Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes---Lesson Plan and Activity Ideas

First of all, I am going to give a couple of tips to what I taught my students in reading poetry.  

1)  I always told my students to read their poem once to try to get a  feeling of the story.  I tell them not to focus on the words they don't know but what the author is trying to say in general. 


2)  Then I have the students read through the poem again, highlighting and underlining words they don't know (in one color), and uses of literary devices.  For example, they have to find metaphors, similes, etc.  


3)  We then read through the poem together and I usually give an independent or paired assignment for the students to complete.  


If you can find an interesting way to read your poem at the beginning, the students will most likely want to keep reading it instead of repeating to everyone that is in the vicinity, "This is boring.  I don't understand what this means." 

 "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes is one of my favorite poems.  I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, and most middle schoolers are also hopelessly romantic!  When I introduced this poem to my students, I like to compare it to Romeo and Juliet. 

"The Highwayman" is tricky to teach.  The language is difficult for most students to comprehend, and  vocabulary can become a barrier while teaching the poem.  Background knowledge is also needed for understanding the setting and characters of the poem.  Teachers will have to explain the titles:  highwayman, redcoat, ostler, etc.

Even with the background teaching and heavy vocabulary that will have to be taught, this poem is excellent for teaching metaphors, narrative poetry, repitition, similes, alliteration, and even onomatopoeia. 

Now you know a little bit about the poem's contents, and you've already read it. Right?  

I taught this poem for three years and my introduction to the poem never wavered.  That is because it hooked my students into the poem and literally had their eyes opened, fingers on the pages, faces intent on the poem and actually trying to read ahead.

This is my little secret that I am willing to share.  Want to know what I did?

We listened to a song.  Not just any random song, but a song called "The Highwayman" by Loreena McKennit.  I challenged the students to listen to the song AND read along at the same time.  I stopped the song occasionally to check that the class knew where we were.  At the beginning of the song, the students might look a little bored, but wait a few more minutes and you see a shift when you get to a certain point in the poem.  The song is missing three stanzas from the poem, but we read those later on.

After we listen to this song, they like to talk about what happened and give their opinions.  I usually let them air out these opinions to their neighbors.  Some of my favorite reactions:  "How sad."; "How stupid.  Why did they both have to die?";  "He's dumb.  Why did he run out into the road wearing red?"; "This is so sad and sweet!"  You can probably guess which ones the boys said and which ones girls said.

I then give the students a scavenger hunt.  I created this scavenger hunt as a "fun" way of finding all the poetic devices located in the poem.  I let them work with their shoulder partner (person sitting next to them-more on shoulder partners later), but they have to turn in their own scavenger hunt.  I usually have a vocabulary section on the scavenger hunt as well.

Here is a printable.  You have to download it, and then you can make adjustments on it for what you want your students to be learning.  Have fun and enjoy "The Highwayman" with your students! 

10 comments:

  1. Hello...I am interested in how you teach "The Highwayman." This is my first year teaching middle schools students...7th grade. I love the song and would love to try this in my classroom. I tried to look at your handout, but couldn't access it. Would you be willing to email it to me? awilliams@dbqschools.org

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  2. Hello...I am interested in how you teach "The Highwayman." This is my first year teaching middle schools students...7th grade. I love the song and would love to try this in my classroom. I tried to look at your handout, but couldn't access it. Would you be willing to email it to me? awilliams@dbqschools.org

    ReplyDelete
  3. I as well would love to see the printable but couldn't find it. Would you email it to me at meghan.scibienski@wesdschools.org

    Thanks!!

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  4. I would also love to see the printable - could you email it to me as well. s.m.crossley@unimail.winchester.ac.uk Thank you very much

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  5. I would like the printable also. I like this teaching idea. laceycaskey@gmail.com

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  6. Hi! I like your idea for The Highwayman! I was wondering if you could please email me the printable--I can't access it. I would be so grateful!

    meesagarcia@gmail.com

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  7. Not sure if its possible but i would really appreciate the printable too!!

    kellymbruce@gmail.com

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  8. Hello,
    I would really appreciate the printable and the scavenger hunt too, sounds like fun!
    Thanks!
    bedoya2u@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would also love the printable! Please! Thank You So Much!
    cassie.deboard@rcstn.net

    ReplyDelete
  10. Me too! jsokoloff@bibachina.org

    ReplyDelete