Date: 4/10/17

Unit: Poetry unit: Free Verse Poetry

What this lesson will be focusing on:
Iowa Core: W.7.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Gradespecific expectations for writing
types are defined in standards 13 above.)
Standard #5: Application of Content: The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use
differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative
problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
I can statement: I can create my own free verse poem that focusses on a world/social issue.
- Anticipatory Set: Show students this picture:
o Have then look at it and think about the message that this picture is portraying
(dont let me share yet)!

o Then show them the slam poetry video about Technology taking over human
connections
Have them think about what the poets message is
o Bring the picture back up
Have them at their table groups discuss:
How did the picture and poem make you feel?
What message is being portrayed in both the picture and video.
How can a picture and poem deliver the same message?
(essentially, I want the students to understand that we can use our
talents to create awareness and to create a message).
- Lesson: Recap on what we did last Friday
o We looked at poems that focused on world or social issues
Some included: world hunger, peace, bullying, refugee mistreatment, and
more.
o Recap on the video that we watch Shots Fired
How did this slam poem make you feel?
 Can we as 7th graders use our voices and words to create awareness to an

issue that bothers us?
o Today we get create our own slam poem, however it must be in free verse
Recap what free verse is: a poem that does not have a set structure,
stanzas, rhyme scheme, or lines. NO RULES!
o Show OneNote that focusses on our free verse poems
Free verse poetry allows the poet to be able to express feelings without any rules or regulations.
Free verse poems can have a variation in lines, stanzas, line lengths, and rhymes. Free verse
poems rely heavily on poetic devices (repetition, alliteration, similes, metaphors, hyperboles,
imagery, idioms, personification, onomatopoeia).

We are going to be creating our own free verse poems! HOWEVER! Our poems are going to
focus on a world/social issue. You will choose one of the world/social issues below and create a
free verse poem that addresses your particular issue
Here is the list:
Weapons
Child poverty
Child abuse
Climate change
Poverty
War
Inequality/discrimination to minorities ex: racism or gender inequality
Terrorism
(if you have another in your mind raise your hand and ask me)
Grab out a piece of paper and choose your topic. You will have 3 min to choose or a teacher will
choose one for you.

Once you have your topic you have 10 min to research about your topic.
Make sure the websites that you are looking at are credible!
Take notes if you need to!

After you have gained some deeper knowledge of your topic you are ready to start drafting your
poem!

Our Free verse poems must include:

A world/social issue
At least 15 lines
Contain at least 2 poetic devices (the more the better)
NO RYHME SCHEME!!
Steps to making our free verse poems
Step 1: determine the speaker:
o Do you want the speaker to be your voice? The voice of a victim of your world
issues, a general voice?
 Step 2: determine the tone
o Do you want your poem to be sad, angry, or hopeful. Think of how you want the
reader to feel when they read your poem.
Step 3: Determine your message
o Do you want your poem to simply talk about your world issue? Ask for a change
in your world issue? Or create a solution?
Step 4: JUST START WRITING ALREADY!!
o Remember, free verse poems have no rules!
o Create lines that are not full sentences
o Try to chop one of your lines in half (it doesnt matter!)
o remember that there is such think as a 1 worded line!
o Do.what.ever.you.want!
USE YOUR VOICES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

- Give the students the rest of the class period to work on their poems!