Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit

I have always believed that poetry is an important subject to teach for homeschool high schoolers.

That may sound cheesy to those who don’t love poetry but here are some reasons I believe teens should study poetry:

• It is good for communication and connecting to culture.

  • Traditionally, poetry memorization was an integral part of education. In times past, anyone with a few years education could quote some basic poems, or at least favorite poems. This gave everyone some shared cultural understanding and a richness of communication.

• Also, it is good for your brain! An article in Stuff You Should Know and an article in Bustle explains that imagery, metaphor, surprise and word usage of poetry helps exercise the brain (according to the type of poem):

  • In the music area of the brain
  • Also, in the movement parts of the brain
  • In recognition parts of the brain
  • And in the reward parts of the brain

• Writing poetry trains teens to use words skillfully, which can pay off when they are writing essays, research papers and professional correspondences.

  • A well-crafted, well-articulated piece of writing can get more favorable results (check out this post from Business Know-how). When teens have learned the skill of word-usage in poetry, they can apply that skill form more effective writing in the otherwise “boring” types of writing.

One of our 7th Sisters wanted to do an entire year of poetry with her homeschool high schoolers and wanted to know a good scope and sequence for high school poetry credit using 7Sisters’s poetry guides. (BTW- who are our 7th Sisters? You are!)

Before I start with the scope and sequence, please remember that there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school. This is simply a suggested sequence of study for a full poetry credit for the homeschool transcript.

Also, for those who might not be sure, we define “scope and sequence” as the order of teaching a curriculum (as opposed to a syllabus that tells your student what to do each day).

How would you record a full-year of poetry on the homeschool transcript? There are two choices:

A Language Arts elective.

If your homeschool high schooler is particularly interested in poetry or is planning on choosing a college major in English or Humanities, a specialized course in poetry adds sparkle to the homeschool transcript by showing development of a skill or interest beyond the bare-bones requirement for graduation. If you choose this credit, log hours to ear the credit using your state’s requirements for earning a Carnegie-hour credit. (One credit courses tend to vary by state from 120-180 hours of educational experience. One-half credit courses tend to include 60-90 hours of educational experience.)

A Language Arts core credit.

Teens can make an entire Language Arts credit covered by a single topic. This takes a little creativity since a full Language Arts credit requires some books and papers. You can learn more by reading, How to Earn an ELA credit for poetry.

Suggested Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit (Elective)

For this Scope and Sequence, by a request, we are suggesting 7Sisters Poetry Guides. Also, here’s a syllabus for a poetry credit to walk them through the process.

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 1-5: 7Sisters Introductory Guide to High School Poetry Writing

This no-busywork guide is a gentle introduction to writing poetry that will inspire teens that they CAN write poetry (and enjoy the process). This guide will introduce homeschool high schoolers to these basic poetry-writing concepts.

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 6-11: Intermediate Guide to High School Poetry Writing

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 7-13: Literature Guide to British Poetry

Get a gentle introduction to poetry analysis with 7Sisters no-busywork Literature Guide to British Poetry. This no-busywork guide helps homeschool high schoolers enjoy a beginner’s look at basic poetry analysis. Don’t be intimidated! It is simply putting to use the skills they learned in Intermediate Guide to Poetry Writing by looking at a few favorite poems by a few favorite British poets.

You can break the lessons like this:

• Week 7: George Herbert and William Cowper
• Week 8: William Blake and Gerard Manley Hopkins
• Week 9: Rudyard Kipling and Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Week 10: Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Week 11: Christina Rossetti and Alfred, Lord Tennyson
• Week 12: Sir Walter Scott and William Butler Yeats
• Week 13: Lewis Carroll and Robert Burns

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 14-18: Advanced Guide to High School Poetry Writing

• Week 14: Elements of poetry – Theme
• Week 15: Elements of poetry – Tone
• Week 16: Elements of poetry – Symbolism
• Week 17: Elements of poetry – Sound (rhyme, alliteration, assonance, parallels, onomatopoeia)
• Week 18: Elements of poetry – Rhythm

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 19-23: American Poetry: Reading and Writing

Homeschool high schoolers apply their poetry-writing and analysis skills in this inspiring, no-busywork overview of American Poetry. They will read a few poems from five American poetry genres, apply simple analysis skills and then write a poem of their own in the style of each genre. Teens have told us they love it!

• Week 19: Fun Poetry
• Week 20: Native American Poetry
• Week 21: Early American Poetry
• Week 22: Poetry That Tells a Story
• Week 23: African-American Poetry

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 24-28: World Poetry: Reading and Writing

World Poetry follows the same format as American Poetry: Reading and Writing but gives a delightful introduction to several poetic styles from around the world.

• Week 24: Poetry of Korea: Sijo
• Week 25: Poetry of Japan: Haiku, Senryu, and Tanka
• Week 26: Poetry of Persia, Middle East, and Northern Africa: Ghazal
• Week 27: Fun Poetry of Europe: Limericks
• Week 28: Poetry of Israel: Psalms

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 29-30: Literature Study Guide for Old Possum’s Guide to Practical Cats

• Week 29: Naming of Cats, Gumbie Cat, Growltiger’s Last Stand, Rum Tum Tugger, Jellicles, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser, Old Deuteronomy
• Week 30: Of the Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles, together with some account of the Participation of the Pugs and Poms, and the Intervention of THE GREAT RUMPUSCAT, Mister Mistoffelees, Macavity, Gus, Bustopher Jones, Skimbleshanks, The Ad-dressing of Cats, Cat Morgan Introduces Himself

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit Weeks 31-35: Memorization

Choose poems to memorize and recite to family, friends or co-op. Choose any covered this year or choose one from this freebie download (poetry videos set to music and illustrated).

For teens who want more study of poetry, try poetry analysis in 7Sisters five-week guide.

More resources on teaching poetry in your homeschool:

• Our friends, Meryl and Lisa, have additional thoughts on introducing poetry in this post.
• Our friend, Misty, shares ideas for homeschoolers of any age in this post.
• Add National Poetry Month (April) to your schedule with this ideas from our friend, Sarah.

 

7Sisters email subscribers receive periodic practical encouragement, special offers and NO SPAM EVER.

Click the image above to periodically receive real homeschool value in your inbox.

 

Scope and Sequence for High School Poetry Credit