Formats for 2006 Poetry Project

This is the official start of our Poetry Project! Yay! I always start with a quotation, and this year, I'm using one from Ted Scheu that I thought was very appropriate:

"Arguably the greatest gift poetry can bring to the writing of children is opening them up to share what is in their hearts. When kids struggle to think of something (anything!) to write about (as they seemed perpetually to do in my own classrooms), it's usually because they are not accustomed to sharing feelings. "

We also want to get deeper than the "I like my ______." feelings. See if this activity helps students do that.

This is a modification of Georgia Heard's notes in the .pdf file for which I sent the url a couple of weeks ago. At some point between now and when you do the first format, it might be helpful to have your students make heart maps. The younger children will make less complete ones, and use pictures more than writing. Older students can be very detailed. I've attached a copy of the cover of her book, which I recommend. It gives an idea of one kind of heart map.

I suggest having a heart shape divided into 5 sections for the younger students. I think a graphic organizer might be more effective for older students, or let them draw it out in their own way. As always, model for them what you want by doing it yourself, in front of them. If we want children to share their hearts and innermost feelings, we must be willing to do the same.

If you provide an organizer, I suggest using heart shapes somehow in the map to remind students of the main idea of the activity. This NCREL site has some organizer examples. I could see using the Network Tree with a heart in the middle. A lot of our feelings do network from one area to another.

Jack Gantos did a similar thing in a workshop I attended. He called it a neighborhood map and used it to write Heads or Tails, and the following books about Jack, based on his childhood. Marissa Moss uses a diary, in fact tells the entire story through the diary with drawings, sayings, etc., in her Amelia books. This could be the bridge from the poetry unit into prose.

Here are some ideas from Georgia to get students going.

Purpose

· To discover what things are important to you
· To discover you inner poet's voice

Think about the things and people that are important to you. Use the following questions to help you uncover what is in your heart. Then begin your own heart map. Add your own important ideas and thoughts not covered by the questions.

Use the questions as a guide, not an absolute. This can be an ongoing process, added to whenever a new idea occurs to you. As we grow, we change, and so does the heart. (Remind them they aren't writing these stories right now, just making quick notes or pictures to help them remember later.)

· What has really affected your heart?
· What people have been important to you?
· What are some experiences or central events that you will never forget?
· What happy or sad memories do you have?
· What secrets have you kept in your heart?
· What small things or objects are important to you - a tree in your backyard, a trophy, a stuffed animal ?

Ask yourself:

· Should some things be outside of the heart and some inside of it?
· Do you want to draw more than one heart - good and bad; happy and sad; secret and open - and include different things inside each heart?
· What's at the center of your heart?
· What's outside around the edges?
· Do different colors represent different emotions, events, relationships?

This idea came from another Susan, Susan Funderburg, a first grade teacher in Ohio. I liked it because it is simple enough for spring of first grade, and can be made more elaborate by more advanced writers. There is really no limit to the number of Because lines, if students want to do more than four.

Some older students might choose to do repetitive verses, all patterned the same as this one, either about the same topic, or perhaps more than one. I would encourage multiple verses to explore one topic in real depth. Multiple topics are definitely acceptable, but I would encourage some connection between the verses, e.g., all zoo animals, things seen on a trip.

³There's a Shel Silverstein poem called "Giraffes" that I use the pattern for when we're learning poetry. Students could use this to compliment a particular person, or they could write about anything the like.

(Topic)
I like them. (or it or him or her, etc.)
Ask me why.
Because ___________________
Because ___________________
Because ___________________
Because ___________________
Because, because, because.
That's why.
I like __________ .²

The last line could use the same noun as the beginning of the poem, or it might use a synonym. Your poem might have more or fewer Because lines. Here's an example of this kind of poem.

Simpler version:

Books.
I like them.
Ask me why.
Because they take me on adventures.
Because they teach me new things.
Because they make me think.
Because they make me laugh.
Because they make me cry.
Because, because, because.
That's why.
I like books.

Susan Nixon
March 27, 2003

Expanded version:

Books.
I like them.
Ask me why.
Because they take me on adventures to far off places.
Because they teach me new things to do and be.
Because they bring out thoughts that never crowded my mind before.
Because they make me laugh which always makes my soul lighter.
Because they give me tears which cleanse my heart.
Because, because, because.
That's why.
I like books.

Susan Nixon
March 15, 2006

I hope this framework gets us off to a great start!

This week, I thought we could work on adjectives and synonyms in an enjoyable and poetic way. Here is an example of a sound poem:

The Sound of Water
by Mary O'Neill

The sound of water is
Rain,
Lap,
Fold,
Slap,
Gurgle,
Splash,
Churn,
Crash,
Murmur,
Pour,
Ripple,
Roar,
Plunge,
Drip,
Spout,
Skip,
Sprinkle,
Flow,
Ice,
Snow.

To begin mine, I started thinking about the sounds a baby makes. Wonder if it had anything to do with the one crying next door? =)

[When I ran out of words to describe the sounds, I used an online thesaurus Thesaurus 1 to find more. You could also use Thesaurus 2 or Thesaurus 3

Yahooligans has an explanation of thesaurus. If you ask at Yahooligans, the first source I listed also comes up. None of the sites I've given require any registration or listing of e-mail. You can just search for a word.

You will probably want to use a Roget's or other book thesaurus, because there *are* words that come up online that might not be appropriate for your students. They should know how to use the book form, anyway.]

After I found as many words as I could, I tossed out the ones I didn't like, and then decided how to arrange the words I had left. I decided on alternating what I considered positive words with those I considered negative. There's no right or wrong way to organize them. Mary O'Neill wrote hers so that every other one rhymed. If students want to try that, great, but it will be more difficult for young children, and they may throw in nonsense words. O'Neill's also go from liquid water to frozen water.

Other ways students might organize a list of words would include: alphabetically; from things liked, through neutral to disliked; loud to soft, or vice versa; by size; by color, etc. Remind them that this is a *sound* poem, however they choose to organize it. There is no required number of words. It will depend on grade-level and vocabulary knowledge.

This is a format that might be done as a group first, before turning them loose on their own poems. It might, then, be done in pairs or triads instead of individuals, with younger children. The ability to brainstorm and have words come to mind because of words suggested by others is a good learning tool.

Another thing you might do before having students write the poems is make a list of general sound words. Looking up sound in the thesaurus can be confusing. The first meaning is not noise. I looked up noise instead. I would do the looking up only after students had come to the end of their ideas. If you have a number of thesauri, you might have groups work together to look up a variety of words that have been brainstormed and make more lists from that, rather than having them look up noise to see what they missed.

One activity which helps increase vocabulary understanding and the shades of meaning is to choose 5-9 words (younger to older limits) from a list such as this. Write them on 4 x 12 papers or cards and give them to groups of students. Have the students decide in what order the words go. Then each group stands up, putting themselves in order, with each child holding one word for all to see. They will probably not put them in exactly the same order, so there can be a discussion of why a group chose to put them in the order they did.

Example: cold, hot, warm, cool, chilly, frosty, steamy, frigid, fiery By degrees of warmth, what is the order?

Example: yell, whisper, scream, wail, mumble, shout, susurration (ha! throw that one in with older students!) I still see susurration of the waves or of the leaves in books now and then.

This is an especially good activity for second language learners, but also excellent for native speakers, since we tend to use a few words to cover a lot of territory.

The Sound of a Baby
by Susan Nixon
March 15, 2006

The sound of a baby is
Giggle,
Squall,
Gabble,
Blather,
Crow,
Squeal,
Chortle,
Fuss,
Burble,
Grunt,
Jabber,
Shriek,
Babble,
Wail,
Chatter,
Scream,
Chuckle,
Howl,
Sniffle,
Purr,
Bawl,
Coo,
Sob,
Mama - Dada.

This format is one of my favorites. This is the 3rd year in a row that we've used it, so it will be retired for a couple of years after this. Students have done so well on what I think of as the easier poems, that I hope this will turn out well, also. If your children are first graders, modify as necessary. I believe they can still make wonderful descriptions, if they are thinking of looking through the camera lens. So far, the first graders have amazed me with their poetry! You might even want to take them outside, with a piece of paper with a small hole cut in it - such as a hole punch makes. Have them look through the hole at things and then write about what they see.

Another idea would be to have students find a picture of a place, from a magazine or other source. I gave students who were stumped a postcard - we had dozens from participating in Leni Donlan's postcard project for two years. Then, keeping it in front of them, write some descriptive phrases. Use the phrases to help write a poem. I would suggest modeling for them whatever inspirational source you use. My poem below was inspired by a postcard of the desert at night.

Think of seeing something through the camera lens. When it's just perfect, you snap the photo and keep that picture in your album forever. Write about something you want to keep in your memory for all time in the same way.

A golden moon hangs heavy on the horizon,
a many-armed saguaro outlined against its surface.
Bats flit from arm to arm, drinking sweet nectar,
Unknowingly depositing pollen so life can continue,
Making the desert a nighttime Garden of Eden.

by Susan Nixon, 2004

Pattern:

Lines 1 and 2: Two part sentence about what is seen
Lines 3,4, and 5: Sentences relating to the first line

Here's what Mrs. Giacobone did last year:
"The class worked on Photo poems this week. They've taken to calling them Arm's Length poems. I suggested they hold their hole punched card 'at an arm's length' in order to narrow their field of vision and focus on one object or person. Thus, the new reference. It was slow going in the beginning. "Day One- Their first exposure to this format was on Monday when I put the cards at their tables and instructed them to see what they could see. They shared their 'observations' orally and these were lacking in detail. (My class has been together with me for two years now and 'observing' is what 'scientists' and 'inventors' do to learn about their topic. The references to scientists and inventors go back to the robotics I mentioned earlier.) As a result of these minimal descriptions, I sent the cards home with the children and instructed them to observe at home with their families, in hopes their families would be more descriptive in sharing their observations. (Note: Where this isn't feasible, students could be grouped in triads and brainstorm together, or consider using a reading/writing buddy from an older class to help.)

"Day Two- Well, to my surprise and delight several children returned the next day with written accounts (not poems-I hadn't told them my purpose yet) of their family's observations. Now I paired them with another student and took them outside to make a new observation. Each partner was to view the same thing and orally share what they saw with the other. The next step was to come back to the classroom and write (at least 5 lines) about their observation with their partner. Their writing was expanding but they still weren't descriptive enough yet. I wrote my own poem for them on chart paper to better illustrate my expectation. Their reactions indicated they were starting to see what I was after. I collected their work for Day Three.

"Day Three- I went to the Poetry Project 2004 website and selected the more descriptive poems from your class' submissions. I read them to the class. I directed them to close their eyes while I read each one aloud, trying to help them get a mental image of what the writer was attempting to convey. Success!!! They were beginning to understand they needed to be descriptive and specific about what they saw so a reader to create a mental image of their own. I returned Day Two's writing to them and suggested they review the previous day's writing and continue writing, all the while considering their attempt to help a reader create their own mental image from their writing. The results will speak for themselves. Children who normally struggle to convey their thoughts in writing are describing dancing flowers and nature's work!!!!!!"

Please do consider using poems from previous years to help students write this year's poetry. I think I called it Photo Poems in 2004, maybe in 2005. However you do it, I think your students will have beautiful thoughts to share. This might be a time to use those Heart Maps, if you made them.

This is one of my favorite ways of assessing learning, especially in science. The first two poems used as examples here were written by past classes. I began by brainstorming with the students for actions which fit the topic. Then we eliminated any which were duplicates, and arranged the rest in a pleasing manner. Please notice that each line ends in a period.

What To Do If You Are ....

This format is from Bob and Marlene McCracken. Here is an example:

What to Do If You Are the Night

Move through the sky.
Frighten people to death.
Have a shining light.
Cover the daytime.
Be dark enough to blind people.
Have the stars every time.
Be black and scary.
Rain.
Thunder in front of the clouds.

Mrs. Nixon's class
2nd grade
April 27, 1998

Each idea begins with the verb. If you've talked about subjects and predicates, you can tell the students that they are just writing the predicate part of a sentence for each line of the poem.

Here's another example:

Things To Do If You Were a Predator

Go hunting.
Make traps.
Hide behind something.
Growl and snarl.
Chase and catch the prey.
Strike your prey.
Bite and scratch.
Attack people and rip them up.
Kill animals to eat.
Be a scavenger.

Mrs. Nixon's class
2nd grade
Jan. 5, 1995

Here's a new one from me:

What To Do If You Are Retired

Travel the country full time.
Visit old battlefields.
Have lunch with your friends on a weekday.
Get involved in Good Works.
Take a cruise . . . in February.
Go to Hawaii . . . in December.
See a movie right after lunch.
Take pictures of everything!
Annoy all your friends who are still working.
Stay in bed and read all day.
Buy new shoes on a Monday morning.
Shop online in the middle of the night.
E-mail friends whenever you want.
Run the poetry project for your favorite writers.

Susan Nixon
April 12, 2006

Have fun with this one!

This week's format is from Ted Scheu and used with his permission.

This poem *does* rhyme. If your children have a hard time with the rhyming, let it go. (There will be an alternate choice later. I will put it on the website when I put this one up, rather than e-mail it.) One thing my students wanted to do was rhyme within each line, rather than at the ends of two lines. You may have that problem, or you may not. If it comes up, let them go with it.

Read several examples to the students. Take the poems apart and show them how they work. If you've worked all year on rhyming, and rimes, as many 4 Blocks teachers do in the younger grades, here is the perfect time for them to practice what they know.

Here's an example: (by an ELL learner from India)

Can You Imagine?
by Namitha
October 20, 2004
Can you imagine . . .
A cat without a tail.
A boat without a sail.
Black without white.
A day without night.
A school without floor.
A house without door.
Spring without birds.
Poems without words.
A face without a nose.
A feet without toes.

Now, there are a couple of lines that could have used an article, and the birds-words line would have more impact at the end, but I asked her if she thought the lines were in the best possible order, and she said yes, so we went with it. =) Yes, technically, those should be question marks at the end of each line.

Ted had a discussion with children of things that go together. A good time to work on analogy lessons, perhaps, in conjunction with the poetry writing, in your words/phonics time. We made some lists of things that go together. He talked to them about the rhythm, and the fact that it worked best when the nouns were one syllable, no more than 2, and then he gave them the frame that looked like this:

Can You Imagine?
by ____________

_________ without _________?

_________ without _________?

_________ without _________?

_________ without _________?

He had about 10 pairs of lines on the page, and it was a handwritten format. You can easily make one, or make a large chart that students can view while writing. Students who had a lot of trouble wrote shorter poems. Students who were having a great time wrote longer ones. They weren't all perfect, but it was a format that some of my students continued to write for several weeks. One little boy wrote probably ten of them, and none were shorter than 20 pairs! Each one got better with the rhymes, and he's another ELL, so it was good practice for him to play with language this way.

Here's variation one - students who are exceptionally fast to catch on may want to chain the lines instead of rhyming them. For instance:

a dinosaur without teeth
teeth without a kitten

They can chain pairs of lines, or see how far the chain could go. For instance, the next line to go with these two might be: a kitten without a collar.

Variation two - students might think of things that *don't* go together. This is much harder than one might imagine! Sometimes it's good to do a little reverse thinking. I had a *very* hard time with this!

Can You Imagine...

A dog with a cat?
A horse with a hat?

A bee with no sting?
A gem with no bling? (okay, yeah, I resorted to slang!)

A fly with good health?
A tramp with great wealth?

Susan, 2005

Trust me, that's tricky! And that's why it's short! =) That one is correctly punctuated and capitalized.

I'm sure your students will come up with other variations. I'm eager to see them.

Here are more student examples for you:

Can You Imagine?
by Crystal
October 26, 2004

Can you imagine . . .

black without white
light without sight
a kite without height
a knight without might
a dog without a bite?
a mailman without mail
a cat without a tail?
a bear without hair
a tear without care
a girl without hair!