Brief Description
Students compare and contrast the poems that Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and Miller Williams wrote and read at past inaugurations
Objectives
Students compare, contrast, and interpret the poems that Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and Miller Williams wrote and read at past inaugurations. Students define the word inauguration.
Keywords
inauguration, poetry, poem, poet, Frost, Angelou, Williams
Materials Needed
paper, pens or pencils, computer(s) with Internet access or printouts from the sites listed in the lesson or student-researched library sources
Lesson Plan
You may want to break this activity into two lessons.
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Bring the groups together to discuss their lists. Ask: "What images did you think of as you read each poem? What reflections of the writer's background do you see in each poem? In what ways is each poem a reflection of the time of the inauguration for which it was read? Would the poems be appropriate for the 2001 inauguration? Why or why not?"
Variation: Have the students research the poems and background information about the writers using print sources from a library.
Extension 1: Say to students: "Imagine that you have been asked to write and recite a special poem at the inauguration. What would you write about in your poem?" Have students write and read their original inaugural poems.
Extension 2: Say to students: "Suggest a poem that you think would be appropriate to be read at the 2001 inauguration. Who should read the poem? Why?"
Assessment
Evaluate students' participation and their interpretations of the poems discussed.
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Lois Lewis
National Standards
Language Arts:
NL-ENG.K-12.1
NL-ENG.K-12.2
NL-ENG.K-12.3
NL-ENG.K-12.4
NL-ENG.K-12.5
NL-ENG.K-12.6
NL-ENG.K-12.7
NL-ENG.K-12.8
Technology:
NT.K-12.1
NT.K-12.2
NT.K-12.3
NT.K-12.5
