Lesson #4:
The Sound of Symbols (Time 1 hr, 5 min)
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Aim: How do symbols help us represent our identity?

Materials:
“Lake Isle of Innisfree” W.B. Yeats
“We Wear the Mask” Paul Laurence Dunbar
“Kodachrome” Paul Simon  

Opening:
Freewrite. Students will respond to the Aim.

Shared Reading:
Each poem (or song) will be read (listened to) twice.
Students will annotate their papers and highlight language
they found engaging and interesting.   

Model/Direct Instruction:
The teacher will review the definition of symbol and symbolism.
By referring to previous symbols discussed in class and symbols
seen frequently in pop culture, the teacher will allow students
to use their prior knowledge to assist their analysis of the poems (song).

Independent Practice:
In groups of six, students will be given a poem (song) read in class
and identify the symbolic qualities of the written work. They will be
encouraged to look closely at the language and note how the
vividness of the words adds to the representation of symbolic ideas.

Students will also create a T-chart graphic organizer that has two
columns: “What does the writer talk about?” & “How does the writer
talk about it?”   These two categories are used frequently during
close-reading analysis in order to focus discussions on the content
and the writing techniques. In addition to recording their ideas on
chart paper, students will be asked to sketch the symbol. This sketch
will serve as a visual aid to help them explain their interpretation of
how the symbol relates to the work as a whole.

Whole Group Discussion:
Students will present their “symbolic” findings, ideas and creations.

Culminating Activity:
Students will sketch a symbol that represents one aspect of their identity.
For homework, students will write a response paper
(a 1-2 page thought paper) that explains the symbolic meaning of
their in-class sketch. Students will be encouraged to share their sketch.

Closing:
Return to the Aim and evaluate the use of symbols as
representative tools