Imagism Poetry

Intern: Nik Arnoldi

Date:  March 7^th 2013

Lesson/Activity Title: Imagism Poetry

Standards Addressed: Colorado Academic Standards, Reading, Writing, and Communicating: 3. Writing and Composition: Writing is a fundamental component of literacy. Writing is a means of critical inquiry; it promotes problem solving and mastering new concepts. Adept writers can work through various ideas while producing informational, persuasive, and narrative or literary texts. In other words, writing can be used as a medium for reasoning and making intellectual connections. As students arrange ideas to persuade, describe, and inform, they engage in logical critique, and they are likely to gain new insights and a deeper understanding of concepts and content.         

Purpose: To look at Georgia O’Keeffe’s work through the eyes of a poetry movement that was in motion as she was starting her career as an artist.

Learning Objectives: Students will learn how to edit their poems to focus on describing an image vividly.

Materials: Whiteboard, previously written analysis of Georgia O’Keeffe painting from last week, computers

Introduction: I will read to the students in meeting area, “In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound and “The Great Figure” by William Carlos Williams, and ask for their reactions. I will ask if the poems made them see a picture in their head, and then read the poet’s interpretation. I will then discuss the Imagists, and what they were trying to accomplish, and read part of their manifesto. After that I will share with them the activity.

Activity/Procedures: Before sending the students to work, I will share a poem that I wrote. I will write it as I first wrote it, and then share what I did to edit it. I will discuss with them the tips for editing one’s own poem, and share that this is what I am looking for in their poetry: evidence of revision and rethinking. They will then start writing their poem based on the O’Keeffe painting that they chose to analyze. With the poem I will ask they start by concentrating on the picture silently for a few minutes before getting started.

Closure: I will reconvene with them in the meeting area and ask them what they may have noticed from creating their poems, and what they may have noticed from revising their poetry. I will ask if anyone would like to share their poetry.

Differentiation/Adaptation –

1.      I will let Student A, who gets frustrated with writing and creative projects talk out some of his ideas with me in private before he gets to work. I will write down the things he mentions so that he may use them in the poetry.

2.      I will ask Student B, who is also an interpersonal learner, to trade poems with Student C to look the revision process objectively. I will give both students suggestions of how to edit each others’ poetry while being tactful.

Assessment: Students will turn in their edits along with their final poem. I will look for evidence of rethinking word choices, line breaks, and specific imagery-related words

Extensions:

1.       When we are on our trip to Ghost Ranch, write an imagist poem. Edit it on the ride home or while we are back home.

2.      Edit each others’ poems at a later date.