Before Reading
Think About What You Know
Write a response to the Reader's Journal question on page 508. Then discuss your response with a partner. In your discussion, also consider the positive and negative effects such walls can have.
During Reading
Use What You Know
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first eleven lines of the poem. Notice the walls the speaker mentions. What happens to the walls? How might physical walls be like emotional walls?
2. Continue reading on your own. Take notes about what happens to the walls in the poem and how the people in the poem feel about the walls.
Fix-Up Idea: Think Aloud
After listening to the selection once, practice reading the selection aloud with a partner. Read until you come to a period. Then stop and do a think aloud with your partner. Here are some questions to discuss: What have you learned about walls? What have you learned about the speaker and his neighbor? Then have your partner read to the next period. Again stop and think aloud. Continue in this way until you have finished the poem.
After Reading
Share Your Connections
With your partner from the Before-Reading activity, share the notes you made during reading. Then discuss the Respond to the Selection question.
Before Reading
Begin to Picture What May Happen
Think about the title of this poem. What images does it create in your mind? Share these images with a few of your classmates. Compare your ideas, and remember that different images are fine; there are no "correct" images.
During Reading
Create Mind Pictures
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first nine lines of the poem. As you listen, begin to create a mind movie. What mood did these lines create in you? Make quick sketches that demonstrate what you pictured. Include things in your sketches that show your mood; for example, a smiley face for a happy mood or a tear for sadness.
2. Continue reading on your own. As you read, continue making a mind movie and sketching important images. Don't worry about the accuracy of what you draw, just make quick drawings that will help you track your thoughts as you read the poem. When you are done, write a brief explanation next to each sketch.
Fix-Up Idea: Read Short Sections
If you have trouble following this long poem, try reading shorter sections of the poem at a time, perhaps about fifteen lines at a time. Then stop and summarize what you have read. If you have questions about the stanza, reread the stanza to find the answer. If you still have questions, talk with a classmate or teacher to clarify the point. Continue reading in this manner until you reach the end of the poem.
After Reading
Share Your Mind Pictures
Share your sketches with your group and describe the mind movie you made. Remember it is okay to have different mind movies. Discuss how images differed in your group, and look at sections of the poem that helped create different pictures. Explain why those lines led to different images.