How Do You Help Students Write Poetry?
The hardest part of writing anything is getting started. That seems to be twice as true for students. If your class has the same problem, maybe this lesson plan will help. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Have students make a list of at least fifty things, places, people, and activities for which they have an interest. Encourage them to remain quiet so everyone can think for themselves. Group the students into small groups, three or four students per group seems to work the best. Have them read their lists to each other. If someone mentions something an other student likes, it should be added to that students list too! If they hear things that make them think of something else, add that too. This ends the first period. Have students look at their lists on the second day and see if they need to add or delete anything. After five minutes, let them know that they are going to choose one item off of their list and write a three stanza poem about it. Read some examples and then give them ti
