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This Teaching the Vietnam War with Poetry and Archives lesson plan also includes:
The language of and the perspective of photographs, poems, and official reports differ. After a close reading of two photographs, two poems, and a military report about the Vietnam War, individuals adopt someone's voice or something from the pictures, poems, or report and craft a poem from that perspective.
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CCSS:
Designed
Concepts
Instructional Ideas
- Use the resource with a study of the Vietnam War and/or with a reading of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried
- While reading Komunyakaa's "Facing It" project, an image of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Introduce the concept of perspective and point of view by providing class members with the words and then playing the recordings of Barry Sadler's "Ballad of the Green Berets" and Country Joe and the Fish's "Feel Like I'm Fixing to die Ray"
Classroom Considerations
- Be sensitive that many families still have strong opinions about the Vietnam War, and those opinions vary dramatically
- Ensure that a protocol is in place for a safe and respectful discussion of the war
Pros
- The activity underscores how an artist's purpose impacts the choice of language the author's use in their work
- The resource includes discussion questions, activities, poems, photographs, and a military report
Cons
- None