A. Read and Analyze “David’s Old Soul” – RL.7.5 (25 minutes)

• Review appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can analyze how the structure of ‘David’s Old Soul’ contributes to its meaning.”

• Inform students that in this lesson they will look at another poem pairing in their anchor text, One Last Word, and analyze Grimes’ poem in detail. First, they will read the poem that Grimes draws her line from for the Golden Shovel technique. Next, they will read the new poem she writes. Ask students to retrieve their anchor texts One Last Word and open to the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes.
• Read “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” aloud for students. Ask for student volunteers to recall the themes they discussed for this poem. (Black people have a long, rich history that continues into the present. Black people are connected to a rich history and draw strength and wisdom from it.) If necessary, display the Harlem Renaissance Themes anchor chart.
• Remind students that they will read the new poem several times through before analyzing it. Ask students to turn to “David’s Old Soul” in their anchor texts. Read aloud the poem, asking students to close their eyes and listen. Read the poem aloud a second time, asking students to follow along. Finally, read the poem aloud chorally as a class.
• Distribute copies of the Analyze Poetry: “David’s Old Soul” note-catcher and Analyze Poetry note-catcher ▲ as necessary. The differentiated note-catcher supports students in writing about structure, figurative language, and themes with sentence starters. ▲ Note that it is the same note-catcher they have used throughout the module to analyze poetry. Review the different sections as necessary.
• Invite students to Turn and Talk with a partner.

“Who is the speaker in this poem, and what is he talking about?” (The speaker is a boy or a young man named David discussing the responsibilities he has in his family.)

“How is the poem organized—in stanzas, rhyming couplets, etc.?” (The poem is organized into one stanza. It uses the Golden Shovel technique to take one line from the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and use the words from that line to end each line of the new poem.)

• Point out to students that unlike the poems they’ve read previously, it is possible to infer the name of the speaker from the title. Ask:

“What phrase from the title and the poem help us infer the speaker of the poem?” (Both the title and the body of the poem have the phrase “old soul.” And since the title of the poem says that the old soul belongs to David, we can infer that the speaker’s name is David.)

• Tell students that because this poem is much shorter than the last one they studied, they will write the gist of every few lines. Use a total participation technique to determine the gist of each part of the poem. Model how to follow the poet’s use of periods when determining the gist. For example, to analyze lines 3–4, explain that it is okay to include the completion of the thought in line five: “into a man.”
• 1–2: David’s mother calls him an “old soul”
• 3–4: understands now that he is a man
• 5–6: listens to the whisper in his ear to “dig deep”
• 7–8: tries to support his “baby brothers”
• Inform students that in preparation for the mid-unit assessment in the following lesson, they will now work independently to use their Analyze Poetry note-catchers to look more closely at how the stanza is structured and how the poet uses figurative language to develop ideas within it.
• Invite students to work individually to fill out the “Structure,” “Language,” and “Theme” boxes of their note-catchers. Circulate and support students as necessary.
• Once students complete their independent analysis, lead students in a whole-class discussion of the structure, language, and themes they identified, using the questions below to guide student thinking. See Analyze Poetry: “David’s Old Soul” note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

“How is this poem structured? How does the use of the Golden Shovel technique add to the poem’s meaning?” (The poem is structured in one stanza with each line ending with a word borrowed from "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Grimes structures the poem using the Golden Shovel technique while also conveying a similar message to the words she has selected from "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." The speaker comes to a greater understanding of what it means to have a soul that is “deep like the rivers,” to be an old soul.) See Analyze Poetry: “David’s Old Soul” note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

“What are some instances of figurative language you see in the poem? How do they help develop ideas in the poem?” (“Tree my baby brothers can lean on” (7): shows how he provides strength for others. “Raft that helps carry them” (8): shows how he carries his siblings through difficult times.) See Analyze Poetry: “David’s Old Soul” note-catcher  (example for teacher reference).

“What is a theme in the poem? How does the author develop it?” (“David’s Old Soul” develops the theme that we can find deep strength within ourselves to help others. The writer structures the poem using a line from “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes. In that poem, Hughes connects the speaker’s history to the history of all black people and how it is possible to draw strength from the past. For David, the speaker of “David’s Old Soul,” strength is found deep within himself. He is told that he has an “old soul” (2). He learns what that means by looking inside himself and learning to be strong. The author uses figurative language such as comparing David to a “tree my baby brothers can lean on” (7) to show how he uses this strength in himself to help others. Like the speaker in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” David’s soul has “grown deep like the rivers,” so he can help others.) See Analyze Poetry: “David’s Old Soul” note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

“What is the connection to ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’?” (The poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” develops the theme that people can draw strength from their past. The poem “David’s Old Soul” takes the idea of finding strength in the past and applies it to a personal situation. The speaker in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” was showing the rich history and strength of black people. In “David’s Old Soul,” the speaker finds strength “deep” within himself to help others. From Hughes’ poem, Grimes uses the line “my soul has grown deep like the rivers.” This line shows how people can be connected to something deep within them and to the past. It seems that David has found the strength within himself. That strength might also come from the people before him.) See Analyze Poetry: “David’s Old Soul” note-catcher (example for teacher reference).

• Invite students to work independently to finish filling out their note-catchers, including the synthesis paragraphs and connections to other works. Allow several minutes for volunteers to share their responses. Record responses on the board or a displayed copy of the note-catcher to support students with specific language structures and a visual record of the responses. ▲
• Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

“What habits of character did you see in this poem? Who demonstrated them? What did they look/sound like?” (Responses will vary, but may include: The speaker of the poem demonstrates perseverance and initiative as he finds the inner strength to support his younger siblings.)

• Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning target.