7th Grade ELA NYS Common Core Curriculum Module 3, Unit 1

1. DO NOW
Take out homework on “Black Woman” poem
Use it to complete today’s Entry Task
(4 questions)

2. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
POETRY!
• Rhyme scheme = pattern of rhyming lines
• Use letters to show it!
First sound = a
Second sound = b
Example:
I went to France
(a)
To buy some pants
(a)
With my brother Paul (b)

3. Black Woman
Don’t knock at the door, little child,
I cannot let you in,
You know not what a world this is
Of cruelty and sin.
Wait in the still eternity
Until I come to you,
The world is cruel, cruel, child,
I cannot let you in!

4. Don’t knock at my heart, little one,
I cannot bear the pain
Of turning deaf-ear to your call
Time and time again!
You do not know the monster men
Inhabiting the earth,
Be still, be still, my precious child,
I must not give you birth!

5. Slavery
Learning Objectives
I can analyze the impact of rhyme and
repetition in specific poems.
I can analyze the use of figurative meaning of
words and phrases in a poem.
I can analyze how a poem’s structure
contributes to its meaning.

6. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
POETRY!
• “slaveships” by Lucille Clifton
• Literary allusion = when a writer refers to
another famous literary work
The Bible is used most often
(i.e. “Adam” in A Christmas Carol)

7. slaveships
loaded like spoons
into the belly of Jesus
where we lay for weeks for months
in the sweat and stink of our own breathing
Jesus
why do you not protect us
chained to the heart of the Angel
where the prayers we never tell
are hot and red as our bloody ankles
Jesus
Angel
can these be men
who vomit us out from ships
called Jesus Angel Grace of God
onto a heathen country
Jesus
Angel
ever again
can this tongue speak
can this bone walk
Grace of God
can this sin live

8. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
POETRY!
• First, try to analyze as much as you can
ALONE
• 10 minutes
• Will have to do it alone on test tomorrow!?!

9. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
POETRY!
• NOW…share your ideas with shoulder
partner
• Keep re-reading….the more you hear it, the
more you’ll find

10. slaveships
loaded like spoons
into the belly of Jesus
where we lay for weeks for months
in the sweat and stink of our own breathing
Jesus
why do you not protect us
chained to the heart of the Angel
where the prayers we never tell
are hot and red as our bloody ankles
Jesus
Angel
can these be men
who vomit us out from ships
called Jesus Angel Grace of God
onto a heathen country
Jesus
Angel
ever again
can this tongue speak
can this bone walk
Grace of God
can this sin live

11. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
Be a Poet!!!
• Try re-writing this line using alliteration!!
loaded like spoons
into the belly of Jesus

12. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
How did you re-write the line?

13. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
Be a Poet!!!
• Try re-writing this line using personification!!
chained to the heart of the Angel
where the prayers we never tell
are hot and red as our bloody ankles

14. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
How did you re-write the line?

15. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
Be a Poet!!!
• Try re-writing this line using metaphor!!
can these be men
who vomit us out from ships

16. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
How did you re-write the line?

17. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
Exit Ticket!
1. What did you learn about slavery from
the poems today?
2. What part of reading the poem was a
struggle?
3. What part of reading the poem was
easier for you?

18. Slavery
Narrative of Frederick Douglass
Homework
“Harriet Tubman” by Eloise Greenfield
• Read and analyze
• Answer “Mean Machine Read” questions