Are You A Poetry Detective?

April is one of my favorite months because it's Poetry Month! I love working on poetry with my students - both writing them and reading them.

Today I want to share an idea with you that can be used for a center or independent work. It's a great way to expose kids to lots of poems and help them to be active readers!

First, I used the color copier (shhhhh!!! Don't tell!) and made copies of several poems from books in our library and in my class. I put them in sheet protectors and on a metal ring. If you choose to do this as a center, you could definitely have a tub of poetry books available for kids to choose from.

Each group of students perused the poems and looked for things they noticed. Before they went off on their own, we brainstormed ideas of things to look for - figurative language, rhyming, imagery and other techniques that poets use. As they read the poems, they recorded what they noticed and found on this graphic organizer.

After they had a good amount of time to read and record their thinking, we gathered together and created a Poetry Mentor Text anchor chart. We read 2-3 poems together and recorded what we noticed as a class. (You could also make the anchor chart first, and then send them off to read and notice on their own!)

I know many people have been spending a good amount of time assessing for the end of the year, but if you have time this week this is a great way to celebrate Poetry Month! You can grab your copy of this FREE Poetry Detectives graphic organizer by heading over to my TPT store.

I hope your students enjoy reading and analyzing poetry as much as mine did!!

 

Diamante Poetry FREEBIE

Hi there!

Jessica from "Joy in the Journey" here :)

We just wrapped up a fun poetry unit in Language Arts - and my 5th graders had a blast!

I love introducing the kiddos to new forms of poetry - one of which is the Diamante Poem.

Diamante poems are 7-lined poems that are used to compare and contrast two opposite nouns. It gives students valuable practice in identifying and providing examples of different parts of speech, comparing/contrasting nouns, and writing different lines of poetry.

First, we discussed what words (what part of speech) go on each line. A great grammar review - and reinforcement for those who are still struggling! Then, we did a class example (Cats vs. Dogs). Finally, the students were free to start brainstorming and planning their rough drafts:

Then, once their rough drafts were edited by a classmate, they create their final project. I decided to throw in an art component (decorating the background) to stimulate my artistically-inclined kiddos:

Didn't they do a phenomenal job?!?

If you'd like to try this project, you can download my 

FREE Diamante Poetry packet on TPT. It includes a definition, instructions for writing, brainstorming paper, and a final draft template.

If you download it, please leave some feedback! :)

Happy almost-weekend, friends!