Analyzing Poetry: Pages 12–19 of Love That Dog and “dog” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M1:U1:L6

Analyzing Poetry: Pages 12–19 of Love That Dog and “dog”

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RL.4.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
  • RL.4.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
  • RL.4.5: Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
  • W.4.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
  • W.4.9a: Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions].").
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify the characteristics of poetry in "dog." (RL.4.1, RL.4.5)
  • I can determine the theme of "dog" from details in the text and summarize it. (RL.4.2, RL.4.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog" (RL.4.2, RL.4.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Reader: Love That Dog, Pages 12-19 (15 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Analyzing Poetry: "dog" (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Determining the Theme and Summarizing the Poem: "dog" (20 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

B. For ELLs: Complete the Language Dive Practice in your Unit 1 Homework.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students continue reading Love That Dog to analyze what happened in those pages and how Jack felt about it (RL.4.1, RL.4.3). Students then closely read "dog" by Valerie Worth (in the back of Love That Dog), to identify characteristics of poetry (RL.4.5) and to determine a theme from details in the text (RL.4.2). Students then summarize the poem in writing (RL.4.2, W.4.9a).
  • During Work Time B, students participate in their first Language Dive, which guides them through the meaning of three lines from "dog." The conversation invites students to unpack complex syntax--or "academic phrases"--as a necessary component of building both literacy and habits of mind. Students can then apply their understanding of subject-predicate structure from this conversation as they complete future writing and speaking tasks. A consistent Language Dive routine is critical in helping all students learn how to decipher compelling sentences and write their own. In addition, Language Dive conversations may hasten overall English language development for ELLs.
  • Note that although people may see many different themes in poems, the theme that has been identified in these materials is one that most students of this age will understand. If students suggest other themes for the poem, listen to their ideas and consider whether these are viable themes based on the supporting details students choose.
  • Lessons 3-5 featured built-out instruction for Goal 1 Conversation Cues. Moving forward, this will appear only as reminders after select questions. Continue using Goal 1 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation. Refer to the Lesson 3 Teaching Notes and see the Tools page for additional information on Conversation Cues.
  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently in their heads as the teacher reads Love That Dog aloud during Opening A.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to poetry and creative writing. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

How it builds on previous work:

  • In the lessons leading up to this one, students have become familiar with the routine of reading pages of Love That Dog, and analyzing what happens and how Jack feels about it, and then analyzing the famous poem that Jack describes. This lesson continues this routine with new pages of Love That Dog and a new famous poem, "dog" by Valerie Worth.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support determining a theme, particularly if they come up with different ideas for the theme within their triads. In this situation, remind students that everyone can interpret poetry differently, and there is no right or wrong answer; however, for their theme to be possible, they must be able to find supporting details.
  • Students may need additional support writing their summaries on exit tickets. Consider using technology to support their efforts (see Technology and Multimedia).

Assessment guidance:

  • Review students' I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "The Tiger" to determine which of the characteristics of poetry introduced so far students may need additional support with and make this a focus in the next lesson.
  • Read student themes, supporting details, and summaries on completed note-catchers to identify common issues to use as teaching points in future lessons.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will continue to read Love That Dog and analyze another famous poem referenced by Jack. Now that they are familiar with this routine, a new lens is added in which students use the characteristics of poetry to compare poetry to prose.

In Advance

  • Strategically group students into triads and allocate each triad a different journal entry to read in Love That Dog: Nov 9 (page 12), Nov 15 (page 13), Nov 14 (page 14), Nov 29 (pages 15-16), Dec 4 (page 17), and Dec 13 (pages 18-19). Allocate triads with two or more strong readers the longer excerpts.
  • Preview the poem "dog" and review the example anchor charts and note-catchers to determine what students need to understand from reading the poem.
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the questions and goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the questions and goals provided to best meet your students' needs.
  • Prepare the sentence strip chunks for use during the Language Dive (see supporting materials).
  • Consider providing students with a Language Dive log inside a folder to track Language Dive sentences and structures and collate Language Dive note-catchers.
  • Review the Final Word and Thumb-O-Meter protocols. See Classroom Protocols.
  • Post: Learning targets.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Students complete the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog" using a word-processing tool--for example, a Google Doc.
  • Work Time A: Students complete their note-catchers in a word-processing document--for example, a Google Doc--using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software such as Dictation.io.
  • Closing and Assessment A: Students complete their exit tickets in a word-processing document--for example, a Google Doc--using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software such as Dictation.io.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.B.6, 4.I.B.7, 4.I.B.8, 4.I.C.10, 4.I.C.11, and 4.II.A.1

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by repeating the pattern of analysis of Love That Dog using the What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart and a closely related poem, "dog," using the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart. Students also have additional opportunity to practice summarizing.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to determine a theme and cull good supporting details. Consider reversing the process, discussing the details first and seeing what commonalities students identify during the discussion. See the Meeting Students' Needs column for additional support.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Invite students to compare the structure of the language and its effect in the November 29 entry of Love That Dog with that of "dog." (Examples: The structure of the language is different, e.g., run-ons vs. fragments. The effect of the run-ons is that they make Jack seem excited and full of thought; the effect of the fragments is that they make the dog seem serene or relaxed.)
  • When students discuss and write the summary of "dog," invite them to condense their ideas by combining several shorter, repetitive sentences into one longer, more complex, clearer sentence. (Example: Valerie Worth uses imagery. One piece of imagery is "yawns, / Rests his long chin / Carefully between / Front paws"; this imagery suggests the dog is very relaxed. > Valerie Worth uses imagery such as "yawns, / Rests his long chin / Carefully between / Front paws," which suggests the dog is very relaxed.)

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B:
    • Copy "dog" and the dog section of Jack's November 29 entry. Display them side by side. Invite students to draw lines to show the similarities between the two. Invite them to use contrasting colors to underline portions that are different.
    • Turn the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart into a kinesthetic activity. Copy descriptions of the characteristics and lines from "dog" onto separate strips. Students can paste the descriptions and lines into the correct category: Structure, Imagery, or Rhyme and Meter.
    • Distribute a partially completed copy of the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog." This will provide students with models for the kind of information they should enter, while relieving the volume of writing required.
  • During Work Time C:
    • Print the "dog" summary and cut it into strips. Scramble the strips and discuss the meaning of each one. Invite students to sequence them correctly, giving rationale if they come up with more than one correct version.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): This lesson builds on skills developed in previous lessons. Help students generalize across lessons by making explicit connections to previous lessons in this unit. For instance, when introducing the learning targets, have the students make connections to the work they completed in the previous lessons that is similar to what is expected of them in this lesson. Or consider comparing the poem "dog" to Love That Dog in order to discuss the characteristics of poetry.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): To facilitate increased comprehension, some students may benefit from multiple strategies for engaging with the text. Consider minimizing the complexity of analyzing Love That Dog by chunking important texts and engaging in a discussion about the meaning. Another strategy is to have students sketch the meaning of lines from "dog" and then use words to describe the images.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to build excitement around poetry. Make sure to highlight how poetry can come in many different forms and be a nice break from traditional writing because we can "break the rules" around standard English.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • theme, summarize, characteristics, supporting detail (L)

Materials

  • Love That Dog (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; added to during Opening A; see supporting materials)
  • What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Paper (blank; one piece per student)
  • What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3; added to during Work Time A; see supporting materials)
  • What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog" (one per student)
  • I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog" (example, for teacher reference)
  • Directions for Final Word Protocol (one per triad and one to display)
  • Language Dive Guide: "dog" (for teacher reference)
    • Language Dive Note-catcher: "dog" (one per student and one to display)
    • Language Dive Sentence strip chunks: "dog" (one to display)
  • Criteria of an Effective Summary anchor chart (begun in Lesson 5)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Reader: Love That Dog, Pages 12-19 (10 minutes)

  • Move students into triads and invite them to label themselves A, B, and C.
  • Invite students to retrieve their copies of Love That Dog and to turn to page 12.
  • Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read aloud pages 12-19.
  • Reread pages 12-14. Focus students on the What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart. Invite students to turn and talk to their triad, and cold call students to share out:

"What happened on these pages?" (Jack was asked to write a poem about a pet.)

"How did Jack feel about it?" (He was upset because he doesn't have a pet to write about, and he didn't want to write about the pet he used to have.)

"How do you know he felt that way? What evidence of this can you find on those pages?" (He writes, "I don't have any pets so I can't write about one" and he also writes, "Yes, I used to have a pet. I don't want to write about it.")

  • As students share out, capture their responses on the anchor chart. Refer to What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart(example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Reread pages 15-19 aloud. Focus students on the What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart. Invite students to turn and talk with their triad, and cold call students to share out:

"What happened on these pages?" (Jack read small poems about animals and then the teacher typed it up and put it on the board.)

"How did Jack feel about it?" (He liked the small poems and was proud to see his poem posted on the board.)

"How do you know he felt that way? What evidence of this can you find on those pages?" (He writes, "I liked those small poems today" and "I guess it does look like a poem when you see it typed up like that.")

  • As students share out, capture their responses on the anchor chart. Refer to What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Ask about the meaning of chunks from a key sentence of Love That Dog, pages 12-19. Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Examples:
    • "Place your finger on the sentence 'and especially I liked the dog in the dog poem because that's just how my yellow dog used to lie down, with his tongue all limp and his chin between his paws' from November 29." Read the sentence aloud as students follow along.
    • "What is the gist of this sentence? (The reason Jack likes the dog in the dog poem is because it reminds him of his yellow dog.)
    • "Place your finger on I liked the dog in the dog poem. What dog poem? What is Jack talking about?" (the poem "dog" by Valerie Worth)
    • "Place your finger on lie down. Where do you lie down?" (Responses will vary, but could include: in bed.)
    • "Place your finger on tongue all limp and his chin between his paws. Can you gently show me what that looks like?" (Look for students to gently act like a dog, letting their tongue rest and putting their chin between their hands on their desk. If students aren't comfortable acting like a dog or showing their tongues, invite them to sketch the line instead.)
    • "Place your finger on used to. I wonder why Jack writes these words." Tell students you will give them time to think and discuss with their partner. (Used to tells us Jack's dog no longer lies down. We might infer the dog is dead or was given away.)
    • "Look at the poem 'dog' in the back of your Love That Dog book. Can you skim the poem and find the place where the dog lies down with his tongue all limp and his chin between his paws?" Tell students you will give them time to think and discuss with their partner. (Look for students to place their finger by lines 2-6 of "dog.")
    • "Place your finger on because. I wonder why Jack uses this word." (to signal that he will give a reason, introduce an explanation as to why he likes the dog in the dog poem.)
    • "Why does Jack like the dog poem?" (because it reminds him of the way his dog rested)
    • "How does your understanding of this sentence change your understanding of Love That Dog?" (Responses will vary, but may include: It helps me understand how Jack feels about his dog and how he relates personally to the poems he's reading.) (MMR, MMAE)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can identify the characteristics of poetry in 'dog.'"

"I can determine the theme of 'dog' from details in the text and summarize it."

  • Remind students that they have seen each of these targets before, but this time the poem they will be analyzing is different.

  • Review what theme, summarize, and characteristics mean.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Analyzing Poetry: "dog" (25 minutes)

  • Direct students to turn to the back of their copy of Love That Dog to find "Some of the poems used by Miss Stretchberry." "dog" is the fourth of these poems. Tell students that it is by a poet named Valerie Worth, another famous American poet, this time a woman, who lived from 1933 to 1994.
  • To model fluent reading, read "dog" as students follow along, reading silently in their heads.
  • Tell students you are going to read the poem aloud again, and this time they should act out the poem as you say the lines, as though they are the dog.
  • Tell students you are going to read the poem for a final time. This time, you would like them to close their eyes to picture what they are hearing in their minds.
  • Read the poem aloud again.
  • Cold call students to share out:

"What is the gist of this poem? What is it mostly about?" (a dog relaxing under a tree)

  • Distribute paper and invite students to sketch what they heard.
  • After 2 minutes, refocus students on the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart and remind them of the characteristics of poetry they have discovered in the other poems so far.
  • Guide students through an intentional Think-Triad-Share, leaving adequate time for each student to think, ask the question, and share. Cold call students to share out:

"We are going to dig into the content of the poem more in a moment, but what do you notice straight away?"

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the second column of the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart. As you record, ask students to help you categorize their notices into the characteristics identified so far. Refer to What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Distribute the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog" and allocate each triad a characteristic of poetry to focus on. When possible, ensure equal numbers of groups working on each characteristic.
  • Tell students that they are going to reread the poem "dog" and use a new protocol to share their notices and wonders in triads. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the Final Word protocol.
  • Distribute and post the Directions for the Final Word Protocol and invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read them aloud. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Invite students to begin the protocol.
  • After 10 minutes, refocus whole group. Focus on one characteristic of poetry at a time and invite the students from those groups to present to the whole group. Balance "air time" when multiple groups have focused on the same characteristic. As groups share, capture their ideas on the What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart in the same categories. Refer to What Makes a Poem a Poem? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to share their wonderings about the poem and record them on the board. If questions are about word or phrase meaning, help students identify the meaning before moving on. If questions cannot be answered from the content, explain that sometimes poems and stories leave us with questions intentionally because authors want us to keep thinking about their work.
  • Tell students they are now going to use the Thumb-O-Meter protocol to reflect on their progress toward the first learning target. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 4 and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.
  • Say: "Now we are going to dig into three lines of the poem in particular."
  • Guide students through the Language Dive Guide: "dog" (for teacher reference). Refer to the guide for the use of the Language Dive Note-catcher: "dog" and sentence strip chunks.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: "What is the same in the sentence from November 29 of Love That Dog as the poem 'dog'? What is different?" (Same: limp tongue, resting with chin between paws. Neither writer uses complete sentences. Different: Jack mentions that the color of his dog is yellow. Jack's sentences are often run-ons; Valerie Worth's are often fragments.) (MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with reading comprehension: As students participate in the Final Word protocol, play an audio version of the poem during the independent reading portion. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Determining the Theme and Summarizing the Poem: "dog" (20 minutes)

  • Focus students on the "Theme" box at the bottom of the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog." Remind them that a theme is a message or main idea relevant to the real world that the author wants you to take away. Remind students also that there may be more than one theme, and that different people can often interpret different themes in the same poem. Remind students also that sometimes characteristics of poetry can give the reader a clue about the theme.
  • Emphasize the difference between a theme and a subject. Example: The subject that the poet has written about is a dog lying under a tree, but the theme is what the author wants us to understand by reading about the dog lying under the tree.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to their triad:

"What is a theme in this poem? Record it at the bottom of your note-catcher."

  • Focus students on the "Supporting Details" boxes on the I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog." Remind students that supporting details help them to determine the theme and that the characteristics of poetry can sometimes help them determine supporting details.
  • Invite students to work with their triad to find at least two details in the poem that helped them identify the theme they have chosen, and to record them in the boxes.
  • Cold call students to share out:

"What is a theme of this poem? What is a message or main idea the poet wants you to take away?" (Dogs have a good, almost enviable, life.)

"What details support this?" (The poet uses imagery such as "yawns, / Rests his long chin / Carefully between / Front paws," which suggests the dog is very relaxed. The lack of rhyme or meter makes the poem feel very relaxed, as though Valerie Worth wants us to feel as relaxed as the dog.)

  • If productive, cue students to clarify the conversation by confirming what they mean:

"So, do you mean _____?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Remind students that summaries give us a brief idea of what a text is about so we can determine whether or not we want or need to read it. Focus students on the Criteria of an Effective Summary anchor chart.
  • Invite students to spend 30 seconds each orally summarizing the poem to their triad.
  • Select volunteers to share their summaries with the whole group. Listen for students to say something like: "The poem 'dog' by Valerie Worth is about a dog lying under a maple tree. Valerie Worth seems to be telling us that the dog she is describing has a comfortable life. She uses imagery such as 'yawns, / Rests his long chin / Carefully between / Front paws," which suggests the dog is very relaxed. The lack of rhyme or meter makes the poem feel very relaxed, as though Valerie Worth wants us to feel as relaxed as the dog." Refer to I Notice/I Wonder Note-catcher: "dog" (example, for teacher reference). Model this if student summaries did not include the correct information.
  • Invite students to refer to the Criteria of an Effective Summary anchor chart and write their summary at the bottom of their note-catcher.
  • Guide students through the Thumb-O-Meter protocol using the second learning target. Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support reading: If they struggle with adding supporting details, display one good detail and one weak or incorrect detail. Ask them to select the best supporting detail and discuss how they selected it. (MMAE)
  • Some students may benefit from multiple examples to highlight the difference between theme and subject. Consider referring to another class reading and ask the students to name the subject (what the book was about) and the theme (the message that the author wanted to teach you). Also consider providing sentences that represent both subjects and themes and have students mark them with an "S" or a "T." Examples: "The girls got in an argument, but then they had a discussion and forgave each other." (S) and "We should forgive our friends even when they hurt our feelings." (T) (MMR, MMAE)
  • For students who may feel uncomfortable sharing their progress on meeting the learning targets publicly: Minimize risk by providing students with a sheet of paper where they can select a color for each learning target in private. This provides you with useful data for future instruction and helps students monitor their own learning. (MME)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

B. For ELLs: Complete the Language Dive Practice in your Unit 1 Homework.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading and writing: Refer to the suggested homework support in Lesson 1. (MMAE, MMR)

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