Not Sure How to Approach Writing Poems With Your Students?

I've written an "into the water" guide to ease you into writing poems and creating your own study units. Select poetic forms from your state's curriculum standards, and then use these general guidelines to aid you in developing kid-approved study units. Before you know it, your class will be designing a science display of haiku about environmental issues(our personal fvorite!), or penning diamante samples to wrap up the grammar unit! First up, use this checklist for selecting appropriate works:

• Can children understand it?
• Can they understand it with help from adults?
• Does the piece stir emotions?
• Does it create images of sight,touch,smell,or taste?
• Does it play with the sounds of language? Do the sounds echo the sense?
• Does the rhythm reinforce the meaning?

Next, use the following outine to guide you in writing your own unit: Tips for Developing a Poetry Unit(or,HELP!WHERE DO I START?) Beginnings:

• Collect a variety of pieces from sources such as themed anthologies, collections by individual authors,and different forms.
• Encourage your students to collect their own favorite verses.
• Create colorful work folders.
• Create and display class reference charts on poetic craft and forms.
• Plan opportunities for read alouds of favorites.

Analysis:

• Have students note their responses to specific pieces.
• Have students analyze language,form,and point-of-view.
• Through mini-lessons,have students practice poetic craft,such as the use of metaphor,simile,and repetition.

Give It a Whirl:

• Encourage students to create an original poem based upon the pattern or structure of a favorite piece.
• Have students select a favorite short story or novel and creat verses based upon the character or plot.

Revising:

• Revise and edit drafts of verses based upon mini-lessons such as precise language, the use of repetitive images, or the use and impact of line breaks.

Click on the links below for downloadable activities you can use in class today! Check back often for additional ideas. Make a splash in the day through writing poems!

Create a colorful work notebook! Click here for the pen project template. 

Questions for Written Response
Lesson: Bio-Poem
Lesson: Diamante
Lesson: Haiku
Lesson: Word Play

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