STUDENTS TEACH POETRY

by Mary Quattlebaum

April may be the cruelest month, according to the great American poet T.S. Eliot, but it can also be the silliest, saddest, funniest, most profound and amazingly playful month, thanks to National Poetry Month.

People learn a lot by teaching so this Pencil Tip gives students (no matter their age) the chance to share a poem with others (and in the process, to learn more about it and poetry in general).

1.  Tell students that each day in April will begin with a poem and that each student will have a chance to share and talk about a favorite poem.  Assign days.

2.   Ask students to look over poetry books and to write down the titles of 3 poems they like by 3 different poets (this will prevent them from choosing the first poem they come to and give them a chance to compare different poems and become more familiar with different poets).

3.  Take them to the school library and let them choose poetry books, develop a poetry table or nook in the classroom, encourage them to search for poems at home.

4.  In addition to choosing/sharing a favorite poem, students should write down (1) why they chose this poem, (2) what they notice about its form/shape, rhymes, or sounds, (3) what words seem especially interesting or vivid, (4) what feeling the poem gives them, and (5) the author and (optional) the year it may have been written or published.

5.  On the first day of April, model the process by reading aloud your favorite poem, talking about each of the five things above, and reading it a second time before sitting down.  Make this a poem that’s truly special to you so that students can see that poems can connect to/help articulate deep feelings.

The sharing each day only takes about 5 minutes, but students will attend carefully to what their peers have chosen and why.  This 5-minute daily poem/share will open them up to language and its possibilities in new ways.

Helpful Poetry Resources:  The Poetry Friday Anthology (both the K-5 and 6-8 editions), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong; The 20^th Century Children’s Poetry Anthology, selected by Jack Prelutsky; Hallowilloween by Calef Brown; Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems by Georgia Heard; Pumpkin Butterfly by Heidi Mordhorst; Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman; and Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater.

 www.maryquattlebaum.com

POETRY FRIDAY FOR POETRY MONTH

by Jacqueline Jules

          The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School is here! And just in time for April and Poetry Month. This lively compendium of poetry expertly selected by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell has poems by 71 poets including Jane Yolen, Lee Wardlaw, Joyce Sidman, Marilyn Singer, J. Patrick Lewis, Jack Prelutsky, and Nikki Grimes. I am honored to be included among such esteemed poets, along with fellow Pencil Tips blogger, Mary Quattlebaum.

          Like the K-5 edition of The Poetry Friday Anthology, the middle school edition has a poem and quick lesson for every week of the school year. Also included are tips for sharing poetry in the classroom, quotes about poetry, and the Common Core Standards for grades, 6, 7, and 8.  Having all this information in one book is a great timesaver for busy teachers. And there are so many poems inside which could serve as models to inspire student writing.

          In “Advice to Rapunzel,” Eileen Spinelli warns this fairy tale princess to “Be cautious and wise/when you let down your hair.” After reading this poem aloud, you could challenge your students to write their own poem to a fairy tale character. Julie Larios’ poem “The Perfect Day” or Irene Latham’s “Biking Along White Rim Road” could jumpstart student poems about a special day outdoors with a friend. And there is a menagerie of wonderful pet poems to serve as inspiration for students to write about their own beloved animals.

Many of the poems in this book are breath-taking —excellent demonstrations of the quote on the back cover by Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “Poetry teaches us the power of a few words.” Teachers might find themselves putting this anthology by their bedside for pleasure reading.

Equally impressive are the “Take 5 Activities” accompanying each poem. They include tips for introducing the poem’s subject matter, reading it aloud, and pairing it with other related poems. Particularly helpful is Tip #4 which highlights a specific poetic device used in the poem. These tips also point out the structure of individual poems and how the poet used line breaks to convey meaning. Teachers looking for quick examples of alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphor, or personification only need flip through a few pages before finding exactly what they need.

As the introduction to Poetry Friday for Middle School eloquently states, poetry is a wonderful vehicle for introducing vocabulary, figurative language, sensory details, and imagery. It stimulates the imagination and expresses strong emotion. What’s more, poems can be revisited, providing the reader with new insights and emotional connections. All of these add up to compelling reasons why every teacher should consider adding a weekly Poetry Break to his or her curriculum. Check out The Poetry Friday Anthologies to find out exactly how.

www.jacquelinejules.com