Melissa Meyer

Lesson Plan

Poetry of World War II: Its effects and what we can learn from it.

Grades: High School

Subject: American History or World History

Resources: Textbook, Internet, and class notes

Objective: Students will be able to:

1.explain the part poetry played in the lives of World War II soldiers, civilization, and/or people at home,

2.describe what can be learned from the poetry that cannot be learned from the textbook,

3. create an original poem by borrowing from works, using the "Dada" method, using imitation/transformation, or as a poem created as they like.

Process:

1. Cover WWII textbook material for the facts as to cause and effects of the war.

2. Discuss what poetry is

-expression of feelings, thoughts, emotions into words

-many different meanings can be found in poetry

-it is an individual experience

-a "fun" way to find out about life during a war without reading a textbook

-explain how to "borrow from works," the "Dada" method modified, and imitation/transformation methods of writing poetry (examples of these will be covered in class)

-poetry does NOT have to rhyme!!!

-do not worry if things don't sound good at first, revision is always possible

-do not be afraid to try and do not worry about what someone else may think of your work. You do not have to show them what you have done.

3. Students will be given a list of web sites to find poems, songs, cartoons, short stories, pictures, photographs, and posters on. Web sites will include but are not limited to:

www.authentichistory.com/audio/WW2.html

http://home.att.net/~merkki/art.htm

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic

www.wargame.com/archives/poems/poem38.shtml

http://hynza1.tripod.com/borowski/dachau.html

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/ppdono/pat/mjd/mjd3.htm

4. While at these sites, students will be able to view poems, cartoons, pictures, paintings, songs, and political cartoons created during World War II by soldiers, families at home, POW's, and writers.

5. They may also do their own searches using www.google.com for more examples.

Assessment:

1. Need to pick out five poems or songs to use to answer the following questions.

--"What purpose do you think this poem served for the writer?"

--"What have you learned from the work that you did not already know about World War II or that era?"

2. From the poems, songs, pictures, cartoons, political cartoons, short stories, paintings, etc.

create two poems using one of the methods that were gone over in class or a more traditional style. You may use different methods for each poem if you wish. Based on what you have learned about World War II you may create an original poem also. Use what you are comfortable with and works best for you!

3. Ongoing assessment: While the students are working on the computer I will be going around asking them what they like/dislike about what they are finding, what is interesting, etc. to be sure that they are on-task while working on the computers.

4. Optional: If you would like to submit poetry through power point instead of writing on paper that

is fine. Works of poetry may also be shared with the class if you would like. If you have other ways of presenting your work see me to work something out.

Example of poems found for students to view:

Leo Marks (1943?)

For Ruth who died in an air crash in Canada in 1943

He wrote original poetry to hide codes in during the

war and this is one example. He died January 22, 2001.

The life that I have

Is all that I have

And the life that I have

Is yours

The love that I have

Of the life that I have

Is yours and yours and yours

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have

Yet death will be but a pause

For the peace of my years

In the long green grass.

I have not been able to find any more of his poems right now, but will continue to look. I also do not know what secret code was hidden in this poem. I will be using this assignment in my World History class (grades 9-11) in the next few weeks as we finish up studying about World War II. I will be forwarding some of the specific web sites(approximately 10 pages worth of poems and songs) to give more examples of the poems and songs that the students will have a chance to view. If more examples or clarifications need to be made, please let me know.

Melissa Meyer

mnmmeyer@yahoo.com