think about what they already know and the details or clues they find within the song or poem to infer theme. The theme is the underlying meaning or lesson of a story or poem that the author is trying to convey to the reader. It’s the HEART of the poem. What does the poet want us to learn about life? How does the poet feel about the topic? What’s their perspective?

So why are we talking about music? How does it connect to our goal of inferring themes in poetry? Make connection between lyrical poetry and music lyrics.

Now we have an idea about the song’s message, but we need to look more closely at the words to see if we have evidence for our inference.

The teacher provides students with a copy of the poem (lyrics of the song.) Read through lyrics with students while thinking aloud about the inferencing process. Students locate evidence to support their inferences. Direct students to share their

thinking with partners.Other possible resources:Re-visit the comprehension skill of inferring themes in literary texts.Watch the BrainPOP Jr. Video “Making Inferences.”

Lesson Stages SE FOCUS LESSON:Vocabulary Instruction: Refer to Differentiation for ELLS

Today we will be reading from Texas Treasures: The Read Aloud Anthology poem “If I Built a Village,” pgs. 16- 19 by Kazue Mizumura. We will be inferring the theme or themes.

When readers infer, they need to think about details or clues within the poem and connect those with what they already know about the poem’s ideas. Let’s start with the title. What can we infer the poem will be about based on the title? Why?

Are there any illustrations provided? What can we infer about those? Good readers visualize what happens in a story or poem. When you visualize, you create a

picture, or visual image in your mind. It’s important that we visualize the message because the poet is using sensory or descriptive words to SHOW us the message rather than coming right out and TELLING the message. We must “read between the lines” and put our ideas and experiences together with the text to draw a conclusion.

Explain to students that the poem you will read uses descriptive language such as sensory details (see, hear, touch, smell, taste, and emotions) and figurative language to share a message. It contains many of the elements of poetry we have been learning about. For example, this poem does not contain a rhyming pattern, but it is repetitive. We will use these elements of poetry to help us infer the author’s theme or message.

First, read the poem for the first time with the students without stopping points. Have the students picture in their minds the scenes described in the poem.

MODEL:As I read If I Built a Village again, listen to what I am doing to infer themes. I will carefully read the words and pay close attention to any pictures, searching for clues that help me infer themes.

When I find evidence that supports a theme, I’ll record it on this chart. (Display your chart for students to see and record as well.) We can find evidence for themes in the words, actions, pictures, events and even the ideas in the text. (See sample chart in “Anchors of Support”

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

section above.)

Remember how I said that we can use sensory words to infer theme? Well, I feel an underlying sense of nature as I read all of the descriptions of nature. The poet repeats over and over his observations of nature with many detailed descriptions, so he must be very fond of nature. So, I am thinking that ‘loving nature’ could be a theme in the story.

So I have a theme in mind first and, next, I’ll look closely to see if the words give some evidence for that theme. Here are some words that support the theme, so I am going to write the theme in the ‘Themes’ column (on Inferring chart). Now I’ll write my connections to the poet’s ideas in words or draw a picture of what I visualize as evidence for the theme of ‘loving nature’.

Other times, I do not have an idea of the theme in advance so I look closely at the words and ideas in the text to infer themes. Here are some words that give evidence for the theme of ‘Respect for all things’. My background knowledge is helpful here.

Inferring Themes in Poetry

Clues (evidence) from the Poem

What I Know from my Experiences related to the

clues(words or illustrations)

Themes Inferred

1. There would be troutThat shine like rainbowsSwimming in the riverAs their shadowsFlicker and swirlThrough the ripples.

2. If I built my village,My town and my city—There would be peopleWho would care and shareWith all living thingsThe land they love.

Last time when I went camping in the woods, my dad and I went fishing in the river.

I’ve read a book about a fish that had beautiful shiny scales that look like rainbows.

Draw a picture of people planting trees and caring for the land and animals.

Loving nature

Respect for all things

ACTIVITY 1( Partner Work):Note: When working with partners, have students to use a different color pencil within their writing to show proof of their contribution.

Guide and collaborate:Continue with the rest of page 17 -18 of the poem and continue filling out the thinking behind their inferring.

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Direct students to collaborate with their partner to decide on where to place a T for Theme next to places in the text that make them think there is a bigger idea/ message about people, life, or the world that the author wants you to understand.

Have students look for more evidence to support the nature theme or look for other possible themes.

Students will share a part of the poem that they visualized with their partner and record on their chart. When I read _______, I saw _________ in my mind.

Then, ask the students to talk to their partners and infer new themes or confirm the theme of the poem.

After that, reread page 17-18 of the poem with the students, pausing to draw students’ attention to specific details. (Choose stopping points that will give students opportunities to practice visualizing and identifying key words and details.) Have students record details from the poem on the Inferring Themes graphic organizer.

Formative Assessment: Student responses on Inferring Themes graphic organizer

Provide the following guiding questions to students to help them identify the clues when inferring the theme:

How does the title help you infer the theme? How do the illustrations, help you to infer the theme of the poem? How does the author use sensory details, figurative language and other poetic

elements to help us picture the moment? What is the author showing us, but not telling?

How do the words, actions, and ideas from the poem help you to infer the theme of the poem?

What do these words make you feel or understand? Did you learn something from this poem? What do you think the author could be trying to tell you?

Circulate around the room and provide support for struggling students. Use guiding questions to lead them to the answers, rather than supplying answers.

Students share their ideas with the class and, together, fill in the chart, being sure to include the text evidence and prior knowledge/schema for each theme.

ACTIVITY 2(Partner Work)Note: When working with partners, have students to use a different color pencil within their writing to show proof of their contribution.

Extending the Themes (Possible Formative Assessment):

After fully discussing all of “If I Built a Village,” provide a choice from several writing prompts and/or special projects to extend what students have learned. (For some students, you may need to provide just 3 choices, so you do not overwhelm them.)

This is just a beginning list of possible extension activities:

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Journal or Blog - What did the author want you to understand from this poem? Is this important for people to understand? Why?

Plan and hold a Debate with a classmate – Each person chooses a different side of the question, “Which do you think is a better idea, for people to live in the city or in the country together with animals? Why?”

Create a comic strip of the poem with the author’s message at the end. Write a letter from the point of view of the poet. What would he or she say in their letter?

What would they not say? Apply - Choose another poem from the classroom library. Consider the poetic elements to

infer theme (What message about people, life, or the world does the author want the reader to understand? Be sure to provide evidence from the text to support your idea.)

Perform movements that demonstrate your understanding of the big ideas in the poem. (See Creative Learning Strategy below)

Creative Learning Strategy: Embody to Make MeaningThis movement technique helps students make meaning by embodying the idea physically. We use this when we encounter abstract ideas we want students to make concrete - or when they encounter images or texts that have associations and inferences.

SHAPE:Create a shape.

TIME/how fast:Move it fasterGo slowerEven slower - glacier speedIs it fast or slow? How long does it take to get there?

PATH IN SPACE/where:How does it move through space?What is the pathway?curved, straight, zig-zag?What direction does it move it?up/down, side/side, forward/backHow does it move around the room?Where does it start and where does it end?

BODY:Do it with just one body part:foot, back, head, kneeDo it with your whole body.Transfer to a different body part.

LEVEL:What is the level?highmiddlelow

SIZE:Make it bigger -Make it smallerIs it straight, curved, bent, or twisted?Is it narrow or wide?

QUALITY/how:How does it move?What causes it to move?Is the movement flowing or choppy or erratic?

EMBODY! STEPS:Choose a phrase or passage of a poemMake movement for wordsMake a movement for these words: 1,2,3, Go

leaping streak flash

Do that movement in a different level;Change the speed of that movement;In a different direction or plane;Create a movement phrase of all the movements in sequence.Read the poem.

Describe: What did you think about while listening to the poem If I Build a Village?

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

Analyze: What did you think about while watching the movement phrase? What did you think about when you performed the movement phrase?Relate: What movement comes to mind first when you think of what we have done today? Did you do anything new today? Was it easier to create movement after watching others, or working on your own?

Students volunteer to share their extension activity.

Closure Activity Closure Strategy/ Formative Assessment: Three W’sStudents discuss or write· What did we learn today?· So What ?(relevancy, importance, usefulness)· Now What? (How does this fit into what we are learning? Does it affect our thinking? Can we predict where we are going?)

Check for understanding (evaluation)

Formative Assessment: Anecdotal note taking During discussions, partner and group work, take note of student ideas and keep track of

participation with the help of a seating chart. Place checkmarks beside students’ names each time they contribute to help ensure that

everyone has had the opportunity to join the discussion.Rubric for Inquiry Discussion/Communication

o Does the student shares and answer the question?o Does the student share specific examples/ evidence from the text to support their

answers?o Does the student agree or disagree with others and validate their responses?o Does the student interpret the meaning of the text?o Does the student share a deeper understanding of the text?

Summative Assessment: Provide students with a new poem. Have them use the “Inferring Themes in Poetry Chart” to find the different themes in the text. In reviewing the chart look for:

The quality of themes and supporting evidence Evidence in the form of direct quotes, pictures, actions and/or general ideas from the

text. Themes and evidence in the appropriate columns. These are frequently confused.

SONG LYRICS WITH TRANSLATIONS

De ColoresTraditional - Mexican Folk SongDe colores, de colores se visten los campos en laprimaveraDe colores, de colores son los pajarillos que vienende afueraDe colores, de colores es el arco iris que vemos lucirY por eso los grandes amores de muchoscolores me gustan a mí Y por eso los grandesamores de muchos colores me gustan a miCanta el gallo, canta el gallo con el quiri quiri quiriquiri quiriLa gallina, la gallina con el cara cara cara cara caraLos polluelos, los polluelos con el pio pio pio pio piY por eso los grandes amores de muchoscolores me gustan a mí Y por eso los grandesamores de muchos colores me gustan a miCanta el gallo, canta el gallo con el quiri quiri quiri

quiri quiriLa gallina, la gallina con el cara cara cara cara caraLos polluelos, los polluelos con el pio pio pio pio piY por eso los grandes amores de muchoscolores me gustan a mí Y por eso los grandesamores de muchos colores me gustan a mi

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014

In ColorsTraditional - Mexican Folk SongIn colors, the fields drape themselves in profusionof colors in springtime. In colors, in colors the young birds arriving from afarIn colors, in colors the brilliant rainbow we spyAnd that’s why the great love of infinitecolors is pleasing to me. And that’s why the great love of infinite colors is pleasing to me.The rooster sings, the rooster sings with a cock-adoodle-do (kiri, kiri) The hen, the hen with a cluck, cluck, cluck (kara, kara)The baby chicks, the baby chicks with a cheep,cheep, cheep (pio, pio)And that’s why the great love of infinitecolors is pleasing to me. And that’s why thegreat love of infinite colors is pleasing to me.The rooster sings, the rooster sings with a cock-adoodle-do (kiri, kiri) The hen, the hen with a cluck, cluck, cluck (kara, kara)The baby chicks, the baby chicks with acheep, cheep, cheep (pio, pio)And that’s why the great love of infinitecolors is pleasing to me. And that’s why thegreat love of infinite colors is pleasing to me.(translated by Abby F. Rivera 1/05)

Austin ISD Updated: June 1014