Poetry in Motion

Lesson Plan—Poetry in Motion

Topic: Writing Poetry

Grade Level: 7-8

Subject: Language Arts

Approx. Time: 1 hour

Introduction:

This is an activity that not only introduces poetry, but also offers students a chance to read and appreciate the Nevadan Poet, Shaun Griffin. They will have a chance to examine and discuss the words and imagery that Shaun Griffin uses in his poetry. Afterwards, students can create their own poems following this moveable poetry lesson. As students literally ‘move’ their words around, this will give them the opportunity to experiment with different ways to compose creative works of poetry, and freely revise.

Nevada Standards:

Content Standard 1.0: Students know and use word analysis skills and strategies to comprehend new words encountered in text and to develop vocabulary.

Content Standard 5.0: Students write a variety of texts using the writing process.

Content Standard 6.0: Students write a variety of texts to inform, persuade, describe, evaluate, entertain, or tell a story and are appropriate to audience and purpose.

Student Learning Goals/Objectives:

  • Students will be able to read, interpret, and discuss a Nevadan poet
  • Students will be able to construct individual poems using shared vocabulary
  • Students will be able to identify parts of speech in the poems they create
  • Students will be able to use words both figuratively and literally

Materials/Special Arrangements:

Preparation Activity:

  1. Using the computer lab/classroom students will access information using the ONE.  This can be done individually or together as a class.
    --Search: www.onlinenevada.org
    --Select the A-Z Index
    --Select: “Now I Sit the Saddle to Freedom”
    --Select: “Los Vendedores”
    --Select: “Anthem for a Burnished Land”
  2. Once students have had a chance to read over the poems, have them take a close look at the imagery and vocabulary within the poem.
  3. Students can discuss in groups what words or lines stood out for them in each of the poems.  Students can note words or imagery associated with Nevada, or life lived in a desert setting.
  4. Students can additionally dialogue about how they understand and/or comprehend each poem.   Students can discuss what associations are made in the poem to Nevada, or life lived in the desert.

Activity:

  1. Students will be given lists of words, which include various adjectives, nouns, verbs, etc. This list of words will be the basis for their poetry writing activity.
  2. Students need to cut out the individual words. Yet, before they do so, have students add their own words that interest them to the list.  Some may choose words associated with Nevada or desert living, while others will simply add words that seem fun or thought provoking.
  3. After they have cut out their words, they can spread them out on their desks and begin their ‘moveable’ poems!
  4. Students can challenge themselves to use many and/or all of the words, or perhaps just enough to convey the meaning they have in mind.
  5. Once they have completed their poems, they’ll need to copy down the finished poem onto paper, or glue their words to their paper

Additional Activities:

  • Have students read their poems aloud to one another, or share in small groups. 
  • Consider displaying student poems on a class poetry wall. Additionally, this poetry activity can be done (in LARGE scale) with poetry words listed on post-it notes and displayed on a white board, or bulletin board.  Then, students can rearrange words and create ever-changing poems for all to see within the classroom.

Evaluation of Student Learning:

  • Students will be evaluated on their discussion/participation concerning the poems.
  • Students will be evaluated on their ability to identify the parts of speech.
  • Students will be evaluated on their ability to create a poem.

 

POETRY WORDS/TEMPLATE

and

and

and

conjunction

but

but

but

conjunction

or

or

or

conjunction

because

because

because

conjunction

evening

morning

night

noun

sun

moon

star

noun

blue

yellow

purple

adjective

red

orange

black

adjective

white

brown

green

adjective

rain

wind

snow

noun

laugh

smile

cry

verb

remember

forget

recall

verb

dance

sing

play

verb

forest

mountain

river

noun

light

dark

shadows

adj/noun

er

er

er

suffix

ing

ing

ing

suffix

s

s

s

suffix

the

the

the

article

a

a

a

article

like

like

like

comparative

as

as

as

comparative

storm

sea

ship

noun

weak

strong

delicate

adjective

beneath

over

around

preposition

languid

spiritless

weary

adjective

elated

spirited

happy

adjective

in

on

to

preposition

by

near

from

preposition

my

your

its

p. pronoun

his

her

ours

p. pronoun

I

you

he

pronoun

she

it

they

pronoun

slowly

quickly

lightly

adverb

water

earth

fire

noun

who

who

who

Question

said

said

said

verb

how

when

what

Question

fall

spring

summer

noun

together

alone

apart

adverb

mad

powerful

delirious

adjective

vision

dream

picture

noun

delightful

mystical

magical

adjective

imagine

create

remember

verb

tumble

collapse

falter

verb

whisper

shout

scream

verb

have

get

do

verb

window

door

stairs

noun

never

forever

always

adverb

graceful

swift

soaring

adjective

Additional Words

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Using the computer lab/classroom students will access information using the ONE.  This can be done individually or together as a class.
    • Go to: www.onlinenevada.org
    • Select the A-Z Index
    • Select: “Now I Sit the Saddle to Freedom”
    • Select: “Los Vendedores”
    • Select: “Anthem for a Burnished Land”
  2. 2.  Once students have had a chance to read over the poems, have them take a close look at the imagery and vocabulary within the poem.
  3. 3. Students can discuss in groups what words or lines stood out for them in each of the poems.  Students can note words or imagery associated with Nevada, or life lived in a desert setting.
  4. 4. Students can additionally dialogue about how they understand and/or comprehend each poem.   Students can discuss what associations are made in the poem to Nevada, or life lived in the desert.
    1. Students will be given lists of words, which include various adjectives, nouns, verbs, etc. This list of words will be the basis for their poetry writing activity.
    2. Students need to cut out the individual words. Yet, before they do so, have students add their own words that interest them to the list.  Some may choose words associated with Nevada or desert living, while others will simply add words that seem fun or thought provoking.
    3. After they have cut out their words, they can spread them out on their desks and begin their ‘moveable’ poems!
    4. Students can challenge themselves to use many and/or all of the words, or perhaps just enough to convey the meaning they have in mind.
    5. Once they have completed their poems, they’ll need to copy down the finished poem onto paper, or glue their words to their paper
Grade Level: 
7th
8th
Subject: 
Language Arts