Lesson 7: Robert Frost
Getting Started
Today you are going to begin reading a unique novel. One thing that makes the novel interesting is that it is written as if it were a poem.
The narrator of the story is boy who is learning about poetry in his class at school. It is written in first person from the boy's perspective. The book is his side of a conversation he is having with his teacher about poetry.
The narrator of the story is boy who is learning about poetry in his class at school. It is written in first person from the boy's perspective. The book is his side of a conversation he is having with his teacher about poetry.
Stuff You Need
- "Timeline of American History"* (Activity 2 - optional)
- Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
- My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States by Lee Bennett Hopkins
* - denotes an optional material that may or may not be needed
Ideas to Think About
- How do poets appeal to the emotions and senses of the readers?
- What relationships and patterns exist among the words in poetry?
Things to Know
- Robert Frost was a famous American poet. Nature was the subject of many of his poems.
- To analyze a poem means to read it very closely and think about its meaning. In an analysis, you try to understand what the poet is trying to communicate through the poem and what literary techniques he or she used.
- An action verb shows action.
- A linking verb links the subject of the sentence to words about the subject.
Skills
- Apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. (LA)
- Apply knowledge of language structure, grammar, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss texts. (LA)
- Identify how language and word choice can reflect regions and cultures. (LA)
Introducing the Lesson
Tell your child that today he is going to begin a unique novel called Love That Dog.
Materials: Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
Read pages 1-21 of the novel Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. Answer these questions.
Questions
- How is Love That Dog different from other novels you have read?It is written like a poem.
- How old do you think Jack (the narrator) is? Why? Anywhere from 4th-6th grade.
- Read the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" found in the back of the book. What do you think about the poem?Answers will vary.
- Why do you think Jack does not want his poems read aloud or hung on the board?Answers will vary.