Using Arts Integration to Bridge African American Vernacular Englishand Academic English in High Poverty Schools By Lisa Ekrem and Faiza Holmes A final paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching. Hamline University Saint Paul, Minnesota July 30, 2015 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………… 3 Chapter One: Introduction …………………………………………………………… 4 What is Arts Integration? …………………………………………………….. 5 Background of Researchers …………………………………………………... 6 Background of Our School and Students ……………………………………... 8 Chapter Overviews……………………………………………………………. 10 Chapter Two: Literature Review ……………………………………………………… 12 AAVE …………………………………………………………………………. 12 Defining SAE and AAVE …………………………………………………….. 15 Students, Language, and Achievement ……………………………………….. 19 Perceptions and Consequences of AAVE in the Classroom ………………….. 20 Low Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement …………………….. 22 Brain-Based Learning and Arts Integration …………………………………… 23 Benefits of Arts Integration ……………………………………………………. 26 Gaps in the Research …………………………………………………………… 28 Summary/Conclusion …………………………………………………………... 29 3 Chapter Three: Results and Reflection ………………………………………………… 30 Method: Spoken Word Poetry and Self-Expression …………………………… 33 Participants and Setting ………………………………………………………… 34 Data Collection ………………………………………………………………… 34 Procedure ………………………………………………………………………. 35 Theories of Learning …………………………………………………………… 36 Summary ………………………………………………………………………... 36 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………… 37 References ………………………………………………………………………………..41 Appendix A ……………………………………………………………………………… 44 4 Abstract: Arts Integration is defined as an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate their understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process, which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both (Silverstein & Layne, 2010). Arts Integration has shown positive effects in student’s reading and math proficiency scores, participation, behavior, critical thinking skills, graduation rates, and naturally increases motivation. This paper gives rationale for how arts integration works in the brain. It also provides an arts integration spoken-word poetry unit plan to help increase Standard English skills in students who speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE). 5 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION “Your students’ life experiences are a rich source of background knowledge and potential narrative strategy for you to tap into your classroom.” -Eric Jensen Instructional “best practices” have intentions of empowering, engaging, and celebrating each student’s unique gifts. Generally, teachers are taught to cultivate each student to become the best versions of themselves, both academically and socially. This fuels an active investment into each student, encouraging academic, social, and emotional growth. Endless opportunities for students to realize their own potential, engage in new life experiences, and become leaders in their community are some of the most prized outcomes instructors hope for within their classroom communities. Due to this thought, there is a deep-rooted, interdisciplinary outcome that each child is entitled to learn and develop in a positive, academically-rich environment, which promotes self-determination, and high levels of success. It is inherently in this belief that we formulate the expectation for learners to have the ability to achieve high academic and social standards. Despite having the best of intentions, many inner-city teachers and schools fall short of reaching a learner’s academic needs. Explanations range from varying socioeconomic status, lack of motivation, academically lower functioning learners, learners who experience high levels of trauma or learners that have inconsistencies in receiving their 6 daily necessities. In taking these aspects into account in our diverse learning communities, it is the unique task of teachers to address issues that hinder learning well before the learner fully engages in high levels of academic engagement. This directly impacts student success. Significant social and academic needs should both be addressed, which is no small task. What Is Arts Integration? Imagine: A classroom finishes reading a story, as a whole class. Within typical instructional practices across the country, the teacher may finish reading the story and will likely assess comprehension of that story with a short discussion, activity, or worksheet. In an arts integration classroom, the teacher may use one or multiple formats of artistic expression that would not only help create understanding of the academic content, but would also give the learner autonomy in expressing how they came to understand the content. Further, it allows the learner to show how they feel about the content. Allowing students to express themselves in both formats reinforces the social and academic components that are constantly discussed in “best practices” pedagogy. Arts integration is defined as an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate their understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process, which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both (Silverstein & Layne, 2010). It is a teaching tool that provides multiple avenues for students to express how they understand the content through many creative means. It is defined as an “interdisciplinary partner with other subjects” (Rabkin & Redmond, 2004, p. 8) In reference to the basic literary strategy of reading text, an arts integration classroom community may use alternative strategies to create literary understanding. 7 Furthermore, the demonstration of that understanding would be an alternate and in-depth model of assessment. For example, the instructor may choose to hide the pictures and insist students close their eyes and visualize the scenes instead. Also, the instructor may facilitate small groups of students to create a tableau of poses to share with the rest of the class, who in turn would do the same with the remainder of the story. In combination, students inevitably present a stop-motion scene of each the beginning, middle, and end of the story. The tableau exercise may likely be followed by having the “audience” identify a phrase to describe the scene, as well as provide evidence to support their thinking, introducing state standards of main idea and supporting evidence to the lesson. An exercise such as the tableau described above is an example of how arts integration might look in a typical classroom. Our school community is one of the recipients of a national arts integration grant, which helped fund such experiences in our classrooms. The funds of this grant acted as a promotion of partnership between the school and local artists. The goal of using artists in the classroom is to increase student engagement and enthusiasm for learning, thereby, increasing academic achievement. Consequently, students in our classes have been exposed to a variety of opportunities they may not have been exposed to elsewhere. For example, our students have cooked using fresh, organic vegetables, met a local author who connected their cultural heritage with significant historical events, written poetry, created chalkboard art and beat-boxed. By using these artistic modalities, students and teachers were able to engage in academics in ways that reinforced key social and academic norms. Furthermore, two nationally-recognized actors visited our school. Both celebrities read and engaged with classrooms. They also participated in giving motivational speeches and watched numerous 8 students and classrooms display their current artistic, academic projects during our communal school assemblies. As mainstream, district-oriented teachers, these are not experiences that we could have provided on our own. However, these experiences proved engaging and helped students to feel confident in acquiring knowledge to master state standards and learning goals. Background of Researchers Both researchers teach in the same nationally recognized, “high priority”, urban, public school. Through our time teaching within our urban school we have developed extensive experience in working with students who lack community, family and monetary resources. Although, teaching in a school in which teacher retention rates are predominantly low, and the frequency of inappropriate student behaviors are high, it becomes challenging to navigate a school system that, at times, feels it is built to stifle student understanding and success. Although both researchers come from different cultural backgrounds, and have lives that may not mimic one another, it has been established that our philosophies and practices align. Researcher A is a female of Caucasian decent and grew up in a middle class family in a small town. For a majority of her life, her interaction with people of lower socioeconomic status and people of color were limited and rare. Researcher B is a female of East Indian decent, and grew up in a family that has experienced all spectrums of socioeconomic status, but whose family stabilized in a middle class socioeconomic status. For a majority of her life her interaction with people of lower socioeconomic status was only through volunteer work. Her interaction with people of color was frequent, however, 9 it was still segregated to those of East Indian decent. Although both researchers personal experiences vary, it is important to note, that due to our similar professional experiences, we have commonalities in our strategies, interventions, and pedagogical philosophies. Our commonalities in philosophy stem from some basic core beliefs and practices surrounding positively reinforced behavior management practices. More specifically, this comes with an understanding that a successful classroom community revolves around a positive and responsive classroom environment that sets clear expectations and goals. Moreover, we facilitate the same district-assigned curriculum, and are required to differentiate a range of social and academic skill-sets. This parallels our practices of ongoing assessment and includes the incorporation of multiple modalities of learning. Our core intention for our students, despite whatever life circumstance they may have, is to provide knowledge and strategies to acquire knowledge in order to support selfimprovement through the ability of demonstrating perseverance in self-improvement through lifelong learning. Background of Our School and Students Our school serves a school population who services a student population that is about 98% African-American, 1% Caucasian, and 1% Latino or Asian. We service students in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade. Of the students who attend our school, 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch rates, 35% experience housing transitions throughout the year, and 30% qualify for special education services. In 2014, student proficiency scores ranked lower than 99.4% of elementary schools in Minnesota. Consequently, there are many factors that exist within the community and educational institutions that have created 10 our “high priority” status. In an effort to consider the background of our students, the need to engage our community of students and create learning that aligns with state standards and sincere student “buy-in” becomes paramount. One pervasive issue that we have observed within our school community that hinders the learning process is low socioeconomic status (SES) amongst families. The spectrum of SES within the families in our school community range widely. Some students reside with two parents who have full-time employment. Other students reside in single parent homes in which the adults are employed with three or more jobs in order to make ends meet, and there are many students who reside in single-parent homes without any means of income. Unfortunately, it is also common for many students in our community to be homeless and residing in local shelters or other means they may be privy to. Inevitably for our students, school is a safe place where most students receive two meals, two snacks, and food for the weekend or even month through our in-school food shelf. Most students also receive their uniforms, medical, dental, and vision care through our school. In our observations, students with lower SES have a tendency to lack the type of daily consistencies that are pivotal to learning. It is important to note that students in our school still demonstrate varying social and academic abilities and backgrounds, despite some commonalities in race and SES. One commonality many students share, even those that are not African-American, is their chosen spoken dialect of English. Much of the language our students use when they speak or write is the language considered African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). Depending on which linguist you ask, AAVE is either a language itself or a dialect of the 11 English language. Wheeler, Cartwright, Swords (2012) define AAVE as “a stigmatized variety of English, a variety differing in sound, word, and syntactic patterning from the variety expected in academic contexts.” It has been referred to as Black English or Ebonics and is used by many African Americans, particularly those from working-class or inner-city areas (Baron, 2005). By exploring this commonality, we have made pivotal connections between our students’ achievement and their use and choice of language. In keeping with our new school philosophy of delivering key pedagogy through arts integration, we were lead to exploring one particular guiding question to lead our research and develop our own thinking with our classroom communities. This paper will investigate the guiding question: How can teachers use arts integration in high poverty schools to increase student performance and motivation? Chapter Overviews In Chapter One, we introduced our research by explaining the arts integration concept and provided tableau as an example of a standards-based lesson which included arts integration. We, the researchers, also provided our backgrounds, and information regarding the students we teach. In Chapter Two, we provide a literature review that discusses arts integration in schools, strategies that make it successful, challenges and benefits to implementing it, as well as brain-based evidence of student growth. We connect this information to students who use African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and provide the arts-integrated example of Spoken Word as a means of increasing Standard American English skills among a population that speaks and culturally stems from AAVE. Finally, in Chapter 12 Three, we discuss and provide a potential unit plan incorporating spoken-word poetry as an arts strategy to teach poetry and increase proficiency in Standard American English (SAE), for a third grade classroom. This unit plan was developed after pilot arts integration lesson plans were conducted alongside resident artists. In this chapter we will not only discuss the unit plan, but the possible methodology one may use to collect data, and assess student achievement. Through this research, we hope to provide teachers with realistic and usable arts integration strategies that can be successfully used in the classroom. Ultimately, it is our hope that these strategies will help increase academic achievement in all students despite their social privileges or hindrances. 13 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW “The arts and humanities define who we are as a people. That is their power – to remind us of what we each have to offer, and what we all have in common.” -Michelle Obama The purpose of this research is to provide information to educators regarding the use of an arts integration program in a high-poverty school in order to increase student performance and motivation. This chapter includes a definition and identification of the features of AAVE and SAE, and the correlation with the African American population. Additionally, the chapter discusses strategies that center around the use of AAVE, in the classroom, that may foster student success in SAE, while fostering respect for the varieties of language spoken at home. In this section, it will begin by discussing the implications of AAVE, including the relationship between the language and the society in which it occurs. Following this is the discussion on brain-based research evidence on how children learn naturally, both implicitly and explicitly. Furthermore, this area addresses the relationship between brain-based research and an Arts Integration program, which helps students create deeper learning across the curriculum. The chapter then discusses how Arts Integration positively increases test scores, particularly in inner-city schools, where students are in the most need of further assistance. Lastly, the discussion includes the gaps in literature and information surrounding this topic. Ultimately, it is our goal to use this research to encourage instructors to embrace instructional strategies as a way to use their students’ first language (L1) and their home culture (C1) as a bridge into the use of SAE in proper settings and opportunities. 14 AAVE Use of AAVE is studied as a distinctly African American common language; however, its influences are most often addressed in research regarding the economically disadvantaged. The number of African American’s in this population are below that of the Hispanic race, which is widely recognized as bilingual, and therefore in need of additional English assistance in schools. However, AAVE is not as often recognized and is, to this date, not addressed in the same manner as the challenges facing other bilingual students. While AAVE is believed to be a direct relationship to poverty, the related history is said to be African in origin. It has been glaringly clear in recent decades that AfricanAmerican students are not achieving academic success in comparison amongst other racial groups, which increases the perceptions that AAVE is a language resulting from poor academic achievement. According to the 2011 census, 25.8% of African Americans are at poverty level or below (Income, Poverty and Health, 2011, Table B). While there has been a decrease in the percentage of African Americans in poverty, the problems of poverty and educational decline continue to be demonstrative of educational difficulties. In addition, African American graduation rates have not improved, and actually decreased by approximately 5%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) fouryear data, which found for the school year 2012-13, only 70.7% of African Americans graduated, and only 73.3% of economically disadvantaged students (Common Core Data, 2013). These statistics have increased the awareness in regards to factors that may limit 15 African American achievement in our school systems. However, this has not resulted in solutions to alleviate these barriers. AAVE may not be race-exclusive, but rather location-specific, occurring most often in high poverty areas or inner-city schools. Terry, Connor, Thomas-Tate, and Love (2010) did not find a race relationship, rather they found a relationship between dialect variation (DVAR) and literacy outcomes in relationship to SES. These demonstrated that students, school SES, DVAR, and literacy achievement were connected and resulted in challenges for students to achieve their literacy goals. In addition, Terry, et al., (2010) suggests that nonmainstream American English dialects have an influence on reading skills of children. Furthermore, Mullen and Schooling (2010) found that Hispanics were more likely to be identified as having speech problems or qualifying for IDEA related assistance in regards to the areas of speech and language developed, than were African Americans, and disproportionally versus that of whites. This data creates concerns in regards to the definition of language understanding and the concern regarding where speech disabilities are interrelated to that of nonmainstream American English. According to William Labov, “despite the growing middle class, the gap between whites and blacks in America is growing further apart, with language being the most obvious indicator of the disparity” (Quinn, 1985, p. 480). This trend causes an increased separation of blacks and whites from those that have social privilege and those who do not. Varieties of English recognized in the classroom are not a representation of the home languages students use, and they typically deviate from SAE. Educators must sit with the uncomfortable realization that African American students are performing much lower on 16 standardized assessments and have much lower high school and college graduation rates. Educators must also face the overwhelming realization that we must put in place a new mindset and new strategies to overcome these disparities in equity and education. Fram, Miller-Cribbs, and Van Horn (2007) identify the concerns as both race and socioeconomic status gaps, specifically addressing the implications regarding decades of reform failing to amount in overcoming these problems and continuing to result in a “weak system of services and supports to shore up family well-being for those who are left behind in school” (p. 309). Many of the areas of concern are specifically in the continued connections found in research between economically and academically disadvantaged students. This concern is especially important to address due the larger percentages of minorities, both African American and Hispanic, in these school systems. Burchinal, et al., (2011) state that “Black children in the U.S. start school about one half of a standard deviation behind their White peers on standardized reading and mathematics tests” based on the results of studies conducted in 2004, 2005, and 2006 (p. 1404). Additionally, the disparities in the family socio-economic circumstances appear to contribute to this dilemma, and increase the likelihood that children will struggle during school and remain behind in academic achievement. Burchinal et al., (2011) suggests that the solution begins in the home, prior to the beginning of children’s education. These concerns may well be linked to a language barrier that further disrupts the progress of academic achievement, and could be considered in regards to assisting these students by incorporating the learner’s home language into the lessons and education. 17 In order to think further about this gap in student achievement and its link to varieties of language that are employed or not employed in the classroom, I would like to ask the pivotal question: What are some strategies I can use to incorporate African American English Vernacular in the classroom, in order to increase use and proficiency of Standard, or mainstream, American English? Defining SAE and AAVE In an effort to define key concepts before exploring them, it is imperative that an understanding of the terminology be developed. The following definitions are found to be available in contemporary literature, and include a caveat that opinions of those that use and study these varieties of English may vary. However, according to the reflection and research, these definitions suffice in creating understanding of the topic and research question at hand. Standard American English, or SAE, is the term coined to denote the most recognized form of English, in America. This is also referred to as Mainstream American English or MAE. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes SAE as “the English that with respect to spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary is substantially uniform though not devoid of regional differences, that is well established by usage in the formal and informal speech and writing of the education, and that is widely recognized as acceptable wherever English is spoken and understood” (Standard English, n.d.). African American Vernacular English, also known as AAVE, Black English, Black Vernacular English, or Ebonics, is defined by Tinajero II (2008) as consisting of a dialect with “roots in English and African languages”, which is “believed to have been coined by 18 social psychologist Robert Williams (p. 244). Tinajero II (2008) further identifies that some controversy exists over the linguistics, the source, and the acknowledgment of it as a separate language. The terms Ebonics and AAVE have a long standing history in the US, including recognition by Federal Judge Charles Joiner in the U.S. District Court, in 1979 (Baugh, 2012; Hopkins, 2008). Since 1933, some researchers and linguists have suggested that this is a version of nonstandard English, which is identified as representing the impoverished, and thus uneducated, populations in the U.S. (Baugh, 2012). As regions and cultures have continued to diversify, a major part of the American population, African Americans, have adopted its own variety of English. Historically known as Ebonics, African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, has been the term embraced by linguists in recent years (Rickford, 1997; Hopkins, 2008). It refers to the speech used, predominantly, by African Americans; however, AAVE is a product of generations of linguistic evolution that cannot be summed up in what most of the populace has been only privy to since the Oakland School Board Controversy in 1996. AAVE has shown roots in West African languages, to Pidgin English, and then to Creole. Off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, an African creole language called Gullah can be heard spoken by some of the people living there. Gullah, which is the basis for modern AAVE, developed in West Africa during the time of the American slave trade. British and American slave traders would hold slaves in forts along West Africa’s rivers until they could be shipped. In the forts, they would mix people who spoke different African languages to make planning revolts harder (PBS, 1986). Despite these efforts, the slaves being held there, over time, would adopt English as a uniform language so they could talk 19 to one another. Nevertheless, they spoke a simpler form of English, since they were learning quickly and only by listening to their captors, called Pidgin English. Pidgin English was what they used to communicate when they landed in America (PBS, 1986). When the Pidgin speaking slaves had children, their kids added complexities to the language they were raised with, using more specific vocabulary and grammar. It was with the steps taken by the next generation of American slaves that their Pidgin English became the Creole language "Gullah" (Rickford, 1997, p. 3). Consequently, the language used by slaves progressed from several different West African languages to Pidgin English, the common means of communication among the captives, and from there became a Creole language in the United States, and Caribbean as the next generations expanded on the rules already present in the Pidgin language. Furthermore, as time and pop culture progressed, specifically within the African American culture, the term Ebonics was coined. The term Ebonics was a point of much controversy, and brought attention to the language differences and inadequacies in our school system when it was introduced by the Oakland School Board controversy in 1996. The Oakland School Board recognized it as the ‘primary language of its majority African American students and resolved to consider it in teaching them standard or academic English (Rickford, 1997). It is also important to note that what “counts” as Standard English will depend on both the region and culture one chooses to live. For example, how one interprets and hears English spoken in rural Georgia may find that it sounds different when hearing English being spoken by an urban Midwesterner. Furthermore, writing an email to a friend in SAE 20 would differ from writing a formal letter in SAE, which is also demonstrated by Fisher and Lapp (2013) in communication between peer groups. No matter how it is interpreted, Standard English, in this sense, should not be regarded as being necessarily correct or unexceptionable. As communities and populations continue to diversify, it becomes paramount to provide continuing context for situations in which SAE is being used and spoken, and when it is not. It also become paramount that as the C1’s and L1’s in classrooms, continue to differ from that of their instructors, they must remain aware of the varieties of language that incorporate their learning communities. This facilitates a way to help students better understand SAE, and its place in educational, professional, and social settings, despite region or culture. 21 Students, Language, and Achievement According to Fisher and Lapp (2013), failing students in English courses are often failing due to the fact that their first language is not the traditional English being tested, whether because of their language at home being African American Vernacular English or any other language. In addition, their research suggests that different registers are not a challenge for students when they want to communicate, such as with peers and in this way adapting to the “proper” English should not be a challenge for many students. In Hill (2010), the argument remains that the use of AAVE is essential to the history of the U.S. and focuses on oppression as a source of its ease of transfer and a distinguishing aspect of the country that addresses the “White virtue” and the power that is granted based on color of skin (p. 42). Additionally, the “white racism” is identified as prevailing against the ability of AAVE to be used in schools and recognized as a language within itself, as this culture is found to be dominating “every nook and cranny of our institutions and discourses” (p. 45). In Mitri and Terry (2014), AAVE was explored in relationship to children’s knowledge of phonological awareness and reading skills. The results of this study, which included 119 African American kindergarteners, found that students who spoke more African American English (AAE) were more likely to match sounds based on those wordsounds than students that spoke SAE. These results indicated that the language itself is different enough to create a different phonological representation, but not a failure in the part of the students to understand the phonological representations themselves. Another researcher, Compton-Lily (2005) indicated that challenges to learning could be overcome 22 by educators by not focusing on the miscues the students use during their reading practice and instead focusing on the growing skills in “book language” that occur through practice and individualized lessons (p. 54). Two other researchers focused on the speech patterns associated with AAVE, and phonological areas of speech for children, finding that over generalization of the linguistic demographic profiles resulted in a monolithic approach to education, which is not an accurate definition of the language and results in failure to recognize the elements that researchers have indicated are representative of a completely new language (Andres & Votta, 2009; Rickford, 2014). However, Gupta’s (2010) study of teacher beliefs identified a major concern with teacher perceptions of their ability to teach students whose linguistic background and home language was AAVE. This raises the question of if teachers are prepared to address the needs of students using AAVE. Perceptions and Consequences of AAVE in the Classroom Perceptions of AAVE influence many areas of life in the US, from the workforce through education. Negative connotations of AAVE include thinking of the speech as “English but with mistakes,” or “slang English” or even “sloppy English”. (Pullum, 1999) said “Speakers of Standard English think that AAVE is just a badly spoken version of their language, marred by a lot of ignorant mistakes in grammar and pronunciation, or worse than that, an unimportant and mostly abusive repertoire of street slang used by an ignorant urban underclass” (p. 40). Even in classrooms where teachers agree that AAVE is a language or dialect that is a part of culture and history, their ability to address it as other than a mistake is limited, due to the requirements of SAE in high-stakes standardized 23 testing. Teachers need new strategies that embrace the language and encourage students to learn both of the languages as part of their education (Hopkins, 2008). In order to be successful in the classroom, Baron (2005) argues it is important for students to master Standard English while maintaining their informal social dialect of AAVE. Furthermore, best practice in teaching is to consistently hold high standards for all students. There is debate, however, surrounding best practices regarding how best to handle AAVE in the classroom. On one side of the debate, teachers should encourage only academic English and correct grammatical errors in speech, thus preparing scholars for future employment in a world that praises academic English as the only acceptable variety of English. On the other side of the debate, it is argued that accepting grammar errors as suitable and acceptable ways of speaking, students may begin to believe there is no need for any other way of speaking. In some research, encouragement to identify both languages as correct but in serving different purposes, has managed to create better results in achievement (Fisher and Lapp, 2013). A person does not use the same language in the local bar on a Saturday night that they do in church the following morning. It is necessary to change language choice in accordance to who and what the social situation is, or code-switch. Students may approach their use of AAVE in the classroom in much the same way, using SAE in some circumstances and AAVE in others, and switching between the two varieties fluently based on the need. According to Baron (2005), “Many people - African American or not – look down on Black English as an undesirable or ignorant form of the language. Others see it as a proud and positive symbol of the African-American experience.” This difference in views 24 regarding AAVE, coupled with insecurities about low writing skills, could explain why my students are often hesitant to write about themselves. Teachers may be directly responsible for the insecurities of students in regards to English curriculums or other areas of reading and writing. For example, in a study of teachers’ attitudes towards AAVE, responses included “Speakers of African American English do not express complete thoughts” and “African American English has a place at the home of its speakers”, which represents the thoughts of influencers on the children, which can negatively impact their success in learning SAE (Bündgens-Kosten, 2010, p. 26). Newkirk-Turner, Williams, Harris and McDaniels (2013) found “a substantial body of scholarship has documented the strong relationships between teachers’ negative attitudes about stigmatized nonmainstream dialects such as the AAE, teachers’ lower expectations for the student, and lower student achievement” (p. 50). Furthermore, Gupta (2010) identified a challenge in teacher perceptions due to the overwhelmingly number of teachers that identified AAE as an “inadequate language system that adversely affects various aspects of education” (Newkirk-Turner, et al., 2013, p. 50). These are problems that cannot be ignored and are current in today’s school systems. Low Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement SES directly correlates to student achievement. There are a multitude of reasons why children of poverty consistently underachieve, according to the research. First, economically disadvantaged children have poorer health due to lack of preventative medical care and are more likely to be absent from school (Fram, et al., 2007). Secondly, financial uncertainty increases family stress, forcing them to change living locations often, 25 thus creating a transient lifestyle that leads holes in the student’s overall education (Smith, Fien, & Paine, 2008). Next, families of poor children have fewer resources to provide stimulating experiences at home through interactive toys, books, or musical instruments. (Fram, et al., 2007). Additionally, children with low SES are not read to as often as children with more means, creating additional challenges in creating language systems and vocabularies. As a result, children of poverty often enter schools not knowing how to read or other primary needs, especially in the case where they do not have mandatory preschool in their states (Rothstein, 2008). Finally, not all research indicates that SES is a direct result in the use of AAVE or the need to apply specific language impairment solutions to the needs of AAVE students (Pruitt & Oetting, 2009). However, addressing the needs of students most at risk of failing to accomplish their goals in education, or to achieve the goals of the high-standard testing, should include new methods for inviting students to contribute to their learning without ignoring their AAVE or their culture. Brain-Based Learning and Arts Integration If an old favorite song that you have not heard in a very long time suddenly plays on the radio, you are likely to remember the lyrics well enough to sing along to it. If you had not ridden a bike in many years but had the opportunity again, you probably could if you were physically able to. These kinds of memories are examples of implicit learning. Implicit learning is defined as essentially learning without awareness. Implicit learning can occur during specific “windows” of opportunity; however, brain-based learning can be inspired at different ages as well (Freeman & Wash, 2013). Knowledge that has been 26 acquired implicitly is knowledge that has been acquired and held largely without conscious effort (Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science, 2005). It is the reason language is learned and spoken fluently without knowing the rules of the language. The opposite of implicit learning is explicit learning. This if often the kind of learning that happens in schools – teachers lecture, students study information from textbooks, or a student reads a capstone on brain research. A student may remember the name of the longest river in the world for his upcoming test, but he may not remember it 20 years later. Degen (2014) suggests that student learning is accomplished through “actorcentered adaptive decision making”, “guided experiences” in “real-world projects”, and “embedded and consolidated by the student’s processing of the experiences” (p. 21). The mind and bodywork in concert, according to Jensen (2005; 2008), and one cannot instruct the mind without involving the whole person, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Physiological activity occurs in the brain during learning and a result of practicing something, through increased neuron firing, synapses organizing neurons, changes in the synaptic connections, increases synaptic responses due to emotions, and exposure to both complex and new thinking (Thompson, 2005, p. 1). Brain-compatible learning calls for educators to “weave math, geography, social skills, role-play, science and physical education together, along with movement, drama, and the arts” (Jensen, 2005, p.66). The goal in an arts integration program is to connect a content area with an artsbased approach, therefore creating a deeper understanding of that content in the student’s brain. 27 Instruction in the arts contributes significantly to student growth and cognitive development (Wolfe, 2001). Teaching using the arts engages attention, allows students to express emotions, and strengthens neural pathways that are used in future learning in each area of curriculum (Jensen, 2008). A growing body of research supports the notion that art is not just helpful for learning, but is an essential component to it – specifically for reading (Barnett, 2013). While Nixon (2012) developed a study, which concluded that Brain-based learning was unnecessary because the mind learns in many different ways, and is adaptive in nature; however, no everyone agrees with these conclusions. The brain builds pathways based on experiences. For example, if a student has played a musical instrument for years, that musical pathway has been well developed. Future experiences that student has will likely form connections to that well developed path already existing in the brain (Jensen, 2008). Aziz-Ur-Rehman, et. al. (2012) identified the innate faculties (IF) as including thinking, emotions, and memory (p. 113). Engaging these areas improves on the learning abilities of students. Integrating the arts uses these connections to strengthen those paths as well as to build new ones. It gives students the opportunity to see patterns, make new associations, and learn through real-life experiences. Researchers at Stanford University conducted a three-year study investigating a correlation between arts education and children’s reading ability. They developed an analysis tool to identify likely connections in different brain regions that would occur when students were exposed to visual arts when working on reading skills. Their findings indicated a relationship between early visual arts experience and phonological awareness (attention to patterns of speech sounds). Strong student readers have more growth in the 28 bundles of nerves connecting these areas of the brain. Arts activities activate these different brain regions (Wandell, Dougherty, Ben-Shachar, Deutsch, & Tsang, 2008). In addition, brain-based learning methods were used in a study to determine if motivation and attitude towards a subject could be modified, and found that students were influenced by these methods of learning (Akyürek & Afacan, 2013). It is likely that integrating arts can provide additional experiences that can increase the network and contribute to further learning in students. Benefits of Arts Integration Schools such as Bates Middle School in Maryland have experienced an increase in academic achievement as a result of arts integration programs (Snyder, Klos, & GreyHawkins, 2014). Art can be integrated into any subject in a school, creating opportunities for students to explore the subjects in a new way, one that invites the students to create a new understanding of the materials (Snyder, et al., 2014). Marshall (2014) identifies art integration as being in the form of simplistic addition of illustration to academic subjects or as in more thorough methods that involve metacognitive skills. Additionally, Marshall (2014) identified numerous other researchers who noted positive difference in critical thinking skills, where art integration was applied to the “big ideas” of life and learning (p. 105). Integration of AAVE into the classroom is not new, and has been being done for years now (Wheeler, Cartwright, & Swords, 2012). However, many of the researchers have not tried methods involving art. Arts Integration teaching has been demonstrated to lead to positive effects in student achievement with the greatest effect being among students who qualify as poverty 29 level (Deasy, 2002; Rabkin & Redmond, 2006). Further, evidence from National Education Longitudinal Studies (NELS) and suggests that the arts have positive long-term impact on college access, academic success, and greater civic involvement later in life (Catterall, 2009). These results are not exclusive and research across the country has begun implementing arts into various subject areas, in both an attempt to increase interactive learning and as a method to improve upon the access to art in the classroom and the school. Many arts integration lessons involve learning in an engaging manner: kinesthetic movement, visuals, and oral language. An example of integrating arts in the classroom would be students re-creating important parts of short story they read in class by performing a scene from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Another example might include students crafting a picture out of recycled materials to reinforce an environmental lesson. Students who typically struggle with assessments might prove they know a character’s motivations by acting it out to the teacher instead of answering a question on an exam. Teachers can find advantages of teaching two subjects at once. While there are many ways to introduce art into the classroom, introducing art as a source of AAVE related education may be more challenging. Spoken Word Poetry as Arts Integration Spoken word poetry is a means to reaching through the barriers of language and culture to explore both each culture and each word in a new way, with new vision, providing a new method of communicating with others (Desai & Marsh, 2005). Research indicates that communication is one of the most powerful tools humans have in educating the masses, including children and adults, in nearly any social situation from education 30 through organizational training. Biggs-El (2012) concluded that both rap music and spoken word poetry shared a similar place in general public opinions in regards to its place in the schools, in which it has none. However, poetry and rhyming are an essential part of learning throughout the pre and elementary grades. Additionally, poetry provides insights into history and creates a relationship in the same way as art does with the individual. Implementing spoken word programs into the school system is less common than that of the visual, illustrated arts. Authors such as Fisher (2007) and Jocson (2008) have demonstrated the importance of Spoken Word Poetry in building literacy in the classroom, including in areas where academic achievement is considerably lower than federal or state expectations. Implementing Spoken Word Poetry is a form of arts integration that enables teachers to explore AAVE in a way that invites students to understand the language, build on the relationships with SAE, and continue to develop their bilingual culture. Gaps in the Research While numerous studies have explored AAVE and Brain-Based learning as a means to address achievement gaps, few researchers have made these a focal point of arts integration programs. Educators must identify methods in which arts can be utilized in the classroom to improve upon the education of students in need of additional assistance, particularly in the areas of English learning and culture appreciation. Additionally, in the US numerous schools are beginning to remove art and music programs from their schools, in favor of courses that promote learning for students struggling to meet the standards of high-stakes testing. This removal from the school detracts from the experiences that are critical to student learning. Teachers can apply these concepts and learning directly into 31 their classrooms, which can enhance the experiences of their students and still address the achievement gaps and high-stakes testing. Use of an arts integration program is essential to the growing success of students and may contribute to the ability of SES schools to meet both budget and high-stakes testing requirements. The implementation of an arts program does not have to involve extremely high costs and many items can be donated by families. Implementing this concept requires that all teachers learn more about language barriers and how to address them in the younger years. Finally, this research addresses this gap by integrating arts and providing valuable insight into the controversy around AAVE, SAE, and Brain-based learning. Finally, Spoken Word Poetry is not explored in the context of an arts integration program that addresses the needs of teachers to have methods of educating student populations speaking, as a first language, AAVE. This research will contribute to this body of knowledge by providing both insight into this need and solutions that can be utilized in urban classrooms across the US. Summary/Conclusion In conclusion, integrating the arts into the classroom benefits students, particularly students who live in poverty. It provides an opportunity to improve upon student learning and potentially increase success on high-stakes testing. Using arts to teach lessons stimulates intrinsic learning in students, creating longer lasting memories of the curriculum. Intrinsic learning is a window of opportunity for employees. Benefits of integrating arts into lessons include increased participation with lower rates of behavior infractions, higher proficiency scores in math and reading, increased attendance, and a positive correlation in 32 graduation rates and positive difference in critical thinking skills. Designing lessons for art integration programs can vary in design, from group through a single parent at the computer, which promotes the success of poverty-stricken individuals. This literature review defined the terms found within the pages and sought to understand what literature has been developed related to AAVE and Brain-based learning. Additionally, arts integration has taken the country by storm, in some cases in order to address the decrease in access to art courses in schools; however, Spoken Word Poetry is less implemented and less researched than these other illustrated versions of the art integration methods. Research is substantial in some of these areas; however, knowledgeable and experienced teachers may not be guiding classrooms. Finally, teachers must become more aware of the role of AAVE in US culture and heritage. These are all addressed in the plan developments for brain-based, art integration into the classroom. 33 Chapter 3: Results and Reflection “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” - Robert Frost Teachers and students are required to submit to the high-stakes testing that are used to provide accountability to communities, parents, and governing bodies. These tests are a challenge to many students; however, they are a benefit in that they provide researchers methods in which to identify types of educational programs and curriculum that are most effective at meeting the needs of both students and accountability. This research will examine how Spoken Word Poetry and Arts Integration can influence the success of students in regards to high-stakes testing and individual reading levels. Across the country, there are many arts-based integration programs being implemented to help struggling learners. A quick and simple internet search will easily identify schools boasting higher test scores and testify to the deeper levels of learning that their students have experienced as a result of integrating fine arts into daily teaching practices. Nationally, President Obama spearheaded the Turnaround for the Arts Grant, a “public-private partnership that uses the arts to help narrow the achievement gap, increase student engagement and improve the culture and climate in the country’s highest poverty schools” according to the Turnaround for the Arts official website. Programs such as Turnaround for the Arts bring “high-quality arts education resources to a group of the lowest-performing elementary and middle schools in the country, and helps them use those resources to improve attendance, parent engagement, student motivation and more.” 34 Meeting the expectations of creativity and high-stakes testing is within reach, through the use of arts integration into the curriculum. This method is found to be successful in a number of implementations across the US (Barnett, 2013; Catteral, 2009; Deasy, 2002; Desai & Marsh, 2005; et al). Art integration can be dance, poetry, painting, music, and more. These methods of teaching are not necessarily new, as many adults recall teachers who played classical music during class in order to assist in the learning process. Regardless of the academic area, the implementation of art can provide a hands-on relationship with the content being taught, which improves upon the number of learning opportunities for the student. Self Expression and Spoken Word Poetry In the field of education, we aim to prepare students for 21 century careers. Much st of what teachers do at school is to coach and refine academic and Standard English dialects to reflect the Standard English recognized internationally and in the business world. However, this is not the only English spoken, and English is spoken in many different dialects with many changes in the language. The dialects of English vary in English speaking countries such as United Kingdom, Australian, or Canada. These different dialects of English represent the cultures that embody them, and while each of these countries work to educate students in the Standard English recognized internationally, they have nuances that remain unlike that of the U.S. or their other fellow English speaking countries. Ultimately, we want our students to ace their interviews and gain meaningful employment. Furthermore, we want to ensure their success at these jobs. As educators, we 35 have been guilty of thinking that the academic or the standard English is the “right” way of speaking, not considering any other option, and directing our teaching practices to reflect this thinking. However, we can all embrace the nuances of language that make each culture unique and independent, which preserves their rich histories. The use of Spoken Word Poetry as self-expression and art integration presents an opportunity to embrace the culture of these students while still improving upon their knowledge and use of Standard English. In addition, this method of teaching presents an opportunity to demonstrate the differences in language and engage students in a deeper understanding of English. Creating these opportunities can increase the achievement levels of students in both reading and writing, which improves other areas as well. Method: Spoken Word Poetry and Self-Expression The methodology employed in this study includes curriculum that embraces AAVE using Spoken Word Poetry and self-expression. Students engage in developing the poetry with AAVE, in which they can create long or short poems. Furthermore, music, including rap, embodies the poetic nature of words in play or placement in the spoken language. The researcher hopes to find that this methodology increases the knowledge of students in the areas in which spoken language becomes both music and interest. The curriculum designed for this study included numerous poetry lesson plans that were previously used in cohesion with a resident artist. The resident artist worked with students to gain interest and complete a series of poems to be collected into a portfolio. During the piloted lessons, students worked with a second resident artist who taught them to beat-box and present their poetry to self-created beats. The summative work was 36 presented during an all-school assembly via live performance or i-movie. The unit plan presented in the appendix reflects these lessons, align them to standards, and identifies the process in which to complete lessons. State achievement tests provide assessment results to be compared with the prior year’s results in testing. This method of comparison identifies if the designed curriculum successfully addressed the needs required to increase the success of students in the achievement of state core competencies. Participants and Setting The participants of this study are students in grade three. The sample population is approximately 50 students and three teachers. Classrooms selected for this study include the third grade classrooms at our school. The school district in which this study was conducted was an urban public school system. Data Collection Test scores will be collected for two different school years, using the reading achievement tests and comparison between the two. This data will be collected with the permission of the school and signed consent forms from the parents. No personally identifiable information will be obtained from these scores and all scores will be documented with numbers that are unique, not matching their student identification numbers. 37 Finally, students will complete tests during the school year, which will be analyzed in a portfolio method to identify the different levels of achievement and determine if additional areas of the lesson could be improved upon. This will be an ongoing process during the school year of implementation. Portfolio methods of measuring achievement are not currently accepted in most states in the US; however, many teachers over the years have recommended portfolio measurements as being more personal and informational (Chi-Cheng Chang & Bing-Hong Wu, 2012; Cruz & Zambo, 2013; Ziegler & Montplaisir, 2012). Procedure The procedure for this research included identifying the gaps in literature in regard to the application or understanding of AAVE in the classroom. In addition, the research included developing an understanding of both arts integration and spoken word poetry, including definitions in these areas in order to better understand their meaning in the context of this research. Following this, a curriculum and lesson plans were developed for the students participating in this study. These were developed using the learning theories currently recommended as best practices in the school, including focusing on constructivism to provide students with the ability to explore and engage in content. Finally, the curriculum was used in a year’s course for the participants of the study, where the state achievement testing scores were compared between the prior and the current year, in order to identify the success of the curriculum. Theories of Learning 38 Constructivism is one of many theories of learning. This theory of learning is the “theory of knowing, with roots in psychology, from both cognitive and sociocultural/sociohistorical perspectives; philosophy; and biology” (Kinnucan-Welsch, 2010, p. 216). Having a background in behaviorism, this philosophy in learning places a strong focus on students constructing their beliefs and knowledge from experiences with the world around them, in effect, creating their individual understanding. In one method of applying constructivism to teaching, metacognition strategies include the use of mnemonic code, such as ordered and matching items, “one-bun, two-shoe” (Prawat, 2008, p. 183). This research design, specifically the curriculum, is inherently constructivism in design, in that it provides opportunities for students to create their individual understanding of the materials and learning, using their inherent knowledge and experiences to create their individual growth and learning in the subject materials that are covered to achieve the goals of state assessments. Summary Research has found that students engaged in interaction, arts integration, curriculums are able to achieve the goals identified in the student achievement requirements of both states and federal requirements, No Child Left Behind. These improvements in learning invite us to take a new look at how art is used in the classroom, knowing that it is not exclusively the painted canvas, poster boards of dates and events, or creating a short play to reenact the works of Shakespeare. Art in the classroom is more than this; it is engaging children in the culture in which they live every day. It is a constant engagement of the culture they are embedded in, and allowing this to guide their 39 understanding of academic topics, ideas and feelings. As identified in this paper, by incoporating a learner’s home language with the intended academic language we are more likely to produce educated, well-rounded adults that are productive in society. This research engages students in an arts integration program that involves AAVE and Spoken Word Poetry. The goal of the research is to increase interest and success in English skills that meet the requirements of achievement testing, while building knowledge and understand of the intricacies of language, the history of the languages, and the culture in which these languages were developed. In addition, the goal will be to introduce students to how language has changed over the centuries and how they can use Spoken Word Poetry to demonstrate, or redefine, the world they live in. Conclusion Arts integration goes beyond including art projects in class; it is a teaching strategy that unifies artistic modalities with core curricula to build connections and provide engaging context. This was our urban, public school’s pilot year of arts integration. Student achievement was difficult to gauge due to the inconsistencies and lack thereof in pre and post assessments, and with inadequacies with resident artists. As with any new initiative, there are a number of factors that must be in place for it to succeed. Although, there were some things that hindered student and teacher success, we did see benefits in implementing arts integration into our classrooms. What we saw in our classrooms were students who were enthusiastically participating in the learning process, and enjoying it. Student engagement in many cases 40 was used as motivation to increase and deepen academic growth and decrease instances of negative behaviors. Our observations of student engagement came from watching learners embrace academic concepts and vocabulary, hear them tell how the highlighted artistic modality helped them remember concepts better, and learn about the improvements we noted in student understanding and retention. As discussed in our Literature Review, arts integration uses teaching practices that have been shown in brainbased research to improve comprehension and longterm retention. For example, when students use their imagination to create stories, reflect on their own understanding to draw pictures, or engage in other nonverbal expressions to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the content they are learning, they are also helping to better solidify the information. It is important to note, that many teachers feel apprehension in adding another systemic change to their core curricula. There are thoughts and preconceptions that learning is compromised when making way for arts activities, or some become intimidated with the idea of needing to be extremely artistic or creative. In consideration of our experience, teachers don't need to be either of those things to be able to use arts integration; they just need to learn some of the fundamentals so they will be better able to think of ways to merge art concepts with other content. Nevertheless, there still appears to be secrets of success that still need to be revealed in order to streamline the connections between arts integration activities and core academic learning. Our school is intentionally attempting to reveal these secrets in this coming school year through specified opportunities for professional development, and during our weekly Professional Learning Communities. 41 Our findings also revealed information that will be useful in selecting and sustaining effective resident artists in the classroom. Our ideal in employing resident artists into the classroom was to relay information the classroom teacher may not be able to deliver as effectively and as knowledgably. After our interactions with resident artists, we were left feeling enthused by some and disheartened by others. Residency program character and quality varies dramatically as a consequence of factors such as the nature of the residency setting, grade level, art form, residency structure and goals, and the professional expertise and teaching experience of the artist. Because there was no pre existing arts program, many areas were not initially discussed, thought of, or validated. Due to the nature of inconsistencies with these factors, the facilitation and instruction of the resident artist, at many times, became impaired. Further, students generally had little knowledge of or experience with the art form to which they were being "exposed." Sometimes the students seemed to greatly enjoy the lessons, however, many other times they visibly suffered through them. In an effort to alleviate these problems, it would be beneficial to have artists apply to work in our school, meet with school staff, beforehand, and have them become familiar and intentional with core academic curricula. This should all be done before they step foot into a classroom. Clear intentionality and sincere interest to facilitate youth should be the backbone to any resident artist in any school setting. Another common characteristic of residencies conducted in the context of a weaker and emerging school arts program, was inconsistent teacher involvement. In other words, 42 the host teacher invariably stood back and watched, or took on most instruction with or without the resident artist. In some cases, resident artists balked at teacher intervention, and in many cases they were far too reliant on the host teacher. For these reasons, we found residencies were either very effective or very ineffective. In order to build success with a potentially successful and engaging strategy, it is paramount that we establish clear connections and roles with the collaborative team of resident artist and teacher. It is pivotal that a discussion and agreements come to establishing goal setting, routines, and ways to meet student needs. Also, it is important to note that once this collaboration has taken place, it may be advantageous to have the employment of resident artists be consistent and last for more than one school year. However, it is our opinion this should potentially be decided by those involved in the collaborative team. In conclusion, more structures and relationships must be developed in order for resident artistry to be effective in the classroom. It is important to recognize that consistency is also a key piece. Consequently, when effective resident artists that collaborate well are found, it is beneficial to maintain and sustain consistent and supported relationships to ensure continuous participation of those that add to the school community. Comprehensive, innovative arts initiatives are taking root in a growing number of school districts. Many of these models are based on new findings in brain research and cognitive development, and they embrace a variety of approaches: using the arts as a learning tool, interdisciplinary teaching, creating a school environment rich in arts and culture, and 43 handson arts instruction with the option of including a resident artist. This trend may send a surprising yet important message to schools whom focus so parochially, and perhaps counterproductively, on repetitive test preparation, and excessive teaching surrounding only Literacy and Mathematics. 44 References Andres, C., & Votta, R. (2009). 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Measuring student understanding in a portfolio-based course. Journal Of College Science Teaching, 42(1), 16-25. 48 49 Appendix A Arts Integration Spoken Word Poetry Unit This unit plan is designed in accordance to Common Core Standards for grade 3. It is presented with the traditional lesson as well as an arts-integration extension option for each session. Lessons are designed to be taught with or without a resident artist, depending on the availability of the artist. The summative project is open to interpretation and will of the instructor. Unit: Arts Integration Spoken Word Poetry Curriculum Area: Language Arts Grade Level: 3 Time Frame: approximately 30 days Common Core Standards: RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections. RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting). RL3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters. W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. L.3.1a Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. L.3.2f Use spelling patterns and generalizations in writing words. 50 L.3.1i Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text. RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. Lessons: Day 1 (optional) Alliteration Learning Target: I can identify and write examples of alliteration. Vocabulary: poetry, alliteration Standard: RL.2.4 Process: 1. Hook: Introduce alliteration using “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” 2. Read a poem with alliteration using Fox in Socks by Dr. Suess, “Picture Puzzle Piece” by Shel Silverstein, or “Danny O’Dare” by Shel Silverstein 3. Discuss. If you have access to a Promethean or document camera, use it to display the example. Have students point out the lines with alliteration. 4. Make a chart of alliterations. 5. Model writing examples with the students. 6. Assignment: Use your name to make a two or more word alliteration. For example: Lisa leaps, Lisa loves lizards Additional examples can be found on the website: http://www.mywordwizard.com/alliteration-poems-for-kids.html Day 2 (optional) Alliteration (continued) Learning Targets: I can identify and write alliteration. I can use vocabulary and spelling words to create alliteration. Standard: RL.2.4 51 Vocabulary: poetry, alliteration Process: 1. Review what we have learned about alliteration. 2. Share name alliterations from yesterday. 3. Partner students. 4. Give each partner a card with a word on it (use current spelling words or words from word wall). 5. Students should work with their partner and use their poetry books to create alliteration for their given word. 6. Regroup to the circle on the community carpet. 7. Sharing party! Students share their alliteration work with the group. 8. Closing: Discuss any examples to add to the alliteration chart. Day 3 (optional) Alliteration (continued) Learning Target: I can identify, write, and define alliteration. Standard: RL.2.4 Vocabulary: poetry, alliteration Process: 1. Review the class alliteration chart from the week. 2. Alliteration Scavenger Hunt: Provide books or have students search read poems of choice and find three examples of alliteration. Students should record their examples. 3. Sharing party! Students share their alliteration finds with the group. 4. Write alliteration examples on the class chart. 5. Exit ticket: Use a post-it note to write your definition of alliteration. Day 4 Alliteration (continued) 52 (optional) Learning Target: I can write and identify alliteration. I can write a guided poem using alliteration. Standard: RL.2.4 Vocabulary: poetry, alliteration Process: 1. Review chart of alliteration made with the class from the week. 2. Read “I Never” poem example to students. Find and highlight examples of alliteration. 3. Students create own “I Never” poems using sentence starters provided, either in pairs or individually. 4. Regroup to the carpet. 5. Sharing party! Students share their “I Never” poetry with the class. Day 5 (optional) Adjectives/Adverbs Learning Target: I can identify adjectives and adverbs from poetry I can use a graphic organizer to record my information. Standard: L.2.1e Vocabulary: Adjectives, adverbs Process: 1. Read books Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely and Hairy, Scary, Ordinary, both by Brian P. Cleary to provide examples and guide a discussion about adverbs and adjectives. 2. Display a favorite class poem from an earlier lesson on Promethean or under the document camera. Highlight adjectives and adverbs used in these poems. 3. Create an adverb/adjective T-Chart of the highlighted examples. 53 4. Provide a second poem for students. 5. Partner students. 6. Partners are of the adjectives and adverbs they found in their poem. Day 6 Rhyme Arts Integration Extension: Parent, community, principal, or resident artist could conduct read aloud. Learning Target: I can rhyme words using a rhyming dictionary, poems in books, and class poems. Vocabulary: rhyme, rhyming dictionary Standard: L.3.2f Process: 1. Ask: What does it mean to rhyme? Rhyming is when words have endings with the same sounds. 2. Discuss examples and non-examples. 3. Read the fun rhyming poems. Use Prelutsky and Silverstein poems or other highly-engaging poems. 4. Students should record any rhyming words they hear. 5. Repeat process with a few poems as time allows. 6. Demonstrate how to use a rhyming dictionary using Scholastic’s Rhyming Dictionary. 7. Demonstrate how to write a couplet. For example: Ms. Holmes’ dog is big. Ms. Ekrem dances a jig. 7. Partner students. 8. Students should create their own couplet based on the example. Students may use rhyming dictionaries as necessary. 8. Sharing party! Students share rhyming couplets. 54 Day 7 Rhyme Schemes Learning Target: I can identify AABB, ABAB, and ABCB rhyme schemes in poetry. Standard: RL.3.5 Vocabulary: rhyme scheme, rhyme Process: 1. Read several rhyming poems to the class and display them accordingly for students to follow along. 2. Provide handout to students, who will highlight the rhyming words. 3. Display poem under the document camera. Use student highlighted example to discuss the rhyming pattern of the poem. Discuss A’s and B’s etc. to create rhyme scheme. There are more examples of poetry to find rhyme schemes with on this website: http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/rhyme-schemes-lessonplan/ 5. Students may write their poetry individually or in pairs. Day 8 Rhythm Arts Integration Extension: Resident artist Terrell extended this lesson by teaching students to beat-box using only their bodies. This extension carried over several visits and used a game he called the “rhythm machine.” Learning Target: I can identify the rhythm of a poem. Vocabulary: rhythm, beat, syllables Standard: RL3.5 Process: 1. Introduce rhythm of poetry. 2. Reread a few poems from this week. Clap syllables to demonstrate. 4. Read "Sick" by Shel Silverstein to class. Display it under the document camera so that they can read along. 5. Circle up students. Provide each student with a tennis ball. 6. Reread poem to students. As you read, have students pass their ball to the right one student, and pass it with the beat. Students will be taking and passing at the same time. Discuss “beat” definition. 55 Day 9 Lines and stanzas Arts Integration Extension: Resident artist Desdamona extended this lesson by displaying her poetry and having kids alter the rhymes and rhythms. Learning Target: I can identify lines and stanzas in poetry. Vocabulary: Lines, Stanzas Standard: RL3.5 Process: 1. Review Rhyme, Rhythm, Repetition 2. Use handout to begin a discussion about lines and stanzas. 3. Display a copy of A Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman – share poem and identify the rhyme, rhythm, and repetition in the poem. 4. Quiz tomorrow. Day 10 Show what you know! Learning Target: I can demonstrate what I have learned about alliteration, rhyme, rhyme schemes, and beats in poetry. Process: Give quiz Day 11-12 Main Idea Arts Integration Extension: Tableau Learning Target: I can find the main idea of a poem. Standard: RL.3.1 Vocabulary: main idea Process: 1. Read a poem to the class, twice. Read it the first time for enjoyment and the second time to find the main idea. 2. Reread the poem for a third time to find the most important words. Highlight or circle the words and put those words on chart paper. A student volunteer may record these words onto a sentence strip. 3. Rearrange the highlighted words to create a new poem. It does not have to rhyme. 56 4. Students may work with a partner to recreate this activity. Instead of writing words onto sentence strips, they should cut them out of the poem and use those words to rearrange. 5. If time allows, they should illustrate their new poem. 6. Sharing party! Day 13 Main Idea Arts Integration Extension: Tableau Learning Target: I can identify the main idea of a poem. I can tell why the author wrote a poem. Standard: RL.3.1 Vocabulary: main idea, author’s purpose Process: 1. Anchor chart about author’s purpose (PIE shaped chart-Persuade, Inform, Entertain) 2. Choose 2 or 3 poems to share with the class. Silverstein and Prulesky are fun. 2. Read a poem. As a class, identify the main idea and author’s purpose for writing the poem. 3. Students complete worksheet about the main idea and author's purpose individually. Day 14 Mood and Theme Arts Integration Extension: Create paintings to match moods of poems. Play mood music in the background as students work. Learning Target: I can find the mood and theme of a poem. Standard: RL.3.9 Process: 1. Introduce terms mood and themeusing music. Play a clip of an energetic song. Discuss the mood. Play a clip of a slow song. Discuss mood. Continue discussion to include the theme. 2. Create a list of moods and themes found in stories and poems that were read as a class so far during the year. Direct students to use a variety of adjectives to describe feelings. 3. Students should complete worksheet regarding mood and theme. 57 Day 15 Illustrations Arts Integration Extension: Have a variety of materials ready for illustrations. This lesson could be extended to create posters or to include materials that require more time or maintenance. Additionally, this lesson could be done in cohesion with the art instructor. Day 16 Learning Target: I can explain how the illustration connects to the poem. Arts Integration Extension: Students can illustrate their diamante poem by creating a simple pop art piece on the computer. Learning Target: I can write a diamante poem. I can use illustrations to understand more about a poem. Standard: RL.3.7 Process: 1. Read and display a few poems that are printed with illustrations. Lead a discussion about how the picture helps enhance the words. 2. Students should choose their favorite poem from the selection read during this unit or from the class library. 3. Students will share how they illustrated their poem and told why that illustration enhances the writing. Diamante Poem Standard: L.3.1a Process: 1. Review nouns, verbs, and adjectives. 2. Review or teach synonyms and antonyms. Use an extra day to teach this step if needed. 3. Model writing a diamante poem using antonyms. 4. Create a diamante poem together as a class. 5. Students will write their own diamante poem using the format provided. 6. Sharing party! Day 17 Compare and Contrast 58 Arts Integration Extension: Dress the same as another teacher. Take a picture of each teacher. Use the two pictures as the launch for the discussion. Arts Integration Extension: Hula hoops and sentence strips can create a lifesized, interchangeable Venn diagram. Learning Target: I can compare and contrast two poems. Standard: RL.3.9, RI.3.9 Vocabulary: Compare and contrast, similarity and difference Process: 1. Present two poems to the class. Use two poems from the same author or about the same subject matter, possibly from a different subject you are currently studying. 2. Read the examples out loud, encouraging students to choral read together. 3. Complete a Venn diagram. 4. Students replicate the exercise on their own or with a partner, using a given poem or worksheet from the teacher. Day 18 Point of View Arts Integration Extension: Tableau a poem and discuss from author’s point of view. Be sure to cite evidence for thoughts. Learning Target: I can identify the author’s point of view. Standard: RL.3.6 Process: 1. Reread a poem that has been read and discussed thus far in the unit. Create a tableau of the poem. 2. From the tableau, discuss: how does the author feel about the topic? How do you know? 3. Read “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All” by Maya Angelou as a second poem. Have students visualize it without adding their own comments. In writing notebooks, have students record reactions to how they think the author feels about the poem. 4. Have students find someone who doesn’t agree and then complete a chart comparing and contrasting the points of view. 5. Students should find their own poem in the class library and repeat the process individually in their writing notebooks. 59 Day 19 Acrostic Poem Arts Integration Extension: Use KidPix 3D to illustrate and animate their acrostic poem. Add the poems to your class website or the school Facebook page. Learning Target: I can write an acrostic poem. Standard: L.3.1i Process: 1. Choose a word from a subject you are currently studying, such as fractions. 2. Students can use single words, phrases, or sentences to write their acrostic poems, depending on their writing abilities and need to differentiate. 3. Model how to create an acrostic poem. Repeat the process as a class if they need an additional example. 5. Have students write their own examples in their writing notebook. Day 20 Biography Poem Arts Integration Extension: I am watercolor artwork using only adjectives from this poem. This project should be done after the writing process is complete. Learning Target: I can tell about myself by writing a bio poem. Standard: W.3.7, W.3.8 Process: 1. Present the format to the students. 2. Model how to create the poem by following the format and using yourself as an example. 3. Students should create a draft of their poem individually by following the format. 4. Early finishers may create a bio poem about a friend or favorite teacher, historical person studied in class, or favorite celebrity. Additionally, students may use thesauruses to enhance the words in their poem. 60 Day 21 Blackout poem Arts Integration Extension: Resident artist can lead this lesson with little to no guidance from teacher. Vocabulary: blackout Provide additional materials to create illustrations in the background of new poetry. Learning Target: I can create a blackout poem. Process: 1. Share examples of blackout poetry with the students. 2. Discuss, “What makes this poetry?” and “How is this poem different from others we’ve looked at so far?” 3. Model how to create a blackout poem using a piece of text recently studied in class. Reiterate that the finished piece should make sense when read out loud. 4. Provide text and markers for students to create their own blackout poetry. Day 22 Shape poem Arts Integration Extension: This lesson could easily be done amidst a resident artist. Learning Target: I can write a shape poem. Process: 1. Shape poems take the shape of their topic. These are also known as concrete poems. 2. Use the “Apple” and “Dog” examples in Sharon Creech’s book Love That Dog as examples for this lesson. 3. Model and create an example as a class. 4. Use construction paper, typing paper to create shape poems. Day 23-28 Prepare for final presentation Arts Integration Extension: Presentation preparation to be completed with Resident Artists. Learning Target: I can choose and prepare the presentation of one of the poems from my portfolio. Arts Integration General Process: 1. Work with a resident artist to create own beat-boxing rhythm and practice public speaking. 2. Choose live presentation or iMovie and practice accordingly. 61 Extension: 3. Choose projects created during the unit for backgrounds to be used during the presentation. Students can use the Wordfoto app to create a background visual for presentation. Day 29-30 Show what you know! *Flexible Learning Target: I can demonstrate what I have learned about poetry. Process: Final project presentations. 62