1.3 Responding to Poetry
Task:
In this activity, you will have a chance to apply some of the poetry reading strategies from this lesson as you read and listen to “The Elder’s Drum” by Alberta writer Molly Chisaakay. Complete/Answer the questions below.
In this poem, the speaker weaves together images of her childhood—songs, drums, and her grandfather, who was a spiritual leader—to help the reader connect with the rituals and heritage of her people, the Dene Nation.
1. TPCASTT the poem. Fill in this graphic organizer as you go through this assignment. Submit this activity with your response to the next questions.
2. Figurative language like imagery uses words that stimulate the reader's imagination by appealing to the senses. These help to make a literary work powerful. Instead of using ordinary language that readers may take for granted, the writer chooses words that make a vivid impression on our senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. They need not be long or obscure in meaning. They should, however, be striking. Create a table to list the vivid verbs, adjectives, and nouns in Molly Chisaakay’s poem ‘”The Elder’s Drum” that appeal to the senses. Identify which of the 5 senses is being awakened with each word choice.
3. How does Chisaakay feel about the rituals and heritage of her people, the Dene Nation? How do you know? Provide evidence from the poem.
4. a) Listen to the audio recording of this poem below.
b) Then click here to read the poem in its printed format.
5. After you have read the poem, try listening to the audio again.
- How did your second listen benefit from your on-the-page reading?
- Which did you find easiest or most comfortable?
- Consider how listening to a poem being read aloud is different from reading it silently.
Write a personal response of approximately 200 words that addresses your reactions to the oral presentation and to the written presentation. What made the experience different or similar for you? Reflect on the effect of either listening to or reading a poem. In a response, you go beyond "I like it," or "It's different," and give a thoughtful reaction to a piece of literature and the question. A personal response to literature is the reader's answer to the question: "What are my thoughts and feelings about the two different presentations of this poem? How do I connect to the poem and the question?"
Assessment: Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.
Learning Target: Exemplary (6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective. Student demonstrates exemplary active reading skills and reflection to respond to questions on a selection of poetry. There is a perceptive personal response. All activities are complete and correctly answered. Ideas generated are thoughtful and unique.
Written Expression: Exemplary (6/6): Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen. Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization. Responses are skillfully organized, edited and easy to read.
Estimated Allotted Time: 45 min. to 1 hour
Submission: "1.3 Responding to Poetry"
This is where you will upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.
You will upload the file (.docx, .pdf, .png or .ppt) containing your assignment.
Name the file with your name and the title. eg. Sally Brown Elder's Drum
- Click Add submission
- Upload the file containing your assignment under File submission
- Click Save changes.
- OR provide the shareable link from your Google drive in the online text box.