1. Bellwork: Prereading How would you define patriotism?
What does a country with great patriotism look like?
(3-5 Sentences)

2. After Reading: Discussion Questions
Answer the questions below in your notebooks:
When Whitman writes about America singing, what is the metaphor? What is representing the “singing” and how does America “sing?”
Is it important that Whitman acknowledges women alongside men? What does it mean when he groups mothers into the category of workers that he creates in the poem?
Do you think that Whitman's view of manual labor overly idealistic, flowery, exaggerated? Is he ignoring any truths about what it means to work a hard job?
What is the effect of all of the long lines in the poem? How do the long lines intersect with the vision of America that Whitman presents?
If Whitman were writing the poem today, do you think he'd be writing about the same sorts of folks or would he be writing about clerks, flight attendants, and bloggers? How has labor changed in the USA in the past 150 years?

3. After Reading: Theme
In your notebooks, answer the following questions:
What do you think is the overall theme of the poem?
What is Whitman’s message for the theme?
What text examples could you use to support your theme?
Find three examples to support your theme.

4. Thematic Statements
With the information we pulled together as a class, begin creating a thematic statement about I Hear America Singing.
1. What is the theme?
2. What is the message Poe wants to make using this theme?
3. What examples from the text can support your message (find 3 similar examples)?
4. Summarize what your examples mean. What general statement could you say about these similar examples? What do these examples represent?
5. Create a thesis statement.
Outline: In [text title], Poe presents the idea of [theme] and how [the message of the theme] through (or because) [example summary (NOT A DIRECT QUOTE)].

5. Creating an Outline
The purpose of an outline is to help organize a paper by checking to see if and how ideas connect to each other, or whether some points need more support. No matter the length of the paper, outlines can help a writer see the overall picture. Besides the basic structure, there is no right or wrong way to make an outline. Writers should do what works best for the topic and themselves.
Follow the guidelines to the outline handout I’ve provided you.

6. I Hear SPHS Singing Think of what makes “SPHS sing” or function.
What does it mean to have Green Devil pride?
Write about three different types of people at school that show pride in one way or another
How do these people show pride?
Why is school pride important?