Poetry Lessons

Today I did a poetry lesson with Mrs. Cole’s 4th grade class. We looked at a variety of books that used personification, but we also studied list poems from Georgia Heard’s new collection, Falling Down the Page. Students voted on writing a list poem or a free form poem that used personification. They chose free form! Here is their poem and a video of their poetry reading.

I also taught another concrete poetry lesson with Kindergarten, but we stretched ourselves as writers in this lesson. We wrote a poem about a lamp. First, we made a list of all of the parts of a lamp and then I drew our picture. Then, the students started thinking of words that described each part. I wrote the words onto the shape as they said them. Here’s a picture of our poems, but I also typed them for your enjoyment.

Waterfall

By Mrs. Cole’s Class

I fall down the rocks

Roaring in fear as I fall

to the water below

Boom! Boom! I hit the river floor

I’m wet and cold and have no pulse

Fishes flying through me

Fishes tickle me

Water sliding down slippery rocks

I swoosh and I fall

Inertia!