Caroline's+WA

What is the purpose of Broadway (and other references to urbanity) in Whitman’s poem? Thinking about Broadway in terms of the cultural object, what makes “Song of Myself” a distinctly American poem? How can we use our knowledge of both American history and cultural objects such as the [|aquatint] to better understand Whitman’s poem?
 * Primary goal: What do you want the students to understand more fully about "Song of Myself"? Frame this as a question.**

Broadway is an important topic because, as an expanding and increasingly busy street, Broadway represents the development of the urban environment, a dense, compact location where all kinds of people meet and interact. Since Broadway has encompassed an immensely diverse group of people— everyone from bourgeois to prostitutes—it relates to themes such as democracy, the relationship of the individual in comparison to the collective whole, and inclusion. In addition to the crowds of people, the multitudes of buildings appearing simultaneously (and the image of the “thick glass”) contrast Whitman’s several references to the country, wilderness, and nature in general. I think it could engage the student’s broader interests because we are all aware of what Broadway represents now, but few of us know about how it became the crowded, busy street we know it as. In addition to knowledge about Broadway, most students (certainly those at SF State) have experience in contemporary urban environments. This topic relates to broader issues in literature as it tackles questions such as what it means to be a democracy and what it means to be American. Related to that, of course, are cultural issues: How do we think of others who are often marginalized? Are we as inclusive as Whitman?
 * Why is this topic important to Whitman? How does this topic connect to other themes or concerns of the poem? How might this topic or question engage students' interest and/or experience? How does this topic or question related to broader issues in literature? How does it relate to broader cultural or social issues?**

Students should understand how to apply newly gained knowledge to the poem in order to contextualize it. They should also consider the relationship between the speaker and the reader. While they don’t have to know everything about the formal elements of poetry, they should know how to analyze poetry by listening for differences in sound and observing patterns (whether images, tropes, etc.) in the actual lines.
 * B. Secondary goals: what do you want students to understand about reading poetry? about how to write about poetry? about how to connect text and context?**
 * What is the relationship between the reader and poetry?**


 * II. Evidence of learning:

A types of writing/evidence:

i. formal writing or project (summative) essay; curation; rhetorical;** Students will have a choice between writing an expository essay or creative project.

This will include free writes and blog posts after a class discussion.
 * ii. informal writing (formative)**


 * B. How will this show you that they've learned? how will you evaluate its success or failure in relation to your goals?**

Students will find evidence in the poem that supports their understanding of the bigger themes.


 * II. Design

A. what knowledge or skills will students need in order to produce their evidence of student learning? knowledge about the poem; cultural or historical knowledge; knowledge about Whitman? skills in reading? skills in analysis/making connections? skills in writing?**

Students will need to understand the historical background of 1855, both in New York and the United States. They must also be able to analyze the poem based on their interpretations rather than surface readings or summaries.

reading; writing; finding; collaborating;**
 * B. what kind of activities will develop these knowledges and skills? what kinds of things will students need to do to acquire these knowledges and skills?

Students will first need a review in 19th century American history. Free writes, small group and a full class discussion will also help.


 * C. how will you structure these activities? do some have to come before others? which? why? are some more or less important than others? are some more or less formal than others?**

I would start the class with an American history review, asking them what they know about the United States in 1850, and filling in any relevant gaps. I think this should come early, so students can start contextualizing the poem before the discussion.

I would then introduce my cultural artifact, a painting, and ask the students to work on a free write focusing on how the painting could relate to the poem. I would then break the class into groups and have them use their free write, evidence from the poem, and some questions I give them to try to guess what the painting is about. To help them out, I would present the following questions:
 * Does the painting look like it occurs in a quiet or a chaotic area?
 * What kinds of people do you see in the painting?
 * Does the environment seem to invite all kinds of people, or is it exclusive?
 * What parts of the poem seem to refer to a similar type of environment?

This would be an informal kind of activity.

After some time, the groups would give me their best guess. I would then explain that the picture is of Broadway in 1888, and provide some more context based on my [|previous blog]. Then, as a class, we would discuss bigger themes such as democracy, the individual as part of a whole, and the urbanization of America, relating the painting to the poem, which would probably take up the most time and be the most important part of the class. To follow up, students would pick a part of the poem the relates to one of these themes and write a short explanation in their blog.