Language Arts

Teaching Poetry to

students of all ages

Formula PoemsFormula Poem - Has some type of simple

organization.

“I Wish” PoemsColour PoemsFive Senses Poems“If I Were …” PoemsDefinition PoemsAcrostic Poems

“I Wish…” Poem Exercise

Think for a moment about something you could wish for.

This will be a class wide collaborative poem.

Let’s share some of our thoughts.

Free Form Poems

Free Form - The lines do not rhyme and the rhythm is not as important.

Concrete Poems - Poems that are laid out in a certain way to make a picture.

Found Poems - Created by taking pieces from different texts to make one poem.

Syllable and Word Count Poems

Syllable and Word Count Poems - Has some structure. Can be helpful in getting students to write.

Haiku - A Japanese type which has 17 syllables spread out over three lines (5-7-5).

Tanka - Another Japanese type which has 31 syllables spread out over five lines (5-7-5-7-7).

Haiku Poems

1st line: Time of the day (5 syllables)

2nd line: Focus on something (7 syllables)

3rd line: Compare it to something new (5 syllables)

Misty, morning light

Warm brown cows stand motionless

Like still, brownish rocks

(from "Patterns in Poetry" by Jo Hinchcliffe)

Syllable and Word Count Poems

Cinquain - Has 22 syllables spread out over five lines (2-4-6-8-2)

Diamante - Has two contrasting subjects, seven lines and is written in the shape of a diamond.

Rhymed Verse Form Poems

Rhymed Verse Form - Is helpful with middle-and upper-grade students.

Limericks-

<Tom, a very bad-tempered child,Never had any moments mild,Teachers he saddened,Friends he maddenedAnd worse he drove his parents wild.>

Paul Sawyer

Teaching Strategies Reading and Writing

-collection of favorites -reading log-poetry workshop -share poems-written responses -thematic poetry -relate a poem to a story -choral reading

-leader chorus-leader main and chorus refrain-Small group-each reads part-Cumulative-1 reads next join in

-rehearse and perform -letter to poet-write class poem -portfolio

Representing Poetry

Viewing And

Viewing and Visually Representing

Poems can be Very,

Very,

Very,

Very,

Very,

Bland with just text.

You should jazz it up a little. But How? Look!

"It _is_ a long tail, certainly," said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's tail; "but why do you call it sad?" And she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this:----"Fury said to a mouse, That he met in the house, `Let us both go to law: _I_ will prose- cute _you_.-- Come, I'll take no de- nial: We must have the trial; For really this morn- ing I've nothing to do.' Said the mouse to the cur, `Such a trial, dear sir. With no jury or judge, would be wast- ing our breath.' `I'll be judge, I'll be jury,' said cun- ning old Fury: `I'll try the whole cause, and con- demn you to death'."

Which Poems are These?

Teaching Strategies for Listening

Listen to a poem by a specific author.Listen to other poems by the same author.Listen to a biography on a poet.Participate in choral reading.Listen to a others students share their poetry.Listen to Sharon, Lois and Bram or Raffi music.Listen to poetry on the Internet or on CD-Rom.Listen to journal entries written by others in the

class in response one or more poems.Listen to a few poems by different authors but

with the same theme, Compare.

Teaching Strategies for Speaking

Sing along to Sharon, Lois and Bram or Raffi music.

Participate in grand conversations about poetry.

Talk about your poetry to others

Participate in poetry workshop

Speak about how a poem relates to any themes that the class is working on.

Raffi – Down By The Bay

Down by the bay

Where the watermelons grow

Back to my home

I dare not go

For if I do

My mother will say

"Did you ever see a moose kissing a goose?"

Down by the bay.

Down By The Bay Verses

Did you ever see a moose kissing a goose?

Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?

Did you ever see a fly wearing a tie?

Did you ever see a bear combing his hair?

Did you ever see llamas eating their pyjamas?

Did you ever have a time when you couldn't make a rhyme?

Thank you

Alysia Proctor, Morven Macpherson, Brian Skinner