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Poems to Read
8 Week Summer Camp Sample
The following activities have been adapted from “Teach This Poem: ‘Old South Meeting House’ by January Gill O'Neil.” They can be done alone or with a guardian, sibling, friend or partner.
Big picture: What associations do you have with the words “Boston Tea Party?”
Read this short excerpt about the Old South Meeting House and the role it played at the beginning of the American Revolution. Write down what you think are the important words and phrases in the excerpt. Then, share what you’ve learned about the Old South Meeting House from this excerpt with your partner.
Read January Gill O’Neil’s poem silently and write down the words and phrases that jump out to you. Read the poem again aloud and add to your lists of words and phrases. Repeat this process with your partner reading aloud if needed.
Share your words and phrases with your partner. What do these words and phrases tell us about the poem? What is the structure of the words? What might this have to do with the Old South Meeting House?
What did you learn from the historical excerpt about the Old South Meeting House? What did you learn from the poem? What do you think accounts for the difference? Give detailed evidence from both the historical excerpt and the poem.
Terms to Learn
This week’s poetic term,free verse, is poetry not dictated by an established form or meter and often influenced by the rhythms of speech. The free verse poem fits no mold; it has no preexistent pattern. Learn more and write your own poem in free verse.