Sonnets Lesson Plan

Class: AP Language and Composition

Grade Level: Juniors

Unit: AP Practice

Teacher: Justin Busch

Objectives
By the end of class today, students will
Know the basic components of sonnet (14 lines, rhyme scheme, volta, iambic
pentameter)
Know the differences between the main types of sonnets (Petrarchan, Spenserian,
Shakespearean)
Understand that the formal elements of a sonnet give deep, meaningful
contributions to the meaning of the poem as well as amplify its aesthetic beauty.

Assessment

Have correct answers on the sonnet graphic organizer (will walk around the class
and check as they are filling them out) / correct quiz answers
Have correct answers on the sonnet graphic organizer (will walk around the class
and check as they are filling them out) / correct quiz answers / group presentation
and answers to worksheet (collected at the end of class)
Answers to the questions that they do as group work (collected at the end of class)
/ group presentations

Anticipatory Set (7 minutes)

Ask What is the purpose of poetry?
After they spend some time answering the question, show them these two videos
from Dead Poets Society:
o To Woo Women:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh79iPi-y-c
o Why we read and write poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aS1esgRV4Rc

Teaching: Activities
Lecture (15-20 minutes)
o Present the sonnet graphic organizer to the students. Students will draw
the graphic organizer in their notes.
Focus on elaborating on the more difficult aspects of sonnets like
the volta and what iambic pentameter is.
Be sure to explain how the rhyme scheme of each style of sonnet
contributes to its meaning.
o Mini-quiz: Show the 8 sample sonnets in a PowerPoint and have the class
answer which style of sonnet each of them is.
 To ensure that all of the students know them I will have them write
down their answers to all of them on a notecard that I will collect.
Group work (25-30 minutes)
o Group them based on readiness into groups of 3.
Group 1 The more advanced students will be given the poem
Sonnet 1 by Sir Phillip Sidney to read.
Group 2 Intermediate students will be given the poem Sonnet
75 by Edmund Spenser.
Group 3 The less advanced students will be given the poem
Sonnet 10 by William Shakespeare.
o Give each group the worksheet where they will answer the following
questions following these directions: In your small group, answer the
following questions. Then, create a brief presentation that each group will
present to the class that explains the meaning of the poem, highlights the
key formal aspects of the poem (metaphor, meter, speaker/speaking
situation), and gives a summary of the poem.
1. Who is the speaker in the poem? Who are they speaking to? What is
the speaking situation?
2. What is the most central image in the poem? How does this help to
give the poem meaning? Give at least 2 examples of metaphors in the
poem (it might be helpful for the presentation to find more).
3. Explain how each metaphor contributes to the poems meaning.
4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? Does the scheme draw
specific attention to certain things?
5. List any other literary devices that you discover that are present in the
poem (meter, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, etc.)
that are important in it?
6. In a single thesis-like statement, state the overall meaning of the
poem?
Presentations (20 minutes)
o Have all three poems in the PowerPoint for each group to discuss in front
of the class so that everyone can see it.
If there is more than one group per poem have them switch off
discussing questions.

Closure (3 minutes)
Exit slip
o What is the thing you are most confident that you learned today?

Class Duration 80 minutes

Modified from Madeline Hunters Lesson Plan Design