Lessons and Activities
Introduction to Poetry and Terms:
Lesson 1: Black Out Poetry
Black Out Poetry is a unique and fun way to help students who struggle writing poetry find their voice by providing them with the words and letting them eliminate the ones they don't want!
How it works:
1) Give your students access to newspaper or magazine articles and a black sharpie marker
2) Explain to them what Black Out Poetry is and show them examples (information on Black Out Poetry and examples can be found at the websites listed below)
3) Allow them to explore by first circling all interesting words in pencil
4) Once they have found their interesting words they can find "connecting" words in between them or create connecting words by circling particular letters.
5) Then, the students "blacks out" all remaining words with the sharpie marker so that only the words they wish to keep are showing.
Links:
http://austinkleon.com/category/newspaper-blackout-poems/
http://newspaperblackout.com/
http://makeblackoutpoetry.com/
Lesson 2: Biopoem
Biopoems are a list poem with a specific sequence of steps where you describe a person. It could be done as a "get to know you" exercise or as a character study in social studies/history/science after completing research.
How it works:
1) Explain to your students what a biopoem is. A list poem that describes you, or someone you have learned a lot about. It is a non-fiction poem.
2)Share several examples.
3)Have students complete a biopoem organizer that will be about them. *See link below for template.
4)Students reread and revise/edit their template to make sure it says what they would like it to. Then, on lined and/or publishing paper students will write their final poem in a list form.
Links:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson398/biopoem.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson391/biopoem.pdf
https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/Bio-Poem-Handout.pdf
Lesson 3: TEACH ALLITERATION AND ASSONANCE USING POETRY
Alliteration is when a writer repeats the consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. For example, in “Betty bought a bit of butter” the words “Betty” “bought” “bit” and “butter” are alliterative because they both begin with “b”.
Alliteration plays a very crucial role in poetry and literature:
Assonance is when a writer repeats the vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of words. For example, in the line ”My rabbit whacked my ear,” the words “rabbit whacked” are an example of assonance because they both contain a “short a” sound on the stressed syllable.
Alliteration and assonance do not have to have the same letters; just the same sounds. So for example, “falling phone” is alliterative and “flying high” is assonant, because they repeat the same sounds even though they don’t repeat the same letters.
Exercise:
My Puppy Punched Me In the Eye
My puppy punched me in the eye.
My rabbit whacked my ear.
My ferret gave a frightful cry
and roundhouse kicked my rear.
My lizard flipped me upside down.
My kitten kicked my head.
My hamster slammed me to the ground
and left me nearly dead.
So my advice? Avoid regrets;
no matter what you do,
don’t ever let your family pets
take lessons in kung fu.
By Kenn Nesbitt
Plantain Planter
A plantain planter is planting on a plantain plantation
Is the plantain planter planting on a plantain plantation?
If the plantain planter is planting on a plantain plantation;
Where is the plantain the plantain planter has planted?
Betty Botter
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter.
But she found it a bitter butter.
So she bought a better butter
to make the bitter butter better.
By Mother Goose
Lesson 4: Digital Poetry
Digital Poetry can take on any form of poetry (free verse, haiku, sonnet, etc.) but it incorporates a digital component as well, such as a slide show, video, music, etc. Digital Poetry can be a great way to get students, especially reluctant readers and writers interested in poetry.
How it works:
1) Explain what digital poetry and how it differs from traditional poetry.
2) Provide examples of digital poetry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLtoMV7WX8Y - Things I Know
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/uwm/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39oaBbOMwR0 -Where I Am From Poem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5uK4jnWLo#t=41 - Dear Fall
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/poetry/ondisplay/ - A Showcase of Visual Poetry
More PowerPoint examples attached to the bottom of this page
3) Have students write a poem or choose their favorite piece of poetry
4) Students can then choose how they want to represent and enhance their poetry through one or more forms of digital media.
5) Once students have completed their digital poetry projects they can each share their digital poetry through presentations.
Links:
http://epc.buffalo.edu/e-poetry/archive/ - Digital Poetry Festival Archives
http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/Main_Offices/Curriculum/Areas/Technology/pdf/resources/iMovieDPR.pdf - Resources for using iMovie and finding songs and images on the internet
http://www.techlearning.com/from-the-classroom/0015/creating-poetry-videos/41514 - This is a lesson for creating poetry videos in your classroom
Black Out Poetry is a unique and fun way to help students who struggle writing poetry find their voice by providing them with the words and letting them eliminate the ones they don't want!
How it works:
1) Give your students access to newspaper or magazine articles and a black sharpie marker
2) Explain to them what Black Out Poetry is and show them examples (information on Black Out Poetry and examples can be found at the websites listed below)
3) Allow them to explore by first circling all interesting words in pencil
4) Once they have found their interesting words they can find "connecting" words in between them or create connecting words by circling particular letters.
5) Then, the students "blacks out" all remaining words with the sharpie marker so that only the words they wish to keep are showing.
Links:
http://austinkleon.com/category/newspaper-blackout-poems/
http://newspaperblackout.com/
http://makeblackoutpoetry.com/
Lesson 2: Biopoem
Biopoems are a list poem with a specific sequence of steps where you describe a person. It could be done as a "get to know you" exercise or as a character study in social studies/history/science after completing research.
How it works:
1) Explain to your students what a biopoem is. A list poem that describes you, or someone you have learned a lot about. It is a non-fiction poem.
2)Share several examples.
3)Have students complete a biopoem organizer that will be about them. *See link below for template.
4)Students reread and revise/edit their template to make sure it says what they would like it to. Then, on lined and/or publishing paper students will write their final poem in a list form.
Links:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson398/biopoem.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson391/biopoem.pdf
https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/Bio-Poem-Handout.pdf
Lesson 3: TEACH ALLITERATION AND ASSONANCE USING POETRY
Alliteration is when a writer repeats the consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. For example, in “Betty bought a bit of butter” the words “Betty” “bought” “bit” and “butter” are alliterative because they both begin with “b”.
Alliteration plays a very crucial role in poetry and literature:
- It provides a work with musical rhythms.
- Poems that use alliteration are read and recited with more interest and appeal.
- Poems with alliteration can be easier to memorize.
- Alliteration lends structure, flow, and beauty to any piece of writing.
Assonance is when a writer repeats the vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of words. For example, in the line ”My rabbit whacked my ear,” the words “rabbit whacked” are an example of assonance because they both contain a “short a” sound on the stressed syllable.
Alliteration and assonance do not have to have the same letters; just the same sounds. So for example, “falling phone” is alliterative and “flying high” is assonant, because they repeat the same sounds even though they don’t repeat the same letters.
Exercise:
- Read the following poem.
- Underline the alliterative words in each line.
- Circle the assonant words in each line.
My Puppy Punched Me In the Eye
My puppy punched me in the eye.
My rabbit whacked my ear.
My ferret gave a frightful cry
and roundhouse kicked my rear.
My lizard flipped me upside down.
My kitten kicked my head.
My hamster slammed me to the ground
and left me nearly dead.
So my advice? Avoid regrets;
no matter what you do,
don’t ever let your family pets
take lessons in kung fu.
By Kenn Nesbitt
Plantain Planter
A plantain planter is planting on a plantain plantation
Is the plantain planter planting on a plantain plantation?
If the plantain planter is planting on a plantain plantation;
Where is the plantain the plantain planter has planted?
Betty Botter
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter.
But she found it a bitter butter.
So she bought a better butter
to make the bitter butter better.
By Mother Goose
Lesson 4: Digital Poetry
Digital Poetry can take on any form of poetry (free verse, haiku, sonnet, etc.) but it incorporates a digital component as well, such as a slide show, video, music, etc. Digital Poetry can be a great way to get students, especially reluctant readers and writers interested in poetry.
How it works:
1) Explain what digital poetry and how it differs from traditional poetry.
2) Provide examples of digital poetry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLtoMV7WX8Y - Things I Know
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/uwm/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39oaBbOMwR0 -Where I Am From Poem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5uK4jnWLo#t=41 - Dear Fall
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/poetry/ondisplay/ - A Showcase of Visual Poetry
More PowerPoint examples attached to the bottom of this page
3) Have students write a poem or choose their favorite piece of poetry
4) Students can then choose how they want to represent and enhance their poetry through one or more forms of digital media.
5) Once students have completed their digital poetry projects they can each share their digital poetry through presentations.
Links:
http://epc.buffalo.edu/e-poetry/archive/ - Digital Poetry Festival Archives
http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/Main_Offices/Curriculum/Areas/Technology/pdf/resources/iMovieDPR.pdf - Resources for using iMovie and finding songs and images on the internet
http://www.techlearning.com/from-the-classroom/0015/creating-poetry-videos/41514 - This is a lesson for creating poetry videos in your classroom
Words - Digital Poetry.ppt | |
File Size: | 1996 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
springbreak3.ppt | |
File Size: | 2480 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Lesson 5: Haiku
Often used to describe an element in nature, Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets. Haiku poetry follows a 5, 7, 5 syllable structure.
How it works:
1.) Explain to students what haiku poetry is.
2.) Read several examples
3.) Tell students you are going to go outside with their clipboards and pencils and the haiku brainstorming sheet. *see link below
4.) Once outside, students should find a place to sit and observe nature. They should write the words that come to mind using all of their senses. The teacher can help by prompting: What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel?
5.) Once back inside, the teacher will model using the brainstorming sheet to choose one topic and write a haiku with student help. Counting syllables together, seeing if the words chosen can give the reader a picture in their mind etc..
6.)Students should choose one topic (tree, wind, grass, flower, clouds, etc...) and begin to use the words they came up with to write a haiku of their own. *Organizer is found on link below.
Links:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30697_haiku.pdf
Often used to describe an element in nature, Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets. Haiku poetry follows a 5, 7, 5 syllable structure.
How it works:
1.) Explain to students what haiku poetry is.
2.) Read several examples
3.) Tell students you are going to go outside with their clipboards and pencils and the haiku brainstorming sheet. *see link below
4.) Once outside, students should find a place to sit and observe nature. They should write the words that come to mind using all of their senses. The teacher can help by prompting: What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel?
5.) Once back inside, the teacher will model using the brainstorming sheet to choose one topic and write a haiku with student help. Counting syllables together, seeing if the words chosen can give the reader a picture in their mind etc..
6.)Students should choose one topic (tree, wind, grass, flower, clouds, etc...) and begin to use the words they came up with to write a haiku of their own. *Organizer is found on link below.
Links:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30697_haiku.pdf
Additional Ideas:
WRITING A POEM ABOUT AN OBJECT - CREATIVE WORK.
For creative work out, you can ask your students to describe an object in their poem. For example: Describe the sky. Writers often say that your brain is a bit like a muscle—the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. It’s good to give yourself some regular mental exercises to help build your creativity over time, so your poetry will keep developing and improving. (The good news is that brain exercises don’t make you ache as much as push-ups!)
A great exercise that doesn’t need any special equipment—and that you can do anywhere at any time—is to describe the color of the sky. This exercise can be simple to begin with but the reason this exercise works so well is because your students descriptions can become more and more elaborate as their creative muscles get stronger. The idea is to make sure every description is different. When they start, they might just be able to come up with one word at a time. But the good news is the sky always keeps changing, so even if they do this exercise every day, they will still have lots of different types of sky colors and moods to describe.
One importance of this activity is that, as well as strengthening your students’ creativity and imagination, you will also be helping them improve upon their observation skill which is one of the attributes of good writers. They will begin to be able to see and pay attention to the difference between one blue sky and another; to notice when one gray seems gentle and one seems hard; to spot all the different shades of pink, orange, purple, yellow or red that appear; to recognize similarities to other objects.
KEEPING A POETRY JOURNAL
One activity you can involve your students in as their home literacy component is keeping a poetry journal.
A journal is a place to express yourself, to record your thoughts, feelings and observations, and to cultivate your poetic style. The cool thing about your journal is that it’s yours. You can keep it secret or share it with your friends and family. You might even read some of your poetry out loud at a talent show or poetry jam. Whatever you decide to do with it, a daily poetry journal will keep you writing. And the more you write, the better writer you become.
Step One: Choose a journal that fits your style
Do you like to draw pictures and doodle around your poetry? If so, you might want a book with blank pages. Do you need help keeping your words in order? Then try a journal with lines, such as a spiral-bound notebook. If you write all day long whenever inspiration strikes, use a smaller book with a hard cover that you can tuck into your backpack, purse, or pocket.
Step Two: Organize your journal
While this is an important step, it will be different for everyone. You can divide your journal in several different ways:
Step Three: Write
Jot down interesting words, phrases, sentences, or feelings on the page before starting your poem. This provides a jumping-off point for your thoughts.
For example, today I heard someone say, “I can’t be late for the bus!” So, I wrote that sentence on the top of a page in my “School” section.
Next, write down words that have to do with your phrase. For mine, I chose: Run, shout, nervous, hurry, stop, fast, heartbeat, homework, driver, windows, ice, puddles, clock, time, and wheels.
Then, decide what type of poem you want to write. For this one, I selected free verse.
Finally, use some of the words on your page to write your poem.
-Bus Stop
-My heart beats
so fast.
-The puddles are lakes,
my homework… wet.
-The clock ticks
faster than my feet
can run.
-I shout to the driver,
“Stop!”
-Wheels slow.
Take a breath.
-I can’t be late for the bus.
Step Four: Keep it up
It’s important to write in your journal on a regular basis. Finding a routine can help with that. Maybe you have quiet time at night before bed, when you’re riding on the bus, or at lunch break. Make it a part of your day, and soon you’ll have an entire journal full of incredible poetry!
WRITING A POEM ABOUT AN OBJECT - CREATIVE WORK.
For creative work out, you can ask your students to describe an object in their poem. For example: Describe the sky. Writers often say that your brain is a bit like a muscle—the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. It’s good to give yourself some regular mental exercises to help build your creativity over time, so your poetry will keep developing and improving. (The good news is that brain exercises don’t make you ache as much as push-ups!)
A great exercise that doesn’t need any special equipment—and that you can do anywhere at any time—is to describe the color of the sky. This exercise can be simple to begin with but the reason this exercise works so well is because your students descriptions can become more and more elaborate as their creative muscles get stronger. The idea is to make sure every description is different. When they start, they might just be able to come up with one word at a time. But the good news is the sky always keeps changing, so even if they do this exercise every day, they will still have lots of different types of sky colors and moods to describe.
One importance of this activity is that, as well as strengthening your students’ creativity and imagination, you will also be helping them improve upon their observation skill which is one of the attributes of good writers. They will begin to be able to see and pay attention to the difference between one blue sky and another; to notice when one gray seems gentle and one seems hard; to spot all the different shades of pink, orange, purple, yellow or red that appear; to recognize similarities to other objects.
KEEPING A POETRY JOURNAL
One activity you can involve your students in as their home literacy component is keeping a poetry journal.
A journal is a place to express yourself, to record your thoughts, feelings and observations, and to cultivate your poetic style. The cool thing about your journal is that it’s yours. You can keep it secret or share it with your friends and family. You might even read some of your poetry out loud at a talent show or poetry jam. Whatever you decide to do with it, a daily poetry journal will keep you writing. And the more you write, the better writer you become.
Step One: Choose a journal that fits your style
Do you like to draw pictures and doodle around your poetry? If so, you might want a book with blank pages. Do you need help keeping your words in order? Then try a journal with lines, such as a spiral-bound notebook. If you write all day long whenever inspiration strikes, use a smaller book with a hard cover that you can tuck into your backpack, purse, or pocket.
Step Two: Organize your journal
While this is an important step, it will be different for everyone. You can divide your journal in several different ways:
- Emotions: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Humility, Pride
- Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall (add the different holidays within each season.)
- Chronological: Just write the date at the top of the page.
- Poetic Form: Acrostic, Cinquain, Clerihew, Diamante, Haiku, Limerick, Free Verse, etc.
- Subject: Sports, Humor, Dance, Friends, Nature, School
Step Three: Write
Jot down interesting words, phrases, sentences, or feelings on the page before starting your poem. This provides a jumping-off point for your thoughts.
For example, today I heard someone say, “I can’t be late for the bus!” So, I wrote that sentence on the top of a page in my “School” section.
Next, write down words that have to do with your phrase. For mine, I chose: Run, shout, nervous, hurry, stop, fast, heartbeat, homework, driver, windows, ice, puddles, clock, time, and wheels.
Then, decide what type of poem you want to write. For this one, I selected free verse.
Finally, use some of the words on your page to write your poem.
-Bus Stop
-My heart beats
so fast.
-The puddles are lakes,
my homework… wet.
-The clock ticks
faster than my feet
can run.
-I shout to the driver,
“Stop!”
-Wheels slow.
Take a breath.
-I can’t be late for the bus.
Step Four: Keep it up
It’s important to write in your journal on a regular basis. Finding a routine can help with that. Maybe you have quiet time at night before bed, when you’re riding on the bus, or at lunch break. Make it a part of your day, and soon you’ll have an entire journal full of incredible poetry!