Poetry+Comparison+-+Learning+Essentials

Standards:
CFU 0801.3.16aAcknowledge source material (e.g., list sources). CFU 0801.8.13Comprehend and use figurative language (e.g., idioms, metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, pun). CFU 0801.8.12Consider how forms and conventions within genres (e.g., poetry, drama, essays, short stories) affect meaning. CFU 0801.8.14Identify sound patterns (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme, assonance, internal rhyme, slant rhyme, repetition) and figurative language (e.g., metaphor, simile), and other conventions of verse (e.g., limerick, lyric, narrative, haiku) in poetry and explain how these contribute to the poem's meaning and to the poem's effect. CFU 0801.8.19Identify the historical period in which a literary text was written and explain the text in light of this understanding. CFU 0801.8.20Recognize that the author's viewpoint may or may not reflect the culture or mores of the time in which the author lives. CFU 0801.3.1Write in a variety of modes and genres, including description, narration, exposition, persuasion, literary response, personal expression, and imaginative. CFU 0801.3.3bUse varied strategies to achieve different purposes (e.g., providing facts and details or including examples to illustrate). GLE 0801.3.4Refine strategies for editing and revising written work. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: ||
 * Reading and Language Arts:**
 * || CFU 0801.3.21 || Use relatively basic software programs (e.g., Word PowerPoint) to write texts and create graphics to present ideas visually and in writing. ||
 * Technology:**
 * **2.** || **Communication and Collaboration** ||
 * || || a. || interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. || ||

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: ||
 * **3.** || **Research and Information Fluency** ||
 * || || a. || plan strategies to guide inquiry. ||
 * c. || evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. || ||


 * **6.** || **Technology Operations and Concepts** ||
 * || Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: ||
 * || || a. || understand and use technology systems. ||
 * b. || select and use applications effectively and productively. || ||

Introduction/Problem:
Compare and contrast essays are one form of the expository writing that students must do in 8th grade. In this lesson, students will use their study of poetry from 'Reading class to write a compare contrast essay. Emphasis will be on using the tools available in Learning Essentials for Microsoft Office for prewriting, revision, and editing scaffolds. In addition, students will use the reviewing features of Microsoft Word to peer edit and the school's Active Directory server to collaborate and store writing.

Procedures:
1. Briefly review poetry choice for comparison. (Share this page with links so students can access poems as needed.) Mother to Son by Langston Hughes Fire and Ice by Robert Frost The Moth Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar
 * Firefox is the suggested browser for review of poems because it will open each poem in a new tab by default.
 * Day 1:**

2. Have students open Learning Essentials for Microsoft Office, go to Research and Brainstorming, Choose Venn Diagram. After selecting two of the poems to compare/contrast, have students complete the Venn Diagram Template, save using naming conventions (Ex: 1BakerD_PoemVenn), and save to home folder on the school server. 3. If time allows, have students use the Venn Diagram they have completed to write a paragraph comparing and contrasting chosen poems. Type paragraph on Microsoft Word. (Remember to add Header, name document, save to server, etc.)


 * Day 2:**

1. If students were unable to write compare/contrast paragraphs (see #3 above) on day 1, have them open Venn diagram AFTER moving it from the server to their computer and use Word to write paragraphs. 2. Once paragraphs are completed, with the Word document open, have students go to Student Tools in the toolbar and select Project Assistance, and then choose Comparison Contrast Essay, (even though they have only one paragraph) from the list. 3. Briefly explain the tabs/writing process home tab to students and have them click on either the word Revising or tab 3 to go to the revision checklist. Have students to use the checklist to revise paragraphs. Have students use the Editing tab, tab 4, to work in pairs for editing the paragraphs. 4. Save revised and edited paragraphs to the school server in the student's public folder.


 * Day 3:**

1. Model the use of track changes and comments in Word and discuss peer review of papers. 2. Pair students and have them go to the public folder of their partner to open to peer review. Have the reviewer use Comments to suggest further revision and editing. (Reviewer will have to rename document. Suggestion: Have the reviewer add their initials to the end of the document name. This will allow them to save changes and for the document to be dropped easily.) When finished reviewing, have reviewers drop the document into the author's drop box. 3. Have author consider revision and editing suggestions, decide whether or not to incorporate on their original paper (in their public folder), save any changes, and drop the final document into the teacher's drop box on the server and into his/her portfolio folder.