Understanding and Writing Poetry

Subject Area: Language Arts

Grade Level(s): 5-6

Duration of Activity: 3-5 days

Description of Activity:

Students will develop an understanding of poetry by reading poems by others and then writing poems themselves.

Objectives: The students will

• find a poem on the Internet and illustrate it.
• write a brief paragraph about what the poem means to them.
• write a brief autobiographical paragraph that helps to link the poem to the students' lives.
• take digital pictures of each other.
• combine the original poem, their poem, their picture, and the paragraph on what the poem means to them and use these things to create a poster or computer software-based project.
• publish their projects on the Internet (optional).

Materials/Equipment:

• computers
• Internet access
• Microsoft Word or other appropriate software
• digital camera
• Handout 1: Understanding Poetry - Example Poem
• Handout 2: Writing Poetry Activity Rubric

Prerequisites (skills or background needed):

• Basic reading comprehension skills on a 5th/6th-grade level

Procedure

Teacher Component: The teacher will

1. review the use of poetry in language, the writing process, and reading skills.
2. guide the students in completing their assignment by providing them handouts about the assignment.
3. bookmark sites ahead of time as both a time saving device and as a means of keeping the students focused on their assigned task.

Student Activities:

1. The students will go to one of the Web sites listed below to find a poem. Allow the students time to read several poems and select one that they like.

Kids Writing (for publishing and reading poetry)
http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/funhouse/kidswrit.htm

Explorer Poems (for poems about explorers)
http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/kimball/classes/mitchell/explpoe.htm

Note: This site has a cute poem about Christopher Columbus.

Kid Authors ABC (for poems by kids)
http://www.kidauthors.com/poem.asp

Note: This site also has a poetry contest.

Writers' Window
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/writers/home.html

KidzPage! Poetry and verse for children of all ages
http://www.veeceet.com/

2. The students will write a brief paragraph about what the poem means to them.
3. The students will create a poem of their own using the poem they chose as a guide.
4. The students will write a brief autobiography of themselves to put on a poster or in a PowerPoint presentation slide. They will include a photo of themselves made with a digital camera and taken by one of their classmates.
5. The students will create a poster or PowerPoint slide that will include:
• the poem they chose from the Internet
• the paragraph that they wrote about what the poem means to them
• the poem they wrote
• the autobiography of themselves
• an illustration of both poems

Accommodations:

• Peer tutors for students that require special assistance.
• Student could be given poems selected by the teacher that are more at grade level if necessary.
• Permission to use the students' work on the Web is necessary. Both students and their parents must sign a permission form that is kept on file at the school.
• Use only first names of students when posting projects to the Web.

Extension Activities:

• Students could create PowerPoint presentations as biographies of themselves.
• Students could create a poetry book using ideas from the Web sites.

Integration:

• Language arts and technology

Assessments:

Handout 2: Writing Poetry Activity Rubric

URLs:

• Kids Writing (for publishing and reading poetry)
  http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/funhouse/kidswrit.htm
• Explorer Poems (for poems about explorers)
  http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/kimball/
  classes/mitchell/explpoe.htm
  Note: This site has a cute poem about Christopher Columbus.
• Kid Authors ABC (for poems by kids)
  http://www.kidauthors.com/poem.asp
  Note: This site also has a poetry contest.
• Writers' Window
  http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/writers/home.html
• KidzPage! Poetry and verse for children of all ages.
  http://www.veeceet.com/

Curriculum Frameworks

Mississippi:

Fifth Grade & Sixth Grade

1. Communicate for a variety of purposes through different forms of writing using processes of reading, writing, listening, and viewing for an expanding audience. (R, W, L, V)
2. Speak coherently and listen effectively to exchange ideas and opinions for a variety of purposes and audiences. (S, L)
3. Complete projects and tasks in an organized and coherent manner. (R, W, S, L, V)
4. Read, listen to, and view multimedia sources to select and use information. (R, W, S, L, V)
7. Discover the history and inherent beauty of cultural expression in language and literature. (R, W, S, L, V)
8. Read and use print and non-print media to experience the rhythm, energy, and pictorial qualities of language. (R, W, S, L, V)
10. Read, analyze, and respond in written and oral language or other art forms to increasingly challenging literature and other resources. (R, W, S, L, V)
11. Demonstrate continuous progress toward control of penmanship, grammar, mechanics, sentence structure, and usage of Standard English in the context of writing and speaking. (R, W, S, L, V)
12. Acquire and use appropriate vocabulary and spelling concepts. (R, W, S, L, V)

NETS Performance Indicators for Grade Level 3-5 / NETS Standard(s):

2. Use keyboards and other common input and output devices efficiently and effectively. (1)
5. Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the curriculum. (3)
7. Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
8. Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information, communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning, and pursue personal interests.

NETS Performance Indicators for Grade Level 6-8 / NETS Standard(s):

4. Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the curriculum. (3)
5. Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)
6. Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information, communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning, and pursue personal interests. (4)

TerraNova:

03 Analyze Text (Level 11-21/22)
Demonstrate comprehension by drawing conclusions ;inferring relationships, such as cause and effect; and identifying theme and story elements, such as plot, climax, character, and setting.

Write responses that show an understanding of the text that goes beyond surface meaning

04 Evaluate and Extend Meaning (Level 11-21/22)
Demonstrate critical understanding by making predictions; distinguishing between fact and opinion, and reality and fantasy; transferring ideas to other situations; and judging author purpose, point of view, and effectiveness.

Write responses that make connections between texts based on common themes and concepts; evaluate author's purpose and effectiveness; and extend meaning to other contexts.

05 Editing Skills (Level 11-21/22)
Demonstrate awareness of techniques that enhance comprehension, such as using existing knowledge, summarizing content, comparing information across texts, using graphics and text structure, and formulating questions that deepen understanding.

Write responses that interpret and extend the use of information from documents and forms, and that demonstrate knowledge and use of strategies.

Link and Feedback to Author(s):

Jan Easley, Houlka Attendance Center, Houlka, MS
janeasley@hotmail.com

Teresa Moore, Houlka Attendance Center, Houlka, MS
mccullochteresa@hotmail.com