Background
Our school is one that is quite unique, in that it is a magnet school that has a “neighborhood” feel. Located in the heart of Highland Park within the city of Pittsburgh, we draw students from all areas in the city limits. Students come from near and far to our institution which has a focus on the arts and humanities. Many of the children move on to the CAPA 6-12 school downtown upon completion of the fifth grade.
Pittsburgh Dilworth Pre-K to 5, as it is known, has approximately 430 students and is celebrated for its diversity, highly trained faculty and staff, and an amazing parent/teacher organization that works tirelessly to provide for our students. With strong and supportive administration, we have been able to see results through advocating for the students’ well-being and academic achievement.
In teaching elementary children for 24 years, I have observed that when students are able to tap into their individual subconscious and persona, highlight ideas or wonderings, or bring forth new thoughts to share with classmates, they find that they surprise themselves with their academic ability and a newfound sense of satisfaction that is rarely rivaled. As previously stated, this unit will provide that wealth of opportunity to search the soul and strengthen imagination, individuality and unabridged creativity. Children will seek moments-past or present-that resonate with them based on sound, object and nature. To procure these actions and abilities, the unit will take a deep dive into poetry of many forms. Examples of a few of the forms students will explore are Haiku, Limerick and Sonnet. Teachings include a thorough examination of these poetry genres with examples aimed at striking a chord in students and helping them to decide how they would like to express themselves creatively. Students will keep a poetry journal and participate in several activities designed to exhibit and celebrate their work. Additionally, the use of the educational philosophy known as place-based education will be implemented throughout. This style of teaching invites student-led learning that is focused on their physical environment, community and cultural awareness/history. Students are encouraged to take in their local surroundings including beloved parks and green spaces. Universities, schools, local businesses and museums are also examples of the students’ environment available for a rich catalyst toward their creative discovery. Because the children are immersing themselves in their communities and culture, there tends to be a deeper sense of learning, engagement and achievement as a result.
As the children embark on their journey of creativity and discovery, they will take part in a multitude of lessons and activities that will assist in the writing of poetry pieces. As a major component of the unit, journal writing will take place daily. The children will take time to write thoughts, ideas, and poetic works which they can look back upon in order to measure their growth on the topic. This will happen in the classroom, the school’s garden or at any of the field trip locations visited during the implementation of the unit. Lessons that delve into all six of the poetry genres and their components will be reviewed during an eight-week period. This specific amount of time allows for teaching, learning/exploring, student outings and sharing.
Due to the experiential aspect of Place-Based Education, the students will spend a significant amount of time outside of the classroom. Activities include traveling to local green spaces, and field trips that allow the children to “get lost” in nature, such as the zoo, aviary and local garden conservatory. In these locations, students will find a quiet space to absorb the sounds and happenings of the environment. They can tap into snapshots of their lives that stand out. They can think deeply about celebrations and time with friends and family as well as moments that were monumental to them for reasons of their own. Each writing opportunity will be planned to coincide with one of the six poetry genres (Haiku, Limerick, Ballad, Sonnet, Lyric and Free Verse) they will be studying.
With the implementation of lessons and each activity, it is the focus of this eight-week unit to foster a true learning experience within the world of poetry and creative writing. Students at this particular grade level are still honing the skill of writing in varying genres. As mentioned earlier, their efforts can sometimes be hampered by the sheer inundation of information from technological exposure. Instead of being fed information and ideas, it is my hope that the children will be able to pick up on and discern their own information and ideas. By disconnecting and allowing students to search the silence for inner peace and discovery, they will ascertain unmeasurable progress and refinement in their writing ability. Moreover, growth in critical thinking on an individual basis will be acquired. Furthermore, with the components of presentation and publication, each student will be able to celebrate their learning and growth with pride, validation and acknowledgement from their peers, families and instructors. They will have multiple artifacts to refer to as they further their writing and educational advancement, which is crucial in these changing times. The importance of each of these factors in child growth and development is part and parcel in this discipline. Therefore, a healthy mixture of inquiry, expression, feedback and sharing/publication is precious. With the successful completion of this unit, the students will not only become contributors to the genre, but also contributors to their community, environment and culture.
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