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ACTIVITY 1.17 continued
12 After responding to the text- dependent questions, invite students from the even-numbered groups (“The Poor Man’s Burden”) to join together to make one or two larger groups. Do the same for the odd- numbered groups (“The White Man’s Burden”). The goal is for these new groups to be large enough for students to extend and deepen their analyses of the assigned poem, but at the same time small enough to
be effective.
13 Have these larger groups revisit their assigned poem, this time discussing its meaning through the lens of Cultural Criticism. Invite students to address the questions they wrote in the margins during the first read, and ask them to use Levels of Questions to generate additional questions that can be used in a Socratic Seminar.
14 Next combine students from odd and even groups to form larger groups of 8 to 12 students to discuss their thinking and analysis. Each new group should include equal numbers of students who have discussed each of the poems. Remind students to reread the poems as necessary and refer to specific lines and details to support their thinking.
15 With students in their new, combined groups, conduct a Socratic Seminar using the pre-seminar questions and any additional questions the students generate.
16 As students participate in the Socratic Seminar, check for a well-rounded understanding of Cultural Criticism, incorporating concepts of nationality, ethnicity, and social class.
17 To conclude the Socratic Seminar and to check understanding, have students respond to the post-seminar reflection questions individually.
SCAFFOLDING THE TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS
64 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Senior English
9. Craft and Structure (RL.11–12.5) How does McNeill’s tone and language change at the end of the poem? Reread lines 41–48 and look for words that signal a shift in the speaker’s attitude and focus. How would you describe the speaker’s attitude at the beginning of the poem? How does it compare or contrast to his tone at the end?
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64 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Senior English
ACTIVITY 1.17
continued
Imperialism: A Poetic Conversation
My Notes
8. Key Ideas and Details: Who is “He” in lines 37–38? According to the speaker, what will he do?
“He” refers to “Freedom’s God,” who will judge the wealthy for their abuse and exploitation of the working poor because the “Poor Man with his burden/ Weighs more with God than” the wealthy capitalist. RL.11–12.1
9. Craft and Structure: How does McNeill’s tone and language change at the end of the poem?
With the line “Lift off the Poor Man’s Burden,” he changes his tone from ironic to sincere. He pleads for change—stop oppressing foreign countries through colonization and, instead, allow everyone to experience “Freedom’s sacred light.” He also changes the poem’s focus from “you” (the wealthy) to “our souls” and “our needs.” RL.11–12.5
Working from the Text
10. Reread the poems to compare their perspectives and to prepare for a Socratic Seminar. Respond to the pre-seminar questions and two to three of the questions generated from your reading. For each question, use details from each text to support your response.
Pre-seminar questions:
• What is each poet’s attitute toward imperialism?
• What is the difference between the “white man’s burden” and the “poor man’s burden”?
• To what extent do these poems reflect different cultural perspectives?
Participating in the Socratic Seminar
A successful seminar depends on the participants and their willingness to engage in the conversation. Be mindful of the following:
• Talk to the particpants rather than the teacher or seminar leader.
• Use textual evidence to support your thinking or to challenge an idea.
• Summarize points of agreement or disagreement before justifying your own perspective.
Begin the seminar by asking one of the pre-seminar questions. From there, ask additional questions to explore one another’s interpretation of the poems.
Post-Seminar Reflection
Review your responses to the pre-seminar questions and reflect on what you learned in the seminar. Add key learnings to the KWHL Chart at the beginning
of this activity.
• How has your understanding of imperialism improved?
• How has your understanding of the lens of Cultural Criticism improved?
• What questions do you still have about the texts?
• How would you rate your participation in the seminar?
• What will you do differently in your next seminar?
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.