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Table of Contents Instructions 3 What Is Poetry? 4 Alphabet Alliteration 5-9 Creature Alliteration 10-12 Acrostic Poems 13-15 Concrete Poem 16-18 Cinquain 19-21 Color Poem 22-24 Haiku 25-27 Five Senses 28-30 Who~What~When~Where~Why 31-33 Grading Scheme 34 Credits 35 2
1. In this unit you will be writing lots of different types of poems. Your overall grade will depend on the number of poems you write, the illustrations, and on their quality. See the grading chart for details. 2. Final copies of poems should be word processed on the computer or handwritten in your neatest writing. If you hand-write your poems, pencil is preferred since spelling is expected to be perfect on the final copies. You may trace the letters in extra fine black marker once you have edited your spelling. 3. Write one poem per sheet of paper. 4. Each poem must contain a colored illustration. Illustrations may be hand drawn or printed from a computer clip art program. 5. You will create your own poetry book cover. You may hand draw this or create it using the computer. 6. The most important part of this project is to have fun with poetry and be creative! 3
Poetry is a word that comes from a Greek verb meaning "to make, to create". So a poem is something that is made or created. As a poet then, you are the creator and language is the material from which you create your work of art. Wow, cool! There are two elements to language; "sense" and "sound". The sense is the meaning, like if I say "horse" you know I mean a large 4 legged animal with a mane, a tail and hooves. That is what horse means. Now, say "horse". Okay, that is the sound of the word horse, and we all know what you mean, right? Well now say, "cheval". We still mean horse, but some people might not know that cheval means horse in the French language, so it may not have the same meaning to that person. Have you ever said a word over and over again until it started to sound really funny? Try saying the word "horse" over and over again. It starts to sound kind of weird, right? Well, you just made poetry! You turned a word into an experience. Now the word "horse" is as much about sound as it is sense! You are a poet! Poetry is also visual, so the way you place words on a page can stir our imaginations and add new meaning to everyday words whose meanings are not usually affected by the way we write them. Some poems can be long, almost like stories. Some can be as short as a couple of words craftily placed on an empty page. Poems give many signals with their physical appearance. Some have their lines all regularized and divided neatly into even stanzas. Others are broken into verses. Yes verses, like in music. In fact, the very first poems were written to music. Then there are prose poems without verses. There are many types of poems and they seem to be as unique as the creator themselves. Poetry does not like to be pinned down. Okay creator, It is time to explore poetry some more! What do you have inside you? What will be your poem? 4
We are about to learn all about alphabet alliteration poems, but first we need to review Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives. Noun ~ Adjective ~ Nouns are words that represent a person, a place or a thing. Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Words that describe a person, place or thing. Verb ~ Read the sentence below: A verb is a word that represents an action, something that you do. For example, the sentences I jump., I run. and I care. all contain verbs. In these 3 sentences jump, run and care are actions, or things that you do. Jump, run and care are verbs. My name is Amy and I love to visit Toronto, Canada. In Toronto there is a gigantic building called the CN Tower. The nouns, verbs and adjectives in Amy s statement are underlined. Nouns Adjectives Verbs Person: Amy Place: Toronto, Canada gigantic love visit Thing: CN Tower Now we are all set to learn about Alphabet Alliteration! 5
Alphabet Alliteration Poems are super fun! They end up being crazy, nonsense poems, so let your imagination go wild! In alliteration, each important word in the line begins with the same letter. For example, everybody knows the How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? alliteration, right? Well, let s get going! To start, write 3 words for each alphabet letter that you choose. First word: Second word: Third word: an adjective (a word describing a noun) a noun (subject ~ person, place or thing) a verb (a word representing the action that the subject does) Here are a couple of examples: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? We will use the entire alphabet for our alliteration poems! Like the poem below. A wesome ants ache B ony baboons bake C razy cats crawl D izzy dogs drool E ager egrets eat Ferocious ferrets fake Z ippy zebras zoom 6
if you feel really inspired you can create longer, more interesting sentences! Here is an example: A rtistic anteaters ate anchovies in the afternoon in autumn B eastly bears begged for bamboo and bread with butter C ostly critters cut catnip for crying cat top chew D esperate dingoes dig for dinosaur bones using dull diggers...etc Now use your creativity and imagination to create your own Alphabet Alliteration Poems! 7
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 8
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 9
This type of poem makes use of alliteration to describe a creature. It is a humorous, whimsical form of poetry. The main words in each line will all begin with the letter you choose to alliterate. Each line of the poem (except line 1) should have at least 4 words alliterating with the letter you chose. Do not repeat alliterating words you have already used. The use of a dictionary is especially helpful in writing this type of poem. Directions: Line 1: Line 2: Line 3: Line 4: Line 5: Line 6: Name your creature. (add ian to the end of the word.) Tell, using at least 4 alliterating words about where your creature lives. Tell, using at least 4 alliterating words about what your creature eats. Tell, using at least 4 alliterating words about what your creature likes. Using at least 4 alliterating words describe something about your creature. Tell, using at least 4 alliterating words, about something your creature did to you. Example: This is a recatarian. A recatarian lives on really ridiculous rectangular ranches in rural Russia. A recatarian rudely eats rice, raspberries, radishes, roots, and rhubarb. A recatarian likes rusty things, Rhode Island, Rottweilers, and ravens. A recatarian wore a rickety pair of roller blades and rafted down the roaring Roseburg River. My recatarian rolled red roses over the rug in my room and ruined it. Another example: This is a principalian. Principalians live in perfect, purple, Pyrex pyramids on the plains of Peru. Principalians politely eat pudding pops and pickled pig feet with pepper on plates while drinking Pepsi. They also love pepperoni pizza. Principalians poke peas with pencils, ponder perplexing puzzles, and perform perilous procedures on penguins. Principalians pose for pictures while printing poetry, practice perspective and paint pottery. They persuade people to purchase perfume. This principalian prescribed a painless pill for me and panicked when I pretended to perish. Now it s your turn. Don t forget to illustrate your poem! 10
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An acrostic poem can be about any subject and is very fun to write. The simplest way to write an acrostic poem is to put the letters that spell your subject down the side of your page. Then, think of a word, phrase or sentence that starts with that letter and describes your subject. The following poems are examples of acrostic poems written in this format. Check out the examples and try out a few for yourself. Why not try one for you name, or your favorite hobby or sport! You can even use a friend or a pet s name. The most important thing is to have fun and make sure to decorate your poem pages with lots of colors and pictures! Get going! C runchy, munchy O h, so sweet O odles of chocolate and nuts K ids love them I like to eat them hot from the oven E veryone waits for them to cool H ockey is my favorite sport O n the ice or street C ool and fun! K eep on playing E exercise and train Y ou should try Now that you have decided on several subjects, choose one for your first Acrostic Poem. Poems don t have to Rhyme, and you may include as many words as you like. Make the vertical subject stand out; that is the word that your poem will be about. You can do this by making the letters of your subject word larger, a different color, or bolder in some way. Be creative and have fun! 13
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A concrete poem, or shape poem, is written to represent objects that they describe. The poem can be written in the shape of the object. Artwork adds to their visual effect of this type of poem. Here are some examples: A triangle reminds me of a mountain when we go skiing on Mt. Hood I am full of Information. I like to be read, but don t tear me or fold my pages! Now create your own concrete poems! 16
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Cinq means five in French. A cinquain is a special kind of five-line poem with a very strict form. Line 1 One word ~ the subject of the poem This one word is a noun. Line 2 Two words describing the title These words are adjectives, words that describe the noun. Line 3 Three words expressing action These are verbs that tell what the noun in line one does. Separate the verbs with commas. Line 4 Four words expressing a feeling This can be a short phrase or a series of words. Line 5 One word that is another word for the subject This should be a synonym for the subject. Here are some examples: Motorcycle Noisy, fast Racing, climbing, crashing Fun on two wheels Dirt bike Eyes Large, mysterious Watching, rolling, blinking Tell more than words Vision 19
Cinquain Poem 20
Cinquain Poem 21
Color poems use your imagination and your senses to investigate a subject. The focus of the poem is on using similes and metaphors. Similes compare two unlike things using the words like or as. For example, the clouds are like puffy cotton balls.. Metaphors are like similes without using the words like or as. They state that one thing is something else. An example of a metaphor is The puffy, cotton ball clouds. or The clouds were puffy cotton balls.. Directions: Line 1 (color) is Line 2 (color) is Line 3 (color) is Line 4 (color) is Line 5 (color) smells like Line 6 (color) tastes like Line 7 (color) sounds like Line 8 (color) looks like Line 9 (color) feels like Line 10 (color) makes me Line 11 (color) is Example: Blue is the color of the sky. Blue are the waves in the ocean crashing against the shore. Blue is the feeling I get sometimes when I m sad. Blue is the icy color of glacial snow. Blue smells like freshly washed bed sheets. Blue tastes like blueberry Kool-Aid. Blue sounds like jets soaring through the clouds. Blue looks like the clear waters of Hawaii as I m snorkeling. Blue feels like the snow on my face when I m skiing at Mt. Hood. Blue makes me want to put on my coat, hat, and gloves. Blue is my sister s favorite color. 22
Line 1 (color) is Line 2 (color) is Line 3 (color) is Line 4 (color) is Line 5 (color) smells like Line 6 (color) tastes like Line 7 (color) sounds like Line 8 (color) looks like Line 9 (color) feels like Line 10 (color) makes me Line 11 (color) is 23
Line 1 (color) is Line 2 (color) is Line 3 (color) is Line 4 (color) is Line 5 (color) smells like Line 6 (color) tastes like Line 7 (color) sounds like Line 8 (color) looks like Line 9 (color) feels like Line 10 (color) makes me Line 11 (color) is 24
Haiku is a form of ancient Japanese poetry and are often written about things in nature or seasons. They are also written about emotions or feelings about something. Haiku poems are not written as complete sentences. They are more often written as short thoughts and capitalization and punctuation is up to the writer. Haiku follows this form: Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 5 syllables 7 syllables 5 syllables Include images that appeal to the five senses. What colors do you see? What sounds can you hear? What is the taste of the image? What smells do you notice? How does it feel? Since you are very limited in the number of syllables you can use, try not to repeat words and limit the use of unimportant words. Here are some examples: Waking up to chirps Birds singing in the morning Beautiful bird songs Yellowstone, geysers Mud pots, geysers, and camping place for nature The evening sun sets Brilliant colors glimmering Beautiful sunsets 25
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Five senses poems use your senses to study or investigate a subject. The focus of the poem is on using similes. Similes are comparisons between two unlike things using the words like or as. Directions: Line 1: Line 2: Line 3: Line 4: Line 5: Line 6: Tell what color an emotion or idea looks like to you. Tell what the emotion or idea tastes like (imagine it has a taste). Tell what the emotion or idea sounds like. Tell what the emotion or idea smells like. Tell what the emotion or idea looks like. Tell how the emotion or idea makes you feel. Example: Rain is clear. It tastes like water. It sounds like pounding on your windows. It smells like fresh pine trees. It looks like dew drops on plants. 28
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Who, What, When, Where, Why poems should be five lines long. The poem should tell a story or give a strong picture of someone or something. Each line should answer one of the w questions in the order listed above. When you read the poem, it should sound like two sentences put together. Examples: WHO: WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: WHY: Politics A famous Senator shook hands and ate lunch last week at a restaurant in town He raised money for his campaign. WHO: WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: WHY: Waiting The old man sat alone on a sunny summer afternoon on his front porch He was enjoying the breeze and iced tea. Getting Ready: WHO: I WHAT: prepare for the race by running five miles WHEN: Every morning before school WHERE: around the neighborhood WHY: You should always be prepared. 31
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Type of poem 1 Poem Written 2 Poems Written Alphabet Alliteration 7 8 Creature Alliteration 7 8 Acrostic Poems 4 5 Concrete Poems 4 5 Cinquain 4 5 Color Poems 4 5 Haiku 4 5 Five Senses 4 5 Who-What-When-Where-Why 4 5 Add all points earned from poems written Total Required Elements Needs Improvement Satisfactory Very Good Outstanding Poetry Book Cover 1 2 3 4 Illustrations & 1 2 3 4 Aesthetics Spelling Accuracy 1 2 3 4 Neatness of 1 2 3 4 Written Work Turned in on time 1 2 3 4 Add all points earned from other required elements Total: Total Points Earned Totoal: 34
I want to thank you for downloading this product from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I hope that it brings as much fun and learning to your students as it has to mine. ~ Sincerely, Amy Ludlow Sources http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-alliteration-poems.html http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative-language/poetic-devices/alliteration-examples/ http://aadusd.k12.ca.us/ades/teachers%20corner/huptman-chun/ad%20chun%20site/ AssignmentsCreatureAlliterationPoem.pdf http://allpoetry.com/column/2339540 http://academic.reed.edu/writing/paper_help/figurative_language.html http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/pages/literarytermstoc.html#rhetlang http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/allegory.html http://www.edu.pe.ca/stjean/playing%20with%20poetry/hickey/acrostic.htm http://www.shmoop.com/poetry/how-to-read-poem/what-is-poetry.html Graphics by: Sillie Pillies https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/sillie-pillies Creative Clips https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/krista-wallden 35