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Writing a Backwards Poem using “Holes” by Louis Sachar by NNWP


Subject

English Language Arts (2005), English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)

Grade Levels

Intermediate, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade


Description

After listening to excerpts from Holes, students will discuss ways that author Louis Sachar uses irony, antonyms, and vivid vocabulary to develop his story.   Using a graphic organizer, students compare and contrast these characters/places with their names (for example:  Camp Green Lake is actually a dried up lake that is a detention center for delinquent boys).  The student handout will provide and/or inspire students with creative, interesting options for contrasting character traits/names and setting descriptions/place names in order to create a “backwards poem.”

Website(s)

The Northern Nevada Writing Project
The National Writing Project
Walt Disney Lesson Plans for Holes

Six-Trait Overview

The focus trait in this writing assignment is word choice; playing with words (through irony and oxymoron) is the inspiration of this lesson. The support trait in this assignment is voice; using humor smartly is a skill that writers should practice as they discover their own voices in writing.

Author

Northern Nevada Writing Project Teacher Consultant Kelly Nott

Duration

One 45-minute class period

Materials

  • The novel, Holes, by Louis Sachar
  • Copies of the Holes Graphic Organizer (one per student)
  • Copies of the Writing a Backward Poem Student Handout (one per student)
  • Overhead transparency made of the Holes Backward Poem worksheet
  • Holes Backward Poem Overhead.pdf
  • Holes Graphic Organizer.doc
  • Writing a Backwards Poem Student Handout.doc

    • Step-by-Step Procedure

    Anticipatory Set: Ask students to define the term “Backward Poem.” Then have students share their definitions.

    1. Share the sample backwards poem example on your overhead.  Have students share variations of the poem they may have heard.
    2. Define irony (the opposite of what a reader expects) in writing for your students.  Talk about how backwards poems are extreme versions of irony.
    3. Share the first few lines--perhaps the entire first chapter--of Holes.  Talk about how the first line is verbal irony.
    4. Distribute the graphic organizer and re-read the first few lines. Allow time for students to record other examples of irony in the section. (If you will be reading the whole novel, point out that students will want to be on the look out for other irony in the novel, since Sachar has set up the tone for irony with his very first sentence).
    5. Brainstorm, as a class, and write five or six interesting adjectives on the board.  For example: delicious, powerful, pathetic, hysterical, frozen, etc.  Challenge your students to think of a noun that you wouldn't think should follow the adjective.  For example: delicious garbage, powerful weakling, pathetic hero, frozen lava, jumbo shrimp, etc.
    6. Explain to students that this type of verbal irony (which are actually called oxymorons) are to be the beginning inspiration for their original "backwards poems."  Ask students, "Could you use the phrase delicious garbage in a humorous line of poetry?   If you can, then you are going to do very well with this poetry assignment."
    7. Distribute the Writing a Backwards Poem Student Handout. Review the instructions with students and allow them time to review the adjective and noun charts highlighting pairs of words they like.
    8. Ask students to share some pairs that they highlighted.
    9. Allow time for students to begin writing their backward poems.

    Closure: Ask for student volunteers to share what they have written so far with their backwards poems.

    Extension of Lesson

    To promote response and revision to rough draft writing, attach Revision & Response Post-Its to your students' drafts. Make sure the students rank their use of the trait-specific skills on the Post-Its, which means they'll only have one "1" and one "5." Have them commit to ideas for revision based on their Post-It rankings. For more ideas on WritingFix's Revision & Response Post-Its, click here.

    After students apply their revision ideas to their drafts and re-write neatly, require them to find an editor. If you've established a "Community of Editors" among your students, have each student exchange his/her paper with multiple peers. With yellow high-lighters in hand, each peer reads for and highlights suspected errors for just one item from the Editing Post Its

    When they are finished revising and have second drafts, invite your students to come back to this piece once more during an upcoming writer's workshop block. Their stories might become a longer story, a more detailed piece, or the beginning of a series of pieces about the story they started here. Students will probably enjoy creating an illustration for this story as they get ready to publish it for their portfolios.

    Content Provider

    The Northern Nevada Writing Project: WritingFix


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