Lesson Introduction
Using poets Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay’s YouTube performance of “When Love Arrives” as an inspiration, students will perform and write comparison poems for two voices. After a discussion of the unique structure of these poems, students will choose two things: people (like: teacher and student), things (such as: computer and typewriter) or ideas (ex. childhood and adulthood) to compare and contrast when writing their own poems. Finally, student will choose, prepare and perform their peers’ poetry in pairs for the class and the student author to see.
Learning Objectives
In this lesson, students will have opportunities to:
- View performances of poems for two voices.
- Focus on tone and tone shifts, voice, contract.
- Write poetry from different perspectives.
- Use a template as a structural framework for a poem for two voices.
- Advise and receive feedback on their poem and the poem they are performing.
- Work collaboratively with student author and another student on performance.
Materials and Resources
To teach this lesson, you will need:
- YouTube clip of Phil and Sarah Kaye “When Love Arrives” (for form and performance)
- annotated version of the co-written poem “When Love Arrives”
- Paul Fleischman’s Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices (optional)
- Performing a Poem for Two Voices (handout)
- Poetry In Voice Tone List
- A Venn Diagram (handout)
- Framework for Writing a Poem for Two Voices (hand out that is useful for ESL or students with learning difficulties)
- Poetry In Voice Scoring Rubric
- BC Performance Standards Quick Scale: Grade 7 Writing Poems