Word Play
POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP
FOR GRADES 2-5
OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this workshop is to provide students with an opportunity to experience the fun and joy of writing poetry. Through discussion and hands on activities, students will become exposed to some of the characteristics of poetry. They will also write their own poems and share them with classmates.
FORMAT
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS POETRY?
To begin the workshop, George will briefly describe some of the features that make poetry different from other literary genres. For instance, poems
can be about anything.
often have a unique shape or structure.
don’t’ have to rhyme or even be rhythmical.
use vivid images and interesting word choices.
may be serious or funny.
often express the poet’s personal feelings.
READING SAMPLE POEMS ALOUD
George will share several short poems written by elementary school children as well as by such well-known children’s authors as Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. (Note: Students will have copies of the poems so they can follow along as George reads.)
DISCUSSION
After George reads sample poems, he will invite students to discuss some of the following elements found in the poems:
- Topic or subject (what is the poem about?)
- Word choice (what were some interesting words used by the poet?)
- Feelings
- Rhythm
- Shape
- Line breaks
- Ending line
- Punctuation (how did the poet punctuate the poem?)
WRITE AWAY!
Before students begin writing, George will encourage them to brainstorm ideas for what they want to write about. He will coach them to think of topics that interest them and of the kinds of words they may want to use in their poems. Students will then have 15 minutes of writing time.
Depending on the grade level and prior experience of the students, George will have them write free verse or use a simple structure to help them organize their thoughts.
SHARING
To round out the poetry writing workshop, George will ask for volunteers to share their poems. Again, depending on the class, students might read in small groups or in front of the entire class. The purpose of this sharing is to celebrate each child’s effort and to build confidence in his or her writing ability.