Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
6th Grade: Express Yourself, Lesson 2: Close Read Lesson Plan6th Grade: Express Yourself, Lesson 2: Close Read Lesson Plan
Publisher
Curated OER
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th
Subjects
English Language Arts
3 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
3 days
Instructional Strategies
Collaborative Learning
3 more...
Lesson Plan

6th Grade: Express Yourself, Lesson 2: Close Read

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This 6th Grade: Express Yourself, Lesson 2: Close Read lesson plan also includes:
  • Express Yourself Overview
  • Express Yourself Organizer
  • Express Yourself Index
  • Pre-Assessment Option 1
  • Pre-Assessment Option 2
  • Activity
  • Project
  • Join to access all included materials

The second lesson of a pair about Paul Laurence Dunbar, this plan focuses in particular on his poem, "We Wear the Masks." After a short historical introduction, class members conduct a series or readings, marking up the text and discussing literary elements such as imagery, tone, and personification. The final evaluation combines what pupils have learned about this poem, as well as the poem they studied in the previous lesson.

730 Views 411 Downloads
CCSS: Designed

Concepts

author's purpose, authors, imagery, literary devices, tone, personification, figurative language, close reading, rhymes

Additional Tags

paul laurence dunbar, we wear the masks, close reading, figurative language, tone, author's purpose, personification, imagery, rhythm, rhyme, english language arts

Pros

  • Well-sequenced plan that requires close reading and higher-level thinking
  • Hits on many Common Core skills such as using textual evidence, analyzing a text, and participating in collaborative discussions

Cons

  • Some of the provided links do not work
  • The first few steps of the plan and the final evaluation instructions are somewhat vague; however, the remainder of the procedures are specific

Common Core

RL.6.1 RL.6.2 RL.6.4 RL.6.5 RL.6.6 RL.6.7 RL.6.10 W.6.10 SL.6.1.a SL.6.1.c SL.6.1.d

See similar resources:

Unit Plan

Reading Closely for Textual Details: Grade 6

Odell Education
Close reading doesn't mean to literally read text close to your face, but rather to pay attention to particular details in order to develop a deep and purposeful understanding of text. The first part of a five-part resource provides an...
6th English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Instructional Video

Amanda Gorman Reads Inauguration Poem, 'The Hill We Climb'

PBS
Following in the tradition established by John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton, the Inauguration Ceremony of Joseph Biden  featured an Inauguration Poem. National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman's powerful recitation of her...
6 mins 6th - 12th English Language Arts
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: "My Skeleton" by Jane Hirshfield

Academy of American Poets
Jane Hirshfield's poem "My Skeleton" asks readers to pause and think about the amazing, often taken-for-granted structure that protects and gives form to human bodies. After observing the human skeleton's image, class members read the...
6th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: "Heart to Heart" by Rita Dove

Academy of American Poets
Take heart! Here's a lesson that will encourage learners to notice details. After listening to Sarah Vaughan singing "My Funny Valentine" and noting how the word heart relates to Valentine's Day, scholars observe a human heart image....
6th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise | Maya Angelou and the 1993 Inaugural Poem: “On the Pulse of Morning”

PBS
President Bill Clinton asked Maya Angelou to deliver a poem as part of his 1993 Inaugural Ceremony. Class members watch a clip of Angelou's presentation, do a close reading of the full text of the poem, and respond to discussion...
5 mins 6th - 12th English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: “Dead Stars” by Ada Limón

Academy of American Poets
Pay attention! A lesson featuring Ada Limon's poem "Dead Stars" is designed to help learners develop their noticing skills. Class members first study the constellation Orion's image and list what they notice and how the image makes them...
6th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: "Spring is like a perhaps hand" by E. E. Cummings

Academy of American Poets
E. E. Cummings' "Spring is like a perhaps hand" offers young scholars an opportunity to try their hands at analyzing a simile. After a warm-up activity and a close reading of the poem, class members discuss what they think the poem is...
6th - 12th English Language Arts
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: "The Metier of Blossoming" by Denise Levertov

Academy of American Poets
Poetry analysis need not be a lugubrious exercise for young learners. The approach used with Denise Levertov's poem, "The Metier of Blossoming" is one of close observation, of noticing and reflecting on the words, phrases, and images the...
45 mins 6th - 12th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: "We All Return to the Place Where We Were Born" by Oscar Gonzales

Academy of American Poets
What do you remember about your childhood home? Scholars listen to Oscar Gonzales reading his poem "We All Return to the Place Where We Were Born" in Spanish and English, then discuss what they learned about Gonzales.
6th - 12th English Language Arts
Lesson Plan

Different Types of Poetry

Curated OER
Provide pupils samples of different types of poems including haikus, narrative, nonsense, shape, and rhyming poems. In groups, class members read the poems, establish their general meaning, identify poetic devices, and rate the poems,...
4th - 6th English Language Arts
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use