Lessons & Units

Leaf by Leaf: Autumn Poems 5th Grade Unit

Genre
Poetry
Concepts Taught
Author's Purpose, Figurative Language, Genre, Main Idea, Theme, Voice

Lessons

Genre Lesson Poetry Identify elements of poetry.
A Light in the Attic
A Light in the Attic
Lesson 1 What’s the Main Idea? Explain the main idea of a poem.
Lesson 2 The Tone of a Poem Describe the emotion or tone of a poem.
Lesson 3 A Poem’s Theme Identify a theme in a poem.
Lesson 4 Author’s Purpose Identify the author’s purpose in a poem.
Lesson 5 Figurative Language Classify various types of figurative language found in a poem.

Build Background Knowledge

Ask your students what they think makes a good subject for a poem. Build background knowledge for this unit by introducing your students to poems about nature. Poets have long expressed their appreciation of the natural world through creative writing, rather than studying nature like a science. Nature poetry can be about weather, flowers, trees, animals, or the seasons. Nature poets often use their five senses to describe the natural world. They also make plants and animals take on human characteristics (personification), or show how nature can tell us how people should live. Explain how all of the poets in this book are inspired by the season of Autumn, and introduce specific poets to your students as you read the poems aloud.

Teacher and Student Materials

Pacing Guide

Pacing Guide for Leaf by Leaf

Day 1

Begin Genre Lesson

Day 2

Genre Lesson (continued)

Complete the Genre Lesson Independent Practice.

Day 3

Begin Reading “September,” From “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty,” “Wild Goose,” and From “James Lee”

Begin the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 4

Finish Reading “September,” From “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty,” “Wild Goose,” From “James Lee”

Complete the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 5

Begin Lesson 1

Day 6

Lesson 1 (continued)

Complete the Lesson 1 Independent Practice Worksheet.

Day 7

Begin Reading From “The Sheaves,” From “London Voluntaries,” and From “The Alchemist in the City”

Begin the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 8

Finish Reading From “The Sheaves,” From “London Voluntaries, and From “The Alchemist in the City”

Complete the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 9

Begin Lesson 2

Day 10

Lesson 2 (continued)

Complete the Lesson 2 Independent Practice Worksheet.

Day 11

Begin Reading From “The Bonfire,” From “The Wild Swans at Coole,” and From “Birds’ Nests”

Begin the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 12

Finish Reading From “The Bonfire,” From “The Wild Swans at Coole,” From “Birds’ Nests”

Complete the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 13

Begin Lesson 3

Day 14

Lesson 3 (continued)

Complete the Lesson 3 Independent Practice Worksheet.

Day 15

Begin Reading From “Come Up From the Fields Father,” From “Ulalume,” and “November Day” 

Begin the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 16

Finish Reading From “Come Up From the Fields Father,” From “Ulalume,” and “November Day”

Complete the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 17

Begin Lesson 4

Day 18

Lesson 4 (continued)

Complete the Lesson 4 Independent Practice worksheets.

Day 19

Begin Reading “City Autumn, From “Two Lives and Others,” and "Something Childish, But Very Natural".

Begin the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 20

Finish Reading “City Autumn,” From “Two Lives and Others,” and "Something Childish, But Very Natural"

Complete the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 21

Begin Lesson 5

Complete the Student Packet Worksheets

Day 22

Lesson 5 (continued)

Complete the Lesson 5 Independent Practice Worksheet.

Day 23

Review for the Unit Assessment

Day 24

Unit Assessment

User Comments

This entire unit is immensely helpful! I just became unstressed!

Submitted by tshontel on 3/19/17

I will use this resource to help my students read and understand poems.

Submitted by maryelevine_1113238 on 11/3/16

Really enjoyed using this unit with my students. Bought the book, but found that I could cut and paste poems from the internet instead so the students could have their own copies.

Submitted by barbara-peyton_1507970 on 10/22/15

Where did you find the poems to copy from the internet? I only can find websites selling the book.

Submitted by jhlavac_1884573 on 3/27/16

Great unit! It's just what I needed and have been looking for.

Submitted by sandranewberry on 10/27/14