"Poetic Journey: A Week of Resilience" — Inkwire

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High School Grade

Lesson
45 minutes

"Poetic Journey: A Week of Resilience"

SUZETTE ARANIVA

Week 1	Day 1
Activities	Begin the lesson with a brief introduction to the Japanese internment during World War II, emphasizing the impact on individuals and communities. Discuss the role of poetry as a tool for expressing experiences of adversity. Introduce the partnered cultural center and its resources, encouraging students to consider how they can use these insights in their poetry. Facilitate a short interactive discussion where students explore their initial thoughts and questions about the historical context and the emotional landscape of the poems they will study. Example: Ask students to share what they know about internment and how they feel poetry might capture the emotions involved. (15 minutes) Guide students through a close reading of selected Japanese internment poems, focusing on identifying themes, literary devices, and emotions conveyed through the texts. Use guiding questions to help students analyze how these elements express experiences of adversity and resilience. Encourage students to annotate the poems, highlighting key lines and discussing their significance in small groups. Example: Students might identify the theme of loss in a poem and discuss how metaphors and imagery enhance the emotional impact. Provide examples of literary devices such as simile or metaphor found in the poems, and ask students to reflect on their effectiveness. (15 minutes) Invite students to create their own poems, drawing connections between the themes of adversity and resilience explored in the internment poems and their personal experiences. Offer students four creative options: a free verse poem, a haiku, a narrative poem, or a spoken word piece. Provide guidelines and prompts to help structure their work, encouraging them to incorporate literary devices and personal anecdotes. Allow time for drafting and peer feedback, highlighting the importance of authentic expression. Example: A student may choose to write a haiku reflecting on a personal challenge, using imagery to convey emotions succinctly. (15 minutes)
Deliverables
Preparation