University of Scranton

Education Department
Lesson Plan Format
Student teacher Greylan Heffernan______________________ School University of Scranton________________
Co-operatin teacher !rs" Delaney___________________________________Date #$%&$%#___________________
Lesson plan title 'he Follo(er )y Seamus Heaney__________ Class Enlish_______ Grade Senior *%+
th
,_____
-).ective S/01' interpret and outline Seamus Heaney2s poem 'he Follo(er____________________________
State standard met %"3"%+"D4
5dentify6 interpret6 and analy7e the author2s s8ill in employin literary devices in various enres" *e""6
fiurative lanuae6 imaery6 alleory6 and sym)olism,"
5dentify6 e9plain6 and analy7e the effects of sound6 form6 and structure of poems"
5dentify and analy7e ho( dramatic conventions *e""6 stae directions6 monoloue6 dialoue6 solilo:uy6
dialect6 chorus, support6 interpret6 and enhance dramatic script"
%"%"%+"D4 Demonstrate comprehension $ understandin )efore readin6 durin readin6 and after readin on a
variety of rade level te9ts to support understandin of a variety of literary (or8s from different cultures and
literary movements"
Se:uence of activities ;otes6 directions6 :uestions6 and
procedures
E9amples6 illustrations6 and
resources
Hoo84
5ntroduction4
<eadin should ta8e
appro9"%= mins"
>no(in Seamus Heaney from his
translation of 0eo(ulf from the
)einnin of the year"
Small )ioraphy of Seamus Heaney4
He2s a native 5rishman6 from northern
5reland6 eldest of nine" 1fter
attendin ?ueen2s collee in 0elfast6
he moved to 'he <epu)lic of 5reland"
*0riefly e9plain the difference," Some
vie(ed this as an act of )etrayal" He
no( (or8s at Harvard as a Professor
of <hetoric and Poetry"
-8ay there are only si9 stan7a6 so
(e2re oin to read it t(ice" *1s8 for
volunteer and then play the audio
recordin,"
/ho can summari7e (hat happened
in the poem@
Let2s loo8 at the title itself A can there
)e more than one (ay too loo8 at it@
- Literally as the child follo(s
his father around the field"
Literature te9t )oo8
Boutu)e video of audio
recordin of 'he
Follo(er
- 1nd as a child follo(s the parent
into adulthood6 and then the roles
reverse"
/e 8no( that the point of vie( of that of
an adult remem)erin his father (or8in
in the fields and ho( he follo(ed him
around and it moves into the present6
(here the father is no( follo(in the
man around"
5t2s definitely a narrative poem" Heaney
descri)es certain scenes from his
childhood (here he father"
Heaney starts (ith emphasi7in his
father2s s8ill at (hat he does" He2s an
e9pert ma8in sure that everythin is
e9actly as it should )e6 perfectly
polished even somethin as messy and
dirty as sod *Line %#," 'he spea8er is
remem)erin (hen he (as too small to
even (al8 straiht on the field6
stum)lin enouh that his father has to
pic8 him up and carry him on his )ac8"
Does the tone chane from the
)einnin to the end@ A chanin from a
fatherin loo8in after the child to the
child loo8in after the father" Poem
sho(s a definitely role reversal" 5n the
)einnin and middle of the poem6 it is
the father (ho does all the (or86
)ecause he is the e9pert from all his
years of farmin" 1s the poem chanes
tone6 the son )ecomes a(are that he
(ants to ro( up and plo(6 to stop
follo(in6 li8e he al(ays has *Line %C-
%D,"
5s the concept of family tradition evident
in the poem@
/hat are some family traditions that
you have in your family@
5f not immediate response6
mention Easter and Christmas6 Fourth of
Euly"
Fideo A connect the content of the poem
(ith Seamus Heaney and 5rishman
1 video a)out farmin in 5reland"
'one4
Ho( the poem is read6
the attitude"
Boutu)e Fideo"
Post-lesson notes or reflections4
___________________________________________________
Co-operatin teacher2s sinature