Ella Patton

Dr. Doubet
MSSE 425
26 April 2022

Formative Assessment Analysis

Learning Goals
K: Students will know the traditional components of haiku. (memorize)
U: Students will understand that haiku differs from other traditional types of poetry. (sort)
U: Students will understand that haiku is used to express themes related to nature. (analyze)
D: Students will be able to identify haiku by their unique components. (analyze)
D: Students will be able to create their own haiku poetry based on their experiences in nature.
(create)

Assessment Instrument
1. How are poems different from other forms of writing?
2. Read the following poem:

Miss Patton is fun

She is not clumsy at all
Best teacher ever

What characteristics of this poem are different from other poems you have read?

Analysis
This survey was given to students before the introduction of a week-long haiku poetry
unit. Its purpose serves to demonstrate each student’s comprehension of the concept of poetry
and gauge their level of knowledge surrounding different aspects of poems. This precursor
regarding poetry, in general, is crucial to gauge their background knowledge. Students were able
to answer these questions in an open format to truly demonstrate the depth of their
understanding. I reiterated on the form that the students were encouraged to answer honestly and
that it was okay to be unsure of their answers. I wanted to use this in order to determine a
launching point for the unit according to the amount of scaffolding by which the students were
already supported.
Most students responded to the first question with consistency. They were able to identify
key differences between poetry and prose including rhythm, rhyme scheme, subject matter, and
format. The general consensus pointed to a broad understanding of poetry as a concept. This told
me that these students would be able to differentiate poetry from prose, and may even be able to
differentiate between different types of poetry.
The second question calls for an analysis of a haiku. This is what shows me whether
students can differentiate types of poetry and if they may have the background knowledge to
identify haiku poetry. Students responded in a variety of ways, creating the need for diverse
groups in which to place students for optimized instruction. Some students were able to directly
specify the poem as haiku, while others were not able to properly summarize the subject matter
within the poem. While the first question provided a broad overview of the students’ collective
knowledge of poetry, the second question allowed me to see the diverse levels of comprehension
demonstrated in the responses. This allowed me to begin the grouping process and to determine
what differentiation was necessary.

Group A- Ready for Application (4 students)

These students have a solid understanding of the components of haiku poetry and are
ready to be enriched and challenged through the creation of their own haiku poems. They are
ready to implement mastery of the other learning goals that they have already met. The most
optimal response received from this group was: “It doesn't rhyme, very short, and it’s not about
nature, but t's a haiku!” This response covers K1, U1 & U2, and D1. The student is able to
differentiate the poem from other types of poetry, point out aspects that create difference, and
identify this poem as haiku. They are ready to apply this knowledge for D2, which involves
creating a poem of their own.

Group B- Foundational Understandings (2 groups of 4 students)

These students have a foundational understanding of what makes haiku poetry different
from other forms of poetry. They have some background knowledge about how most poetry is
normally written, and are ready to apply this information within the context of haiku poetry. The
example I have chosen is: “It’s very short and doesn’t rhyme.” This student demonstrates
knowledge of the foundational concepts detailed in K1 and U1. They are not yet able to identify
and analyze haiku poetry, but they have a strong understanding of poetry in general and what is
different about the example given.

Group C- Ready for Context (4 students)

These students are ready to develop a foundational understanding of what haiku poetry is
and apply it within the context of writing. They are able to conceptualize the difference between
this poem and other poems, and are ready to use those skills within the context of haiku. The
example from this group is: “It's a poem about something real like our teacher.” This response
shows that the student has made the differentiation between abstract concepts that are commonly
found in poetry, such as emotion, and tangible concepts found in this poem. The level of analysis
present in this response demonstrates readiness to analyze haiku, given the proper context.

Instructional Plan

Pre-Lesson Instruction
 I will read a book of haiku poetry titled If Not for the Cat to the class. These poems
describe various creatures using haiku and allow the student to analyze them for meaning and to
identify the animal each haiku describes. This will familiarize students with the structure and
flow of haiku poetry, as well as introduce them to the naturalist themes found within this genre.
Many students at the sixth grade level have only dealt with poetry in its written form. This
creates a barrier between the student and the poem. Allowing them to hear haiku poetry before
they see it demonstrates the use of syllables, lines, and word choice of haiku poetry in context.
Understanding why and how haiku poetry is structured very specifically will help them
contextualize when creating their own poems.

Small Group Instruction

Group C will be given 3 famous haiku poems to analyze. They will be given cards on
which to write the number of lines, number of syllables in each line, and the theme of each
poem. They will describe the subject matter and how it fits into themes of nature. Working
together, using the information gathered, they will create their own set of haiku poems to act out
for one section of group B.

The two sections of Group B will take notes on a video explaining the origins and
structure of haiku poetry. This will help them further differentiate haiku poetry from forms of
European poetry. Next, they will be given three famous poems involving nature to format into
haiku poems. They will work together to extract the main idea, descriptive language, and theme
of each poem and format it into haiku structure. These groups will share their newly-formatted
haiku poems with both group A and group C.

Group A will view the same video group B was shown and take notes reviewing the
structure and theme of haiku poetry. Afterward, they will create a collage using cutouts from
wildlife magazines to depict a scene in nature. This group will then write a haiku poem
describing the scene. This challenges the group by having them create a coherent scene around
which to create a haiku poem. They must interpret the sights and sounds of the image rather than
experiencing them. This group will share their collage and haiku with B group.

Closing Assignment
After presenting their work to other groups, all groups will dissolve and come back
together as a class to play a game of “Haiku me, Haiku me not.” They will be placed into random
teams based on the counting off system by fours. The students will be presented with a poem on
the board and will have 30 seconds to determine if the poem is a haiku or not. Each person will
be able to participate in the same game as their peers and work together to win the most points
for their team. This is a great way to integrate each student’s skill level into a joint effort that
includes everyone. This also allows me to determine the overall mastery of the content and
comprehension of the topic.
Reflection
A lot of students had foundational understandings about what differentiates haiku poetry
from other poems. They had a lot of background knowledge on poetry yet simply did not have
the context. I feel like the way my questions were worded allowed for the students to explore this
background knowledge. The classroom activities I provided build on whatever background
knowledge and context the student brings to the table. The assessment questions let me design
my instruction around enriching students where they are. However, I believe my questions could
be more specific regarding what exactly I am looking for from students. Allowing students such
a large range by using free response may have been the cause of the numerous outliers that
answered outside the bounds of what I expected.
Nonetheless, I believe the method of a low-stakes assessment allowed students to truly
show what they knew. In my classroom, students have been scared off by quiz-like pre
assessments that made it seem like they were being judged on something they had not yet
learned. Opening it up with honesty and flexibility gave me many more indicative responses than
other types of assessment.