Readers of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are asked to craft an essay in which they compare how Maya Angelou uses figurative language to depict herself and Mrs. Flowers. 

Concepts

comparisons, compare and contrast essays, compare and contrast, literary analysis, expository essays, similes, metaphors, personification

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Provide writers with the rubric before they craft their essays
• Save the student model until after writers have finished the draft of their essays; then have pairs use the rubric to assess the model

Classroom Considerations

• Presumes prior knowledge of similes, metaphors, and personification and of how to craft a compare and contrast essay
• Requires individual copies of the writing prompt, the figurative language chart, the outline worksheet, and the peer response sheet

Pros

• The 15-page packet includes templates for the prompts, charts, essay outline, peer response sheet, and a rubric
• A model essay is also included in the packet

Cons

• The resource indicates that readers should focus on a specific excerpt from the novel; however, this passage is neither included nor identified

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.11-12.1 W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.2.a W.11-12.1.a W.11-12.2.a