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Unit Plan

Early American Poets

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This Early American Poets unit plan also includes:

The poems of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are the focus of a unit that asks readers to consider how an artist's life and changes in society influences his or her work. After careful study of Whitman's and Dickinson's perspectives on war and death, class members compare their views of these topics with those of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Tupac Shakur, and the Blue Oyster Cult. An engaging unit sure to capture the interest of high schoolers.

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CCSS: Designed
Concepts
poetry, narrative poetry, emily dickinson, walt whitman, alliteration, allusions, cadences, connotation, denotation, nursery rhymes, free verse, imagery, metaphors, onomatopoeia, similes, poetic devices, close reading, poetry analysis, american literature
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Additional Tags
english language arts
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Instructional Ideas
  • After reading Whitman's "I Hear American Singing" and before composing their own poem, have class members read Langston Hughes' "I, Too"
Classroom Considerations
  • The 144-page resource is designed to address 11th grade Common Core standards
  • Most of the texts have a Lexile of 1380
Pros
  • The packet includes a unit calendar, six detailed lesson plans, biographical excerpts for both Dickinson and Whitman, summative assessments, graphic organizers, and extended learning opportunities
Cons
  • None