Additional Lessons - Poetry Writing Webquest
Mini-Lesson
Choosing Language Carefully
Careful word choice can create images, moods, and depth in a poem. Share other examples of poems written by children just like them. Notice and discuss how the poets choose their words carefully to create a picture to show they feel – how they make every word count. They create the exact images or moods that they want to express.
Display the poem “Rollerblading” (grade 2, pg.74). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss the way the poem is written on the page. Each word is emphasized on its own. You can feel the speed and energy of the poet.
Display the poem “Hummingbirds” (grade 2, pg.42). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss how the poet beautifully describes the hummingbirds. Note the poet’s intense and lyrical observation including his simile (a comparison using like or as), “like holograms” and his metaphor (a comparison without like or as), “their tiny feathers a train.” Talk about how the poet made every word count.
Using your own poem, think aloud and model how you add a word/words to create a mood or an image to show how you feel.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students how poets choose their words carefully to create a picture to show how they feel.
Share: Have students share a place in their poem where they have added a word to create a mood or an image that they want to express.
Mini-Lesson
List Poems
Through a shared writing, model how to write a very easy type of poem called a list poem. Engage students in the following conversation as you record their responses on large chart paper entitled “Mother’s Day” (You may wish to write a list poem on another topic).
Let’s write a poem together about Mother’s Day.
How many of you make breakfast for your moms?
How about if we start with “We wake up and make breakfast”
What do you make her?
Write all the foods students make in a list form, stopping a few times to reread the growing list together to hear how it sounds.
After several suggestions, say:
How about if we now say “And a whole lot more?”
And then what happens?
How can we end our poem?
Do you take her out to dinner?
How about “And then… We take her out to dinner”
Reread the poem together. Ask students if they like the way it looks and sounds.
Writing: Have students begin writing a list poem. Remind students to reread the poem to make sure they like the way it looks and sounds.
Share: Have students share their list poems with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Line Breaks and White Space
Discuss how poems have their own special music. Tell students that one way to give our poems music is to divide our words into lines that go down the paper. We call them line breaks. Line breaks help set the rhythm of the poem as well as to create the white space and shape of the poem. Line breaks help your poem look and sound the way you want it to. Poets can set up the lines however they wish – however they feel their poem should sound and look.
Model how to think about and apply line breaks on a sample poem written without line breaks. Read the first lines of the poem several times, each time pausing in a logical but different place so the students hear and see the different possibilities. As determined by the students, model how to insert slash marks on the poem to show where your voice stops. That will be the end of the line.
Where should I place the line breaks?
Do you want it to sound (this way) or (that way)?
Should we end it here or there?
Which way sounds better to you?
So that’s where we will put our line break.
Rewrite several lines from the poem with the line breaks showing students the resulting line breaks, white space, and shape of the poem.
Note: There is no one “right way” to teach about line breaks and white space. What we want is for students to develop their own ear for rhythm and eye for visual form so they are able to determine what sounds and looks right to them. While you model line breaks all along and talk about it in the context of noticing and discussing kids’ poems, don’t worry about line breaks until students are editing their favorite poems.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…” think about how they want their poems to sound and look on the page using line breaks and white space.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems, thinking about how they would like their poem to sound and look on the page. Remind students that as free-verse poets, they can set up the lines however they wish. They add slash marks to show where their voice stops. That will be the end of the line.
Share: Have students share with a partner a place where they added slash marks to their poem to show where their voice stops.
Mini-Lesson
Using Repetition to Express Feeling
Repeating words, phrases, and lines can add much impact to a poem. Discuss how sometimes a poet wants to express strong feelings in their poetry. One way a poet can do this is by repeating certain words, phrases, or lines of a poem.
Display the poem “Storm” (Grade 2, p.70). Read the poem aloud and discuss the feelings conveyed. Talk about how the repetition of the word “Oh” four times as well as the poet’s repeated use of different sounds of thunder and rain gives this poem a “stormy” rhythm.
Using your own poem, think aloud and model how you repeat a word, phrase, or line to add feeling.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…” repeat words or lines to add feeling.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students to think about a word, phrase, or line that they might like to repeat to help them better express a strong feeling.
Share: Have students share with a partner a place where they have used repetition as a way to convey strong feeling.
Mini-Lesson
Ending Lines
Discuss how poems often end with a punch. We can tell when a poem is over by the way the ending line sounds. Ending lines often have a different beat.
Display the poem “I’m the Pilot” (Grade 2, p.77). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss how the poet uses the ending line “All in my reading room” to surprise the reader and let us in on what the poem is really about.
Using your own poem, model how you think about your ending line and how you end the poem with a punch.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…” end their poems with a punch.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students that good poets think about their ending lines and often end their poems with a punch.
Share: Have students share their endings with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Fancying Up Your Poem: Revising – Word Choice and Feelings (repeat as needed)
Using your own poem, model how you reread the poem. Think aloud how you ask yourself three questions:
Am I saying exactly what I want to say?
Do I show big, strong feelings?
What can I add? (You can add big, strong feelings. You can add a meaningful title)
Writing: Have students choose their own poem they wish to publish. Remind students to reread the poem and ask themselves the three questions.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Choosing a Meaningful Title
Discuss the importance of meaningful titles. Using your own poem, model how you put in a title that goes with your poem. Think aloud how you ask yourself, “Does the title make sense?”
Writing: Have students add a title to the poem they wish to publish. Remind students to ask themselves, “Does the title make sense?”
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Fancying Up Your Poem: Editing – Form and Shape
Using your own poem, model how to include lines breaks and white space to be sure that the poem looks and sounds good to you. Show how you reread. Think aloud how you ask yourself:
Do I like the way it looks and sounds on the page?
What can I add? (You can add line breaks and white space.)
Note: The unstructured form of free-verse poetry allows students the possibility for using phrases and words instead of full sentences. Exactness in capitalization and punctuation – although these remain important – is eased somewhat. You may revisit the mini-lesson on the use of the word wall for the spelling of high frequency words.
Writing: Have partners read aloud one another’s poems - the poems they have chosen to publish. Remind students to listen and decide if their poem sounds the way they’d like it to sound. Have students ask themselves, “Do I like the way it looks and sounds on the page?” Have students make changes to the shape of their poem if needed.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Creating an Anthology
Brainstorm possibilities for what the class anthology will include. Decide as a class which of the following features you would like to include as well as the format of the anthology. Record on large chart paper. Possibilities may include:
A lot of different poems by different authors
Acknowledgements – at front or back – give thanks to those who helped
Index at back – can be titles, authors, first lines, subjects
Contents at front – title of poem, author, page format (whole page, columns)
Title page
Introduction or About This Book section
Illustrations – (format – two pages for each poem, can use colored pencils)
Dedication
Back cover
About The Poet page
Writing of poems – word processed
Title (ex. First Poems of Second Grade)
Cover
Note: The anthology you and your students create can be as simple or complex as you decide. Students might each bring one poem to final copy with an accompanying illustration. These can be bound simply into a classroom book, and each student gets a photocopy to read and keep. You may also include an “About the Poet” page (from the teacher too) to go along with each poem.
More specific lesson to teaching certain kinds of poems http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/poetry-writing-lessons/
Online Lessons for Poetry Writing - http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass.aspx
Children’s poetry and poetry lessons - a great online resource
http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CLit/poetry_online.html
Additional Resources:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/online-poetry-resources-monica-burns
http://www.liketowrite.com/poetry.html
Mini-Lesson
Choosing Language Carefully
Careful word choice can create images, moods, and depth in a poem. Share other examples of poems written by children just like them. Notice and discuss how the poets choose their words carefully to create a picture to show they feel – how they make every word count. They create the exact images or moods that they want to express.
Display the poem “Rollerblading” (grade 2, pg.74). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss the way the poem is written on the page. Each word is emphasized on its own. You can feel the speed and energy of the poet.
Display the poem “Hummingbirds” (grade 2, pg.42). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss how the poet beautifully describes the hummingbirds. Note the poet’s intense and lyrical observation including his simile (a comparison using like or as), “like holograms” and his metaphor (a comparison without like or as), “their tiny feathers a train.” Talk about how the poet made every word count.
Using your own poem, think aloud and model how you add a word/words to create a mood or an image to show how you feel.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students how poets choose their words carefully to create a picture to show how they feel.
Share: Have students share a place in their poem where they have added a word to create a mood or an image that they want to express.
Mini-Lesson
List Poems
Through a shared writing, model how to write a very easy type of poem called a list poem. Engage students in the following conversation as you record their responses on large chart paper entitled “Mother’s Day” (You may wish to write a list poem on another topic).
Let’s write a poem together about Mother’s Day.
How many of you make breakfast for your moms?
How about if we start with “We wake up and make breakfast”
What do you make her?
Write all the foods students make in a list form, stopping a few times to reread the growing list together to hear how it sounds.
After several suggestions, say:
How about if we now say “And a whole lot more?”
And then what happens?
How can we end our poem?
Do you take her out to dinner?
How about “And then… We take her out to dinner”
Reread the poem together. Ask students if they like the way it looks and sounds.
Writing: Have students begin writing a list poem. Remind students to reread the poem to make sure they like the way it looks and sounds.
Share: Have students share their list poems with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Line Breaks and White Space
Discuss how poems have their own special music. Tell students that one way to give our poems music is to divide our words into lines that go down the paper. We call them line breaks. Line breaks help set the rhythm of the poem as well as to create the white space and shape of the poem. Line breaks help your poem look and sound the way you want it to. Poets can set up the lines however they wish – however they feel their poem should sound and look.
Model how to think about and apply line breaks on a sample poem written without line breaks. Read the first lines of the poem several times, each time pausing in a logical but different place so the students hear and see the different possibilities. As determined by the students, model how to insert slash marks on the poem to show where your voice stops. That will be the end of the line.
Where should I place the line breaks?
Do you want it to sound (this way) or (that way)?
Should we end it here or there?
Which way sounds better to you?
So that’s where we will put our line break.
Rewrite several lines from the poem with the line breaks showing students the resulting line breaks, white space, and shape of the poem.
Note: There is no one “right way” to teach about line breaks and white space. What we want is for students to develop their own ear for rhythm and eye for visual form so they are able to determine what sounds and looks right to them. While you model line breaks all along and talk about it in the context of noticing and discussing kids’ poems, don’t worry about line breaks until students are editing their favorite poems.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…” think about how they want their poems to sound and look on the page using line breaks and white space.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems, thinking about how they would like their poem to sound and look on the page. Remind students that as free-verse poets, they can set up the lines however they wish. They add slash marks to show where their voice stops. That will be the end of the line.
Share: Have students share with a partner a place where they added slash marks to their poem to show where their voice stops.
Mini-Lesson
Using Repetition to Express Feeling
Repeating words, phrases, and lines can add much impact to a poem. Discuss how sometimes a poet wants to express strong feelings in their poetry. One way a poet can do this is by repeating certain words, phrases, or lines of a poem.
Display the poem “Storm” (Grade 2, p.70). Read the poem aloud and discuss the feelings conveyed. Talk about how the repetition of the word “Oh” four times as well as the poet’s repeated use of different sounds of thunder and rain gives this poem a “stormy” rhythm.
Using your own poem, think aloud and model how you repeat a word, phrase, or line to add feeling.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…” repeat words or lines to add feeling.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students to think about a word, phrase, or line that they might like to repeat to help them better express a strong feeling.
Share: Have students share with a partner a place where they have used repetition as a way to convey strong feeling.
Mini-Lesson
Ending Lines
Discuss how poems often end with a punch. We can tell when a poem is over by the way the ending line sounds. Ending lines often have a different beat.
Display the poem “I’m the Pilot” (Grade 2, p.77). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss how the poet uses the ending line “All in my reading room” to surprise the reader and let us in on what the poem is really about.
Using your own poem, model how you think about your ending line and how you end the poem with a punch.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…” end their poems with a punch.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students that good poets think about their ending lines and often end their poems with a punch.
Share: Have students share their endings with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Fancying Up Your Poem: Revising – Word Choice and Feelings (repeat as needed)
Using your own poem, model how you reread the poem. Think aloud how you ask yourself three questions:
Am I saying exactly what I want to say?
Do I show big, strong feelings?
What can I add? (You can add big, strong feelings. You can add a meaningful title)
Writing: Have students choose their own poem they wish to publish. Remind students to reread the poem and ask themselves the three questions.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Choosing a Meaningful Title
Discuss the importance of meaningful titles. Using your own poem, model how you put in a title that goes with your poem. Think aloud how you ask yourself, “Does the title make sense?”
Writing: Have students add a title to the poem they wish to publish. Remind students to ask themselves, “Does the title make sense?”
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Fancying Up Your Poem: Editing – Form and Shape
Using your own poem, model how to include lines breaks and white space to be sure that the poem looks and sounds good to you. Show how you reread. Think aloud how you ask yourself:
Do I like the way it looks and sounds on the page?
What can I add? (You can add line breaks and white space.)
Note: The unstructured form of free-verse poetry allows students the possibility for using phrases and words instead of full sentences. Exactness in capitalization and punctuation – although these remain important – is eased somewhat. You may revisit the mini-lesson on the use of the word wall for the spelling of high frequency words.
Writing: Have partners read aloud one another’s poems - the poems they have chosen to publish. Remind students to listen and decide if their poem sounds the way they’d like it to sound. Have students ask themselves, “Do I like the way it looks and sounds on the page?” Have students make changes to the shape of their poem if needed.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson
Creating an Anthology
Brainstorm possibilities for what the class anthology will include. Decide as a class which of the following features you would like to include as well as the format of the anthology. Record on large chart paper. Possibilities may include:
A lot of different poems by different authors
Acknowledgements – at front or back – give thanks to those who helped
Index at back – can be titles, authors, first lines, subjects
Contents at front – title of poem, author, page format (whole page, columns)
Title page
Introduction or About This Book section
Illustrations – (format – two pages for each poem, can use colored pencils)
Dedication
Back cover
About The Poet page
Writing of poems – word processed
Title (ex. First Poems of Second Grade)
Cover
Note: The anthology you and your students create can be as simple or complex as you decide. Students might each bring one poem to final copy with an accompanying illustration. These can be bound simply into a classroom book, and each student gets a photocopy to read and keep. You may also include an “About the Poet” page (from the teacher too) to go along with each poem.
More specific lesson to teaching certain kinds of poems http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/poetry-writing-lessons/
Online Lessons for Poetry Writing - http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass.aspx
Children’s poetry and poetry lessons - a great online resource
http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/CLit/poetry_online.html
Additional Resources:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/online-poetry-resources-monica-burns
http://www.liketowrite.com/poetry.html