I love kicking off a new year with grade 7 by having every student create a poetry portfolio. To get into the unit, and to dispel the myth that all poetry must rhyme, I introduce syllables and haiku.
While the traditional Japanese haiku is typically about nature, this year I challenged students to write a haiku trio about a month of the year. Each student chose a month, and then we brainstormed visual sensory imagery associated with one month not chosen. Then, in front of the class, I used the imagery and phrases provided to write a poem. Mine turned out to be a quintet instead of a trio, as I wanted to incorporate as many ideas as possible. While I was writing my original poem on the board, the students worked on their sensory brainstorms or watched the poem-writing process. Turns out I also had the inclination to rhyme!
Sample Haiku Quintet
Sensory Language Brainstorm: November/Diwali
I was really happy with how the activity turned out. Some students tried to write their poems without doing the sensory brainstorm first. Those poems had weaker imagery and word choice. Most of those students went back, did the brainstorm, and then wrote again.
I also introduced the classroom visual of the "Word Jail" and gave students laminated cards with suggestions to replace boring/overused words. This tool really helped expand their vocabulary and improved the overall word choice in the poetry.
Enjoy some of the student work below!
While the traditional Japanese haiku is typically about nature, this year I challenged students to write a haiku trio about a month of the year. Each student chose a month, and then we brainstormed visual sensory imagery associated with one month not chosen. Then, in front of the class, I used the imagery and phrases provided to write a poem. Mine turned out to be a quintet instead of a trio, as I wanted to incorporate as many ideas as possible. While I was writing my original poem on the board, the students worked on their sensory brainstorms or watched the poem-writing process. Turns out I also had the inclination to rhyme!
Sample Haiku Quintet
Sensory Language Brainstorm: November/Diwali
I was really happy with how the activity turned out. Some students tried to write their poems without doing the sensory brainstorm first. Those poems had weaker imagery and word choice. Most of those students went back, did the brainstorm, and then wrote again.
I also introduced the classroom visual of the "Word Jail" and gave students laminated cards with suggestions to replace boring/overused words. This tool really helped expand their vocabulary and improved the overall word choice in the poetry.
Enjoy some of the student work below!
RSS Feed