SOR Poetry Unit - 4th Grade and 5th Grade Free Lesson Plans

Lesson Title: Exploring Poetic Elements Through The Tower of Dreams

Lesson Summary: 

Students will analyze the fairy tale narrative poem "The Tower of Dreams" to identify key poetic elements including rhyme, alliteration, imagery, symbolism, metaphor, atmosphere and theme. After discussing examples from the poem, students will work in small groups to find additional evidence of the literary techniques. Finally, students will write their own original poems incorporating the poetic elements, and share their creations through an author's chair reading. The lesson integrates morphology analysis and applies the science of reading by building phonological awareness and engagement with poetic devices. Students will gain skills in critically analyzing literary texts and experience creative writing poetry.

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Tower of Dreams

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there stood a magnificent Tower Castle overlooking a shimmering lake. Made of smooth gray stone, the tower stretched high into the clouds, disappearing into the misty heavens.

At the top of the lonely tower lived a young princess named Ava. She had hair as golden as the sun and eyes as blue as the lake. Ava spent her days gazing out the tower window, dreaming of adventure. She longed to explore the forests and mountains she saw in the distance instead of being trapped in the tower.

One night, as Ava peered up at the twinkling stars, she made a wish. "I wish I could discover the world beyond this tower," she whispered. Suddenly, a secret door creaked open, and a spiral staircase appeared, winding down the tower wall. Ava's heart beat fast. Was this magic? She had to find out!

Grabbing a purple cloak, Ava tiptoed down the winding stair. At the bottom stood an archway covered in vines. She ducked through it into a moonlit garden filled with fountains, flowers, and fluttering fairies! Amazed, Ava turned back to the tower, but the door had vanished.

"Your destiny awaits, Princess Ava," said a voice. Ava spun around to see a fairy hovering beside a small boat at the lake’s edge. "Come, I will guide you," the fairy said.

Trusting her magical new friend, Ava climbed into the boat. They sailed across the shimmering lake toward the forests and mountains Ava had only dreamed about before. She smiled, knowing this was the start of many adventures to come. Her wish had come true! 

Here is a proposed poetry lesson plan using the fairy tale story:

Lesson Title: Exploring Elements of Poetry with The Tower of Dreams Fairy Tale

Grade Level: 4th-5th Grade  

Lesson Objective: 

- Students will be able to identify and explain key elements of poetry including rhyme, alliteration, imagery, symbolism, metaphor, atmosphere, and theme.

- Students will analyze the use of poetic elements in the fairy tale poem.

- Students will write their own original poems demonstrating understanding of poetic elements.

Link to Science of Reading: This lesson focuses on developing awareness of the structure and features of written poetry. Identifying patterns of rhyme, alliteration, imagery, etc. builds engagement with the phonological and morphological patterns in poetry.

Assessment:

- Formative assessment will be questioning during class discussion to check understanding.

- Summative assessment will be student's original poem demonstrating proper use of poetic elements.

Lesson Procedures:

1. Teacher reads aloud the fairy tale poem and students follow along with their own copy.

2. Class discusses reactions and favorite parts of the poem.

3. Teacher leads close reading analysis of the poem, guiding students to identify examples of rhyme schemes, alliteration, vivid imagery, symbolism, metaphors, atmosphere, and theme.

4. In small groups, students search for additional examples of poetic elements in the poem and share out to class.

5. Teacher explains how poets carefully choose words and structure to create effects.

6. Individual writing activity: Students draft their own original poem incorporating poetic elements studied in this lesson. Emphasize creative expression! 

7. Share poems in an author's chair reading. Offer positive feedback identifying poetic elements.

Morphology Focus: Point out recurring rhyme endings that form morphological patterns (ex: -ight, -ay). Examine how alliteration connects onset and rime patterns. 

This fairy tale poem lesson plan engages multiple modalities of reading, writing, listening and speaking to analyze and apply poetic elements. The science of reading best practices of morphology instruction and phonological awareness are incorporated to build literacy skills.

Here are some of the main literary elements used in the fairy tale:

Setting - The story establishes a magical setting with descriptions like "faraway land", "magnificent Tower Castle", "shimmering lake", "forests and mountains in the distance". This creates an imaginative world for the reader.

Characterization - The princess Ava is described with details like "hair as golden as the sun" and "eyes as blue as the lake" that help visualize and understand her character. She is portrayed as curious and adventurous.

Plot - The story has a clear narrative arc, including Ava's longing to explore, the appearance of the magical staircase, her journey across the lake, meeting the fairy, and starting her adventures. This moves the story forward.

Theme - The themes of pursuing one's dreams and destiny are shown through Ava's wish coming true when she steps outside the tower. This conveys a lesson.

Imagery - Descriptive language like "shimmering lake", "misty heavens", and "moonlit garden" allows readers to imagine the sights and scenes. This engages the senses.

Magic/Fantasy - Magical elements like the appearing staircase, talking fairy, and boat ride add imaginative excitement and wonder. This draws readers into the fairy tale world.

Schematic  - A graphical representation of a system's elements using abstract symbols and lines. Schematics are simple, accessible, and use simple lines and symbols to communicate information such as what, how, and where.

So in summary, strong setting, characters, plot, theme, sensory imagery, and fantasy come together to create an engaging literary fairy tale.

The Tower of Dreams

In a kingdom far, far away 

Stood a tower tall and gray

Reaching up through mist and cloud

Like a giant castle proud

There lived a princess, golden and bright  

With sapphire eyes that shone daylight

Ava was her name, a beauty indeed

But her heart sought adventure with desperate need

The tower kept her locked in like a cage  

Gazing out, turn every page 

Of the forests and mountains afar

Wondering what perils adventures held for her

Climbing up to the highest room

Peering out into the dark and gloom

Ava closed her eyes and made a wish that night

"I wish to explore those lands in my sight"

Suddenly, a secret door creaked wide

Down spiraled stairs that she spied

Grabbing her cloak, purple as wine

Ava descended to where the archway vine

Led to a garden, a fairy sight

Filled with fountains and flowers bright

Flitting fairies waved as she walked through

Toward the boat waiting there filled with moonlight too

"Your destiny awaits, Princess Ava" said the fairy guide

As they sailed toward the mountains, forests wide

Adventure shone in her smile that day

Her wish had come true in the most magical way

Literary and poetic elements:

- Rhyme - Each stanza contains rhyming lines that give poetic rhythm

- Alliteration - "Stood a tower tall and gray", "beauty bright"

- Imagery - Vivid descriptive language - "dark and gloom", "moonlight too"

- Symbolism - The tower represents confinement, while the voyage represents freedom

- Metaphor - "Her heart sought adventure with desperate need"

- Fairy Tale Elements - Princess, fairy guide, wishes coming true through magic

- Theme - Seeking adventure and one's destiny

- Atmosphere - Sense of wonder and magic

Here are some ideas for teaching poetry and poetic elements to 4th and 5th graders:

• Introduce structural elements of poetry.

  Start by talking about the differences between stories and poems. Then, introduce the basic elements of poetry, such as rhyme, meter, stanzas, and line breaks. You can use an anchor chart as a visual aid.
• Read a variety of poems.

  Read poems out loud to your students, and give them a chance to read poems on their own. Be sure to include a variety of poems, including some that are written for kids and young adults.
• Discuss the poems.

  After you read a poem, talk to your students about what they liked about it. Ask them questions about the poem's meaning, imagery, and language.
• Write poems.

  Encourage your students to write their own poems. They can write about anything they want, and they can use any form of poetry they like.

Here are some specific activities you can do with your students:

• Poetry walk.

  Take your students on a walk around the school, neighborhood, or community. Have them observe and collect sensory images from their direct experience with nature. Then, have them use these images to write poems.
• Poetry collage.

  Have your students create a collage using words and phrases from poems they like. They can use magazines, newspapers, or other sources to find their words and phrases.
• Poetry performance.

  Have your students perform poems for the class. They can recite poems from memory, or they can create their own performances.

Here are some additional tips for teaching poetry:

• Make it fun! Poetry should be enjoyable for students. If they're not having fun, they're less likely to be engaged.
• Be patient. It takes time for students to develop an appreciation for poetry. Don't get discouraged if they don't "get it" right away.
• Be creative. There are many different ways to teach poetry. Don't be afraid to experiment with different activities and approaches.

The Tower of Temptation

High atop a tower of shimmering stone, Princess Aurora gazed out her window at the fantastical scene below. Colorful hot air balloons dotted the azure sky as airships glided by, their sails catching the wind. She longed to sail through the clouds and see the world.

One day, a mysterious woman appeared in the tower offering Aurora a chance to ride the airships if she gave her a lock of her golden hair. "Your hair contains powerful magic," she explained. The vain princess eagerly agreed.

As Aurora soared into the sky, she was amazed by the view but soon realized she could not control the airship. The woman had tricked her! Aurora plummeted downward, her dress billowing wildly around her. She felt the magic leaving her as the strand of hair blew away.

Just before Aurora hit the ground, the airship swooped down and caught her. The woman revealed she was Aurora's fairy godmother Odessa in disguise. "Greed and vanity will lead you astray," she warned. Odessa returned Aurora safely to her tower with a lesson learned. Though she missed the lock of hair, Aurora's kind heart grew three sizes that day. From then on, she used her powers to help others, spreading magic throughout the land.

The story uses:
- Fairy tale elements like princess, tower, fairy godmother
- Moral lesson about avoiding greed and vanity
- Imagery and figurative language to describe setting
- Symbolism of the magical hair representing power
- Theme of learning to use gifts wisely
- Atmosphere of wonder with airships and hot air balloons
- Characterization through Aurora's personal growth
- Plot of temptation, punishment, and redemption