English -Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry

Unit of Study: Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry 

Brief Description: Poetry is a tool to express emotions and challenge others' thinking. During this unit students will look at SLAM poetry with a focus on building an energetic atmosphere around issues close to their own heart. They will be watching and analysing many poems and will then express themselves with their own form and style to discover their own poetic voice... never to be forgotten. They will travel the world through poetry and begin to understand perspectives outside of their own.

In Term 1, students will be exploring a range of poems that reflect the human experience. Students will discuss, analyse and try to understand these experiences reflected in this unique form. 

Scaffolding Learning

At the conclusion of this unit of study students will have: 

An understanding of key knowledge

• Students will gain a developed understanding of what constitutes poetry.
• Students will gain the ability to challenge preconceived ideas and attitudes towards poetry.
• Students will gain the ability/tools/language needed to explore the structure, language, sound and form of different poems. 
• Students will gain a developed understanding of basic linguistic terminology. 
• Students will understand the link between language and culture or identity.
• Students will understand the way in which language can unite or divide groups.

Attained these key skills 

• Students will be able to analyse structure, rhyme and rhythm in poetry.
• Students will be able to experiment with writing and analysing figurative language in poetry.
• They will be able to plan and write poems with a moral and message.
• Students will be able to recognise the key features of a text and use linguistic tools to analyse. 
• Students will be able research aspects of language in both historical and modern contexts.
• Students will be able to plan and orally present an aspect of linguistics to the class.

Demonstrated the Victorian curriculum standards and capabilities

1. Reading & Viewing
   1. Language for interaction: (VCELA457)
   2. Text structure and organisation: (VCELA458)
   3. Expressing and developing ideas: (VCELA459)
   4. Literature and context: (VCELT460)
   5. Responding to literature: (VCELT461), (VCELT461), (VCELT462)
   6. Examining literature: (VCELT463), (VCELT464), (VCELT465)
   7. Texts in context: (VCELY466)
   8. Interpreting, analysing, evaluating: (VCELY467), (VCELY469)
      
       
2. Writing
   1. Text structure and organisation: (VCELA470), (VCELA471)
   2. Expressing and Developing Ideas: (VCELA473), (VCELA474)
   3. Phonics and word knowledge: (VCELA475)
      
       
3. Speaking & Listening
   1. Language variation and change: (VCELA482)
   2. Language for interaction: (VCELA483)
   3. Interacting with others: (VCELY485), (VCELY486)

Assessment Tasks

Students will be required to complete the following assessment tasks:

• An analysis and deconstruction of a poem chosen by the English team 
• A linguistic analysis of a chosen text
• A creative oral presentation demonstrating an aspect of Australian English 
   

Additional learning opportunities

• Poetry in Action Incursion
• SLAM Poetry Competition

Resources

• Workbook, pens and highlighters.
• A sense of curiosity about all things language related.
• No text is required to be purchased by families.

Pathways

This unit of study could provide students with the following pathway.