The Pearl: Biopoem Purpose: A biopoem allows students to reflect on large amounts of material in a poetic form. The provided pattern of the poem serves as a prompt to get students thinking about issues they might not have other wise. It encourages them to think “as” the character—to really get into the mind of whom they are writing about. This enables students to formulate a deeper understanding of their subject. This activity also gives students experience with writing poetry. (Biopoems can of course be used with places, things, concepts, or events, but a character is best suited for this particular purpose.) Objectives: Students will be able to reflect upon a character by analyzing his or her thoughts and feelings and composing an original poem using precise language. Context: A biopoem would work well following chapter five. After reading this far, students have been widely exposed to the rang of the main character’s thoughts and feelings. Chapter five especially teaches us about Kino and Juana’s strengths and weaknesses as human beings. It is an opportune time for students to stop and reflect upon these characters—although they may choose to write about any character in the book. Time: Students should be given about 30 minutes to write and decorate their poems. Assessment: Assess if the students accurately reflect their characters by what they include in their poems. Do they show an understanding of the character and the text? Do their poems include specific words, phrases, or examples from the story? Can their descriptions be supported by examples in the text? Permann, BYU, 2002

Biopoem for John Steinbeck’s The Pearl

Directions: Choose one character from The Pearl and follow the instructions below to create a biopoem. This poem should reflect their thoughts and feelings. A sample biopoem is provided at the bottom of the page. Decorate your finished product! Line 1. First name Line 2. Four traits that describe character Line 3. Relative of_______ Line 4. Lover of________ (three things or people) Line 5. Who feels________ (three items) Line 6. Who needs________ (three items) Line 7. Who fears _________ (three items) Line 8. Who gives_________(three items) Line 9. Who would like to see_________ (three items) Line 10. Resident of________ Line 11. Last name Example:

Whitney Determined, Dedicated, Ambitious, Active

Daughter of God, Mother in Zion Lover of mashed potatoes, waterskiing, babies, and music

Who feels peaceful when she plays the piano, lucky to be married to Rock, and proud to be an American

Who needs orange juice in the freezer, the heater on, and wide open spaces Who fears spiders, leaving her baby to student teach, and dying young

Who gives her problems to her journal, her money to Macey’s, and her nights to her little boy

Who would like to see her brother go on a mission, a sunset in Hawaii, and Harry Connick Jr. in concert Resident of Idaho mountains

Permann Permann, BYU, 2002

Whitney Determined, Dedicated, Ambitious, Active

Daughter of God, Mother in Zion Lover of mashed potatoes, waterskiing,

babies, and music Who feels peaceful when she plays the piano,

lucky to be married to Rock, and proud to be an American

Who needs orange juice in the freezer, the heater on, and wide open spaces

Who fears spiders, leaving her baby to student teach, and dying young

Who gives her problems to her journal, her money to Macey’s,

and her nights to her little boy Who would like to see her brother go on a mission,

a sunset in Hawaii, and Harry Connick Jr. in concert

Resident of Idaho mountains Permann