Analyzing Point of View in Stanza 1 of “O’ Beautiful Storm” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G5:M4:U2:L8

Analyzing Point of View in Stanza 1 of “O’ Beautiful Storm”

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RL.5.6: Describe how a narrator's or speaker;s point of view influences how events are described.
  • L.5.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
  • L.5.3b: Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can compare and contrast the varieties of English used in stories and poems. (L.5.3b)
  • I can describe how a speaker's point of view in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" influences how events are described. (RL.5.1, RL.5.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (RL.5.1, RL.5.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

B. Rereading Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Language Dive: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (30 minutes)

4. Homework

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

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • In Opening B, students rewatch "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go" and reread Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" to refamiliarize themselves with the poem. Note: In the first half of the unit, students listened to and analyzed the song "In the Water Where the City Ends." This song is not analyzed for point of view in this half of the unit because the point of view is difficult to determine and the organization of words is confusing for students to analyze.
  • In Work Time A, students participate in a Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm." The focus of this Language Dive is comparing and contrasting varieties of English (L.5.3b). Students then apply their understanding of the meaning and structure of this sentence when comparing and contrasting varieties of English in the end of unit assessment. Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine.
  • In the Closing, students complete a QuickWrite to explain how a speaker?s point of view influences how events are described in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm." To gradually release students for the assessment in the next lesson, students work in their triads to complete the QuickWrite rather than writing it whole group (RL.5.1, RL.5.6). If students finish quickly, encourage them to find someone else who has finished and exchange peer feedback on their QuickWrites.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, empathy, and compassion as they analyze the point of view of a speaker who faces difficult challenges in the aftermath of a natural disaster, which some students may find upsetting.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 4, students watched the video "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go," read part of Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm," and analyzed how the visuals in the video contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty of the text. In this lesson, they revisit that text and analyze how the speaker?s point of view influences how events are described.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support to complete the QuickWrite. Consider grouping these students together for focused teacher guidance. Assessment guidance:
  • Review students' QuickWrites to identify common issues to use as whole group teaching points in the next lesson before students complete the end of unit assessment.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students complete the end of unit assessment, in which they analyze how the speaker's point of view influences how events are described in the poem "Job."

In Advance

  • Prepare technology necessary for students to watch "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go" during Opening A (see Technology and Multimedia).
  • Review the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart as needed (begun in Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 2).
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the language goals provided to best meet your students' needs.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.
  • Opening B: Prepare the technology for students to watch the poetry video:
  • Poetry video: Smith, G. and Soileau, P. "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go." YouTube. Web. Accessed on 30 Jan. 2017. (from the beginning to 0:36).

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.B.5, 5.I.B.6, 5.I.B.7, 5.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself 

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with the opportunity to return to a familiar video and poem and analyze them through a new lens; to participate in a Language Dive focusing on comparing and contrasting varieties of English; and to work in triads to complete a QuickWrite about how the speaker's point of view influences the way events are described.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to determine how the speaker's point of view influences the way events in the story are described. Support triads as they complete the QuickWrite during Work Time B by continuing to model and think aloud the process as needed (see levels of supportand the Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Encourage students to use Conversation Cues with classmates to promote productive and equitable conversation and enhance language development.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B, provide sentence frames for students to use in their QuickWrite paragraphs for Question 4. (Example: In the poem _________ by ___________, the poet describes what happened when __________________________. He describes how ________________. Additionally, _________________. As a result of the first person point of view, we understand that ________________. We also understand that ___________________. For example, ____________________. Being able to see the events from this perspective helps the reader ___________________________.)

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): To facilitate effective learning during this lesson, ensure that all students have access to the directions for each activity and feel comfortable with the expectations. Continue to vary the ways in which you convey expectations for each activity or task. Consider engaging in a clarifying discussion about the directions and creating a visual display of the steps for each activity.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support a range of fine motor abilities and writing needs by offering students options for writing utensils. Also consider supporting students' expressive skills by offering partial dictation of their responses.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to remind students of the goal for the work they are doing with their QuickWrites. Returning to the learning goals lifts up their value and relevance to students.

Vocabulary

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

  • varieties, speaker's, point of view (L)

Materials

  • Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (from Lesson 4; one per student)
  • "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go" (video; from 0:00 to 0:36; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Language Dive Guide: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (for teacher reference)
    • Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (begun in Module 3)
    • Language Dive Chunk Chart: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (for teacher reference)
    • Language Dive Note-catcher: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (one per student and one to display)
    • Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (one to display)
  • QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (one per student)
  • QuickWrite: Point of View in Eight Days: A Story of Haiti (completed in Lesson 7; one to display)
  • Point of View anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (example, for teacher reference)

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. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 

  • Invite students to move into their reading triads.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:
    • "I can compare and contrast the varieties of English used in stories and poems."
    • "I can describe how a speaker's point of view in Stanza 1 of 'O' Beautiful Storm'influences how events are described."
  • Focus students on the first learning target and underline "varieties of English." Turn and Talk:

"What root word do you recognize in varieties, and what does it mean?" (vary and variety, which mean different kinds of something)
"What do you think varieties of English might mean?" (Responses will vary, but may include: the different kinds of language people use; the choices people make about words and sentences, depending on the audience and/or the purpose.)

  • Focus students on the second learning target. Remind them that they saw this same target in the previous lesson for Eight Days: A Story of Haiti.
  • Underline the word speaker's. Turn and Talk:

"In the previous lesson, the learning target said narrator instead of speaker. Why do you think this is?" (Eight Days: A Story of Haiti is a story and has a narrator. "O'Beautiful Storm" is a poem, which has a speaker rather than a narrator.)

  • Review the meaning of the phrase point of view.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to share one similarity and one difference between first and third person points of view. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Recalling Prior Work: Learning Targets) Invite students to discuss how they previously worked toward the second learning target.

B. Rereading Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (5 minutes) 

  • Invite students to retrieve Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm." Remind them that this transcript has been written just as the poet rendered the words.
  • Play "Katrina: Don't Let Her Go" from 0:00 to 0:36.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What is this stanza of the poem about?" (the damage and destruction to people and places by Hurricane Katrina)

  • Remind students that this poem was written about Hurricane Katrina, which caused severe damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States from central Florida to Texas in 2005, with some of the most significant devastation in New Orleans, Louisiana. Also remind them that the video accompanying this poem shows the damage after the disaster.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and invite them to read the habits of character on the chart to themselves. Remind them again of the respect, compassion, and empathy habits
  • For ELLs: (Summarizing) Before watching the video, invite students to summarize Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" in 1 minute or less (with feedback) and then again in 30 seconds or less with a partner.
  • For ELLs: (Following Along with Text) In preparation for the Language Dive in Work Time A, encourage students to follow along with the printed text of the poem as they listen to the video. This increases their comprehension and highlights the specific language choices made by the poet

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Language Dive: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (20 minutes) 

  • Tell students they will now participate in a Language Dive using the same format from Module 3.
  • Focus students' attention on the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart and remind them that they thought of their own questions to ask during a Language Dive.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is one question you can ask during a Language Dive?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Reread Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm."
  • Focus on the sentence:
    • "I got the Rain in my veins"
  • Use the Language Dive Guide: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" and Language Dive Chunk Chart: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" to guide students through a Language Dive of the sentence. Distribute and display the Language Dive Note-catcher: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" and Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks: Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm."
  • When 2 minutes remain, refocus whole group. Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the first learning target.
  • For students who may need additional support with oral processing: Allow ample wait time during the discussion. (MMAE, MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (30 minutes) 

  • Distribute QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm."
  • Focus students on the prompt at the top and read it aloud:
    • "How does the speaker's point of view influence how the events are described in Stanza 1 of 'O' Beautiful Storm'?"
  • Remind students that they saw a similar prompt about Eight Days: A Story of Haiti in Lesson 7.
  • Tell students that they are going to work in their reading triads to answer the questions and write a response to the prompt. Remind them that the answers to the questions will help them to write their response to the prompt.
  • Display QuickWrite: Point of View in Eight Days: A Story of Haiti and invite a volunteer to read it aloud. Remind students that their response should contain the same elements as this one.
  • Focus students on the following anchor charts and remind them to use them to help answer the first question:
    • Point of View anchor chart
    • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart
  • Tell students that although they are working in triads, they will each write their own response to the prompt.
  • Invite students to begin working and circulate to support them. Refer to the QuickWrite: Point of View in Stanza 1 of "O' Beautiful Storm" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Use the following questions to guide students:

"What should we write first? Why? How can we make sure the reader knows which text we are talking about?"
"What point of view is the poem written from?"
"What do we understand from reading the poem through the poet's eyes? How does it influence how events are described in the poem?"
"What evidence can you find in the text to support that?"

  • Invite students who finish before the end of the allocated time to pair up with someone from another triad to share their responses to the prompt and provide each other with feedback.
  • When 10 minutes remain, refocus whole group. Select two or three volunteers to share out their responses.
  • Use total participation techniques to select students to share stars and steps.
  • Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the second learning target and how well they did showing respect, compassion, and empathy.
  • For students who may need additional support with working memory: Invite students to first verbally share their answer to the question, and then draw a line for each word they intend to write as they state their answer a second time. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Providing Concrete Examples) Reread the first stanza of "O' Beautiful Storm" and invite students to talk in pairs and retell the same events in their own words, as if they were reporting on the events for a local newspaper. Choose one student's retelling to record on the board, providing students with a concrete example in the third person to compare to the first person account in the poem. Reread both the first person and the third person account of the events before inviting students to think about how Gian Smith's first person point of view influences the way he describes the events.
  • For ELLs: (Displaying Questions) Before inviting students to respond to the prompt in Question 4, display the guiding questions suggested in the lesson body for students to refer to as they write.
  • For ELLs: (Verbal Writing Practice) Allow students to discuss and rehearse their sentences before responding to the prompt in Question 4.

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with written expression: (Oral Response) Read aloud, discuss, and respond to your prompt orally, either with a partner, family member, or student from Grades 4 or 6, or record an audio response. (MMAE)

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