Purpose
In order to create poetry, students need to be exposed to its many different forms and to learn to take linguistic risks. These activities give students the opportunity to express themselves through different poetic forms, for different purposes. It helps them to move beyond predictable patterns of language and to find a form that suits them. In learning how to construct poetry, students understand and enjoy poetry and the way it uses language.
Teaching points
I Spy
Students observe an event, such as a school assembly or sporting match, for a given period of time, writing down as much detail as possible. When they return to class they expand on their notes, adding questions or opinions. They then move from their notes to an imaginative and poetic form. They may like to introduce a theme to unify the observations (for instance, focusing on one person’s activity and relating other activities back to it) or let the venue or time be a means of sequencing their thoughts. When students share their discussions with the class, they may like to consider how different people tell different stories. For this activity, students can work on their own, in small groups or as a whole class.
One Sentence Poetry
Students choose a simple experience, idea or object and write one sentence about it. They then divide the sentence into stanzas, and provide a title.
Stretch Poem
Students choose a phrase, for example, ‘School is …’, then list what that phrase means to them. Working from their list, they expand some of their ideas into sentences. The final line should be a concluding thought, opinion or statement.
Cut-and-paste poetry
Students cut words, letters and headings out of newspapers and magazines. They can pool what they’ve cut out then work in small groups or individually to create poems where they do not write any of the words. This activity is particularly good for students who have trouble writing. They are rewarded with an interesting poem that also looks appealing.
More information
PEN 115: Thistleton-Martin, J. Poetry in the Classroom. Primary English Teaching Association, Newtown.
Tunica, M (2005) A Passion for Poetry. Primary English Teaching Association, Newtown.