This Creative Writing Program, "Poetry Writing!" is designed for students in grades 6-8 and offers students the opportunity to write various types of poetry based on the classroom's needs. Students will express themselves creatively through writing their own poetry.
Sample Poetry Workshops: (some all time favorites!)
Workshop Title: “Beloved Community Poems”
Overview: After an introduction to MLK Principles of NonViolence, Students will work together to brainstorm what makes “community” versus a “beloved community,” then read samples from Hughes and work to create a community poem.
Workshop Title: “Where I’m From” Poems”
Overview: Students will explore personal heritage, identity, family and background through sensory details, then develop their own poems based on these details.
Workshop Title: "Emotion Poems"
Overview: Students will explore figurative language by comparing the human emotions to all five senses using concrete details and then using self-reflection, they will write their own emotion poems.
Workshop Title: “I Used to, But Now” Poems
Overview: Students explore, identify and reflect on personal changes and perspectives over time, read sample contrast poems, and develop their own poems using repetition.
Workshop Title: “Concrete Poetry: the sky was candy”
Overview: After exploring e.e.cummings’ experimental poem, students will create their own concrete poetry by bending traditional rules, using vivid visual poetry and image.
Workshop Title: "In Someone Else's Shoes Poems"
Overview: Students will be paired up to share a five-minute personal story, which will then be shared back by their partner to practice storytelling for empathy. Then each will create an illustrated poem based on their partners story.
Plan:
Each program will begin by introducing students to the workshop goals while activating prior knowledge and key vocabulary tied into the modules. We will model a sample poem together as a class and work together to demonstrate how to bring their own original ideas to creating their own poetry. After the students have written (and illustrated, if time) their poems, there will be an opportunity for sharing aloud.
