Poetry Activities for Metaphor w/ Paul Laurence Dunbar & 'We Wear...'

Dive into the engaging world of poetry analysis with this comprehensive resource focusing on Paul Laurence Dunbar's profound poem, "We Wear the Mask." This package enables your students to explore the intriguing world of metaphors using guided annotation, detailed literary analysis (inclusive of short answer and essay tasks), along with a captivating, creative poem-composing activity.

Seize this chance to augment your poetry syllabus with a tool that motivates students to delve into the intricacies of metaphors in poetry, notably via the perspective of Paul Laurence Dunbar's impressive masterpiece. Cultivate their grasp and admiration for this fundamental literary technique.

Executing this resource is a breeze! Kick off by sharing and examining the poem through the poem analysis activity, serving as an ideal bell ringer. Subsequently, allocate time for students to conduct the guided annotation activity and respond to the analysis question embedded in the lesson (solution key provided!). Following this, students are given the platform to compose their own poem leveraging the poetic concept dissected earlier. Concludingly, gauge students' comprehension of the poem and its poetic concepts through a literary analysis essay. This essay task comes equipped with a prompt, writing advice, peer evaluation, and a Common Core-aligned scoring rubric!

Your TeachSimple download includes:

• A POEM ANALYSIS ACTIVITY: Give students the opportunity to read Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask” (text included) and analyze the poem via an annotation activity and accompanying analysis questions (answer key included). Ideal for a bell ringer!

• A CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Provide students the opportunity to further develop their understanding of metaphors with a creative poem writing assignment (tied to one Common Core Writing Standard). Ideal for sub plans!

• A LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY: This essay assignment builds on students' understanding of metaphors and Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask.” The assignment handout includes essay guidelines, analysis prompt, literary analysis writing tips, and a peer review checklist. The included rubric is tied to 4 Common Core ELA Standards and includes a link to an editable rubric that allows for grading customization and seamless integration into Google Classroom and many other Learning Management Systems (LMS's)

Although this resource can be fitted for any secondary Language Arts classroom, it has been carefully designed to work best in grades 9 through 12. The included rubric is subtly but specifically tied to Common Core ELA Standards for Language (1 and 2) and Writing (2 and 4). This resource is provided in print-ready, bookmarked, and adjustable PDF files and PowerPoint Show files.

This resource contains 5 pages and 1 Google Sheet.