1. Analyzing and Responding to “Casey at the Bat”
To summarize and analyze the main events of a poem
To understand vocabulary in context
To create a monologue in response to the events in a poem

2. About the Author
Ernest Lawrence Thayer ( ) wrote light verse while he was on the editorial staff of the San Francisco Examiner. “Casey at the Bat,” his best-known poem, became a popular choice for oral recitation in schools and theaters.

3. While the teacher reads the poem aloud
Listen carefully to the details to determine who is speaking and what is happening.
Circle the words we used in Baseball Vocabulary.
Also circle words you do not know.
I will stop at the end of every fourth stanza, you will write a summary of each section.

4. Some Questions
Use context to define any unknown words you circled as we read.
How might Casey be feeling, or what might he be thinking after such a public loss? Highlight words and phrases that indicate what Casey feels and thinks and then, based on the information from the text, write your response.
It could be fun for students to mark the text for baseballs for question 2 and bats or bases for question 3 on the next slide.

5. Questions continued
3. What are the feelings and thoughts of the fans after the loss? Mark the text by underlining words and phrases that support your response, and then describe the feelings.

6. RAFT
Use the RAFT strategy to create and present a monologue about the loss at Mudville. You may choose from the suggestions in the table or brainstorm more options for the role and audience categories. Write your monologue. Reminder: A monologue is a speech or the written expression of thoughts by a character.

7. RAFT Role: What is your role as an author?
Audience: Who is the target audience for this text?
Format: What is the best format to capture your ideas?
Topic: What is the topic?
Casey
Fan
Parent
Team member
Spectator from the crowd
News reporter
Interviewer
Monologue
To respond to the events leading up to the loss at Mudville
To describe the feelings and thoughts experienced before, during, and after the loss
You may generate your own ideas for the yellow boxes or use what I have provided

8. Draft Your Monologue
As you write, look for places to use words from the poem. Ask a group member to review your poem for proper use of the vocabulary words. Also check to see you have accomplished the requirements of point of view, tone, and purpose in the RAFT chart. In a group, share your monologues and ask members to check it for vocabulary and presentation.
If time, take this through the entire writing process. Students may present to small groups or entire class, depending on time.

9. Reflection
monologue

10. Just for Fun
Walt Disney 1946 cartoon based on the poem Read by James Earl Jones