TEACHER’S NOTESAND ACTIVITIES Talking turkeys

TABLE OF CONTENTS – TALKING TURKEYS

Poetryis vital

to language

and learning

Written byPrudence S

andRita L

ILS-HAN Young Adult Literature - 2017

LESSON OUTLINE..............................................................................................................2

OBJECTIVES – LEARNING OUTCOMES..................................................................................3

RATIONALE FOR THE CHOICE OF THE TOPIC........................................................................3

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAN......................................................................4

SHORT ANALYSIS OF THE POEM.........................................................................................4

DIDACTISCH LESONTWERP................................................................................................5

PHASE 1 - WARM UP.........................................................................................................6

NOTES FOR THE TEACHER............................................................................................................................6PHASE 2 - POST-ACTIVITY: LISTENING-WATCHING-READING................................................7

NOTES FOR THE TEACHER............................................................................................................................7PHASE 3 – WRAP-UP AND RECITING....................................................................................8

NOTES FOR THE TEACHER............................................................................................................................8WORKSHEETS FOR THE STUDENT.......................................................................................9

PHASE 1.................................................................................................................................................. 9PHASE 2 – WORK IN GROUPS........................................................................................................................9PHASE 3 – WORK IN GROUPS......................................................................................................................10POEM TALKING TURKEYS BY BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH.........................................................................................11WORKSHEET POETIC DEVICES (3 PAGES)......................................................................................................12

ANSWER KEY..................................................................................................................15

EXTRA ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT MATERIALS...................................................................16

DISCUSSION TOPICS..................................................................................................................................16DIFFERENTIATION..................................................................................................................................... 17GROUP ACTIVITY......................................................................................................................................17INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY.................................................................................................................................17LEARNING A POEM BY HEART......................................................................................................................17OFFBYHEART – PROJECT BBC.....................................................................................................................18READ-THINK-UNDERSTAND........................................................................................................................18POETRY KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZER (2 PAGES)..................................................................................................20POEM POSTER.........................................................................................................................................22

LESSON OUTLINE

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This 45 minute lesson has been designed to be used with teenagers/adult learners at lower secondary (A2-B1) level. In the Netherlands it would be suitable for ‘onderbouw havo/vwo, bovenbouw vmbo-gtl en mbo’ and of course higher levels.

Students need to be already familiar with (some) poetic devices. If not, you can incorporate it in a second reading between phase 2 and phase 3, using the support materials. It will take an extra lesson.

The reading comprehension activity focuses on the meaning of the poem, the larger issue. When students have an idea of what it is, you can discuss the language, linguistic, literary qualities of the text and use of figurative language, rhyme and style. The speaking activity is designed to encourage students to play with language through discussion and reciting of the poem. The lesson includes some extra activities and resource materials.

The lesson introduces students to the poet Benjamin Zephaniah by watching an interview about Zephaniah. The students are encouraged to have a small discussion about the poet. Following the introductory activity students are given the poem ‘Talking Turkeys’ and watch Benjamin Zephaniah performs his poem. Students will read actively in order to comprehend and recite the poem.

Phase 1 - Warm up Pre-listening activity: To activate students’ prior knowledge they watch an interview with Benjamin Zephaniah and engage in a brief discussion about the poet. The first four lines of the poem ‘Talking Turkeys’ will be on OneNote or handed out to the students. They give their opinions about what the poem will be about.

Phase 2 – Post-activity – listen/watch & reading activity: Students will watch the poet perform the poem ‘Talking Turkeys”’ in a video before reading and doing the exercises. After reading the poem the students will be able to establish the general meaning, and will complete the comprehension questions. Students can find the answers to these questions in the text of the poem. These questions focus on interpretation, critical analysis and personal response, employing a variety of thinking skills and adding to the students’ understanding of the poem. After the completion of the comprehension, a class discussion will follow. Discussion of these questions serves as a review of the most important ideas / meanings presented in the reading assignment.

Phase 3 – Wrap-up: There is a group activity that will have students working in small groups to practice reciting the poem ‘Talking Turkeys’. Students will recite the poem in front of the class.

Extra activities and support materials: The extra activities section includes suggestions for discussions, open questions, group and individual activities.

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OBJECTIVES – LEARNING OUTCOMESStudents are able to interpret the subject matter of a poem. They will develop reading and analyzing a poem. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the text on different levels: factual, interpretive and personal.

Students will study stanzas from the poem in order to extract the style and respond to the language used by a poet to get ideas across to the reader.

Students will be given the opportunity to practice reading aloud and silently to improve their skills in each area.

Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the poem as they relate to the poet’s ideas and meaning.

Students will be able to recognize a range of linguistic features used to create meaning in poetry, including simile, metaphor, alliteration, rhyme, personification, repetition.

Help students understand Zephaniah’s poetry of provocation and develop critical thinkingskills by taking part in a discussion about his ideas, opinions and language used.

Students will recite the poem and participate in group discussions to improve their speaking and personal interaction skills.

Students will make connections between ideas, experiences, texts and words in a cultural aspect, develop an ability to appreciate cultural diversity and respect other people’s valuesand beliefs.

RATIONALE FOR THE CHOICE OF THE TOPIC

We chose the poem ‘Talking Turkeys’ because we wanted to introduce an unfamiliar poem. We also wanted the poem to be suitable for reading aloud and reciting. Our opinion is that all poetry should be read aloud to appreciate its rhythm and sound effects. In the case of this poem of Benjamin Zephaniah it is even more so.Because of the subject and the language used, we expect the reciting performances to be a lot of fun for the students as well as the teacher.

Another aspect we love is the double meaning of the title. ‘Talking turkey’ means discussing honestly and directly. It refers to the cultural aspects that Zephaniah brings across in the poem (meat consumption, consumerism, genetic breeding). His words provoke and invoke, he challenges the reader to question social ideals but also encourages compassion and equality, and all this in a humourous tone.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAN

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958, Birmingham, England) was born and raised in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, which he called the "Jamaican capital of Europe". He is the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse. A dyslexic, he attended an approved school but left aged 13 unable to read or write.

Today Benjamin Zephaniah is an English writer, dub poet and Rastafarian. He is a well- known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008. Talking Turkeys was voted by children the fifth-best children's poem of all time on the BBC's National Poetry Day.

Young writers have said that the accessibility of his work has inspired them to take up writing, many record sleeves bare witness to the fact that he has inspired many of the new generation of rappers. Of all the performance poets that emerged in the late seventies and early eighties he is one of the few that is still going strong. He has sixteen honorary doctorates and the Eailing Hospital in west London has named a wing after him in recognition of his work. Zephaniah believes that working with human rights groups, animal rights groups and other political organisations means that he will never lack subject matter. He now spends much of his time in China, but he continues working throughout Asia, South America and Africa, and is as passionate about politics and poetry now as he has ever been..

Source: http://benjaminzephaniah.com/biography/

SHORT ANALYSIS OF THE POEMHis poem Talking Turkeys is a fun approach to the feeling of the turkeys just before their time arrives. The poem has an underlying edge about animal cruelty, and the ethics of eating meat, as well as the real meaning of Christmas and the commercialization that surrounds it. The poet is straight forward and uses simple (and different English) language to support his message.

In this poem, Zephaniah has excellently conveyed the message that all living beings to feel the pain and agony in the same frequency as we as humans never try to see or understand how it is when it comes to animals and occasions. It is about Christmas time and how turkeys are considered to be a main course for the season. However, from the turkey’s point of view is what the poem is talking about. Just like us, even they have families, for example in line 4: ” And every turkey has a mum”. The poet compares them with humans in the 3rd stanza, which ends with: “In many ways like yu an me”.

Source: an article shared by Pragati Ghosh(http://www.shareyouressays.com/97695/short-summary-of-talking-turkeys-by-benjamin-zephaniah)

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DIDACTISCH LESONTWERPLesfasen Leerdoel(en) per

faseLeerinhoud en middelen

Activiteiten leerlingen Activiteiten van de docent

3 min. Greet students.Creating a positive working atmosphere

On the smartboard:“Today: poetry.”

Students get seated in a way that everybody can see the screen.

We welcome the students in the classroom and give each student a paper (sticky note) with a number on it (from 1-4).

10 min. Phase 1Warm upPre-reading activity to activate students’ prior knowledge.

Smartboard/videoscreenHand out with work-sheets for the students.

Students read the first 4 lines of the poem.

Students share their ideas with the classmates.

Ask students to read the first 4 lines of first stanza which you show on the smartboard.Ask the students what their ideas are, what the poem will be about. What are your feelings? Give them 1 minute to think. Then tell the students to move around the classroom and talk to someone with the same number as them. Give them 1 minute and then they move to another one for the next minute of exchanging views.Put the worksheets on their seats/desks (and listen in to their conversations).If time is up the students return to their seats and answer question 2 on the worksheet.

20 min. Phase 2Listening activity to get a feel for the sounds and how they support the poem’s argument.

Smartboard/videoscreenWorksheet

Students watch/listen to video (3:09 min).Students read the poem and work in groups to look up some unknown words and find the right poetic devices. Tasks: writer, finder, searcher, timer.

Students present answers

Students watch the poet perform the poem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4AgPSjzXkwStudents are now able to start working on the poem. Tell students that they are going to read the poem and do the exercises in groups. They have to divide the tasks among them. Every group has four members and the numbers 1-4.

Check the answers with the students and give opportunities for discussion in class.

12 min. Phase 3Reciting.

Students practice reciting ‘Talking

Tell students they are going to work in groups to practice and recite the poem.

Summing up the appeal of the poem.

Turkeys’ in groups. Every student presents at least one stanza in front of the class.

They have to develop sufficient volume and appropriate speed with the proper pauses. Their interpretation has to show evidence of understanding.

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PHASE 1 - WARM UPAsk students to open OneNote on their iPad and read the first 4 lines of first stanza or show the lines on the smartboard. Ask the students what their ideas are, what the poem will be about. What is their mood, what are their feelings?

On their worksheet students answer question 1-3.

Notes for the teacher 1. Benjamin Zephaniah plays a lot with language in this poem. The title has a double meaning.

“Talking Turkeys” means discussing serious issues (honestly and directly). In this case, the poem discusses meat consumption and unnecessary consumerism.

2. Humour generally relies on anticlimax -what makes you smile or laugh is what’s unexpected, ironic or absurd. In “Be nice to your turkeys dis Christmas”, the reference to the Christmas season right after the request that we be nice to turkeys is truly anticlimatic, as all of us know it’s the time of year when most turkeys end up on the table.

3. Benjamin Zephaniah is very humourous and composes vibrant rhythmic poetry. He illustrates creativity and playful images throughout this poem: “cos’ turkeys just wanna have fun”, “turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked”.

4. The use of incorrect grammar and misspelled words contribute to the humourous tone and effect that the poet wants to achieve. For example, turkeys wanna be yu mate, an not on our plate. Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch Christmas TV. Say, Yo! Turkey I’m on your side.

5. The poem also encourages compassion and equality: “an every turkey has a Mum”. He uses rhyme as a tool to show humour in the message he is trying to convey.

PHASE 2 - POST-ACTIVITY: LISTENING-WATCHING-READING

Students watch the poet perform the poem ‘Talking Turkeys”’ in a video before reading the rest of the poem and complete the exercise. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4AgPSjzXkw

After watching the video, students will read the poem and do the exercises. Students should read through the poem together and work collaboratively in groups of four. Answers will be discussed and compared with classmates.

Notes for the teacher

1. Tell students that they are going to read the poem and do the exercises in groups. They have to divide the tasks among them. Every group has four members and the numbers 1-4.

2. Tasks: look up unknown words (the finder), look for poetic devices in the poem (the searcher), write down the meaning of unknown words (the writer), keeping track of the time and end discussions (the timer).

3. Check the answers with the students and give opportunities for discussion in class.

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PHASE 3 – WRAP-UP AND RECITING

Wrap-upStudents will work in groups to practice and recite the poem developing sufficient volume, appropriate speed with the proper pauses, voice inflection and evidence of understanding. After practicing, the students will recite at least one stanza each in front of the class.

Group performanceThe students will need to think about: rhythm, clarity. how they will split the words between speakers. which parts will be solo voice and which choral, tone of voice, emotion.They could also think about adding sounds such as the sound of a medow, reggae, Christmas music, chopping.

Notes for the teacher 1. All poetry should be read aloud to appreciate its rhythm and sound effects, and more so in the

case of truly oral poetry such as Zephaniah’s. The type of poetry he prefers is that of “performance poets who are unpublished and want to stay that way”.

2. According to The Independent on Sunday, Zephaniah’s poems “bounce up from the page and demand to be read, rapped, sung and hip-hopped aloud”. You could guide the students.

3. Tell students to concentrate on some of the devices he’s used to achieve effect: end rhyme, internal rhyme (eg line7), repetition of whole lines, phrases, structures (eg the imperatives on lines 32, 33 & 34) and sounds (eg “ dey’ll be delighted”).

4. Teach the students that they can also deliver it clearly and on beat. For example by using a percussion instrument to mark time.

5. The children could mark up their copies of the poem, picking out a few key words or phrases to deliver with a particular inflection. You can encourage them to go over the top initially, putting in as much emphasis as they can, then, as they rehearse, they can refine their performances so that there is a good balance between the meaning, the emotional impact and the rhythm of the poem.

6. Dealing with nerves.Most children and adults become nervous at the thought of performance and this may be exacerbated for those who take part in the competition with its requirement for solo performances of the poems. Here are some tips to tell the children: • Prepare well with more rehearsal than you think you need, then, when you get nervous, think back over all the work you’ve done and tell yourself that you’re as ready as you possibly can be. • Remember your breathing and relaxation exercises and make a conscious effort to breathe deeply before the performance so that your body is ready. • Think back to a previous successful performance, perhaps in front of the class or in an assembly, and remind yourself how well it went – if it worked then, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work now!

7. Where to look: let the student decide where to look while performing the poem. A good tip is to find something on the far wall which is just above your eyeline so that you are looking slightly up (such as a clock or exit sign).

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WORKSHEETS FOR THE STUDENT

Phase 1

1. What do these lines tell us about the poem? What do you think they mean? Talk to someone with the same number as you.

2. I think the poem isJust about being nice to turkeysAbout how funny turkeys areTrying to get us to stop eating meatTelling us that turkeys want to have fun at Christmas

3. What is the tone of the poem? Is it sad, funny, angry …?

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Phase 2 – work in groups

Now work through the questions below. Discuss each one and then write your responses into your own worksheets.

4. Read the whole poem, look up unknown words.There are a lot of words in the poem that are not listed in the dictionary. List four.

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5. Why do you think he uses these words? Think about how it makes us read it?

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6. Which part of the poem might make you really think about NOT having a turkey dinner and why?

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7. Which, in your opinion, was the funniest part of the poem and why?

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8. Part of the way the poet makes us feel sorry for the turkeys is by using personification (giving them human characteristics). Find at least two examples of this in the poem and note them down in the Poetic devices table (at the end of the worksheets).

9. Which other poetic devices can you find in the poem? Give examples by writing them down in the Poetic devices table.

10. The language style is the poem is different: use of everyday speech and dialect, and writing words as they sound. He also uses incorrect grammar and misspelled words.Pick out two examples that you liked.

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11. While the poem appears to emphasize the fun in its subject, its deeper message is quite serious. The author, Benjamin Zephaniah, is an activist and vegan-vegetarian. What message is he trying to bring to you?

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12. Does it matter that the poet doesn’t write in formal English? What is the effect?

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Phase 3 – work in groups

13. In your groups take it in turns to read the stanzas of the poem aloud. Discuss your reading, was it as effective as Zephaniah? Who of your group was most entertaining, why?

14. Decide with your group how you will present the poem. Think about the rhytm, sounds and beat.

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15. Tip 1: you could mark up your copy of the poem, picking out a few key words or phrases to present in a particular way.

16. Tip 2: don’t be afraid to go over the top!

Poem Talking Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah

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Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmasCos' turkeys just wanna hav funTurkeys are cool, turkeys are wickedAn every turkey has a Mum.Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas,Don't eat it, keep it alive,It could be yu mate, an not on your plateSay, Yo! Turkey I'm on your side.

I got lots of friends who are turkeysAn all of dem fear christmas time,Dey wanna enjoy it, dey say humans destroyed itAn humans are out of dere mind,Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeysDey all hav a right to a life, Not to be caged up an genetically made upBy any farmer an his wife.

Turkeys just wanna play reggaeTurkeys just wanna hip-hopCan yu imagine a nice young turkey saying,'I cannot wait for de chop',Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch christmas TV,Turkeys hav brains an turkeys feel painIn many ways like yu an me.

I once knew a turkey called........ TurkeyHe said "Benji explain to me please,Who put de turkey in christmasAn what happens to christmas trees?",I said "I am not too sure turkeyBut it's nothing to do wid Christ MassHumans get greedy an waste more dan need beAn business men mek loadsa cash'.

Be nice to yu turkey dis christmasInvite dem indoors fe sum greensLet dem eat cake an let dem partakeIn a plate of organic grown beans,Be nice to yu turkey dis christmasAn spare dem de cut of de knife,Join Turkeys United an dey'll be delightedAn yu will mek new friends 'FOR LIFE'.

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Worksheet Poetic devices (3 pages)

Poetic device Definition & Example Poem ‘Talking Turkeys’Alliteration Repetition of initial consonant

sounds in a group of words close together.

Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.

Couplet

Two lines of poetry paired together by rhyme.

Imagery Words that appeal to the five senses (sight-smell-sound-taste-touch) to help the reader imagine what is being described.

Metaphor Comparing two things, as if one actually is the other.

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly

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Onomatoepia(on uh ma tu pie uh)

The use of words which imitate sound to create a dramatic effect.

Water plops into pond, splish-splash downhill.

Pathos Provokes feelings of sadness, pity or sympathy in the reader.

The human heart is the only thing in the world which value increases the more it is broken.

Personification Objects are given human characteristics for effect.

Romeo: Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon.

Repetition Words or phrases are repeated to serve a purpose.

Oh, her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they’re not shining.Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying…

Rhyme The use of words with matching sounds. Can be internal or at ends of lines.

What is that light I see flashing so clear, over the distance brightly, brightly, only the sun on their weapons, dear, as they step lightly.

Rhythm The pace or beat of the poem

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(can vary from line to line).Any poem has the chance of having rhythm, it is the reader who gives the poem rhytm following a pattern.

Simile A comparison between two unlike things, using like or as.

My dog is as smelly as dirty socks.My cat is as sweet as pie.

Symbolism Use of one thing to represent another.

A storm occurring when there is a conflict or high emotions.

Transition from day to night can be a move from goodness to evil.

Morning is the start of the day and can represent the start of life.

Night is often used to represent old age or approaching death.

White clothes represent the good, black clothes are worn by the bad.

A raven often stands for dead and a dove for peace.

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ANSWER KEY1. Open discussion in pairs (no right answers).

2. I think the poem is … (all answers are correct).

3. What is the tone of the poem?

= funny, comic, critical, pleading.

4. Loadsa, cos, sum, dem, dey’ll.

5. Creating humour, criticising. It lets us read it with

a playful rhytm.

6. Part of a poem that convinces NOT to eat turkey

= every turkey has a Mum, Turkey I’m on your side, I cannot wait for the chop, etc.

7. Funniest part: a lot of examples possible.

Just listen to the students and have fun.

8. Two examples of personification: they have a mum, they want to watch tv, etc.

9. Other poetic devices:

internal and end rhyme, repetition of whole lines, simili, rhytm, pathos, onomatoepia, imagery.

10.Language style you liked: ‘an business men mek loadsa cash’, ‘it could be yu mate, an not on

your plate’, etc.

11.Message: don’t eat turkeys or other meat, ‘eat some greens, cake, organic grown beans’.

12.Effect of not being formal English: serious message delivered with fun, people laugh and share

the poem instead of getting angry.

13. t/m 16 = reciting and performing activities.

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EXTRA ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT MATERIALS

Discussion topics

A. Pre-listening activity – Students watch the interview of Zephaniah to get an Impression of the poet. Students briefly discuss/exchange ideas about their first impression of the poet.Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmGV-_zxwhs

B. As Zephaniah is a vegan, his purpose in resorting to personification must be to make his readers / listeners empathize with turkeys. Which are the lines, in your view are the most moving?

C. In informal American English, “to talk turkey” means to discuss something honestly and directly. Is the title a mere play on words in keeping with the poem’s light tone or does it have a more serious implication?

D. According to The Independent on Sunday, Zephaniah’s poems “bounce up from the page and demand to be read, rapped, sung and hip-hopped aloud”. What is your idea about this statement?

E. Zephaniah uses everyday speech and dialect, and writes words as they sound. Note the most striking examples of this in the poem. Have you ever come across poetry like this one? Do you agree with his use of ‘unpoetic’ language or do you think the language of poetry should be more ‘educated’?

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Differentiation

All exercises can be simplified to accommodate different levels in your classroom.

For example:Lowest Level - You make obvious points and your explanations are brief. You might pick out a word but you don’t explain it in any detail. Middle Level - You pick out some basic ways the writer uses language. You might pick out a word but don’t really explain its meaning. High Level – You can use the correct terminology and explain in detail how your evidence supports your point. You comment on the reader’s opinion and explain a word in some detail.

Group activity

Print the poem and cut it so that the rhyming couplets are on different cards. On each card there should be two lines (there should be one card with three lines on it). Give each student a different card. They recite their lines to each other, and try to put the poem back into the correct order.

Individual activity

Write a summary about the poem in your own words.Let students learn the poem by heart and recite it.

Learning a poem by heart

The best way to learn a poem off by heart is by repetition, becoming so familiar with it that you don’t have to think about it: the words and their order become as familiar as the alphabet or counting to 100. However, there are dangers and limitations in this approach: Rote learning can kill meaning as children become over-familiar with the words and they are

‘just words’ with as much significance as a shopping list. Some children become quickly bored and the project loses focus and impetus. Children learn at different rates and have varying abilities; your star performer may be a slow

learner and your fastest learner may bring little in the way of understanding or vocal interpretation.

Fortunately there are some simple techniques that can aid learning and bring some variety to the process. You can adapt these tips so that they can be used individually, in small groups or for a whole class learning the same poem. As children become familiar with a poem, let them use cue cards with reminders on, perhaps of the first line of each verse or of particular lines or words that they find difficult to remember. In time, they won’t need these cards but, often, just the fact of having them if needed boosts confidence. Vary your practice times. Slip in unannounced practices when the children least expect it, taking just a few moments to run through the poem a couple of times. Make this fun and don’t labour the need to get it right. You can use all sorts of odd times in the day for this – recite as you walk to the

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swimming pool, or when queuing for lunch, for example. Why not take five minutes out in the middle of doing something else: down pens or calculators and recite the poem twice, then go straight back to what you were doing. You will probably find that this quick change of focus is actually beneficial to what you were doing – how often have you got stuck on a crossword or Sudoku-type puzzle only to find that, if you go and do something else, on your return you know the answer? Give each child a copy of the poem and ask them to read it before they go to sleep as this is a good time to learn things. Picture it. Teach the children to associate particular parts of the poem with a striking image. Encourage them to use this technique for hard-to-remember sections. Using the voice effectively. Help children to appreciate the power of the voice to convey meaning, not just by what is said but also by the way it is said.

Offbyheart – project BBC

Competition between UK schools is an element of this project. However, it is only one element.The BBC offers a lot of information and teacher lesson plans on this project: learning a poem by heart.“It’s not about ‘putting on a show’ but about discovering and celebrating the richness of the spoken word, of allowing poetry to speak and bringing children’s creative energies to the words of our great poets.”

You can find the poems of this project on the website of the BBC (among which ‘Talking Turkeys’).

Source: bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/offbyheart

Read-Think-Understand

In addition to the worksheet you can let the students use the visible thinking table (next page). For phase 1 you use the first row. In phase 2 after answering question 7, students should use the second row to write down if their opinion has changed. Do they read something different? What do they think and understand now? At the end of phase 2 you could let them state their final view of the poem.

The visible thinking sheet “I read, think, understand” is made by Genia Connell, a teacher from Michigan. It is directly based on the ‘Visible thinking routine’. It provokes students to not only think about the subjects but understand the context and embed it in their memories. “Visible Thinking has a double goal: on the one hand, to cultivate students' thinking skills and dispositions, and, on the other, to deepen content learning.”

Source: http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/VisibleThinking1.html

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Poetry knowledge organizer (2 pages)

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Poem poster

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