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Eight 50-minute sessions, plus extra time to explore
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| Overview |
 A study of poetry should be one of exploration. To avoid stifling creativity
then,
initial
poetry
study
should
not focus too much on form; however, teaching
form
as a tool, rather than as a requirement, can help young writers express themselves
creatively. This unit introduces poetry forms and craft elements while students
explore poetry about everyday topics or themes. Focusing on poetry in this way
allows students to delve deeply into their own creativity. When students have
the
opportunity
to select their own choice of topics and to explore poetry craft elements,
this
activity becomes
a poetry unit that motivates and excites students.
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| From Theory to Practice |
In “Language and Literacy: The Poetry Connection,” Dorothy
S.
Strickland and Michael R. Strickland explain that immersion
in
poetry provides a positive experience for students that provides scaffolding
for later poetry exploration and experimentation. By reading a variety of poems
in read alouds, independent reading, and group sharing, students begin to play
with poetic ideas and forms naturally. The article explains that “many
teachers still argue that there is value in highlighting certain literary devices
or aspects of a form as one way of knowing and appreciating literature. When
students discuss various characteristics of
a form, it helps inform their own writing and familiarizes
them with common terminology needed to talk
about language, literature, and literacy. Familiarity
with the structure and terminology of literacy facilitates
students’ abilities to communicate with others about
what they know. In addition, such familiarity can
deepen students’ personal responses and interpretations
of literature” (201). In this lesson plan, students explore a wide range
of poetic forms and devices in order to gain the kind of grounding understanding
of poetic elements that Strickland and Strickland recommend.
Further Reading
Strickland, Dorothy S., and Michael R. Strickland. “Language and Literacy:
The Poetry Connection.” Language Arts 74 (March 1997): 201-205.
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- Listen to a variety of different types of poetry
- Explore poetry books, anthologies
and collections independently
- Learn the characteristics of several different
forms of poetry
- Learn the definitions of several different types of poetry
craft elements
- Search and collect already published poems that meet the characteristics
of the chosen forms of poetry
- Search and collect already published poems
that meet the characteristics of the chosen craft elements of poetry
- Create
a working definition of poetry forms
- Create a working definition of craft
elements of poetry
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| Instructional Plan |
Resources
- Overhead or LCD projector
- Transparencies/copies of poems used for instruction
- General classroom supplies
(chalkboard, chart paper, markers, etc)
- Student writing notebooks and folders
- Blank composition books
- A computer with Internet access
- A wide variety of poetry books to be used
for instruction and student exploration
- Examples of themed poetry collections or anthologies
(e.g., Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems by Kristine O’Connell
George)
- Poetry Collection Checklist
Preparation
- Choose the poetic forms that you'll focus on in this lesson (e.g., concrete/shape
poetry, haiku, two-voice, cinquain, free verse). Five
forms work well. See Links
to Other Forms of Poetry and Elements of Poetry for additional options and materials.
- Make copies of the poems that you
will be using to teach the forms of poetry and craft elements of poetry
for students.
- Arrange for students to
have their writing notebooks and folders,
and blank composition books, which will be used to compile their poetry
collections and definitions.
- The forms of poetry and elements of poetry in this
lesson are simply recommendations. Feel free to customize the forms and craft
elements for your own needs.
- Make a copy of the Poetry
Collection Checklist for each student.
- If desired, test the Poetry
Collection Checklist Chart on
your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have
the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in
from the technical support page.
Instruction and Activities
Session One
- Make sure the students have their blank composition books, which will
be used to compile their poetry collection.
- Begin by asking the students what
their definition of poetry is. You should gather many different answers from
the students. Write these responses on the
board or chart paper.
- Tell the students that while their definitions are not
all the same, there are some similarities among the definitions. Use this
fact as a springboard into
a discussion about poetry interpretation—there is no one right answer
to poetry. Everyone brings his or her own thoughts and ideas to it.
- On the board,
write the definition of poetry you will be using during these lessons. An
example definition, adapted from Webster’s, is, “writing
that is concentrated on imaginative awareness, using language, which is chosen
and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound
and rhythm.”
- Ask students to write down this definition on the second
page of their composition book.
- For the rest of the session, let the students
explore the poetry books you have selected.
Session Two
- Begin this session by reading one of your favorite poems. After you have
shared it with the class, explain to them why this is one of your favorite
poems. Tell the students that this is one of the activities they will be completing—finding
examples of poetry and explaining the reasons that they chose them.
- Ask the
students to name as many different forms of poetry as they can. After they
have brainstormed and you have recorded their responses on chart paper or
the board, display the Poetry
Forms and Examples page from the PBS NewsHour Web site. See how many
of the forms of poetry the students were able to name.
- Put the students into pairs. Ask them try to define each
of the forms of poetry. Have resource materials available to them, including
dictionaries
and
poetry anthologies.
- When time is up for this activity, gather the class
and ask students to share their definitions. This is also the time for you
to let the students know which forms of poetry you will be focusing on in
this
unit. This sample lesson focuses on concrete/shape poetry, haiku, two-voice,
cinquain and free verse.
- With forms of poetry defined, discuss
the different elements of poetry with the students. The Online
Poetry Classroom Web site and
the Poetry
Tools page from the PBS NewsHour Web site provide useful definitions
and examples.
- Explain
to the students that while they are learning about the different forms
of poetry, they will also be seeing different elements of poetry.
- Now that
the students have a little more background knowledge of poetry, again have
them search, read, and share poems they find in the poetry anthologies
and collections.
Session Three
- Read and show the students several different concrete/shape poems. Ask students
what they notice about the poems when they look at the words on the page.
- After students notice the relationship between the shape and focus of the
poem, explain that in concrete/shape poems the lines form shapes or
a shape that is related to the poem’s topic. The words in the poem
tend to reflect the sense/message of the poem itself. These poems are written
almost
entirely
for visual effect and are easy to understand
and fun to look at and create.
- Have at least one example of a Concrete/Shape
Poem to hand out to the students.
- In their composition notebooks, on the third page, ask students
to glue or tape in the example concrete/shape
poem.
- On the following page, ask students to write down a definition for
concrete/shape poetry.
- Finally, on the next page, ask students to
find their own example of a concrete/shape poem. They can either copy
a poem down, making sure
to title it
and cite their source, or make a photocopy of it and tape/glue
it into their composition books.
- If there is time, or as an extension,
students can write their own concrete/shape poem.
- Have the students share
the poems that they found and added to their poetry collection.
Additional
resources for concrete/shape poetry:
Session Four
- Read and show the students several different haiku.
- Ask students to note features of the poems and work toward defining the
form: A haiku is a three-line poem. Its first line has 5 syllables,
the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables.
- Have
at least one example of a haiku to hand out to the students.
- In their composition
notebook, on the next available page, ask students to glue or tape in
the example haiku.
- On the following page, ask students to write a definition
for haiku.
- Finally, on the next page, ask students to
find their own example of a haiku. They can either copy
a poem down, making sure
to title it
and cite their source, or make a photocopy of it and tape/glue
it into their composition books.
- If there is time, or as an extension, students
can write their own haiku.
- Have the students share the poems that they found
and added to their poetry collection.
Additional resources for haiku:
- Seasonal Haiku lesson
- The
World of Haiku lesson
- You Too Can Haiku lesson
- Haiku Picturebook for Children by Keisuke Nishimoto and Kozo Shimizu
(Heian International, 1999)
- Don't Step on the Sky: A Handful of Haiku by Miriam Chaikin
and Hiroe Nakata (Holt and Company, 2002)
Session Five
- Read and show the students several different cinquain poems.
- Ask students to note features of the poems and work toward defining the
form: Cinquains are poems that are written using a recipe. Most cinquain
poems consist of a single, 22-syllable stanza, but they can be combined into
longer
works. A cinquain consists of five lines, arranged in the following structure:
| Line 1 |
two syllables |
| Line 2 |
four syllables |
| Line 3 |
six syllables |
| Line 4 |
eight syllables |
| Line 5 |
two syllables |
- Have at least one example of a cinquain to hand out to the students.
- In their composition notebook, on the next available page, ask students
to glue or tape in the example cinquain.
- On the following page, ask students to write a definition for cinquain.
- Finally, on the next page, ask students to find their own example of a
cinquain. They can either copy a poem down, making sure to title it and cite
their source, or make a photocopy of it and tape/glue it into their composition
books.
- If there is time, or as an extension, students can write their own cinquain.
- Have the students share the poems that they found and added to their poetry
collection.
Additional resources for cinquain:
Session Six
- Read and show the students several different two-voice poems and/or listen
to examples
of two-voice poems.
- Ask students to note features of the poems and work toward defining the
form: The poem is usually written in two columns—one for each
person who is reading the poem. Sometimes, the poet wants the two readers
to say something at the same time. If that is the case, then the poet will
write the words on the same line in each column. You can compare two-voice
poetry to a conversation between two people.
- Have at least one example of a two-voice poem to hand out to the students.
- In their composition notebook, on the next available page, ask students
to glue or tape in the example two-voice poem.
- On the following page, ask students to write a definition for two-voice
poem.
- Finally, on the next page, ask students to find their own example of a
two-voice poem. They can either copy a poem down, making sure to title it
and cite their source, or make a photocopy of it and tape/glue it into their
composition books.
- If there is time, or as an extension, students can write their own two-voice
poem.
- Have the students share the poems that they found and added to their poetry
collection.
Additional resources for two-voice poem:
- I Am Phoenix, Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (HarperCollins
Publishers, 1985)
- Joyful Noise, Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (HarperCollins
Publishers, 1988)
Session Seven
- Read and show the students several different free-verse poems.
- Ask students to note features of the poems and work toward defining the
form: Free-verse poetry is patterned by speech and
images rather than by regular metrical schemes. Lines can also be shortened
for
speed,
or segmented into groups of words or syllables to slow down the reading.
While free verse usually does not have to rhyme, it does have a rhythm or
beat to it.
- Have at least one example of a free-verse poem to hand out to the students.
- In their composition notebook, on the next available page, ask students
to glue or tape in the example free-verse poem.
- On the following page, ask students to write a definition for free-verse
poem.
- Finally, on the next page, ask students to find their own example of a
free-verse poem. They can either copy a poem down, making sure to title it
and cite their source, or make a photocopy of it and tape/glue it into their
composition books.
- If there is time, or as an extension, students can write their own free-verse
poem.
- Have the students share the poems that they found and added to their poetry
collection.
Additional resources for free-verse poem:
Session Eight
- Now that the students have worked with forms of poetry, it is time for
them to look at the elements of poetry.
- Refer to the Online
Poetry Classroom Web site and/or the Poetry
Tools page from the PBS NewsHour Web site.
- Choose 4 or 5 elements that you
want to focus on (e.g., simile and metaphor, onomatopoeia and imagery)
- Using
their poetry collections in their composition books, students can go back
through the poems they have already selected and find examples of
the elements of poetry, or the students can search for new poems that include
these elements.
- As we did with form, in their composition books, provide an example poem,
then the student’s definition,
and finally a copy of a poem discovered by the student.
Web Resources
- Toasting Marshmallows
http://www.kristinegeorge.com/toasting_marshmallows.html
- This homepage of the author of Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems includes
additional poetry examples.
- Poetry Box Rules, from PBS NewsHour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june00/poetryboxrules.html
- Links to definitions of poetry forms and poetic devices.
- Poetry Writing Practice
http://home.att.net/~teaching/langarts/poetry.pdf
- A thematic graphic organizer using different elements of poetry.
- Elements of Poetry
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/elements.html
- A list of elements of poetry, with links to definitions, interactives, and
examples of how each element functions in a work of poetry.
- Riddle
Poem Features
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson169/TermsHandout.pdf
- Handout from a lesson on Riddle Poems, which includes definitions and examples
of elements of poetry.
- Poems by Form
http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/forms.do
- The Children's Poetry Archive offers links to sample poems for several poetry forms.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
As students read and collect their poems during this unit, observe their activities.
Look for engagement and immersion in the activity. If you notice students who
are not participating fully in the activities, try to provide poetry collections
and options that match their personal interests. Students may also simply need
some additional support as they explore poetry. Strickland and Strickland offer
this options for engaging students and learning more about their understanding
of their readings:
Between readings, [Michael Strickland] sometimes
comments on a particular piece or invites students to respond
by saying: “Tell us what’s on your mind”; “What
did you think about that poem?”; and “Anything you
want to share?” The students follow his lead, commenting
on a particular aspect of the poem or offering their reactions.
During the discussions that follow, students
frequently point out what they notice about the poetry
and what appeals to them.
You can use students’ reactions to similar questions to match their understanding
and interests to additional poetry collections.
At the end of this activity, provide students with a copy of the Poetry
Collection Checklist or use the Interactive
Poetry
Collection Checklist Chart, which allows students to type the titles of their
poems and add additional criteria (for instance, if they want to list two poems
for a category). Final assessment of the activity should be based on the completion
of
poetry
collection
in
the composition
books. Compare students’ checklists to the poems in their composition books.
Provide feedback on selections as well as pointers on how to re-categorize poems
in situations when
poetic form or craft elements
are
misidentified.
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5 - Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
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