First I had the group divide into two and have a competition who could create a poem with at least one stanza of 4 lines that made sense from the Magnetic Poetry pieces here. This turned out to be very challenging. I think that there was so many words that it made it more challenging to find a theme for the poem.
Second we reviewed many different types of poems and I used this sheet to go over a short review of each.
I then had these great students create their own Diamante Poem.
Next they created Limericks in pairs. This was fun and we had some very interesting Limericks.
I love that this group shares their work. It is a real blessing for me to hear their poetry and observe their process.
Finally we looked at the poem “My Books” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I read about Longfellow and then I read the poem out loud and we discussed it. These students had great insight into the poem and found themes and then related those themes to themselves and others. They answered questions like “How does the poem make you feel? and “Does the poem remind you of anything in your life?” etc...
Then our drama mom took over! She is so gifted with bringing the literature alive. She gives the students background on each of the poets and the poems. Then they read them through and perform them.
This week our students enjoyed Sonnet 43 “How do I love thee”, “I’ll Take the Low Road and You Take the High Road” and especially “The Charge of the Light Brigade”
What a blessing! Natalie