Connection between Poetry and Music

Lesson Plan

Title	The Connection Between Poetry and Music
Subject	Language Arts
Grade level	3rd Grade
Standard	RL.3.1. - Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Objective	After this lesson, my students will develop an understanding for rhythm, beat, rhyme scheme, and timbre in poetry and music.
Rational	Adding music to this lesson will enhance the students’ knowledge on musical terms and interpretation of poetry. In this lesson students are actively engaged in listening to the teacher and participating in answering questions. The poems are kid-friendly so they are enjoyable to listen to allowing the students to me more engaged with learning. This lesson is important because it is critical for students to understand the text they are reading. Students will learn how poetry and music intertwine.
Materials	PowerPoint with poems and definitions of musical terms
Activities and procedures	1.      Today class we are going to read two poems and analyze them. Here are some words and definitions I want you to keep in mind: timbre, rhyme scheme, rhythm, and beat. Timbre: the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity. Rhyme scheme: the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse. Rhythm: movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like Beat: the steady pulse of a song or poem. 2.      Project the poems on the white board or use Smart Board if possible. 3.      Read both poems: 1)      The teachers jumped out of the windows. The principal ran for the door. The nurse and librarian bolted. They're not coming back anymore. The counselor, hollering madly, escaped out the door of the gym. The coach and custodian shouted and ran out the door after him. The lunch ladies threw up their ladles, then fled from the kitchen in haste, while all of the students looked puzzled as staff members scurried and raced. We'd never seen anything like it. But, still, it was pretty darned cool to see all the staff so excited to leave on the last day of school. 2)  I think I'm related to Bigfoot, though nothing has ever been proved. I sort of suspect he's a cousin, just seven or eight times removed. It's not that I'm apelike or hairy. It isn't the size of my feet. It's more on account of my family. We're all fairly far from petite. My sister is kind of a Bigmouth. My brother could go by Bigsmelly. My mother is known for her Bighair. My father? You guessed it: Bigbelly. And as for myself, I'm attractive. You might even call me a cutie, except for one obvious feature... My family all call me Bigbootie. 4.      Ask: Can you hear a beat in the words of the poem (Read a line and tap your leg to show the beat) Why do you think the poet wrote the poem this way? 5.      Compare the two poems and ask the students questions such as: How are these poems the same? What kind of rhyme scheme do each of these poems have? Which is your favorite poem? Why? Ask for a volunteer to underline the rhyming words. Use a different volunteer for each poem. 6.      Ask for a volunteer to read the Bigfoot poem in a frightened tone. Do you think reading the poem in different tone the mood of the poem changed? 7.      Choose a student to demonstrate the main beat by clapping his or her hands while you read each poem. Have the rest of the students join in by clapping their hands or tapping their feet softly. 8.      Ask students the question, "What else could you use besides your hands to keep the beat?" List different kinds of rhythm instruments on the board.
Extra credit	Have students find their own poem and identify the rhyme scheme, rhythm, beat, and timbre.