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1 Young Adult Literature: Poetry Lesson B r e a t h e 3 rd year HAVO / VWO Presented by Maria Rutgers Sue Cook

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Young Adult Literature: Poetry

Lesson

Breathe

 

3rd  year  HAVO  /  VWO  Presented by

Maria Rutgers Sue Cook

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Contents  

1. Teachers’ Notes ................................................... 3

2. Poem .................................................................... 4

3. Student worksheet A ......................................... 5

4. Student worksheet B .......................................... 7

5. Emotion Revolution flyer from Lady Gaga’s campaign .............................................................11

6. Appendix A: A-Z of Emotions ............................12

7. Appendix B: How to use apps ………………......16

8. Answer Key………………………………………….17

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Teachers’  Notes  This lesson is designed to encourage students to talk about emotions in general and to make them more aware of the importance and difficulties posed by the topic of emotional freedom within the school environment. The associated stigma of low self-esteem can ruin a teenager’s formative years, so it is important for any teacher to have some tools available which he/she can use to reach out to those that need it. Most teachers feel uncomfortable or unqualified to deal with these issues, and many would argue that it’s not the job of an English teacher to justify topics of this nature in the classroom. We disagree. Having said that, it is certainly a sensitive issue, so the following lesson has been created to explore these hidden emotions in a prudent and discreet way which highlight the emotional state, whilst reflecting on the mask that many of us wear. Through the poetic words of another teenager we want to let students know that it is alright to feel the way they do.

To maximise on the teenager experience, we are tapping into the recently-launched Lady Gaga campaign (see page 10): Emotion RevolutionBy using this material the lesson can be expanded in a project with a wider appeal to raise awareness about the importance of emotional intelligence, and thus connect in-class learning with out-of-classroom experiences.

 

Lesson  objectives  

• To introduce poetry to a modern audience. • To use poetry as a means of strengthening English language and vocabulary skills. • To channel the emotions expressed in the poem into something positive teenagers

can use in their daily lives. • To place one person’s poetic words into a larger cultural context.

 

 

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Breathe  Breathe.  

In.  

Out.  

In.  

Out.  

Smile.  

Force  a  laugh.  

Hide  the  scars  

Put  on  the  mask.  

Step  into  the  skin  

Of  who  you’re  not.  

Of  who  you  wish  you  were.  

Of  who  you  will  never  be.  

And  step  out  into  the  world.  

Be  the  perfect  little  plastic  

That  everybody  knows  you  to  be.  

Because  it’s  better  to  be  plastic  

And  feel  nothing  at  all.  

Than  it  is  to  be  glass  

And  shatter  so  easily.  

And  it’s  easier  to  survive  

A  pseudo-­‐something  

Than  it  is  to  survive  

Yourself.  

 

http://yareview.net/2015/07/we-­‐freaks-­‐breathe/  Young  Adult  Review  Network  

 

Lindsay  Woodbury  is  15  years  old  and  has  grown  up  on  a  farm  in  Northwestern  Oklahoma.    Although  she  is  a  farmer  she  does  not  hold  much  of  a  passion  for  agriculture.    Rather,  she  is  unlike  many  people  in  her  area  and  has  a  passion  for  the  fine  arts.    Her  poetry  in  YARN  is  her  first  published  work.    

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Student  Worksheet  A  

Pre-reading activity:

A. In pairs, think of as many emotions as you can. Write them down. B. Look at the photo. What do you think the girl is feeling?

Discuss in pairs, then as a class together.

While-reading activity:

C. Underline the words which you feel highlight the theme of the poem.

Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Smile. Force a laugh. Hide the scars Put on the mask. Step into the skin Of who you’re not. Of who you wish you were. Of who you will never be. And step out into the world. Be the perfect little plastic That everybody knows you to be. Because it’s better to be plastic And feel nothing at all. Than it is to be glass And shatter so easily. And it’s easier to survive A pseudo-something Than it is to survive Yourself.

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Post-reading activities:

1. Write 2 lines why you think the words you underlined are important to the meaning of the poem

2. What do you think is the connection between the title and the meaning of the

poem?

3. Now listen to the following fragment, where a student reads the poem and discusses her own feelings.

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Student  Worksheet  B  The activities in this worksheet are centred around a couple of sentences which are taken from the poem. They are used as inspiration to explore the poem in a wider context, and to practise your written and spoken English.

You will need the following social media for these activities:

• https://www.facebook.com/bornthiswayfoundation • https://instagram.com/btwfoundation/

• Emotions A-Z list

What can I do after completing these activities?

• I can write about emotional issues in English • I can make a short film in which I speak about emotions • I can make a simple poster with a ‘feel good’ slogan written on it • I can apply thematic vocabulary about feelings to everyday life • I can answer a quiz correctly about emotions • I can complete simple sentences using idioms about feelings, moods and

confidence

Activities:

1. “Happiness slogan”– build up your written English Make a “happiness slogan”or make a quote along the lines of “Kindness means….” Look at the inspirational posters below. You can find many of them on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. You can use a free app called Phoster on your iPhone, or Square Insta Pic on Androids to make posters like those below. Be creative. Think about how you would like people to behave towards each other at school.

“Put on the mask” (line 9)

“Step into the skin of who you’re not” (lines 10/11)

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When you have finished it, we will print them out and tape them around the school (on the classroom wall / toilet doors / staffroom doors / entrance hall).

 

2. “I am just not...” – build up your spoken English

Use the sentence “Put on the Mask” from the poem for inspiration. How often do you put on a mask yourself to hide your real emotions. When do you smile? Are you hiding embarrassment or sadness when you smile?

What do we actually know about each other, other than what we see on the surface?

Look at several clips (the links are given underneath) where people give their own “I am not just” statements:  

-­‐ https://instagram.com/p/9OfegTpz_j/?taken-by=btwfoundation

-­‐ https://instagram.com/p/9OeITmJz8P/?taken-by=btwfoundation

-­‐ https://instagram.com/p/9Od_DFJz78/?taken-by=btwfoundation

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Then,  in  pairs,  make  a  short  film  clip  using  the  camera  on  your  mobile  phone.      

Film each other.

Begin your clip with the words “I am not just.....” and then make a statement about yourself, along the lines of the example clips. For example:

I’m not just short, I’m also very passionate about music, I love singing in a rock band and I really love oranges

I’m not just a red head, I also love horse-riding, winning trophies and walking through the woods

I’m not just someone with glasses, I am also a great friend for my brother

3. “Facial expressions” – build up your written English  

Use “Step into the skin of who you’re not” from the poem as inspiration.

Who would you like to be (could be someone famous or someone you admire, etc.)

Find 3 images of this person on the internet with different facial expressions (like Lady Gaga in the images above) and try to describe their emotions. Is he or she happy, or not? Use words from your A-Z list of emotions. When you have done this, look up their biography (personal history) to find out whether they are as happy as you really think.

  ___________________________________________________________  

  ___________________________________________________________  

  ___________________________________________________________  

  ___________________________________________________________  

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4. Explain the emotions– build up your English vocabulary How  do  you  feel?    Using  the  A-­‐Z  of  emotions,  write  sentences  for  each  of  these  pictures.    The  first  is  done  for  you.  

 

5.  6.  7.  8.  9.  10.  11.  12.  13.  14.  15.  16.  17.  18.  19.  20.  21.  22.  23.  24.  

 

25.  26.  27.  28.  29.  30.  31.  32.  33.  34.  

I’m  really  happy                  1      

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The  EMOTION  REVOLUTION  empowers  high  school  students  –  like  you  –  to  create  schools  and  communities  where  emotions  matter.

 

Our  Mission:  Born  This  Way  Foundation  is  committed  to  supporting  the  wellness  of  young  people,  and  empowering  them  to  create  a  kinder  and  braver  world.  We  achieve  this  by  shining  a  light  on  real  people!  

Lady Gaga wants to be an inspiration to students by showing her own feelings in public. She shared her feelings of anxiety with the audience and wore a t-shirt that said, #IamNOTjust Anxious.

Her bravery in sharing her feelings of anxiety and depression were a model for all of us on the importance and healing power of emotional intelligence.

It’s about the importance of affirming all your emotions.The positive and the negative.It’s about YOU!

Lady Gaga:

ü “You have the ability to change the world. If we could all do this together and be loud, we can make a difference today.”

ü “Emotional intelligence affects your future and your ability to live a happy life.”

ü “The person that really needs to accept you is you.”

ü “We have to set a standard where it is not okay to act without morality and values and human respect.

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Appendix  A  

The  A-­‐Z  of  Emotions  ONS NIEUWE 4G-NETWERK A angry: "She was angry with her teacher for criticising her work."

annoyed: "I'm very annoyed with him. He hasn't returned any of my calls."

"She was annoyed by his comments."

appalled = very shocked: "They were appalled to hear that they would lose their jobs."

apprehensive = slightly worried: "I felt a little apprehensive before my presentation."

ashamed: "How could you say such a thing? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

at the end of your tether = completely fed up: "The children have been misbehaving all day – I'm at the end of my tether."

B bewildered = very confused: "He was bewildered by the choice of computers in the shop."

betrayed = when someone breaks the trust you have in them: "He betrayed my trust when he repeated my secret to everyone."

C confused: "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday – I was confused about the dates."

confident = sure of your abilities: "I'm confident that we can find a solution to this problem."

cheated = when you don't get something that you think you deserve: "Of course I feel cheated – I should have won that competition."

cross = quite angry: "I was cross with him for not helping me, as he said he would."

D depressed = very sad: "After he failed his English exam, he was depressed for a week."

delighted = very happy: "I'm delighted that I got the job. It's just what I always wanted."

down in the dumps = sad and fed up: "What's the matter with him? He's so down in the dumps these days."

disappointed: "She was disappointed by her son's poor results at school."

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E ecstatic = extremely happy: "When he asked her to marry him she was ecstatic."

excited: "I'm excited by the new opportunities that the internet brings."

emotional = you have strong feelings (happy or sad) and you cry: "When he heard the news, he became quite emotional."

envious = when you want something that someone else has: "I'm very envious of her happiness – I wish I was happy too."

embarrassed = slightly ashamed: "I felt so embarrassed that I went bright red."

F furious =very angry: "I was furious with him for breaking my favourite vase."

frightened: "As a child she was frightened of the dark."

G great = very good: "I feel great today!"

H happy: "She was happy to hear the good news."

horrified = very shocked: "I'm horrified by the amount of violence on television today."

I irritated = annoyed: "I get so irritated when he changes TV channels without asking me first."

intrigued = being so interested in something you have to find out more: "I'm intrigued to hear about your safari in Kenya."

J jealous = envious: "She was jealous of her sister's new toy."

jaded= tired and having no interest: "After 10 years at this company, I just feel jaded."

K keen: "I'm keen to see your new house – I've heard lots about it."

"I'm keen on keeping fit."

L lazy: "I can't be bothered to do anything today – I feel really lazy!"

lucky: "I'm going to play the lottery – I feel lucky today!"

let down = disappointed: "When you didn't turn up to the meeting, I felt really let down."

M maternal = feeling like a mother: "Looking at my sister's new baby made me feel really maternal."

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N nonplussed = so surprised that you don't know what to do next: "I was so nonplussed by his announcement that I couldn't say anything."

negative = when you can only see the disadvantages: "I feel very negative about my job – the pay is awful."

O overwhelmed= so much emotion that you don't know what to say or do: "I was overwhelmed by the grade I got for my project work."

over the moon = delighted: "She was over the moon with her new bicycle and rode it every day for a whole year."

P positive = opposite of negative – seeing the good side of something: "She's a very positive person and never lets anything get her down."

positive = very sure: "Are you sure that's what you want? Yes – I'mpositive."

R relaxed: "I was completely relaxed after I came back from holiday."

reluctant = when you don't want to do something: "I'm reluctant to buy a new car – the one we have is fine."

S seething = extremely angry, but hiding it: "She was seething after her mother criticized her."

sad: "It makes me sad to see all those animals in cages at the zoo."

scared = frightened: "Are you scared of heights?"

stressed = being worried or anxious about something so you can't relax: "I feel really stressed at work – I need a break."

"He was stressed out by all the travelling in his job."

T terrific = fantastic: "I feel terrific today!"

terrible = ill or tired: "I've got a blinding headache and I feel terrible."

terrified = very scared: "She's terrified of spiders and screams whenever she sees one."

tense = notrelaxed: "You look a bit tense. Did you have a bad day at work?"

U upset = angry or unhappy: "I'm sorry you're upset – I didn't mean to be rude."

unhappy = sad: "I was unhappy to hear that I hadn't got the job."

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V victimized = to feel you are the victim of someone or something: "My boss kept criticizing me and not the others, so I felt quite victimized."

W wonderful = great: "I felt wonderful after such a relaxing weekend."

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Appendix  B      

HOW  TO  USE  THE  APPS  FOR ANDROID

SQUARE INSTA PIC

Go to the Play Store on your smart phone and download Square Insta Pic

FOR APPLE

PHOSTER

Go to the Appstore and download Phoster

• Click on the app once it’s downloaded • Make a photo with your camera or select an appealing background image from

the app • Choose an inspiring quote. It would be brilliant if you think of one of your own.

You can also search the internet for wisdom quotes, Pinterest and Instagram are great sources. Maybe you find some words of wisdom in a book on the shelves at home or in your library.

• Type the text in the photo or image and adapt your font type, colour etc. • Make your design as creative as you can. • Save it.

ONCE YOU’VE CREATED YOUR POSTER, YOU’RE READY TO MAIL IT TO YOUR TEACHER WHO WILL PRINT IT

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1" Answer"key"

How"do"you"feel.""Using"the"A7Z"of"emotions,"write"sentences"for"each"of"these"pictures.""hoesje"samsung"galaxy"s4"mini""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

I’m"really"happy"

I’m"ecstatic" I"feel"embarrassed"

I’m"apprehensive"

I’m"intrigued" I’m"so"nonplussed"

I’m"over"the"moon"

I’m"reluctant"to"go"

I’m"totally"terrified"

I"feel"exhilarated"/"I"feel"wonderful"

I’m"seething"I’m"overwhelmed"by"your"honesty"

I’m"jealous"of"my"friend" I"feel"down"in"

the"dumps"/"unhappy"

I’m"really"sad"to"leave"

I’m"tense."I’m"going"to"miss"my"meeting"

I’m"keen"to"know"who"the"card"is"from."

Wow,"I’m"delighted!"

Yes,"I"feel"excited"

I’m"really"disappointed"