6 Prompting Questions for Student Engagement – Lesson Plan Activities
Authors: Mary Beth Cancienne, Hayes Davis, Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Brian Hannon, T.J. Hendrix
Target Group: Middle School (7th-8th grade)
Originally from Food for Bonding, Food for Resistance Unit Plan
Whole class reading of “My Resistance is Black” by DéLana R.A. Dameron (from Furious Flower 2019, p. 187)
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Level One |
What perspective is this poem being told from? What are some of the things that are mentioned in the poem? What words are repeated in the poem? |
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Level Two |
What greater historical event is this poem connected to? How do you know? Why does Dameron repeat the phrase “some body?” What affect does the separation of somebody into a phrase, “some body,” add to the meaning of the poem? What other poetic devices does Dameron use? |
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Level Three |
In what ways is this poem about unsung heroes? Can you relate to the speaker of this poem? How or why? Have you ever worked behind the scenes on a project, performance, or event? Where you recognized for your efforts? Who was most celebrated? |
Whole Group Activity – Connect Back to Holnes Poem (“Bread Pudding Grandmamma,” pp. 47-48)
Room Split Exercise Guiding Questions
- Which poem resonates strongly with you? Students will silently choose a side and physically move to that side of the room.
- Why? Students will discuss why once they have gathered into their groups
Mini-Discussion Questions
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Level One |
Who is the speaker in both poems? Do they have anything in common? How are the two poems structurally different? What are some commonalities in each of the poems? |
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Level Two |
What are some common themes found in each poem? How do the authors use diction differently or similarly in their poems? Do the authors use the same literary devices in their poems? |
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Level Three |
How do the ideas found in these poems represent greater ideas of concepts? It what way do each of the poems represent a process? How does the author present a greater idea through these processes? |
