Lesson Plan | Socioemotional Learning | Playing with Poetic Structure

Objectives

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this step is to lay a strong foundation for the lesson by clearly defining the objectives that intertwine the development of poetic skills with socioemotional learning. By focusing on self-awareness, social skills, and decision-making, students will not only engage creatively with language but will also learn to express and regulate their emotions throughout the poetic process. This dual focus encourages the students to embrace their feelings and those of their peers while fostering a sense of community and teamwork in the classroom.

Main Objectives

1. Develop self-awareness and emotional recognition through the exploration of poetic structure in creative writing.

2. Enhance social skills by collaborating with peers to create a group poem, encouraging cooperation and shared decision-making.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Emotional Warmup Activity

Breathe Life into Poetry

Mindful Breathing for Creativity

1. Gather the students in a circle on the floor or at their desks.

2. Instruct the students to sit comfortably with their backs straight but relaxed.

3. Invite them to close their eyes gently if they feel comfortable doing so.

4. Guide the students to take a deep breath in through their noses, counting to four slowly (1, 2, 3, 4).

5. Ask them to hold their breath for a count of four (1, 2, 3, 4).

6. Instruct the students to exhale slowly through their mouths, counting to four again (1, 2, 3, 4).

7. Encourage the students to continue this pattern of breathing for five minutes, focusing on the sensation of the air moving in and out of their bodies.

8. After five minutes, gently prompt the students to open their eyes and bring their awareness back to the classroom.

Content Contextualization

Poetry can be a powerful tool to express feelings and thoughts. Students might often feel overwhelmed with emotions—whether it's happiness from winning a game, sadness from not being chosen for a team, or excitement from a birthday party. These feelings can inspire beautiful poetry! By learning about poetic structures today, students will not only play with words but also explore how their emotions can give depth to their writing. Just like a rainbow is made of different colours, each emotion can add a unique shade to their poems, making them more vibrant and relatable. When they share their creations, they can connect with their classmates and realise that everyone experiences similar feelings, fostering empathy and understanding.

Development

Duration: (60 - 75 minutes)

Theory Guide

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Poetry is an art form that combines creativity with structured expression. It can take many forms, including rhymes, free verse, and haikus. Each form has its unique structure that affects how the poem feels and flows.

2. Line length in poetry can change the poem's rhythm and how it feels to the reader. Short lines can create a sense of urgency, while longer lines can give a feeling of calm or reflection.

3. Stanza breaks are like paragraphs in prose but can create pauses or shifts in mood within a poem. These breaks allow the poet to emphasize a specific idea or emotion, much like a frame in a picture.

4. The use of imagery in poetry is important because it helps convey emotions and ideas vividly. Students can be encouraged to think of emotions like colours or actions to describe what they want to express.

5. Through the exploration of line lengths and stanza breaks, students will learn to relate their feelings to their writing. For instance, if a student feels excited, they might choose short, quick lines to express that thrill.

6. Encourage students to think about how they feel when creating their poems and how they can shape their words to reflect those emotions. This encourages self-awareness and responsible decision-making as they choose which emotions to highlight.

Activity with Socioemotional Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Brincando com Estruturas Poéticas

Students will work in small groups to create a poem using the concepts of line lengths and stanza breaks. Each group will discuss their emotions and decide how to structure their poem to best express those feelings. They will engage in a creative process that integrates emotional awareness with poetic structure.

1. Divide the students into small groups of four or five.

2. Each group should choose a shared emotion as their focus, such as happiness, sadness, or excitement.

3. Encourage the students to brainstorm ideas for their poem around this emotion.

4. Guide them to experiment with line lengths and stanza breaks, discussing how these choices affect the poem's meaning and feel.

5. Each group will write their poem on a large sheet of paper or a whiteboard.

6. Once completed, each group will present their poem to the class, explaining their emotional choices and structural decisions.

Discussion and Group Feedback

Then, label the emotions expressed in the poems accurately. Ask students to share how they felt while listening to each other's work. This can cultivate an atmosphere of empathy and support. Finally, express emotions by sharing personal connections to the poems, and encourage students to discuss how they might regulate their feelings in future writing tasks, such as using breathing techniques or changing their writing approach. This holistic approach ensures students leave the lesson with enhanced emotional intelligence alongside their poetic skills.

Conclusion

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Reflection and Emotional Regulation

Conduct a reflective circle where students take turns sharing one challenge they faced during the poem creation process and how they felt in response to it. The teacher should encourage each student to express their emotions, describing what specific feelings arose and how they managed those emotions—whether through breathing techniques, talking with a friend, or taking a moment to think. This sharing can be done verbally or in pairs before a larger group discussion. Students will be guided to listen actively and supportively to their peers, reinforcing the importance of empathy and understanding in managing emotions together.

Objective: The objective of this activity is to encourage self-assessment and emotional regulation by helping students identify effective strategies they used to navigate challenges during the lesson. By reflecting on their feelings and responses, students will enhance their self-awareness and learn to apply similar strategies in future situations, fostering a stronger emotional intelligence.

Glimpse into the Future

In closing, the teacher should facilitate a goal-setting session where students identify one personal goal and one academic goal that relates to what they learned about poetic structure and emotional expression. Students can write these goals down on a piece of paper or in their journals, which they will decorate to remind them of their aspirations. The teacher can encourage students to think about how they can incorporate the emotions they expressed in their poems into their future writing.

Setting Goals:

1. Improve my ability to express emotions in my writing by using different poetic structures.

2. Share my poems with others to build my confidence in expressing myself.

3. Recognise emotions in myself and others while creating poetry.

4. Experiment with various emotions in my poems to see which ones resonate more with me and my classmates. Objective: The objective of this goal-setting activity is to strengthen students' autonomy and promote the practical application of their learning. By identifying personal and academic goals, students will be encouraged to take ownership of their growth and development, ensuring continuity in their emotional and poetic journey.