The following activities and questions are designed to help your students use their noticing skills to move through the poem and develop their thinking skills so they understand its meaning with confidence, using what they’ve noticed as evidence for their interpretations. Read more about the framework upon which these activities are based.
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Warm-up: What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “losing the 440-yard dash”? How might someone feel if they lost a race? Draw or write about your thoughts.
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Before Reading the Poem: Watch a video about the athlete Jesse Owens. What did you learn? What stood out to you?
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Reading the Poem: Silently read the poem “Losing the 440-Yard Dash” by Afaa Michael Weaver. What do you notice about the poem? Note any words or phrases that stand out to you or any questions you might have.
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Listening to the Poem: Enlist two volunteers and listen as the poem is read aloud twice, or watch a video of the poet reading the poem. Write down any additional words and phrases that stand out to you.
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Small Group Discussion: Share what you noticed about the poem with a small group. How does the video about Jesse Owens relate to the poem? What does this poem say about ambition?
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Whole Class Discussion: The poem uses allusions, which are references to a person, event, or literary work outside of the poem. How does the allusion to Jesse Owens impact the poem? What imagery do you see in the poem? How does the imagery connect to themes in the poem?
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Extension for Grades 7-8: Rewrite this poem from the point of view of the other runner, Worsenski, or write a new ending for the poem in which the speaker wins. Share your writing with the class.
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Extension for Grades 9-12: Write a poem of your own in which you explore allusions and/or sports. Share your writing with the class.
Dear Poet 2025 is a multimedia education project that invites students in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to celebrated poets reading their work in a series of recorded videos. Poets will reply to a set of student letters and a selection of these correspondences will be published by the Academy in a special booklet this summer. Dear Poet 2025 is now accepting submissions through April 24. Learn more.