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ReadWriteThink has a variety of resources for out-of-school use. Visit our Parent & Afterschool Resources section to learn more.
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Home › Parent & Afterschool Resources › Games & Tools
Tool
Diamante Poems
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| Grades | 3 – 12 |
| Tech Requirement | |
| URL | http://www.readwritethink.org /files/resources/interactives /diamante/ |
Why Use This Tool
Diamante poems give children a leg up in creating a poem. These diamond-shaped poems follow a set structure, requiring children to supply different parts of speech, such as adjectives and –ing words. The poem’s seven lines may be used to describe one topic or two. For instance, the poem can be all about chocolate ice cream or about ice cream and hot chocolate. The middle line (the fourth) can be seen as a link, where the writer makes the connection between the two.
Here’s What To Do
Print out the examples of diamante poems provided in the tool or review them online. The synonym example reflects a one-topic poem and the antonym example uses two topics that are opposites. Let children choose their own poem topics. Favorite sports, foods, vacation spots, and seasons are natural choices. The child then fills in each blank, supplying the requested part of speech. If the child is doing a single-topic poem, both the beginning and ending subjects will be the same. When tackling two topics, the fourth line needs four nouns or a phrase that introduces the second topic.
Don't forget to save or print before starting a new poem! The child can even e-mail their final gem to a friend or relative.
More Ideas To Try
- Their diamond shape makes diamante poems perfect for inserting in homemade greeting cards. They make an ideal tribute to someone on their birthday or special day. What mom or dad wouldn’t love one?
- Take the diamond theme one step further by writing diamante poems about diamond-related subjects—diamond gems, the Hope Diamond, baseball diamonds, or the diamond suit on playing cards.
- In addition to opposites, children can pair up two subjects that are related or connected, such as sunshine and sunburns (ouch!). Also try two subjects that demonstrate a transformation such as caterpillar to butterfly or seed to flower.
- Encourage children to choose themselves as a topic. The poems can contrast what the children were like as babies or toddlers to the children today.
Send Us Feedback
We invite you to share your experiences with this resource and provide us with any feedback on how it can be improved.