Poetry and Our National Anthem

Grade Range: 6-8
Resource Type(s): Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration: 50 minutes
Date Posted: 11/19/2008

Was Francis Scott Key a good poet? In this classroom activity, students will analyze  "The Star-Spangled Banner" for Key's use of poetic devices. They will then express the meaning of "The Star-Spangled Banner" national anthem in their own words and write their own poetry in relation to the flag or other historical event.  This activity is included in the online exhibition entitled The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem.


National Standards

United States History Standards (Grades 5-12)

Historical Thinking Standards (Grades 5-12)

Standards For English Language Arts (Grades K-12)

Top-Level Standards

1: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
 
12: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
 
2: Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
 
3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
 
4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
 
5: Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
 
6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.