Life+Experiences+and+Poetry

Project Title: The Effect of Life Experiences on Literature Grade: 6


 * Name**: Lisa Wetherington Crawford


 * Project Idea**: After researching selected authors and their known life experiences, students will read the author’s works to discover the possible effect of the author’s background on their work. Students will present and share discoveries. The student will then create a poem that is driven by their past experiences.
 * Driving Question**: How do life experiences effect our writings?


 * Content**: Autobiographical information and examples of poetry on Langston Hughes, Mildred Taylor, Edgar Alan Poe, and Louis Carol, point of view, mood/tone, purpose, technique


 * Product:** The student will create a poem that is driven by their past experiences. Students will present their poetry in one of two methods; dramatically act out the poem in character dress in person or via podcast or in an illustrated poster. Students will then combine all poetry to create a poetry book and publish poems online. Students will also turn in a copy of their poem with mood/tone, author’s purpose and perspective, and various literary techniques labeled.