WELCOME TO 10TH GRADE ENGLISHTHURSDAY9 JAN. 2014

Agenda:

► Practice Reciting Poem

► Mini-lesson on Marking Emotional Beats

► Mini-lesson on Blocking

Homework:

1. Finish marking beats or blocking if did not finish in class.

2. Bring Lord of the Flies books tomorrow! We’re turning them in to the library.

3. Memorized Poem with Gestures due Tuesday, 1/21.

LEARNING TARGETS

1. I can recite my poem aloud.2. I can find and mark the different

emotional “beats” in my poem.3. I can “block” the movements and

gestures I plan to make while reciting my poem.

RECITING WITH A PARTNER

First, read the poem a few times to yourself to get a general feel for how the poem might sound. (3 minutes)

Then, read your poem aloud to your partner.

Title of poem Author Recite Poem

Person with the largest shoe size should go first.

FINDING EMOTIONAL BEATS1. What are beats?

Changes in emotion or purpose

2. How do I find beats in my poem?Read the poem and analyze every time there is a pause, change in

emotion, or change in purpose3. What are some example emotions my speaker might feel during the poem?

ContemplativeSorrowYearningInspiredThoughtfulDepressedGrimAngryBitterEnthusiastic

“INTRODUCTION TO POETRY”BILLY COLLINS

I ask them / to take a poem/and hold it up to the light/

like a color slide/

Or/ press an ear/ against its hive./

I say/ drop a mouse into a poemand watch him probe his way out,/

Or /walk inside the poem's room/and feel the walls / for a light switch.

I want them to waterskiacross the surface of a poem

waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to dois tie the poem to a chair with ropeand torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hoseto find out what it really means.

HOW TO FIND AND MARK EMOTIONAL BEATS

1. Break the poem down by sentences or stanzas.

2. Focus on 1 sentence or stanza and analyze it until you understand what it means.

3. Repeat until you’ve decoded and understand each stanza or sentence throughout the poem.

4. Identify the emotions the speaker feels in each stanza or sentence.

5. Break up whole lines into separate emotional beats when appropriate.

6. Repeat through whole poem until every emotion is labeled.

BLOCKING - the process of developing the movement during a performance.

Should reinforce the motivation, dynamic, emotion and/or purpose of the speaker in order to assist the audience in understanding the poem.

Let the emotions you just marked in your poem be a guide or inspiration for your movement choices.

STANDING TALL = powerful, happy, excited or aggressive.

LOWERED HEAD/CHEST CAVED IN = appearing weak, sad or passive.

Try several ways of moving/gesturing until you find one that works for you. When you find what works for you, WRITE IT DOWN in between the lines or beside the lines of the script where you are going to make the planned movement.