Students read and discuss the power and message of a number of poems of witness connected with historical moments.  They identify, analyse and explain the effective use of poetic techniques poets use to create an emotional impact in their poems and perform their new understandings through creating an anthology of their poetry of witness. With its connection to topics studied in MYP Individuals and Societies and focus on portraying history through creativity, this mini-unit has the potential to connect with several interdisciplinary teaching and learning units.

GRASPS Summative Assessment

Goal: To express creatively through writing poems, witness to a specific moment or specific moments of 'big history' 

Role: You are a poet writing poetry of witness to a 'big history' moment or moments.

Audience: Readers of your Poetry of Witness Anthology

Situation: You have been invited to write an anthology of poetry of witness and you will present one or more of your poems at a Poetry of Witness event.

Product: Write an Anthology of Poetry of Witness, include for each poem a short introduction in which you briefly explain the 'big history' context of the poem, an overview of the poem's message and an analysis of the poetic choices you have chosen. Then, choose two short poems or one longer poem to present at your class' Poetry of Witness event and prepare to introduce these poems and recite them to your audience.

Success Criteria: 

Criteria A: Analysing

• Analyse the effects of the creator’s choices on an audience
• Justify opinions and ideas, using examples, explanations and terminology.

Criteria C: Producing Text  

• Produce texts that demonstrate insight, imagination and sensitivity while exploring and reflecting critically on new perspectives and ideas arising from personal engagement with the creative process
• Make stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating awareness of the impact on an audience.

Criteria D: Using Language

• Use appropriate and varied vocabulary, sentence structures and forms of expression
• Write in a register and style that serve the context and intention
• Use correct grammar, syntax and punctuation
• Spell and write with accuracy. 

TIP! Share an InThinking student page for the summative assessment directly with your students:

Poetry of Witness - GRASPS Summative Assessment 

You will formatively assess your students throughout the learning process in the unit. We are constantly judging our students' knowledge and understanding during lessons and providing them with verbal positive feedback. I recommend always preparing students for each summative assessment, possibly by giving them a similar mini-formative assessment before the summative assessment, for which you provide verbal and/or written feedback goals that your students can work on.

Ideas for formative assessments that you can use to provide students with feedback to feedforward during this unit:

• Students analyse poems or parts of poems and write/speak about how the poets effectively communicates their message to the reader.
• Students write poems and receive feedback on their language, and use of poetic techniques to create a message.

Some ideas for differentiation:

Content

Choose appropriate poems to support or challenge individual student needs. Consider simplified or shorter versions of poems.

Process

Provide additional questions, explanations, scaffolds, vocabulary lists etc.

Product

Modify the final product in ways such as reducing the number of poems to be written, increasing time allocation, providing additional clarifications or modifying the assessment criteria and strands in Years 1-4. Offer students the opportunity to film or record an audio of them reading and talking about their poems if they are challenged by presenting in front of the class.

If you choose to focus on current global events including wars, imprisonment, exile, repression, and human rights violations during this unit there is a clear link with the MYP Service Outcome: Engage with issues of global importance. Perhaps, your students could write their own poems of witness and raise awareness by performing them for others in your school community or create short films in which their witness poetry is presented with appropriate visuals to create an impactful message to others.

OPEN-MINDED - They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

REFLECTIVE - They thoughtfully consider the world and their own ideas and experiences.

Use some questions below to support your reflection at different stages of the unit. A detailed list of pre, during and post unit reflection questions is available on this page. Below are just a few questions to get you started.