Download Emily Dickinson: Poet Extraordinaire of Language, Time

Emily Dickinson: Poet Extraordinaire of
Language, Time, and Space Part 3
Resource ID#: 44322
Primary Type: Lesson Plan
This document was generated on CPALMS - www.cpalms.org
In this lesson, students will work in small groups to analyze the multiple perspectives
represented in Emily Dickinson's writing. They will generate research and investigate primary
and secondary documents on movements that influenced Dickinson. Through this research they
will create a reference kit - a collection of materials that are representative of the period. They
will then analyze similar poetry from other like-minded writers before moving on to Emily
Dickinson, using the movements they researched as "lenses" through which to view the poems.
The culminating activity includes a thorough analysis of Dickinson's poem "I Dwell in
Possibility" and a resulting essay.
Subject(s): Social Studies, English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 9, 10
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector
Instructional Time: 5 Hour(s)
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: Emily Dickinson, point of view, primary documents, secondary documents, purpose,
writing forms, research, Feminism, Romanticism, Calvinism, Puritanism, reader response,
biographical, historical criticism, social power, Marxist criticism, Civil War, analysis, synthesis,
poetry, Anne Sexton, literary theory
Instructional Component Type(s): Lesson Plan, Unit/Lesson
Sequence, Worksheet, Assessment , Text Resource, Formative Assessment
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Emily Dickinson PoemList.docx
Dickinson multipleperspectives.docx
Literary TheoryEssayRubric.docx
Many LensesManyViews.docx
Movements of Influence.docx
Prompting Questions.docx
POEM ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT.docx
Planning Sheet LiteraryTheory.docx
LESSON CONTENT
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Lesson Plan Template:
General Lesson Plan
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Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this
lesson?
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Students will know the movements that have influenced Dickinson and their effect on Dickinson's
poetry; namely Feminism, Transcendentalism, Romanticism, Calvinism, Puritanism, and the Civil
War.
Students will know and apply the appropriate literary theory to a poem analysis - biographical,
historical, social, gender criticism and/or reader response.
Students will write a short dialogue using three different points of view.
Students will be able to conduct research of a given time period to develop a reference kit that
includes different mediums of text including primary and secondary documents.
Students will be able to write an essay explaining the selected literary theory, apply the literary
theory to Dickinson's poem, and then explain and how it develops over the course of Dickinson's
poem using textual evidence from the poem for support.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
No specific prior knowledge is necessary for students to be successful with this lesson.
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Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
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What kind of supporting evidence can I use from the text?
How do I determine weak support from strong support? How can I strengthen the support that I
use when I write or speak?
How does literary theory affect the meaning of the text?
What information is illuminated by imposing a particular literary theory on the text?
How does time, place, gender, or historical context change the reader's understanding of a text?
How does the perspective filter imposed on the writing provide new insights for the reader?
How are authors influenced by the prevailing issues of their time?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
Hook for teachers who have completed lessons #1 and #2 in the series:
1.
2.
3.
Have students write a quick-write defining the term "Renaissance Man" and giving examples.
Have students share with their partners and work together to come up with an agreed definition to
share with the class.
 Definition: A Renaissance Man is a person who is skilled in multiple fields or multiple
disciplines, and who has a broad base of knowledge.
Use the information to lead into a discussion of Emily Dickinson as a Renaissance (Wo)man.
 NOTE: The discussion should bring in Dickinson's interests, the time period or
movements that influenced both her letters and poetry, her interests in plants, science and
music, etc. The teacher can refer to the Emily Dickinson Museum as a reference online to
develop examples in the discussion.
 http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/ed/node/38
 http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/special_topics
Alternative Hook:
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Individually or in groups, have students identify some types of writing that are popular today.
 Students may mention blogs, facebook postings, scripted YouTube videos (vlogs), email,
memes, spoken word poetry, and song lyrics along with the more traditional books,
poems, plays and magazine/newspaper articles.
Ask students what modern social issues and approaches influence today's writers, particularly
those who write in the newer genres discussed above.
 Answers may include but are not limited to: Tea Party, Occupy movement, modern
religious thought, economic factors, political views, social issues, 9/11, concerns about
privacy, recent military action (including Iraq and Afghanistan), environmental issues,
technology, drugs, gangs, and myriad other current events.
 NOTE: This might work best in a discussion where students can build on each other's
ideas, as they will often be unsure where to start.
Introducing/Modeling the concept or skill:
In the teaching phase, the teacher should move back and forth between this section and the Guided Practice
section to model the first two activities that students will complete immediately prior to having students
engage in the activity. To do this, the teacher should model Movements of Influence and then move to the
Guided Practice section to have students complete the Movements of Influence activity, then return here to
model Multiple Perspectives before going back to Guided Practice to have students complete the Multiple
Perspectives activity.
Modeling Movements of Influence:
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The teacher should model how to search for information on one of the topics from the handout,
including showing students what resources are available to them through their district's
subscription services (if applicable).
The teacher should attempt to find several valid sources as well as one or two sources that may not
be valuable for research purposes, suchasWikipedia and websites that may have been created by
students as a school project or that show obvious untruths or bias.
 NOTE: In order to prevent one group from gaining an unfair advantage on their project
by having the teacher model using their topic, the teacher may choose to research a
modern "movement of influence" instead of one from the handout.
The teacher should also give several examples of items that he/she would want to place in his/her
resource kit.
The teacher should move to the Guided Practice section and have students complete the
Movements of Influence activity before moving on.
Modeling Multiple Perspectives:
10. The teacher should provide students with the Multiple Perspectives handout.
11. The teacher should display one of the recommended websites and model for students how to glean
information from it, including how to record information in note format.
12. The teacher should then show students how to use that information to begin to answer one or more
of the questions at the end of the activity.
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Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher
guidance?
Movements of Influence - research
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Divide the class into six groups (approximately four students in each group)
Each group will investigate one of the Movements of Influence to present to the class. Each
student should take individual notes during this process.
Groups will create Reference Kit for the Movement of Influence that they research.
 NOTE: A Reference Kit includes information and artifacts about that Movement and may
include short biographies, letters, diaries, poetry or newspaper articles from the period,
excerpts or copies from history texts, and/or artifacts.
Students will present Movements of Influence in short presentations.
Multiple Perspectives
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Give each student a copy of the handout.
Assign students to groups based on which of the five topics on the Dickinson Multiple
Perspectives handout they are most interested in researching. Three students per group is
recommended; multiple groups can research the same topic.
 NOTE: Each topic should be researched by at least one group. Teachers may choose to
have each group research just one topic or two or three topics.
Students will investigate the multiple perspectives of Emily Dickinson using the various websites.
Each student should keep individual notes of their own research.
Students will respond individually in writing to the assignment questions listed at the bottom of
the handout.
Groups will share their findings with the class.
Many Lenses, Many Views
9. The teacher should review the Movements of Influence prior to beginning this activity.
10. The teacher should provide copies of the Many Lenses Many Views handout and a copy of the
poem "Courage" by Anne Sexton.
11. The teacher should provide an example or two of how to fill in the chart to get the class started.
12. Students should work with the teacher to provide answers to complete the chart pulling words,
phrases, and passages for the poem to support the different literary theories in the poem.
 NOTE: The teacher may choose to have students work in pairs or groups at some point
and then come back and share out answers later in the class.
13. The teacher should take notes on the board and students should take notes on their handout for
future reference.
14. This activity is continued in the Formative Assessment section.
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Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce
the concepts and skills developed in the lesson?
Multiple Perspectives Dialogues
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In groups, students will create short dialogues representing multiple perspectives of a topic,
person, or a particular place and present in short presentations.
Limit the groups to two or three students.
The dialogues should represent at least three different perspectives that enlighten the
reader/audience, share a new insight, and expand the knowledge of the topic, person, or place.
Planning Sheet - Literary Theory
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The teacher will provide a copy of the Planning Sheet - Literary Theory handout for students.
The teacher will also provide a copy of Emily Dickinson's poem, "I Dwell in Possibility."
Students will fill out the handout independently using evidence from "I Dwell in Possibility."
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the
lesson?
Students will participate in a final class discussion using the guiding questions and discussing the themes of
the poems.
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Summative Assessment
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Using the planning sheet, students will write their poem analysis.
 The essay will give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge of the literary
theory and the application of the theory. Students will also demonstrate developing a
topic with relevant textual evidence.
Students should be provided with the rubric prior to writing their essay.
This essay may take 2-3 class periods for all students to complete.
Formative Assessment
Movements of Influence
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The teacher will circulate the room and be available for student questions.
The teacher will make an informal assessment of student kits and collect student work for display
and later reference for the class.
Multiple Perspectives
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3.
As students examine the multiple perspectives the teacher will monitor student progress.
The teacher will provide feedback for discussion in small groups to ensure students understand the
task at hand.
Many Lenses, Many Views - "Courage"
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5.
If students complete any portion of the "Many Lens Many Views" chart independently or in small
groups, the teacher will circulate among groups and clarify student questions and answers with
feedback to reinforce the application of the literary theories to the poem.
The teacher can use the charts, student responses during class discussion and/or group sharing to
gauge what needs to be reviewed before moving on to the summative assessment.
Final Formative Assessment:
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Students will create original questions of the text and questions on the personal level grounded in
the literary theory lens.
Student questions should connect them to the text, be subjective, and demonstrate that they are an
informed reader.
Try to redirect students toward the literary theories in formulating their questions. Assist students
through the process by reviewing the literary theory terms (gender, social, historical, etc) as they
create questions.
The teacher can use this assessment to determine if students are clear about each theory and how
to apply the theory to literature and real life situations and are ready for deeper investigations.
Possible questions students might create are listed below :
 What new information do you learn about the social groups represented in the poem?
 What image of a particular social group is most impacting? Why?
 How is power demonstrated in the poem? Who wins and why?
 What role does gender play in the poem?
 As a young woman how would this poem liberate or confine you?
 Does the gender of the poet bring a new light on the information presented?
 How does time impact the content of the poem?
 How would I fair in that time If I were the participant in the poem?
 What images do you connect with in the poem and why?
Multiple Perspectives Dialogues
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The teacher will circulate as students are creating their dialogues, listening in to discover if
students are presenting similar information from different points of view.
Planning Sheet Literary Theory- "I Dwell in Possibility"
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The teacher should circulate while students are completing this chart independently, looking for
good evidence and sound reasoning.
The teacher may choose to collect charts for written feedback overnight.
Feedback to Students
Movements of Influence
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The teacher will encourage students to select a wide variety of artifacts representative of the time
period for their Reference Kits.
The teacher will provide informal feedback by asking clarifying questions during this activity and
allow students to restate the terms in their own words to aid in comprehension.
Understanding the definitions is key for students and at this time if students are unsure or confused
the teacher can make the verbal corrections for the whole class.
Multiple Perspectives
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The teacher will provide immediate feedback as each group presents the information from their
research.
Many Lenses, Many Views - "Courage"
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The teacher can reteach areas that students seem to be unsure or present accurate information
consistently through whole class presentation of correct answers.
Student charts should consistently use the text to support claims with particular words or phrases
and the literary theories strategies.
The teacher will read and write comments/feedback on the student papers before the Summative
Assessment is completed to correct errors in understanding and application.
Final Formative Assessment:
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After all students have generated questions individually, review and check by providing
immediate oral feedback and clarification for their questions.
Multiple Perspectives Dialogues:
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The teacher will provide immediate feedback on student dialogues, focusing on whether students
have successfully portrayed different perspectives in their presentations.
Planning Sheet Literary Theory- "I Dwell in Possibility"
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The teacher may take the opportunity to provide feedback for students on their charts before
students begin writing their Summative Assessment essay.
This can be done verbally while circulating (perhaps paying close attention to students who have
struggled during this unit or previously) or in writing on student charts if the teacher collects them.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
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Accommodations:
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Provide a visual cues PowerPoint, or charts of the assignments with samples to demonstrate the
ideas.
In small groups monitor progress of students by sitting in groups and by redirecting groups as
needed.
Model assignments to small groups and whole class for reinforcement and support.
Extensions:
Students can continue their investigation of Dickinson by selecting a poem from the Dickinson poem list to
analyze the multiple perspectives independently. Emily Dickinson Poem List.docx
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Suggested Technology: Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector
Special Materials Needed:
Prepare a biographical handout for Sexton and Dickinson using available resources. The biographical
handout should include basic facts (education, work, relationships, and death), highlighting various aspects
of her life. Keep the handout to one page.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/anne-sexton
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/emily-dickinson
Have printed copies of poems for class
http://allpoetry.com/poem/8505443-Courage-by-Anne_Sexton
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182904
Prepare handouts in advance.
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Further Recommendations:
1. Plan your day according to the pace of the students in your class. You should make adjustments as you
progress through the assignments.
2. Review and prepare your samples of each assignment to prepare for potential struggles for students.
3. Be flexible. Remember to use the guiding questions as a guide for student success and achievement.
4. Have multiple copies of the poems and materials available for students in advance.
As students progress move on to the assessments and application of knowledge.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Lesson 1 and 2 in this 3-part unit have been attached as related CPALMS resources.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Yvette Gittens
Name of Author/Source: Yvette Gittens
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Miami-Dade
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.910.RL.1.1:
Description
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature,
including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 9–10 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the
high end of the range.
LAFS.910.RL.4.10:
LAFS.910.W.1.2:
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature,
including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the
grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey
complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and
information to make important connections and
distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and
sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples
appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to
manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone
while attending to the norms and conventions of the
discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows
from and supports the information or explanation
presented (e.g., articulating implications or the
significance of the topic).
LAFS.910.W.2.4:
LAFS.910.W.3.7:
LAFS.910.W.3.9:
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve
a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
“Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source
material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats
a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later
author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”).
b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literary
nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument
and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and
sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious
reasoning”).