ALEX Learning Activity

  

Dear Basketball/Create Your Own Poem

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Ginger Boyd
System:Geneva County
School:Samson Middle School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2749
Title:
Dear Basketball/Create Your Own Poem
Digital Tool/Resource:
Dear Basketball/Tribute Poem/Letter
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

In this learning activity, students will use a graphic organizer to write their own tribute poem/letter using at least four literary devices of their choice. The students will then partner with another student and read their tribute poems. Finally, student partners will provide feedback on each other's poems using Poetry Feedback Prompts.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
4. Evaluate literary devices to support interpretations of literary texts using textual evidence, including simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, imagery, tone, symbolism, irony, and mood.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
4.
  • Literary devices
  • Literary texts
  • Textual evidence
  • Simile
  • Metaphor
  • Personification
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Hyperbole
  • Imagery
  • Tone
  • Symbolism
  • Irony
  • Mood
Knowledge:
4. Students know:
  • Authors of literary texts, such as prose and poetry, often include literary devices and figurative language to create a particular tone and mood.
  • Evaluating literary devices that are used in a text can support a personal interpretation of a text.
Skills:
4. Students are able to:
  • Identify literary devices in literary texts, including simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, imagery, tone, symbolism, irony, and mood.
  • Evaluate how an author's use of literary devices supports an interpretation of the text.
  • Cite evidence from the text to support their evaluations.
Understanding:
4. Students understand that:
  • Authors use figurative language and literary devices to develop tone and mood in their writing.
  • Literary devices contribute to the literal and/or figurative interpretation of a text.
Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to evaluate literary devices in their own tribute poems and give feedback to other students' tribute poems using textual evidence, including simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, imagery, repetition, and rhyme. 
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
After/Explain/Elaborate
Activity:

This learning activity should be completed after a lesson on literary devices. 

1. The teacher will show the video Dear Basketball - Kobe Bryant (1978 - 2020). 

2. The teacher will explain that students will write their own tribute poem/letter using a graphic organizer. The teacher will pass out the Dear Basketball Tribute Poem/Letter graphic organizer and the Dear Basketball Tribute Poem rubric. The students will write their tribute poems with the help of the graphic organizer. 

3. After writing their poems, students will partner with another student, share their poems with each other, and complete Poetry Feedback Prompts.

4. Students will be allowed to revise their poems based on feedback from Poetry Feedback Prompts. 

 
Assessment Strategies:

Students will be assessed based on the rubric and on the completed Poetry Feedback Prompts.  
Advanced Preparation:

The teacher should preview the video Dear Basketball - Kobe Bryant (1978 - 2020) before showing it to ensure it isn't blocked by school security. 

Make copies of the Poetry Feedback Prompts (one copy for each student).

Make copies of the Dear Basketball Tribute Poem/Letter (one copy for each student). 

Make copies of the rubric (one copy for each student).
Variation Tips (optional):

This learning activity can be completed with partners or in small groups (no more than 3 students). 

Teachers may wish to have students complete the Poetry Feedback Prompts digitally. 

Teachers may wish to have students complete the Dear Basketball/Tribute Poem/Letter digitally. 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This learning activity can be taught with the following activities:

Dear Basketball/Literary Devices (before)

Dear Basketball/Poem Analysis (during)
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: alliteration, Dear Basketball, Kobe Bryant, literary devices, metaphor, personification, poetry, rhyme