Lesson: Mele Aloha a Lyric Poem
Beatrice Mahi Ravenscraft
length: 90 min
Grade: 7 & 8
HCPS Standards:
7.4.1/8.4.1 Range of Writing: students will write a lyric poem applying different elements of poetry writing
Content Concepts:
- become familiar with mele aloha, the Hawaiian love poem
- understand and apply the elements that make mele aloha into your own mele
- recognize meter in 4/4 verses 3/4
- set your lyric poem to 4/4 meter
GLO's:
- cooperative learner
- critical thinking
- quality producer
Objectives:
Students will
- engage in the creative process of writing lyric poetry using metaphors.
- choose a thing/person that is dear to them, write a lyric poem using a flower or other form of nature as a metaphor of their object of affection.
- set their poem to meter of 4 w/ 2 sets (8 or 16 sub-beats)
Assessment(s) and/or Evaluation:
Resources:
- huapala.org
- He Mele Aloha a Hawaiian songbook
- “He Punahele Nō 'Oe”; na Albert Nāhale'ā (He Mele Aloha)
- “Mele 'Ohana”; na Damon Williams (Ke'alaokamaile CD – keali'i reichel)
- “Lei Ho'oheno”; na Kainani Kahaunaele (Ka Lehua 'Ula CD – Weldon Kekauoha)
- “Lei 'A'ali'i”; na Lucky Hudman a Kealoha'āina (Nā Hulukūpuna CD – Bulla Ka'iliwai)
20 min Beginning Procedures (intro/anticipatory set/connection to prior knowledge)
- sing “He Punahele Nō 'Oe”
- sing “Lei Ho'oheno”
- sing “Lei 'A'ali'i”
- sing “Mele 'Ohana”
- compare translations of mele, look for reoccurring theme, imagery, literary elements
- introduce mele aloha
- listen to mele again for its meter
55 min Middle Procedures (learning activities)
- list things of nature with feminine/masculine traits
- choose your object of affection
- begin composing lyrics using metaphors, images from nature to describe feelings
- consider what kinds of expressions; love, joy, delight, peace, tranquility, honor, respect, loyalty, admiration, desire, hope
- craft a lyric poem in the style of mele aloha
- share composition with elbow group
- choose one from each table to share with class
15 min Closing Procedures:
- review checklist
- self assess your composition
- review lesson objectives
- questions?
Modifications for Diverse Learners:
- for advanced learners analyze your object and the metaphor; determine how much more precise the pairing of the two is in accuracy and specificity
- consider peculiarity, singularity
- work with the rhythmic melodic phrasing
- for those who need make available books on Hawai'i plants and animals with pictures and descriptions for students to reference, or reference books of other areas (i.e. continental US)
- for challenged learners form compatible partnerships
- make a T-chart or double T-chart listing traits to organize possible ideas
Teacher's Reflection on Lesson:
- What worked?
- A favorite part?
- What could be modified?
Dear Beatrice,
ReplyDeleteJune 28, 2011
Music and Poetry
Thank you for your inspiring lesson. I enjoyed the songs we sang and the cultural relevance they invoked. Applying rhythm and music to poetry is a worthwhile and enjoyable activity.
Brainstorming, and collaborative groupings were just some of the best practices I observed. Thank you for engaging us with your lesson!
Sincerely
Jessica Dahlke
Dear Kumu Beatrice,
ReplyDeleteMahalo for your wonderful music lesson. It was like a breath of fresh air to hear your beautiful voice again and to have an opportunity to work with rhythm and song writing. Encouraging us to use metaphors and similes was another example of best practice. I would love to say I will take this same lesson back for use with my first graders but that would not be truthful. I will however definitely try to come up with adaptations and modifications to your great ideas and use parts of it. I definitely feel that music should play more of a part in our overall teaching and am saddened that budget cuts have done away with it in elementary school. As a tone deaf primary teacher who cannot read music so I usually resort to piggybacking on well known songs or tunes and adding my own subject or theme related words. Perhaps your lesson will inspire me to try some new techniques
June 28, 2011
ReplyDeleteKumu Beatrice,
Thank you so much for your excellent lesson! You did an amazing job! I loved the music and singing to start and the invitation to write our own love song. I learned a lot of new writing techniques with using 4/4 rhythm… it was completely new for me! You exhibited a lot of great teaching strategies within your lesson: you hooked us with song and lyrics, you gave great feedback, you presented the lesson with clear instructions, you gave independent work time, and group sharing. I loved you lesson, expecially because I learned something new… and I got a pretty awesome love poem written for my love! :o)
Thanks,
Kristi
Dear Bea
ReplyDeleteI LOVED hearing you sing and play for us at the beginning of your lesson. What a great way to hook your students!
Best Practices:
Great “hook”
Group discussion
Individual work time
Group share
incorporating music!! :D
I would like to do something similar in my class to show my kids how to add descriptions to their writings.
Thank you so much for this lesson!
Jessie
Dear Beatrice,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your lesson with us today and for being so flexible on when you presented.
I felt challenged during your lesson because I am not musically inclined by any means. Because of your lesson, I feel more understanding towards the students who struggle in my class. You were so patient and helpful though!
Best practices that I saw were clear directions, group discussion time, independent work time, feedback and the musical hook.
Thanks so much,
Shawna
Oh my gosh what a way to sneak oops I mean integrate writing and music. At Holualoa I over herd the teacher clap her hands and tell the students to write with a beat and they were writing a poem. Music in the movie August Rush and he heard music in everything and anything we even hear it in writing. Here's my piece to the tune of He Puna Hele.
ReplyDeleteMo’olelo Mele
Symbols tell a Mo’olelo.
Triangles talk of mountains.
Triangles hollowed called oceans.
Pressed on cloth as a picture book
Symbols fall onto stones
As writing does on paper
Kupuna melemele i ka pepa
Mo’olelo Kakou
Makani in the trees
Crashing waves on sandy shore
Drawings on stones
Mo’olelo long ago
Fun, learn through play!!!
Is it ironic to say you ROCK!?
6/28/11
ReplyDeleteMusic and Poetry
Dear Beatrice,
Thank you for presenting this really great lesson. As I said in class I am the most musically challenged person you know, and so this was a bit of a challenging activity for me. But, I loved your lesson! You have the most beautiful voice and the most endearing way of teaching, Beatrice. It has been a real pleasure to get to know you these past few weeks.
Some of the best practices I observed were: guided instruction, modification of lesson to meet the abilities of your students, positive reinforcement, and check for understanding.
Thanks again Beatrice, it was really fun!
Beth
Dear B,
ReplyDeleteJune 28, 2011
Mele Aloha
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful music with us! I loved you lesson on love poems. What beautiful choices!
You did a great job of modeling the verses for us, and helping with the rhythm.
I would love to try writing a song with my students! It would be fun to do one as a whole class.
Mahalo!
Aloha Kumu Beatrice,
ReplyDeleteAwesome lesson. Profound implications about music/rhythm FIRST and
writing second. I believe the music, its sounds and rhythms, inspire
feeling & meaning.
Lots of best practices: initial apology for piano playing (makes us feel
safer because you're human too), pre & post rubrics, lots of singing along,
writing own quatrains, clapping out the beats, sharing in small groups,
plenty positive mana'o.
Mahalo. I will challenge my middle school students to put their
Wahi Pana poems to meter.
Aloha, Beatrice ~
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely learning experience you shared with us on Tuesday morning! Thank you for sharing your musical talent with us, for singing and playing ... helping us better understand the music of the islands ... giving insight into Hawai'i and her culture and people!
"Best practices" that I observed include:
* modeling
* engaging students
* offering opportunities for group practice
* setting forth expectations, but allowing room for individual preference within the writing practice
* time to share
* positive reinforcement and encouragement
* (too many more to list!)
Mahalo nui for sharing, enriching, and presenting this lesson!
~jeanne~
Lyric Poem/Mele Aloha
ReplyDelete6/28/11
Aloha Beatrice,
Thank you for the beautiful serenade of Hawaiian songs. You have certainly helped make my experience richer in the Lehua Writing Project by bringing in your Aloha and music. Your assignment was very challenging, but I enjoyed the challenge. I will definitely try to incorporate more music in my class to inspire writing.
Best Practices:
Using multiple senses to engage
Independent work time
Providing clear criteria
Keep up the good work.
Marissa