In this lesson, students will learn how to analyze how authors employ words and phrases to provide literary texts rhythm and meaning. Pupils will:
- Critique poem.
- Elucidate how a writer uses words and phrases to produce rhythm and significance.
- Discuss how repetition, rhythm, and rhyme help to convey meaning to a text.

- What is the purpose of learning new words?
- How do I learn unfamiliar vocabulary? What are some tactics and resources I use?

- Rhythm: The pattern or beat in a poem.
- Rhyme: Words that end in the same sound.
- Repetition: Using the same word or phrase more than once.
- Mood: The feeling an author creates in a poem or story.

- overhead projector or document camera
- Meish Goldish.  (1999). Icicles. 101 Science Poems & Songs for Young Learners by Teaching Resources.
- Cynthia Rylant. (2008). Snow. Harcourt.
Alternative books:
- Takayo Noda. (2005). “Dear Snow" from Dear World. Puffin Books.
- Brod Bagert. (2005). Giant Children. Puffin.
- Alan Katz. (2010). Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly School Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books.
- Helen H. Moore. (1999). "The Water Cycle” from A Poem a Day. Teaching Resources, 1999.
- Lee Bennett Hopkins. (2010). “Boardwalk in Winter” by Joan Bransfield Graham from Sharing the Seasons. Margaret K. McElderry Books. 
Teachers may substitute other poems or books to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- display copy and students’ copies of Text Analysis Graphic Organizer (L-2-2-3_Text Analysis Graphic Organizer)

In order to understand a text, stress throughout the session how important it is to examine the author's word choice.
- Ask students whether they can recognize instances of rhyme and repetition in a poem and whether they grasp the significance of word choice.
- Assess students' informal comprehension of different word choice types by using your notes and anecdotal observations to determine whether they can accurately identify them.
To evaluate students' progress toward the lesson's objective, use the checklist that follows:
- Students recognize instances of repetition and rhyme in poetry.
- Students are able to deduce a poem's tone from the author's word choice.
- Students are able to clarify how the author's word choice contributes to comprehension.

Modeling, Active Participation, and Scaffolding
W: Assist pupils in determining how a poem's words and phrases affect its meaning. 
H: Assist students in analyzing an illustration to get them involved in the lesson. Talk about how the picture's meaning is enhanced by the artist's choice of details. 
E: Provide an example of word choice analysis by pointing out a poem's rhythm, rhyme, and repetition. 
R: Give pupils the chance to show that they can evaluate an author's word choice and then discuss their results in small groups and with partners. 
E: After assigning students to complete a graphic organizer, engage with peers to make sure they have a clear comprehension of the lesson's contents. 
T: Provide students of all levels with access to the ability to analyze an author's word choice through texts, discussions, and peer interactions. 
O: Students will exhibit their capacity to evaluate an author's word choice through modeling, guided practice in small groups, partner conferences, and independent work. 

Key Question: How can a writer impart meaning to a work through the choice of words and phrases?

Project a suitable illustration for analysis using a document camera or overhead projector. This exercise is based on the illustration seen on pages 24–25 of Cynthia Rylant's book, Snow. Any other image that can be used to explain how an artist's choice of details gives a picture meaning can be used in its place.

Say, "This image conveys a tale. The painting has importance because of the details that the artist chose."

Ask general queries regarding the image, such as the ones below: "Who are the individuals in the photo?" (the girl and her grandmother) "Where are the people?" (maybe at Grandmother's house, at a table) "What season is this?" (in winter) "What's the girl up to?" (Painterly sketching a flower) "What is Grandma up to?" (Giving a gesture toward seed packages, discussing plants)

Pose queries such as the following regarding the picture's details: "What is the artist's method of depicting winter?" The artist included a window to show how much snow there is outside. There are snowflakes on the teapot and cups. "In what way does the artist convey that people are considering springtime?" The girl's photo features springtime. (Along with seed packages and a sketch showing the planting location, my grandmother also has a gardening book.)

"What narrative does the artist intend to convey with this image?" As they face a partner, have students talk about the image. After that, ask a few students to present their thoughts to the class.

Say, "A picture gains meaning from the details chosen by the artist. This lesson will explore how a writer gives meaning to a poem or tale through word choice. The tone, meaning, and emotion of a book are influenced by the words the author selects and the order in which they are used."

Part 1

Put the words repetition, rhyme, and rhythm on chart paper or the board. Say, "The beat you experience when reading words is called rhythm. Poetry typically makes us feel that beat." Read a rhymed poem, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," to demonstrate rhythm. As you pronounce the words, tap to the beat. After that, have the pupils tap out the rhythm while you reread the poem. Include the meaning of rhythm in the chart.

Say, "The words used by authors to create rhythm in poetry are important. They might utilize rhymes or words with the same sound at the end, for instance. Star and are rhymes in the poem "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Look for more rhymes in the poem as I read it aloud." After reading the poem again, have the students turn to a partner and choose terms that rhyme. "What other rhymes did you hear?" (high and sky), poses the question, "How do you know these words rhyme?" (They have the same sound at the conclusion.) Include a rhyme definition and some instances on the chart.

Say, "A writer can also employ repetition. This entails using the same word or phrase more than once in the text. Is there a recurrence in the phrase "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"?" (the word sparkle) Say, "Listen to the poem once more, and then discuss other instances of repetition with your partner." Ask students to distribute their responses. (The expressions "how I wonder what you are" and "twinkle, twinkle little star") Complete the chart with the definition and repeating examples.

Say, "A writer employs rhyme, rhythm, and repetition to create a particular sound and movement in a text."

Include the word "mood" in the chart. Say, "A poem or story's mood is the emotion the writer evokes in the reader. Some writers use terms that evoke sadness in their texts. Other writers use language that evokes joy in their readers. What is your emotional response to the poem "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"?" (joyful, inquiring)

Say, "We better understand the text if we can ascertain the mood, or how the author makes us feel through his or her word choice." Complete the chart with the definition and instances of mood.

Part 2

"Let's examine how writers utilize language to convey meaning in a text," you may say.

Present Meish Goldish's poem "Icicles." Go over the chart that lists the definitions of the phrases' rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and mood.

Say, "As I read the poem to you, please listen to it. Please pay attention to whether you sense a beat or rhythm. Keep in mind that the author uses rhyme and repetition as literary devices to convey meaning. Consider the emotions the poetry evokes in you." Read aloud the poem to the class.

Group the pupils into pairs or quartets. "One member of each group will read aloud the poem," inform the pupils. Let the students recite the poem aloud for a minute or two. Add, "Consider the poem's sound with your group members. How did the rhythm catch your attention?" Give students some time for group discussions before letting them contribute. Finally, have them search for terms or phrases that are used repeatedly. As a group, ask them to share. Ask them to circle the poem's rhyming words.

Show the Text Analysis Graphic Organizer (L-2-2-3_Text Analysis Graphic Organizer) on an overhead projector or document camera, and give copies to the students. Say, "Let's read the poem "Icicles" again and examine the poet's word choice using the graphic organizer."

Say, "After reading the poem, we will record examples of rhyming words in the first box under 'Icicles' on the graphic organizer. Go back over the poem and note the terms the writer used to make it rhyme." Ask volunteers to provide their responses (trees/freeze, form/warm, etc.). Set an example for recording responses on the graphic organizer.

"You will now finish the remaining portions of the graphic organizer for this poem," you can say. "Seek repetition in the examples that your group has. Next, talk about the emotion or mood that the poet conveys via his choice of words." While the kids are working, circulate the room and hold group meetings. Offer assistance when required.

Students should share as a group once they have completed the visual organizer and the text analysis. "What atmosphere does the author evoke in you by his word choice?" (content, ecstatic) "What phrases evoke that emotion?" you ask more. (Repetition: "I see icy icicles" and "Here, oh, here's the way" indicate that the speaker is delighted to see icicles.) Also, you may draw attention to the author's use of exclamation points to express excitement.

Part 3

Put up a copy of Takayo Noda's "Dear Snow." Say, "Winter is a theme in this poetry as well. I'm going to read you this poetry. After that, you will read it aloud to yourself once more and work on your own to complete the poem's graphic organizer." Say the poem out loud. Encourage pupils to reread it and focus on the author's word choice. Give the kids the task of filling up the "Dear Snow" graphic organizer.

Once students have finished the organizer, ask them to discuss their ideas in pairs with another student. At this point, students can change or add to the data on the graphic organizer. After that, have the class compare the poems and talk about how the two writers interpret the same subjects using different word choices.

Gather the graphic organizers, then assess each student's comprehension and proficiency. As needed, give comments and reteach.

Extension:

Work with pupils in small groups to go over word families and onset/rhyme if they are having trouble understanding rhyme. You might also ask pupils to identify rhymes in well-known nursery rhymes.
Students who are prepared to go beyond the basics should be asked to create original poetry employing rhyme and repetition.
Students can also rewrite a poem to convey a mood that differs from the original poet's choice.