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Hong Kong Budding Poets (English) Award

Presented by NET Section&

Co-organised with Gifted Education Section EDB

Primary Workshop 16 & 18 March 2006

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Housekeeping Rap

We welcome you all to our hood

and hope you find this workshop good

There are some things you need to know

So listen up and here we go.

Immobilise your mobile phones

Don't ring your friends and don't call home

Go to the lifts, turn left and see

the toilets… Don't forget the key

and bring it back and put it where

the water is… Just over there!

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Housekeeping Rap

We don't do coffee …. sorry it’s true

But downstairs Starbuck’s is there for you.

We'll have a break at half past, then,

Make sure you come back up again.

Without any more ado

Let me introduce the crew.

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Introductions

This cool chick, her name is JoanI love talking on the phone.This is Pam, she’s full of life,Behave or I will give you strife.Here’s Carine she’s really sweet,If you work hard you’ll get a treat.Cindy is the next in line,We hope you think our Workshop’s fine!

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Objectives

• To encourage the teaching of poetry

• To encourage the use of poetry in teaching English

• To introduce a variety or poetic structures and devices

• To develop strategies for assisting entrants in the Budding Poets (English) Award

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Poetry Discovery Chart

Brainstorm

• what you know already

• what you want to know

about how to get students writing poetry

Value of poetryFunAppreciate

sounds words and patterns

Variet

y

Express feeling and

opinions

Vocabular

y

Language skills

Phonic skills

Confidenc

e

Imaginatio

n

Creativit

y

Creative

writing

Integratio

n

Spoken expressio

n

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Poetry and the Curriculum

– In the implementation of the English Language Curriculum, the use of a wide range of language arts materials such as songs, rhymes, poems, stories, tongue twisters and plays is advocated.

‘English Language Curriculum Guide’ (Primary 1-6) p.178

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Teaching Poetry

• Use the five senses

• Encourage careful observation of concrete events and scenes

• Encourage the use of figurative language

• Make each word count

• Consider using an existing poetry structure to create new work

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Elements of Poetry

1. Form and Structure

2. Rhyme

3. Rhythm

4. Imagery

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1. Structure

• Each poem has a structure

• The structure is the framework of the poem rhyming couplets ballads odes limericks haiku cinquain sonnet

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2. RhymeWords consist of Onsets and Rimes

• Onsets are the opening unit of a word or syllable prior to the vowel

• Rimes begin with a vowel and are the ending unit of a word or syllable

Onset Rimec atgl ad

m eat

Words with the same rime, rhyme

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Onset-rime Matrix

• Look at the Onset-rime matrix

• Work together to fill in all the blank spaces on the grid

• Look for rhyming patterns

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The Town ChildI live in the town in a street,It is crowded with traffic and ____.There are buses and motors and ____,I wish there were meadows and _____.

The houses all wait in a row,There is smoke everywhere that I ____.I don’t like the noises I ____,I wish there were woods very ____.

There is only one thing that I love,And that is the sky far _____.There is plenty of room in the ____,For castles of clouds and me ____!

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The Town ChildI live in the town in a street,It is crowded with traffic and feet.There are buses and motors and trams,I wish there were meadows and lambs.

The houses all wait in a row,There is smoke everywhere that I go.I don’t like the noises I hear,I wish there were woods very near.

There is only one thing that I love,And that is the sky far above.There is plenty of room in the blue,For castles of clouds and me too!

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Practical classroom suggestion

• Provide plenty of opportunities for students to hear rhymes

• Let students collect rhyming families

• Display rhyming families creatively

Any more ideas to share?

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3. Rhythm

• Steady beat

• Repeating pattern

• Keeps time

• Continuous throughout the poem

• Measured flow

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Water

Water has no taste at all, (4 beats)Water has no smell. (3 + rest )Water’s in the waterfall, (4 beats)In pump, and tap and well. (3 + rest)

Water’s everywhere about,Water’s in the rain.In the bath, the pond and outAt sea it’s there again.

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4. Imagery is …

• Language using similes and metaphors that produces images in the mind

A Halloween moon

is a giant dinner platelost in the dark

The wind is like a wild horseRacing across the world

Metaph

or

Simile

Mind Map

big

bright

round

Adjectives

fiery

shiny

golden

warm

hot

Title

SUN

Participlestoasting

sweating

tanning

burning

glowingwarming

It makes me feel …

hot

sweaty

happy

Colour or Synonymorange

red fireball

warm

fireskin

afterglow

heat

Nouns

The Sun

The sun is like a red hot fire,

It fills my heart with warm desire.

It heats my skin from head to toe,

And bathes me in its afterglow …

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Picture Images

• Look at the picture provided

• Using the mind map, brainstorm relevant

words to match your picture

• Write a four line rhyming poem

• Perform your poem

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Some Ideas for Starting …

• Play at making similes and metaphors - the moon is like a banana...the moon is a white smile….

• Make use of the 5 senses – lemons taste… the smell of baking bread… when I see icicles… the sound of rain… the scratchy feel of…

• Repetitive phrases -At the end of the rainbow I saw…

• In my magic box I will put …. list things you like…

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More ideas …• I am afraid of………• I wish I was……..• It’s a secret but…..• I dreamed I saw……• In my pocket….• What is Yellow?………• Alliteration…One slithery snake… two

toothsome tigers…four funny friends...

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When choosing a poem: consider ….

• Themes

• Textbook adaptation

• Teaching/consolidating vocabulary and grammar

• Developing poetry concepts

• Body language and percussion

• Rhythm, rhyme, diction

• Age and culturally appropriate

• Reading aloud

• Performance

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It seems like only yesterday ...

It seems like only yesterday,That I was born and life began.That year I learned to laugh and play,It seems like only yesterday.

It seems like only yesterday,I met my love and we were wed.Life was good, what’s more to say?It seems like only yesterday.

Now 80 years have been and gone,My life’s complete, I don’t have long.Treasure each moment, don’t lose your way,Or you will wish for yesterday. (see handout for full poem).

Pamela Davies

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Poetry Structures

On your table, you have• An example of a poetry structure• An explanation of the structure

- Prepare a short whole-class activity based on this structure

- Teaching focus?

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Poetry Discovery Chart

• Please complete your chart …

– Reflect on …

• What have you learned about poetry today?

• What do you still want to know about poetry?

• Thank You for your participation

• Please fill in an evaluation form … we value your comments!