The Uses of Poetry in the Classroom

Classroom Activities

For this activity, I will first do three acrostic poems and then read a poem to go with the portfolio writing. The classroom lesson will need to be done at least once a week when you start the unit. You can spread out into a manageable twenty minutes two days a week. It can easily fit into your flexible grouping time. In each lesson the alliterations will go home with the students. This will allow them to have been exposed to the complete alphabet at the end of the unit. The poems will be introduced in different ways. That is, I may read it first or last. The students have already been to the Carnegie Museum of Art. A discussion concerning the art work and how it has a story will be strongly emphasized. An art making activity will be done. The activity will be related to the art techniques used in the making of the Chariot of the Aurora. It was made with lacquer, plaster and engravings. So the artist and I will try to give the students an opportunity to make a story by using some of these materials in the form of a mural. The students will be able to hang their work in the classroom and at home. Now they are ready. Here are three of the lessons. Others are included in Appendix B.

Lesson I

Introduce the letters G-K-O

G- Goat Gary Gobbles Grass

K-Karen Kangaroo Knitted Knots

O-Oliver Octopus Opens One Oyster

1. If they have any vocabulary words, put them on Poetry Word Wall. Ask what letters the alliteration showcases. 2. Pass out alliteration sentence strips so the students can take them home.

The poem for this lesson is a Couplet. Give some background on it. It is a poem that rhymes. It started in England. It is usually written in ten syllables in each line. They usually form the ending lines to Shakespearean sonnets.

COUPLET

Pick the spaghetti up off the mattress. Who ever let her become an actress?

A. Have the students discuss the poem. Ask some specific questions. Were there any rhyming words in this poem? What are the two rhyming words? B. Do the poem again. Have the students echo read with you. C. Let the student draw a picture of the rhyme. Put the two rhyming words on the writing section of the paper. Make sure you use the Reading Checklist and the Writing Checklist! I sometimes often need a reminder because I become so involved. This is a good time to read a poem; use one of the books in the unit.

Lesson II

Introduce the letters B-I-N

B- Buffalo Barbara Barbecues Burgers

I-Ingrid Iguana Impersonated Ice.

N-Nancy Nibbles New Necklaces.

1. If there is vocabulary in the sentences put it on the wall. ("Impersonate": Give the definition.) 2. Ask what letters the alliterations feature. Pass out the sentence strips to go home. Write them on the board or put them up. Remind the students to have their parents hang their sentences up.

A. Read the poem. Echo read the poem.

B. What type of feelings do you have when you hear this?

C. Let's choral read it. A clerihew is a poem that is written about a specific person. Format: There are four lines. The first line rhymes with the second line. The third line and the fourth line rhyme. The first line will name the person. The second line ends with something that rhymes with the name of the person. A clerihew should be funny.

CLERIHEW

My neighbor Miss Black Went and sat on a tack She was very sore So now she is not such a bore

1. Have the students echo read the poem. Now the teacher should read it again.
2. Do you think this a funny poem?
3. Can you draw a funny poem about Miss Black sitting on the tack? 4. Write your own sentence. Use some of your inventive spelling and word wall.

Lesson III

Introduce the letters-T-P-R

T- Terry Turtle Tugs Twinkling Twigs

P- Peter Panda Picks Protruding Pickles

R- Rachel Raccoon Rapidly Runs Ring Races

1. Introduce the alliterations. Have the students recite the sentences. What letters are at the beginning of the words 2. If there are any vocabulary put it on the Poetry Word Wall. (Protruding, twinkling, rapidly)

A. Read the poem. Have the students echo read the poem.

B. What is the poem about? (Subject) Let's choral read it together.

C. Does it have a word that tells you about it? (Describe)

D. Draw a picture about he poem. Pick one of the subjects. E. Label your picture. You pick the label. It should describe your illustrations. A diamontes is written in the shape of a diamond. It talks about nature and opposing themes similarly to an emblem poem. The emblem poem is in the shape of what it is talking about, as when the words are in the shape of a tree or a chair. Dr. Fry shared this information with me and showed an example of it.

Format: The first line is the subject. The second line describes the subject and uses an adjective. The third line is verbs describing the subject words ending in (ing). The fourth line use two nouns that describe the subject and two nouns describing the antonym. The fifth line contains three verbs describing the antonym words ending in (ing). The sixth line contains two adjectives describing the antonym. The seventh line gives the antonym. The diamond shape is difficult to see, but when I write it out I will make it into a diamond shape.

DIAMONTE

• Tree
• Tall big swaying, dropping, reaching
• Wood leaves, hard, solid
• Sitting, crumbling, cracking
• Grayish, bluish
• Rock

After you have tried to do these poems try the one in the back of the unit under Appendix B.? I have included one of them to provide the continuity of the unit. The homework lesson, which is lesson eight, is the one that takes family involvement. In this lesson, you will find four alliterations instead of the standard three. This is an opportunity to build on the vocabulary word wall as a review. I would take this time to build sentences. You could also have a share writing time. Let the students use their speaking skills in front of the class.