All You Need to Teach: Poetry Ages 8-10

About the Author

Amelia Walker’s poetry has been published

in magazines and journals around the world.

She delivers writing workshops for schools

and community groups and is a member

of the Australian Poetry Centre’s National

Education Committee. Amelia is passionate

about engaging young people with poetry.

Titles in this series:All you need to teach: Poetry Ages 5–8 ISBN 978 1 4202 7906 1

All you need to teach: Poetry Ages 8–10 ISBN 978 1 4202 7907 8

All you need to teach: Poetry Ages 10+ ISBN 978 1 4202 7908 5

Macmillan Wall Charts: Poetry ISBN 978 1 4202 8102 6

Poetry

All the tools a smart teacher needs!

All you need to teach . . . Poetry contains essential information, text models, lesson banks and worksheets to support you and engage your students as they

discover, explore and write poetry.

Teaching Tips — including information on the elements of poetry,

poetry and multiple intelligences, poetry across the curriculum and teaching poetry.

Text Models — examples of both fixed form and free verse poems.

Lesson Banks — mini-lessons that can be easily integrated into English

programs and will complement Drama and Public Speaking programs.

Assessment Rubrics — lists of levelled criteria to help you and your

students assess their poetry writing, poetry reading and poetry performance.

Worksheets — to help students think about poetry and then create their own.

Plus!All you need to teach: Narrative Text Types

All you need to teach: Nonfiction Text Types

All you need to teach: Drama

www.macmillan.com.au

Endorsed by the Australian Poetry Centre

AGES8-10

Amelia Walker

Poetry

Po

etr

yDiscover, explore and write po e t r y

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Poetry

Discover, explore and

write poetry

Ages 8-10

Amelia Walker

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First published in 2010 by

MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD15–19 Claremont Street, South Yarra 3141

Visit our website at www.macmillan.com.au

Associated companies and representatives throughout the world.

Copyright © Amelia Walker/Macmillan Education Australia 2010 All You Need to Teach Poetry Ages 8–10 ISBN 978 1 4202 7907 8

Publisher: Sharon DalgleishManaging editor: Bonnie WilsonEditor: Adriana Martinelli-SciaccaProofreader: Mia SantoromitoDesign: Trish Hayes and Stephen Michael KingIllustrations: Stephen Michael King

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Please note

At the time of printing, the website/webpage addresses appearing in this book were correct. Owing to the dynamic nature of the internet, however, we cannot guarantee that all these addresses will remain correct.

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All the teAching tips You need

Teaching Poetry .................................................................................... 5

Poetry and Multiple Intelligences .......................................................... 6

Poetry Across the Curriculum ................................................................ 7

Opportunities for Young Poets ............................................................. 7

The Elements of Poetry ......................................................................... 8

Recommended Texts .......................................................................... 13

Assessment Rubrics ............................................................................. 14

All the text Models You need

What is Poetry? .................................................................................. 18

Structure ............................................................................................. 20

Sound ............................................................................................... 22

Description ......................................................................................... 25

Language ........................................................................................... 27

Symbolism .......................................................................................... 29

Narrative ............................................................................................ 31

Character ............................................................................................ 33

Visual Poetry ...................................................................................... 35

All the lesson BAnks You need

What is Poetry? .................................................................................. 38

Structure in Fixed Form ....................................................................... 40

Structure in Free Verse ........................................................................ 42

Sound in Poetry .................................................................................. 44

Description in Poetry .......................................................................... 46

Language in Poetry ............................................................................. 48

Symbolism in Poetry ........................................................................... 50

Narrative in Poetry .............................................................................. 52

Character in Poetry ............................................................................. 54

Visual Poetry ...................................................................................... 56

Cyber Poetry ...................................................................................... 58

Performing Poetry .............................................................................. 60

All the Worksheets You need ................................................... 62

Co n t e n t sCo n t e n t s

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teaChing

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All the

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teAching poetrY

This book contains essential information, text models, lesson banks, worksheets and assessment tools to support you and your students as they explore, discover and write poetry. Dip in, take what you need, or adapt to fit your own individual writing classroom.

Ex p lo r i n g po Et ryThrough reading, writing and presenting poetry, students develop creative and critical thinking abilities. This book offers activities that engage multiple literacies to build oral, written and digital communication skills. Reflective processes assist with personal development, promoting social skills, emotional insight, self-awareness, empathy and interpersonal learning. Activities which place poetry within real world contexts increase its relevance by demonstrating its practical applications, both social and vocational. Poetry can be incorporated across the school curriculum as a fun learning method.

Wh at i s po Et ry?The answer to this question varies wildly from one person to another. Some of us may recall writing poetry in our school days and being told that what we had written wasn’t ‘proper’ poetry. Some argue vehemently that poetry ought to rhyme while others say that rhyming ‘doggerel’ is impossible to take seriously. This book takes a more balanced and open approach. Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme, but it can. Rhyme is just one of many devices that can be used in poetry. Students should be encouraged to experiment with as many poetic devices as possible. Poems can be presented as paintings, posters, collages, digital art, movies, audio-recordings, live music, live performance and in many other forms beyond just print. They can masquerade as recipes, text messages and advertising. Some poems might be no longer than a single word or even a single letter, but meaningfully arranged. Other poems might seem trite on the page but gripping when read aloud. They can employ formal, elevated language, everyday speech or even nonsense words. They can be sad or joyous, serious or joking, or sometimes a mix of everything. All styles are equally valid because ‘proper’ poetry is a myth.

If you make it and call it a poem, then it is. If you interpret it and call it a poem, then it is.

Wr it i n g po Et ryContemporary poetry can be understood in terms of 10 key elements: structure, sound, description, language, symbolism, narrative, character, visual elements, cyber elements and performance elements. Each element involves a number of more specific devices. Pages 8 to 12 offer more detailed explanations of the 10 elements and their individual devices. The lesson banks on pages 37 to 61 largely correspond to the elements. The text models on pages 17 to 36 and the worksheets on pages 62 to 80 all link to specific elements, devices and exercises within the lesson banks.

ass Essi n g po Et ryPoetry has always been difficult to assess in a measurable, positive, meaningful and objective way. Rubrics help solve the problem. Rubrics are a list of levelled criteria, skills, concepts or understandings related to a specific task or process. They act as developmental maps on which you can plot the progress of your students, or where students can plot their own progress. Rubrics establish clear expectations for students, and help them to direct themselves and set their own goals. Because there is an entry point for all students, all students can be successful.

In terms of poetry, the benefits of writing are in the process, not the results. Opinions about what makes a ‘good’ poem vary widely. Rather than trying to grade poems themselves, the assessment tools on pages 14 to 16 are rubrics which focus on students’ knowledge of poetic elements and devices, and on how they apply this knowledge to reading, writing and performing poetry.

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The theory of Multiple Intelligences, developed by Dr Howard Gardner, states that people employ several forms of intelligence rather than just one. Commonly recognised forms include verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinaesthetic, musical-rhythmic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic. Different people excel in different areas. Poetry involves all areas, which means all students can engage with poetry, albeit in different ways.

poetrY And Multiple intelligences

Verbal-linguistic These students enjoy reading, writing and playing with language. They engage easily with poetry.

Logical-mathematical These students enjoy the structural elements of poetry, particularly using and creating patterns and forms. They also enjoy making cyber poetry.

Spatial These students enjoy the visual aspects of poetry. This particularly relates to picture poems, poem posters and slide show poems, but also to the stanza groupings, line lengths and general layout of any poem.

Bodily-kinaesthetic These students are attuned to the five senses and can use imagery well. They enjoy taking walks and making notes about what they experience. They also enjoy poetry games involving movement.

Musical-rhythmic These students like the rhythms and sounds of language. They enjoy working with sound elements such as alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhyme. They also enjoy turning poems into songs.

Interpersonal These students enjoy poetry’s communicatory functions. They are good at character-based poems because of their ability to empathise. They also like collaborative exercises.

Intrapersonal These students enjoy the reflective aspects of poetry. They like exploring personal beliefs, emotions and identity.

Naturalistic These students enjoy interacting with the outside world and they notice the small details. They are good at writing about places they’ve seen and they create meaningful descriptions. They enjoy writing in response to excursions.

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While poetry has its roots in the language arts, it can relate to a variety of learning areas, not just English.

A great way for students to communicate their thoughts and feelings to a wide audience is by entering competitions and submitting poems for publication. Winning a prize or seeing their work in print is exciting and encourages students to value poetry and take pride in their writing. It also shows students that poetry writing can extend well beyond the classroom to local and global communities.

Visit these websites for information about poetry competitions and publishing opportunities for middle primary students:

• The Dorothea MacKellar Poetry Awards at www.dorothea.com.au• International Science Poetry Competition at

www.scienceeducationreview.com/poetcomp.html• Ipswich Poetry Feast at www.ipswichpoetryfeast.com.au/competition.htm • Stone Soup at www.stonesoup.com• Write 4 Fun at www.write4fun.net • Wordbox at www.wordbox4writers.wordpress.com/• The Australian Poetry Centre at www.australianpoetrycentre.org.au

More information on current opportunities and writing programs can be found at your nearest writers’ centre.

poetrY Across the curriculuM

opportunities for Young poets

Verbal-linguistic These students enjoy reading, writing and playing with language. They engage easily with poetry.

Logical-mathematical These students enjoy the structural elements of poetry, particularly using and creating patterns and forms. They also enjoy making cyber poetry.

Spatial These students enjoy the visual aspects of poetry. This particularly relates to picture poems, poem posters and slide show poems, but also to the stanza groupings, line lengths and general layout of any poem.

Bodily-kinaesthetic These students are attuned to the five senses and can use imagery well. They enjoy taking walks and making notes about what they experience. They also enjoy poetry games involving movement.

Musical-rhythmic These students like the rhythms and sounds of language. They enjoy working with sound elements such as alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhyme. They also enjoy turning poems into songs.

Interpersonal These students enjoy poetry’s communicatory functions. They are good at character-based poems because of their ability to empathise. They also like collaborative exercises.

Intrapersonal These students enjoy the reflective aspects of poetry. They like exploring personal beliefs, emotions and identity.

Naturalistic These students enjoy interacting with the outside world and they notice the small details. They are good at writing about places they’ve seen and they create meaningful descriptions. They enjoy writing in response to excursions.

Learning Area Activity

Mathematics • Have students create visual poems in the form of graphs (like the one in Worksheet 15).

Science • Have students write poems about topics from Science lessons (like the Solar System poem in Text Model 19) or to reflect particular rules.

Languages Other Than English

• Have students write poems in which each line contains a word from the students’ second language.

History, Society and the Environment

• Have students explore the use of poetry in society.• Have students write poems about the topics the class is studying.

The Creative and Performing Arts

• Have students create art in response to poems or vice versa.• Have students incorporate lines of poetry into pictures, sculptures or any form

of art. • Have students engage in visual poetry activities (like those on pages 56 to 57).• Have students engage in performance activities (like those on pages 60 to 61),

that link poetry and drama.

Physical Education, Health and Personal Development

• Have students play poetry games involving movement. • Have students write poems about making healthy choices, for example poems

about sport, poems about different body parts, and healthy recipe poems.• Have students write poems exploring feelings, identity, relationships and

decision-making. • Encourage students to work collaboratively to build cooperation skills. ©

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The following pages describe the elements of poetry. Each element involves a number of specific devices. It is important to remember these categorisations are a rough guide only and there are many areas of overlap. Also, each element functions in partnership with others, for example structure often involves sound. In general, poems involve different elements to varying degrees. The presence or absence of a particular element does not reflect a poem’s quality.

st ru ct u ral ElE m E n tsAll poems have structure, even the ones that deliberately try to avoid it. Structure refers to the way a poem’s content is organised: its overall shape, stanzas, line breaks, alignment, patterns, repetition, and so on.

fixed forMs

The term ‘fixed form’ is misleading because all forms are flexible and open to experimentation. All of the currently popular fixed forms have changed their rules numerous times and some, like cinquain, have multiple sets of rules. Clearly, there is never any one ‘right’ way of writing. The rules are there as guidelines only. Often they are there to be broken!

Fixed forms can help students overcome ‘the fear of the blank page’. Since the structure is already provided, students can concentrate on ideas. However, too much focus on rules may make students panic about ‘getting it wrong’. The need to rhyme may make students choose inappropriate words or forget what they really want to say. Remind students that the form should serve them, not the other way around.

This book examines three different versions of a five-line fixed form called the cinquain: didactic cinquain, Adele Crapsey cinquain and reverse cinquain. A didactic cinquain is based on word counts. It has one word in its first line, two in its second, three in its third, four in its fourth and one in its fifth. A Crapsey cinquain is based on syllable counts. It has two syllables in its first line, four in its second, six in its third, eight in its fourth and two in its fifth. A reverse cinquain is the same as a Crapsey cinquain, but in reverse.

Exploring three different types of cinquain gives students the opportunity to see poetic forms as non-static creations which change over time. In poetry, rules are merely guidelines. They may be followed or altered. Encourage students to try all three cinquain variations, and to invent some of their own.

free verse

Like ‘fixed form’, the term ‘free verse’ is misleading. Free verse poems still have structure and include elements such as stanzas, line breaks, patterns and repetition. The difference is that a fixed form poem bases itself upon a structure that is already provided, whereas a free verse poem creates its own structure.

Some students take to free verse easily, but others feel overwhelmed by the blank page. To assist those students who feel overwhelmed, provide suggestions for starters such as themes or opening phrases. Encourage students to experiment with different stanza groupings, line breaks and layouts. Ask students to consider whether some of the lines or stanzas could be reordered, and whether there are any particularly strong lines that might serve as refrains. Reproducing the same poem with a different structure and discussing the effects created by the change is a good way to understand how structure can serve the content of a poem.

the eleMents of poetrY

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so u n d ElE m E n tsThe sounds of words can give poems a musical feel, especially when read aloud. Sound devices include alliteration, sound repetition, onomatopoeia, rhyme, internal rhyme and rhythm (created by syllables). Sounds can also have particular qualities, for example, some sounds are ‘soft’ while others are ‘sharp’.

AlliterAtion

Alliteration means using words that begin with the same first letter. Alliteration can be used to great effect in poetry. For example, the repetition of s sounds may conjure the hissing of a snake.

onoMAtopoeiA

Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like their meanings, for example bang, crunch, whoosh. They are great to say aloud. On the page they offer very direct aural images, helping readers to imagine sounds. Students do not always have to use existing onomatopoeic words, but can invent their own.

rhYMe And internAl rhYMe

Rhyme is most commonly associated with ABAB form or other strict patterns. While there is nothing wrong with end rhyme, there are other ways to use rhyme in poetry. Internal rhyme occurs within lines. It can create syncopation and other unexpected effects to surprise readers.

rhYthM And sYllABles

The syllables in words work like the drummers in bands; they create rhythms. In traditional poetry the most common rhythm is iambic pentameter: 10 syllables per line, grouped in pairs. Contemporary poetry tends to use irregular patterns that often resemble speech. Don’t worry too much about the technicalities; instead encourage students to notice the number of syllables in words and the effects they create.

dEsc r i pt i v E ElE m E n tsGood poetry helps a reader to experience new places and different worlds in their imagination. This requires effective use of description. A poem that includes descriptions of unusual or generally unnoticed aspects of particular scenes, or familiar things described in unfamiliar ways, sounds fresh rather than dull or clichéd.

For example, in a beach scene, people expect descriptions of the sun, the sand and the water. Descriptions of the view from the underside of a jetty or the smell of surfboard wax are unexpected and instantly more engaging to the reader.

five-sensorY iMAgerY

Poems that evoke all five senses—touch, taste, smell, sound and sight—feel more realistic than poems that only use visual imagery.

siMile And reverse siMile

A simile describes something by comparing it to something else. The most common language structures of similes are like, for example ‘the moon was like a banana’, and as, for example ‘the moon was as slender as a banana’. Reverse similes look the same as similes in terms of word structure, but give the opposite information to what is expected, for example ‘your bedroom is as clean as a pigsty.’

MetAphor And personificAtion

A metaphor resembles a simile, but instead of comparing one thing to something else, it says that one thing is something else, for example, ‘the moon is a banana’ or ‘your bedroom is a pigsty’. Personification gives an animal, an object or an idea human attributes. For example, ‘the wind sighed sadly’ or ‘the tiny leaf danced in the breeze’. Metaphor and personification are advanced concepts which require abstract thinking. At this stage it is enough that students recognise these elements; it is not necessary for students to produce them.

hYperBole

Hyperbole means exaggerating to ridiculous extents. Readers know not to take what is written literally, but understand the implied meaning. For example, ‘He was so tall he swatted satellites instead of flies!’ is understood to mean that the person is very tall. Overuse of hyperbole creates an absurd effect, which is good if the poem is supposed to be absurd, but problematic if it is supposed to be serious. Used sparingly, hyperbole can be effective within serious as well as silly poems.

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lan g uag E ElE m E n tsWriting a poem involves many choices about which words will be used and how they will be used. Since the same thing can often be said in a variety of ways, it is important for students to notice the effects created by word choice and to make a conscious effort to find the words that work best for a particular poem.

Students often think poetry has to include formal, old-fashioned sounding words, but if they are writing about contemporary subjects then contemporary language is usually the best choice. It’s okay to use vernacular expressions such as ‘bling’. It’s also okay to play with expressions from email, online chat and SMS, provided that the context is appropriate. If the poem is written in the voice of a character, the vocabulary should reflect the character’s personality and culture.

choice of vocABulArY

The same thing can be said in many different ways but choice of vocabulary can affect how a message is interpreted. Word choice is also tied to context; the words that may be suitable in one situation may not be suitable in another.

pArAllelisM

Parallelism is both a language element and a structural device. It involves paired lines which use the same basic structure, but vary it in some way. A famous example comes from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. Help students to remember parallelism by comparing it to parallel lines.

Word gAMes

There are lots of ways to play with words, from puns to pig Latin. Encourage students to experiment with words. Have them investigate what happens when a sentence is turned back-to-front (or front-to-back). Have them turn nouns into verbs and vice versa. Not every experiment will work, but the process itself can be as valuable as the results.

Word coinAge

Language is constantly changing. New words are invented to fill communication needs and the meanings of old words are modified and transformed. Taking part in language change is empowering. Creating their own new words

will help students to understand how language is constructed and the way it works.

sym bo li c ElE m E n ts A symbol is something that represents something else, so in fact, all language is symbolic. In poetry, symbolism generally operates through particular images or themes, for example birds taking flight = freedom.

sYMBolisM, interpretAtion, culture And contexts

Different people interpret the same symbols in different ways, depending upon their personal experiences and backgrounds. There is significant variation across cultures, for example some cultures associate the colour white with death, whereas others associate it with weddings. This creates potential difficulties when writing poetry in a multicultural society, but it also creates valuable opportunities. Encourage students to share, discuss, compare and reflect upon the different symbols which exist within their own cultures. The realisation that one thing can be viewed in many ways will promote cultural understanding and respect as well as open-mindedness. The interpretation of symbols is also influenced by the context in which the symbols appear.

sYMBolisM in poetrY And Art

Encourage students to make the connection between the symbolism in poetry and in visual art. Symbolism in visual art can be easier to recognise because it is physically present and visible. Encourage students to write poems based on art they have seen or studied (ekphrastic poems). Students who initially struggle with symbolism in poetry may find it easier to understand via visual art.

sYMBolisM of forM

A poem’s form, as well as its content, can be symbolic. This is particularly true of visual poetry, but also of all poems to varying extents. The form or structure of a poem can itself be a symbol and may affect the way the poem is interpreted. Changes of style within poems can symbolise different themes or moods.

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nar rat i v E ElE m E n tsNarrative poems tell stories. They can be true or false, funny or sad, realistic or off the wall, and sometimes all of these things. They can be in fixed form or free verse. They can be made up or a retelling of an existing story. The boundaries between narrative poems and short stories are blurry. At this stage, the simplest way to make the distinction between the two is to explain that narrative poems generally use more concentrated, complex language to say as much as possible in as few words as possible. Narrative poems also incorporate many other poetic elements, such as sound.

constructing plots

Regardless of whether a narrative poem is based on an existing story, such as a personal experience, a fairytale or something from a history book, it is important to construct a plot, not just a series of events. Encourage students to use storyboards as a way to plan their stories and to experiment with how they can be told.

chronologicAl And non-chronologicAl nArrAtives

Stories are often told in chronological order, the order in which they really or fictionally occurred. However, it is also possible to tell a story in non-chronological order, jumping around in time or going backwards. Encourage students to experiment with chronology to create interesting effects in their poems.

verse novels

Verse novels are entire novels told through poetry. Each poem roughly equates to one chapter in a standard novel.

ch aract E r ElE m E n tsOne of the common misconceptions about poetry is that it is autobiographical and based on real life. Many readers assume that if a poet writes ‘I’ they mean themselves. In fact, the ‘I’ in poetry is often a fictional character. It can represent many different voices. Encourage students to identify the use of ‘I’ in poetry and to use characters in their own poems. Exploring different points of view will help students to develop empathy.

developing And exploring chArActers

Inventing a character out of thin air is a challenge for many people, adults and children alike. It is important for students to ask themselves questions about the characters they have created. Help them to develop and explore their characters using pictures, role-plays and other fun activities (like the ones on pages 54 to 55). Encourage students to challenge stereotypes, to explore characters in a variety of contexts and to consider different points of view.

first And second person chArActer poeMs

First person poems involve an ‘I’ perspective. With first person it is important to consider the vocabulary of your character. Second person poems involve a ‘you’ perspective. The ‘you’ can refer to the character in the poem, for example ‘You have eight hairy legs’, for a poem about a spider. It can also refer to the person reading the poem, for example ‘You’d better watch out for the hairy-legged spider!’ Students may find it helps to imagine they are having a conversation with the ‘you’ in the poem.

third person chArActer poeMs

Third person poems involve an outsider’s perspective, so the characters are referred to as ‘she’, ‘he’, ‘it’, ‘they’ or by their names. In third person distanced perspective, characters are revealed from an outside viewpoint, without insight into their thoughts and feelings. In third person omnipresent perspective, the thoughts and feelings of characters are revealed to readers (see Text Model 16 for a demonstration of the difference between the two). Each perspective has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, the distanced perspective may make it harder to communicate information to the reader and the omnipresent perspective may make things too obvious. Encourage students to discuss these differences and determine which perspective is best for use in a specific situation.

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vi s ual ElE m E n tsVisual elements can involve shapes made from words, word sizes, the use of space and sometimes even colour. They can be subtle or dramatic. Even poems which do not use any obvious visual devices still contain a visual element in terms of their minimalism.

picture poeMs

In picture poems, which are also known as concrete or kinetic poems, the arrangement of the words on the page is a key part of the poem’s meaning. The words themselves are of lesser importance in picture poems. It is possible to make a picture poem with just one word or even one letter. A simple picture poem presents words in the shape of their subject matter, while a more complex picture poem presents several smaller poems making up one larger picture. There is often no set order for the different sections in picture poems, which means the reader has more choices about how to read the poem.

poeM posters

Putting a poem onto a poster and decorating it is fun. Hanging poem posters around a classroom creates a colourful and creative learning atmosphere and also helps students to feel proud of their achievements. Encourage students to think about how colours and images relate to their poems.

diAgrAMs And other visuAl texts

Visual texts such as Venn diagrams and pie graphs can also be used in poetry. Using visual texts in poetry can help students to see how they convey information.

cy bE r ElE m E n tsCyber or ‘new media’ poetry refers to any form of poetry which specifically involves computers or other forms of technology. Creating cyber poetry is a great cross-curricular activity because it links poetry and writing with information and communication technology (ICT), often incorporating students’ visual creativity as well. The potential problem with it is the wide variation in students’ levels of computer literacy. Some students may have used computers from a very young age, whereas others may be just beginning to use computers. As a consequence, an activity that

is easy for one student may be difficult or frustrating for another. Each student’s level of computer literacy is not a reflection upon their intelligence, level of effort or potential ability, but rather upon their previous experiences.

slideshoW poeMs

Slideshow poems are like the video clips that go with music. They can be created in Microsoft PowerPoint or similar slideshow programs. Making slideshow poems can help students to develop their skills in creating digital presentations.

hYperlink poeMs

Hyperlink poems are similar to websites in that you do not read them straight from beginning to end, but click on links that take you to different pages. Hyperlink poems are read in different ways depending on which links you click on. Creating hyperlink poems gives students a preliminary insight into how websites are planned and designed.

pE r f o r m an c E ElE m E n tsAll poems can be performed! Performance poetry can help students to develop confidence and public speaking skills. Have students read poems aloud in pairs, then in smaller groups, then for the whole class and perhaps even for an assembly. This way they can build their confidence gradually. The skills of performance poetry have helpful applications in debating, drama, leadership roles such as Students’ Representative Council (SRC), music performance and also in everyday life.

Performance poetry activities help students to:

• speak clearly and with confidence• vary pace, pitch and volume for effect• use pauses for effect• maintain good posture and eye contact• use facial expressions and body language in

expressive ways• introduce themselves confidently and thank

the audience when they have finished• develop confidence as public speakers• feel a sense of achievement.

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Poetry By other StudentS

Young people often find it easy to connect with the work of writers their own age. Seeing other students’ work in print can also motivate them to submit their own work for publication. The following anthologies and websites include quality writing by primary school students.

Poems by Young Australians, Volumes 1–6, collected by Bradley Trevor Greive

Spring Poetry: An Anthology of Poetry by South Australian Students, published annually as the spring issue of ‘Opinion’, the journal of the South Australian English Teachers’ Association (SAETA)

Kidzpage at www.gardenofsong.com/kidzpage

The Poetry Zone at www.poetryzone.co.uk

Poetry By AuStrAliAn WriterS

Big Blue Mouth by John Malone

Big Book of Verse for Aussie Kids edited by Jim Haynes

Do Not Go Around the Edges by Daisy Utemorrah

Do-Wrong Ron by Steven Herrick

My Sister Has a Big Black Beard and Other Quirky Verses by Duncan Ball

Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick

Snakes and Ladders: Poems About the Ups and Downs of Life by Robin Klein

Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood

Talks with My Skateboard: A Collection of Poems by Libby Hathorn

That Downhill Yelling by Lorraine Marwood

GenerAl The Dog Ate My Bus Pass, poems chosen by Nick Toczek and Paul Cookson

I’d Rather Be a Footballer by Paul Cookson

Let’s Recycle Granddad and Other Brilliant New Poems chosen by Roger Stevens

Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy by Michael Rosen

New and Collected Poems for Children by Carol Ann Duffy

Read Me Out Loud! A Poem to Rap, Chant, Whisper or Shout for Every Day of the Year chosen by Nick Toczek and Paul Cookson

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Jack Prelutsky at www.jackprelutsky.com

Paul Cookson at www.paulcooksonpoet.co.uk

Shel Silverstein at www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html

recoMMended texts

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Rubric 1

TS

Writ

es o

wn

varia

tion

of t

he

cinq

uain

for

m

Just

ifies

the

rea

sons

for

sta

nza

and

line

brea

k ch

oice

s

Use

s so

und

repe

titio

n to

cre

ate

a sp

ecifi

c ef

fect

with

in a

poe

m

Cre

ates

pat

tern

s us

ing

sylla

bles

Writ

es a

poe

m d

escr

ibin

g an

em

otio

n by

evo

king

the

five

sen

ses

Use

s si

mile

and

rev

erse

sim

ile in

a

poem

or

poem

s

Dis

cuss

es la

ngua

ge a

nd c

onte

xt

Inco

rpor

ates

bac

k-to

-fro

nt

sent

ence

s in

to p

oem

s

Att

empt

s to

coi

n ne

w w

ords

Writ

es a

poe

m w

ith a

sym

bolic

st

ruct

ure

TS

Mak

es d

ecis

ions

abo

ut s

tanz

as a

nd

line

brea

ks

Cre

ates

pat

tern

s in

fre

e ve

rse

poet

ry

Dis

cuss

es w

heth

er s

ound

s ar

e ‘s

oft’

or

‘sha

rp’

Use

s in

tern

al r

hym

e in

a p

oem

Inve

nts

new

ono

mat

opoe

ic w

ords

Rel

ates

the

five

sen

ses

to e

mot

ions

Prod

uces

exa

mpl

es o

f rev

erse

sim

ile

Use

s hy

perb

ole

in a

poe

m

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

t of

diff

eren

t w

ord

choi

ces

in a

poe

m

Turn

s se

nten

ces

back

-to-

fron

t

Writ

es a

n ek

phra

stic

poe

m a

bout

a

sym

bolic

pai

ntin

g

Dis

cuss

es s

ymbo

ls in

rel

atio

n to

cu

lture

and

con

text

TS

Writ

es e

xam

ples

of

dida

ctic

, Ade

le

Cra

psey

and

rev

erse

cin

quai

ns

Writ

es f

ree

vers

e po

ems

Use

s al

liter

atio

n in

poe

ms

Prod

uces

exa

mpl

es o

f on

omat

opoe

ia

Evok

es a

ll fiv

e se

nses

in a

poe

m

Prod

uces

exa

mpl

es o

f si

mile

Prod

uces

exa

mpl

es o

f hy

perb

ole

Prod

uces

alte

rnat

ive

way

s of

w

ordi

ng t

he s

ame

phra

se

Dra

ws

conn

ectio

ns b

etw

een

the

sym

bols

use

d in

art

and

poe

try

Use

s a

sym

bol i

n a

poem

STR

UC

TUR

E

SOU

ND

DES

CR

IPTI

ON

LAN

GU

AG

E

SYM

BO

LISM

Ass

essm

ent

Tool

St

uden

t na

me:

D

ate:

Tick

the

sta

tem

ents

you

thi

nk a

re c

orre

ct. M

ake

sure

you

hav

e ev

iden

ce.

S =

Stu

dent

T

= T

each

er

All

You

Nee

d to

Tea

ch P

oetr

y A

ges

8–10

© A

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ia W

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illan

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n A

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alia

. ISB

N 9

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2 79

07 8

Wri

ting

Poe

try

Ass

essm

ent

Tool

R

eadi

ng P

oetr

y

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All

You

Nee

d to

Tea

ch P

oetr

y A

ges

8–10

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ia W

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illan

Edu

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15

Rubric 2

TS

Iden

tifies

pat

tern

s (w

here

pre

sent

)

Sugg

ests

pos

sibl

e re

ason

s fo

r th

e po

et’s

stan

za a

nd li

ne b

reak

cho

ices

Dis

cuss

es t

he d

iffer

ent

effe

cts

crea

ted

by in

tern

al a

nd e

nd r

hym

e in

poe

ms

Iden

tifies

sou

nd r

epet

ition

in

poem

s

Iden

tifies

met

apho

r an

d pe

rson

ifica

tion

in p

oem

s

Iden

tifies

par

alle

lism

in p

oem

s

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

t of

par

ticul

ar

lang

uage

cho

ices

in p

oem

s

Ack

now

ledg

es a

nd r

espe

cts

mul

tiple

inte

rpre

tatio

ns o

f pa

rtic

ular

sym

bols

Sugg

ests

pos

sibl

e sy

mbo

lic

mea

ning

s fo

r a

poem

’s fo

rm

TS

Diff

eren

tiate

s be

twee

n di

dact

ic,

Ade

le C

raps

ey a

nd r

ever

se

cinq

uain

s

Iden

tifies

sta

nzas

, lin

e br

eaks

and

us

e of

rep

etiti

on (

whe

re p

rese

nt)

Diff

eren

tiate

s be

twee

n in

tern

al a

nd

end

rhym

e in

poe

ms

Rec

ogni

ses

whe

ther

par

ticul

ar

soun

ds a

re r

epea

ted

thro

ugh

allit

erat

ion

Dis

tingu

ishe

s be

twee

n si

mile

, m

etap

hor

and

pers

onifi

catio

n in

a

give

n po

em

Iden

tifies

rev

erse

sim

ile in

poe

ms

Rec

ogni

ses

para

llelis

m in

a g

iven

po

em

Sugg

ests

alte

rnat

ive

lang

uage

ch

oice

s in

a g

iven

poe

m

Rec

ogni

ses

sym

bolis

m in

poe

ms

Inte

rpre

ts m

eani

ng f

rom

sym

bols

in

poet

ry a

nd/o

r ar

t

Ack

now

ledg

es a

nd r

espe

cts

othe

r pe

ople

’s in

terp

reta

tions

of

part

icul

ar s

ymbo

ls

TS

Iden

tifies

whe

ther

a p

oem

is a

ci

nqua

in, a

fixe

d fo

rm r

hym

ing

poem

or

a fr

ee v

erse

poe

m

Iden

tifies

alli

tera

tion,

on

omat

opoe

ia a

nd r

hym

e in

po

ems

Rec

ogni

ses

sylla

bles

and

rhy

thm

s in

poe

ms

Iden

tifies

the

evo

catio

n of

sig

ht,

soun

d, t

ouch

, tas

te a

nd s

mel

l in

poem

s

Iden

tifies

sim

ile in

poe

ms

Iden

tifies

hyp

erbo

le in

poe

ms

Defi

nes

the

term

par

alle

lism

Rec

ogni

ses

sym

bolis

m in

art

Sugg

ests

pos

sibl

e sy

mbo

lic

mea

ning

s fo

r co

mm

on s

ymbo

ls

and

imag

es

STR

UC

TUR

E

SOU

ND

DES

CR

IPTI

ON

LAN

GU

AG

E

SYM

BO

LISM

Ass

essm

ent

Tool

St

uden

t na

me:

D

ate:

Tick

the

sta

tem

ents

you

thi

nk a

re c

orre

ct. M

ake

sure

you

hav

e ev

iden

ce.

S =

Stu

dent

T

= T

each

er

All

You

Nee

d to

Tea

ch P

oetr

y A

ges

8–10

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mel

ia W

alke

r/M

acm

illan

Edu

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n A

ustr

alia

. ISB

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420

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07 8

Rea

ding

Poe

try

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16

Rubric 3A

sses

smen

t To

ol

Stud

ent

nam

e:

Dat

e:

Tick

the

sta

tem

ents

you

thi

nk a

re c

orre

ct. M

ake

sure

you

hav

e ev

iden

ce.

S =

Stu

dent

T

= T

each

er

All

You

Nee

d to

Tea

ch P

oetr

y A

ges

8–10

© A

mel

ia W

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r/M

acm

illan

Edu

catio

n A

ustr

alia

. ISB

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07 8

Perf

orm

ing

Poet

ry

TS

Use

s fa

cial

exp

ress

ion

to e

mph

asis

e pa

rtic

ular

asp

ects

of

a po

em

Use

s bo

dy la

ngua

ge t

o em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar a

spec

ts o

f a

poem

Use

s to

ne o

f vo

ice

to e

mph

asis

e pa

rtic

ular

asp

ects

of

a po

em

Use

s vo

lum

e to

em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar

aspe

cts

of a

poe

m

Use

s pa

ce t

o em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar

aspe

cts

of a

poe

m

Use

s si

lenc

e to

add

inte

rest

Wal

ks o

n an

d of

f st

age,

intr

oduc

es

the

poem

and

tha

nks

the

audi

ence

w

ith c

onfid

ence

and

a s

mile

TS

Use

s fa

cial

exp

ress

ion

to a

dd in

tere

st

Use

s bo

dy la

ngua

ge t

o ad

d in

tere

st

Use

s ey

e co

ntac

t th

roug

hout

the

en

tire

perf

orm

ance

Varie

s to

ne o

f vo

ice

to a

dd in

tere

st

Varie

s vo

lum

e to

add

inte

rest

Varie

s pa

ce t

o ad

d in

tere

st

Giv

es a

n in

trod

uctio

n be

fore

the

po

em a

nd t

hank

s th

e au

dien

ce a

fter

th

e pe

rfor

man

ce

Pays

att

entio

n to

the

asp

ects

tha

t im

prov

ed t

he p

erfo

rman

ces

of o

ther

s an

d in

corp

orat

es t

hese

into

ow

n pe

rfor

man

ce

TS

Rea

ds a

poe

m a

loud

in f

ront

of

th

e w

hole

cla

ss

Rea

ds c

lear

ly a

nd a

udib

ly

Face

s th

e au

dien

ce

Stan

ds w

ith s

houl

ders

str

aigh

t

Iden

tifies

and

dis

cuss

es e

ffec

tive

way

s of

usi

ng f

ace

and

body

whe

n pe

rfor

min

g

Iden

tifies

and

dis

cuss

es e

ffec

tive

way

s of

usi

ng v

oice

whe

n pe

rfor

min

g

List

ens

resp

ectf

ully

to

othe

r pe

rfor

mer

s an

d of

fers

pos

itive

fe

edba

ck

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You Need

text

Models

text

Models

All the

All

You

Nee

d to

Tea

ch P

oetr

y A

ges

8–10

© A

mel

ia W

alke

r/M

acm

illan

Edu

catio

n A

ustr

alia

. ISB

N 9

78 1

420

2 79

07 8

TS

Use

s fa

cial

exp

ress

ion

to e

mph

asis

e pa

rtic

ular

asp

ects

of

a po

em

Use

s bo

dy la

ngua

ge t

o em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar a

spec

ts o

f a

poem

Use

s to

ne o

f vo

ice

to e

mph

asis

e pa

rtic

ular

asp

ects

of

a po

em

Use

s vo

lum

e to

em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar

aspe

cts

of a

poe

m

Use

s pa

ce t

o em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar

aspe

cts

of a

poe

m

Use

s si

lenc

e to

add

inte

rest

Wal

ks o

n an

d of

f st

age,

intr

oduc

es

the

poem

and

tha

nks

the

audi

ence

w

ith c

onfid

ence

and

a s

mile

TS

Use

s fa

cial

exp

ress

ion

to a

dd in

tere

st

Use

s bo

dy la

ngua

ge t

o ad

d in

tere

st

Use

s ey

e co

ntac

t th

roug

hout

the

en

tire

perf

orm

ance

Varie

s to

ne o

f vo

ice

to a

dd in

tere

st

Varie

s vo

lum

e to

add

inte

rest

Varie

s pa

ce t

o ad

d in

tere

st

Giv

es a

n in

trod

uctio

n be

fore

the

po

em a

nd t

hank

s th

e au

dien

ce a

fter

th

e pe

rfor

man

ce

Pays

att

entio

n to

the

asp

ects

tha

t im

prov

ed t

he p

erfo

rman

ces

of o

ther

s an

d in

corp

orat

es t

hese

into

ow

n pe

rfor

man

ce

TS

Rea

ds a

poe

m a

loud

in f

ront

of

th

e w

hole

cla

ss

Rea

ds c

lear

ly a

nd a

udib

ly

Face

s th

e au

dien

ce

Stan

ds w

ith s

houl

ders

str

aigh

t

Iden

tifies

and

dis

cuss

es e

ffec

tive

way

s of

usi

ng f

ace

and

body

whe

n pe

rfor

min

g

Iden

tifies

and

dis

cuss

es e

ffec

tive

way

s of

usi

ng v

oice

whe

n pe

rfor

min

g

List

ens

resp

ectf

ully

to

othe

r pe

rfor

mer

s an

d of

fers

pos

itive

fe

edba

ck

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18All You Need to Teach Poetry Ages 8–10 © Amelia Walker/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7907 8

Element: What is poetry? Focus: Poetry comes in many guises Lesson bank: pages 38–39

Text Model 1 Name Date

Poetry IncognitoSome people say you’re dead,

but the truth is you’ve gone undercover

like a secret agent

or a rock star,

changing costumes to escape the hype.

Yesterday morning you were on my cereal box,

crooning about “crisp and crunchy clusters of corn”,

then that afternoon, on the radio,

hiding inside the lyrics of a song.

Last time I had a birthday, you were there,

winking out of every single card,

and when Mum gave that speech at Nan’s 60th

—That’s right! You again.

Poetry, the game is up.

I’ve got you good and cornered.

You have the right to remain . . .

important!

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Element: What is poetry? Focus: A poem can be different every time you read it Lesson bank: pages 38–39

Text Model 2Name Date

Poem Pets✂

spin their homes from threads of moon light

15

creep and craw

l

3

slip

thro

ugh

win

dow

s lik

e w

afts

of

smok

e11

squiggle and wriggle

9

are charcoal

angels

5

are

artis

ts

and

ar

chite

cts

1

are black ballerinas with

legs for tutus

13

swing like trapeze

artists7sing beautiful songs

too soft for us to hear

wat

ch t

he w

orld

fro

m t

he

shad

ows,

eig

ht e

yes

w

ide

with

won

der

endlessly build and rebuild their w

orlds anew

are licorice teardrops, sparkling on the face

of night

Spiders

Spid

ers

Spiders

Spiders

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Element: Structure in fixed form Focus: Didactic, Adele Crapsey and reverse cinquains Lesson bank: pages 40–41

Text Model 3

CinquainsName Date

Didactic

Ripe red raspberries squirt sweet juice stain my world with sweetness

Adele Crapsey

Vampires are not monsters they’re just misunderstood. I mean, everyone gets hungry . . . don’t they?

Reverse

Long days playing volleyball on the beach and sipping icy drinks. Season I love: summer.

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Element: Structure in free verse Focus: Patterns and repetition Lesson bank: pages 42–43

Text Model 4

Watching CloudsFloating, tumbling, fluid and free

as dreams, the clouds dance on by.

Because they are not pictures of anything

they become very nearly everything—

a wave, a whale, a boat, a bird

flying, diving, dancing with the breeze—

floating, tumbling, fluid and free.

Name Date

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Element: Sound Focus: Alliteration and sound repetition Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Text Model 5

The Basketball Bungle

Bob and Bahareh bounce a basketball

in their backyard before breakfast.

Bob dribbles well, but Bahareh does it better.

She shoots at a hoop on the wall . . . and . . . . . . Oops! Over the top it goes, KLANG! Through old Ms Olson’s window.

Name Date

Alliteration and Sound Repetition

Sidney and Susan

Skinny Sidney speaks with a lisp. He sneaks onto shelves at the library and whispers secrets to Susan who is searching for songbooks. Susan and Sidney sing about sauerkraut then serve some up for tea. Susan says, “Sidney, you’re not so scary. You’re skinny and you slither—just like me!”.

Roller-coaster

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Element: Sound Focus: Internal rhyme Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Text Model 6

“This one will be the same as all the others,” I thinkas I sit and wait for the ride to start . . .

My heart goes BOOM as I ZOOM straight backwards and if that was not a shock, the drop sure is— I whizz down, down, down, around a loop, I swoop so fast I’m gasping for air, thinking there’s no way this day could get more scary. The hairy bends seem endless and so I confess that, yes, I’m not as tough as I thought when I bought my ticket. I feel sick, but I hold it in as the world spins like a top. “Please STOP!” I thinkand then—in a blink—it does.

I climb out and find my friends. “Was it scary?” they ask. “Nah, just the same as all the others . . .”

Name Date

Roller-coaster

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Element: Sound Focus: Rhythm Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Text Model 7

Sylla le Pattern PoemsCount the syllables and guess the patterns.

Name Date

Poem 1One day I went to the shop and bought a cat,

tabby, furry, sleepy kitten, purring softly, until . . .

suddenly awakened, violently aggressive, inflicting injury

—ferociously disorderly!

Poem 2 Grape, orange, banana,

pear, lemon, mandarin,

lime, apple, rockmelon,

fruit salad—summertime!

Poem 3 Vampire birds,

flying high,

swooping down,

catching prey.

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Element: Description Focus: The five senses and emotions Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Text Model 8

Mystery Emotion 1It tastes like a mouthful of chilli and smells like rancid milk. It feels like hugging a cactus and sounds like cruel laughter. It is the colour of peeling sunburn. It makes me feel like a deflated balloon.

Mystery Emotion 2It tastes like fairy floss —sweet at first, but then it melts away leaving a furry feeling in my mouth. It shape-shifts like a cloud —pale and fluffy one minute, brewing storms the next. Like an eel, it is slippery. It echoes eerily inside my head like the song of a distant kookaburra and it smells like day-old doughnuts. It makes me feel like a spider trapped inside my own web.

Name Date

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Element: Description Focus: Metaphor and personification Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Text Model 9

My WingsRiding my bicycle, I let my feet fuse with the pedals, let the wheels become part of my body —no longer wheels but wings with which I soar,a bird, flying low, listening to the wind’s magic whispers. The streets are black savannahs, filled with predators. Sports cars are sleek cheetahs with fearsome growls and hungry headlights, staring me down . . . Four-wheel drives are metal elephants, stampeding blindly. Bellowing car horns are the roars of lions and tigers, screeching wheels the squeals of smaller creatures, fallen prey. My heart is an urgent drumbeat—thud-ud thud-ud thud-ud— fear is hitting it so hard it’s nearly bursting.

At last, I reach the park—a sheltered sanctuary,a place where large beasts can’t follow me. Greenery swallows all the noise from the road. I soar through a clear, open sky.

Name Date

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Element: Language Focus: Parallelism Lesson bank: pages 48–49

Text Model 10

TwinsEmma and Gemma have got a dilemma —no-one can tell them apart— and so they’ve hatched a planto make who’s who quite plain:

Emma grows her hair long,Gemma cuts her hair short,Emma does lots of art,Gemma plays lots of sport.

In class Emma’s always quiet,at lunch she’s always loud. In class Gemma never shuts up,at lunch she barely makes a sound.

When Emma wears black, Gemma wears whiteWhen Emma turns left, Gemma turns right.If Emma says yes, Gemma says no,If Emma says stay, Gemma says go.

But if one needs help, the other’s there,if one forgets lunch, the other shares. Although they’re different nearly altogetherthey keep the same promise: sisters forever.

Name Date

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Element: Language Focus: Playing with sentence structures Lesson bank: pages 48–49

Text Model 11

Front

-to-B

ack

Poem

A

bun

ch o

f pa

rty

anim

als

A p

arty

of

bunc

h an

imal

s

turn

ed u

p on

my

door

step

on

my

step

door

, up

turn

ed

al

l dre

ssed

in g

host

and

vam

pire

cos

tum

es.

ghos

ts d

ress

ed in

vam

pire

cos

tum

es a

nd a

ll.

It w

as t

he m

iddl

e of

the

nig

ht

Nig

ht w

as in

the

mid

dle

of it

so I

off

ered

the

m s

ome

fudg

e.

so I

fud

ged

them

som

e of

fer.

“T

hank

you

!” t

hey

said

“Y

ou t

hank

!” s

aid

they

then

flew

off

into

the

nig

ht.

then

off

ed n

ight

into

the

flew

.

Name Date

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Element: Symbolism Focus: Comparing symbolism in art and poetry Lesson bank: pages 50–51

Text Model 12

Ekphrastic PoemInspired by The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

The sky blurs blue into yellow

like a slowly blossoming bruise.

Time has melted

and hangs, misshapen,

no longer ticking but rather oozing

neither backwards nor forwards

but rather around

and around within itself

—which is, I suppose, what it has always done . . .

. . . strange

how a death makes you

notice

things

more.

I can’t tell what it is

that has died.

Perhaps a whale?

Perhaps the whole world.

It’s very empty. I think

there is something

I’ve forgotten . . .

Name Date

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Element: Symbolism Focus: A poem’s form can be symbolic Lesson bank: pages 50–51

Text Model 13

Two Rhyming PoemsName Date

My sister’s always making mess, she’s noisy and a pain. It causes Mum and Dad such stress when she plays out in the rain and gets mud soaked all through her dress or shimmies up a drain. Between just us I will confess, I think she’s gone insane.

Oh brother, I shudder when you act so uptight! I’m quite alright, it was barely a drizzle.

You grizzle like a sook if I even touch one of your books, rope off your room like a crime scene.

I mean, who needs ironed socks? And ironed jocks?!

In a box, that’s where your mind’s been. I see such sights when I climb up high,

so let go, bro, let yourself dream.

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Element: Narrative Focus: Narrative poems about history Lesson bank: pages 52–53

Text Model 14

Burke and WillsMe, I wish I could’ve stayed in India, but life doesn’t offer much choice when you’re a camel. So I got carted across the ocean, seasick the whole way to Australia and that was just the start. He wasn’t a bad bloke, that Burke, but I doubt he could’ve explored his own sock drawer, let alone outback Australia. After all, he was just a police officer, no experience of exploring whatsoever. His mate Wills didn’t have much more. Twenty-six of us camels, they started with. By the end of it? Not even one! Not to mention all the people who perished —Burke and Wills included— and I’m sorry if I don’t sound as sad as I should, but remember, they did eat me! Whole lot bickered like spoilt brats, too, would have starved much sooner if the Indigenous people hadn’t helped out. They’d travelled cross-country loads of times, thought the poor Europeans pretty silly for thinking it was difficult, somehow special. I guess that’s history for you. The books say Burke and Wills were the f irstto cross Australia, south to north. People talk of them as if they were heroes, as though they were oh so brave —and camels barely rate a mention.

Name Date

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Element: Narrative Focus: Non-chronological narrative poems Lesson bank: pages 52–53

Text Model 15

Backwards PoemThe day is over.

I draw the curtains and crawl into bed.

Silver stars glow against a deep blue sky.

A few last specks of sunlight wink and slide beneath the horizon.

I change into pyjamas, brush my teeth then go to the window.

“Just ’til the next ad break?” I ask, but Mum says no.

In a flash it’s half past eight—my bedtime.

I curl up on the couch, ready to watch my favourite show.

Dad washes the dishes and I dry.

It’s lasagne—my favourite!

I make my way to the kitchen . . .

A wonderful smell wafts through the house.

Home at last, I belly-flop on my bed and open a new book.

At school it’s a long day, but a good one because there’s T-ball.

Mum drops me at the gate and waves goodbye.

“Hurry up and get in the car!”

There it is, behind the sofa.

Where on earth did I leave my left shoe?

Time to brush my teeth and put on my school clothes.

Crunch! Crunch! My favourite cereal.

“Out of bed now—or it’s cold water time!” Dad threatens.

I hear noises from the kitchen—nearly time to get up.

A few first specks of sunlight creep in around the curtains.

The day has just begun.

Name Date

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Element: Character Focus: Third person omnipresent and distanced perspectives Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Text Model 16

The

Big

Ga

me

Name Date

Sunj

it st

ands

at

one

end

of t

he fi

eld,

dr

ench

ed w

ith a

mix

ture

of

mud

and

sw

eat,

The

whi

stle

blo

ws

The

othe

r te

am g

ets

the

ball

Both

tea

ms

are

on t

he s

ame

scor

e Su

njit

chas

es a

fter

the

ball

and

man

ages

to

catc

h it!

H

is pa

rent

s ar

e w

atch

ing

on t

he s

idel

ines

He

kicks

the

bal

l . .

.

and

it so

ars

thro

ugh

the

goal

pos

ts,

just

in t

ime!

Su

njit’

s te

am c

heer

s

tryi

ng n

ot t

o th

ink

abou

t ho

w t

ired

he f

eels,

or

the

fac

t th

e ga

me

is ne

arly

ove

r. an

d he

kno

ws

this

is it.

whi

ch m

akes

Sun

jit p

anic.

and

Sunji

t’s t

eam

nee

d to

win

to s

tay

in th

e co

mpe

titio

n. th

inkin

g to

him

self,

“If

I ca

n ju

st in

terc

ept

it .

. .”

and

he is

hap

py t

o m

ake

them

pro

ud.

He

can

bare

ly b

elie

ve it

. an

d he

is fi

lled

with

joy.

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Element: Character Focus: Challenging stereotypes Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Text Model 17

My Sister the EmoMy big sister is an emo. She wears emo clothes, and emo make up. She gets emo haircuts and plays emo music.

She whines about whatever’s for dinner because she’d rather go out to eat emo foods at emo hangouts with her emo friends.

But the biggest reason why I know she’s an emo is because she really hates it when I call her one —and so I do.

I say, “Anya, you’re an emo,” to which she rolls her emo eyes, shakes her emo head, sighs an emo sigh and says, “What would you know, squirt?”

Then she walks away without letting me answer which is so emo.

But sometimes she gives me piggyback rides. She cracks jokes and pulls faces, to make me laugh. She smiles and laughs as well.

Then she makes me cross my heart and hope to die I’ll never tell her friends.

Name Date

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Element: Visual poetry Focus: Creating contrast in picture poetry Lesson bank: pages 56–57

Text Model 18

Opposites

Name Date

the two shall never

the two shall never the two shall never the two shall

never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two

shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall

never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never

the two shall never

the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the

two shall never the two shall never the two shall never the two shall

never the two shall never the two shall never the two

shall never

meet meet meet meet

meet meet meet meet meet meet meet meet meet meet meet

meet meet meet meet meet meet meet meet

meet

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Element: Visual poetry Focus: Diagrams and other visual texts Lesson bank: pages 56–57

Text Model 19 Name Date

Solar System Poem

The

Sun

I

am t

he c

entr

e, t

he a

ncho

r th

at h

olds

all

in p

lace

. In

fac

t I

am a

sta

r, m

ade

of g

as,

givi

ng l

ight

and

lif

e.

Mercury I am smallest and closest to the sun —but still oh so far away. I bake during daytime, freeze over at night. I am lonely without a moon.

Venus I’m a rebel —the only planet to spin backwards. I dress in clouds of poison.

Earth My air is just right for breathing, for life. But I am fragile and feeling unwell. Please care for me.Mars

A god of war, I am as red as molten lava though my volcanoes are dormant. So what if Earth has life? I’ve got twice as many moons!

Jupiter Nice try Mars, but I’ve got more moons than anyone, plus I’m biggest—and if that’s not enough, I’m king of the gods. So there.

Saturn Style queen, sixth from the sun, my rings of rock and ice sparkle like diamonds.

Uranus Icy cold I shine blue as if to prove it.

Neptune Farthest from the sun and Earth too, I am a mystery like a creature from the depths of the sea.Pluto

Snubbed, I tell you! Seventy-six years, they called me a planet, then one day they turn around and say “Oops! You’re just another notch in the Kuiper belt.” Humph!

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You Need

lesson

Banks

lesson Banks

All the

Mercury I am smallest and closest to the sun —but still oh so far away. I bake during daytime, freeze over at night. I am lonely without a moon.

Earth My air is just right for breathing, for life. But I am fragile and feeling unwell. Please care for me.

Uranus Icy cold I shine blue as if to prove it.

Neptune Farthest from the sun and Earth too, I am a mystery like a creature from the depths of the sea.

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What is Poetry?Lesson Bank

Mini Lessons

poetrY MYths

Tell students you are going to read a list of statements about poetry. Have students express their opinions of these statements by moving to different positions in the classroom. Instruct them to move to the very front of the room if they strongly agree with a statement and to the very back of the room if they strongly disagree with a statement. If their opinion lies somewhere in-between instruct them to stand somewhere in the middle of the room, closer to whichever end they feel is more correct. After each round, ask three or four volunteers to explain their decisions. If students change their opinions during the discussion, have them move to a position that better reflects their view.

Once this part of the activity is finished, write all of the questions on the board. Have students plot their opinions on a graph, with the questions on the horizontal axis and the scale of agreement or disagreement on the vertical axis. Have students keep their graphs. Repeat the activity from time to time as students continue to read and write poetry. Encourage them to reflect on whether their opinions have changed.

You could begin with the statements that follow, adding others as needed.

Poetry is old-fashioned.Poetry is only found in books.Poetry is supposed to be hard to understand.Poetry must include lines that rhyme.Rhyming poetry is not proper poetry.Poetry is rebellious.Poetry is about following rules.Poetry is about breaking rules.Poetry has things in common with video games.Poetry has things in common with pop music.Poetry is something people can use in their jobs.

poetrY And cAreers

Distribute copies of Worksheet 1 and discuss the different careers listed. Ensure that students understand what they are by providing examples.

The Prime Minister is a politician. A journalist is somebody who writes for a newspaper. A PE teacher coaches school sports teams. A counsellor listens to people who are feeling unhappy.

resources

V Text Model 1: Poetry IncognitoV Text Model 2: Poem PetsV Worksheet 1: Poetry and CareersV Worksheet 2: How to Fold a Poem PetV large squares of stiff coloured paperV scissors and glue

other useful resources

V graph paperV art supplies

V stickers and googly eyes

AreAs of focus

V Poetry mythsV There is no such thing as ‘proper’ poetryV Poetry comes in many guisesV A poem can have multiple meaningsV A poem can be different every time you read itV Poetry’s role in the ‘real’ world

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What is Poetry?Have students draw lines linking the people on the worksheet with the ways poetry can be used. Discuss the answers together, then brainstorm other careers that use poetry. For example:

• Doctors and nurses use poetry in the form of acronyms to help them remember important procedures such as RICE—Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

• Scientists and mathematicians often use poetry and acronyms to remember their formulas.

• Teachers use poetry to teach all kinds of things—even the alphabet is a poem!

• People who work in advertising use poetry to create snappy slogans and brand names.

poetrY incognito

Distribute Text Model 1. Read the poem aloud.

What do you think it is about? Who is the ‘you’ in the poem? Where are the four places the ‘you’ hides?

After the class has discussed the questions, brainstorm a list of other disguises that poetry might wear, for example:

• advertising• cartoons• the dialogue in plays and movies• newspaper headlines• emails• comments in conversations, for example ‘My car

is faster than a cheetah’.

poeM pets

A poem pet uses the same paper-folding technique as a ‘chatterbox’, but instead of telling fortunes, it creates poems. Text Model 2 is a poem pet that can be cut out and folded. Distribute Worksheet 2 which explains the folding process. If students have made a chatterbox before, ask them to assist others. Distribute large squares of stiff coloured paper for students to use for their poem pets. If the paper comes in rectangles, it will need to be cut into squares.

Instruct students to write the name of their chosen animal on the four corner panels of the folded poem pet. (It may be helpful to demonstrate this on the board.) The animal may be real or imaginary. Have students write statements about their chosen animal inside the eight panels along the outer edges and the four panels in the centre of the poem pet. For example, ‘squiggle and wriggle’ or ‘creep and crawl’. Remind students the lines should all begin

with the name of the animal (which does not need to be repeated as it appears in the corners). Have students write a different odd number (less than 20) on each of the eight panels along the outer edges.

Poem pets are essentially jumbled list poems. Demonstrate the way to make a poem with the poem pet. Call for a volunteer to come to the front of the class. Ask them for a number. Open and close the mouth of the poem pet that many times. Ask the volunteer to choose a line from the four that are revealed in the centre panels. It will have a number on it. Open and close the poem pet that many times. Ask the volunteer to choose a line from the next four that are revealed in the centre panels. Lift the panel to show the hidden line in the centre. The completed poem is three lines long; it includes the two lines chosen by the volunteer, plus the hidden line in the centre. Demonstrate the process with one or two other volunteers then have students try it using their own poem pets.

one poeM MAnY WAYs

Ask students to consider the following scenario.

Five people all read the same poem, and have a discussion about what it ‘really’ means. Jenny, the youngest student in the class, thinks it’s about dragons. Ahmed, who always gets top marks, thinks it’s about snakes. Mr McKenzie, the teacher, thinks it’s about lizards. Ms Ling, the principal, thinks it’s about dinosaurs. The poet who actually wrote the poem, who is visiting as a performer, thinks it’s about a mythical creature called a griffin.Who do you think is right?

Prompt discussion and explain that everybody is right about what the poem ‘really’ meant to them. Reinforce the idea that every person is entitled to their own interpretations of any poem and all of these interpretations are equally valid and should be respected.

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Structure in Fixed FormLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

Will the reAl cinquAin pleAse stAnd up?

Distribute copies of Text Model 3 which contains three examples of cinquains: a didactic cinquain, an Adele Crapsey cinquain and a reverse cinquain. (See page 8 for more information about these types of cinquains.) Read the poems aloud. Discuss the word/syllable patterns in each poem and their effects. Distribute copies of Worksheet 3 and have students write their own three cinquains, one in each style, on any topic. Suggest ideas such as foods, sports and seasons as starting points for those who are stuck for topics.

When students have completed their cinquains, share some examples.

Were some forms easier or more interesting than others? Why do you say that? Do some forms sound different from others? How?Discuss the pros and cons for each type of cinquain and list them on the board. Why do you think there are different sets of rules for the one poetic form? How do you think all the different versions came into being? What does this tell you about the rules for any type of poetry?

As an extension activity, have students research other types of cinquain online.

theMe And vAriAtions

Have students invent their own variations on the cinquain form. The word ‘cinquain’ refers to the fact that the poem has five lines, so if students retain the five-line structure they can still call their poems cinquains. If students use a different number of lines they must choose a new name for their poetic form. Ask students to write rules to govern the number of words or syllables in their poems; these must be different from the rules governing didactic, Adele Crapsey and reverse cinquains. Have students make posters to display the rules. Have them swap their posters and try to follow the rules for their classmates’ poems. Encourage students to compare and discuss what they have written and discovered through this process.

resources

V Text Model 3: CinquainsV Worksheet 3: Cinquain TemplatesV art suppliesV sheets of cardboardV interesting music without lyrics

AreAs of focus

V Didactic cinquainsV Adele Crapsey cinquainsV Reverse cinquainsV Fixed forms are created by peopleV Don’t serve the form, make it serve you

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Structure in Fixed Form

collABorAtive cinquAins

Have students refer to the didactic cinquain in Text Model 3 for this activity. Explain that they are going to write collaborative cinquains. Organise students into pairs or groups of three. Ask each group member to choose two words—one is the first line of the cinquain and the other is the last line of the cinquain. Have students write their words on paper, leaving enough space for three lines between them. Ask group members to swap their pieces of paper. Instruct students to complete the three middle lines of their group member’s cinquain. Challenge students to make the three middle lines match the beginning and end lines.

cinquAin chAins

In a cinquain chain, the final line of one cinquain becomes the first line of the next. Have students sit in a circle each with a large piece of paper and a pencil. Ask them all to write their own cinquain, then pass their piece of paper to the person on their right, who must write the next cinquain in the chain. Instruct students to use the didactic cinquain rules. Have students write five to 10 links for each cinquain chain then return it to the person who started it. Ask volunteers to share their chains.

Are you surprised by the different twists and turns in your chain? Why do you say that?

role-plAY

Select three students to perform a role-play in front of the class. Ask one actor to play a character who thinks didactic cinquains are better than the other types, one to play a character who thinks Adele Crapsey cinquains are better than the other types, and one who thinks reverse cinquains are better than the other types. Explain that this need not reflect their real opinions because acting involves exploring other characters’ points of view. The three actors should play out an argument with each supporting his or her opinion with reasons why their type of cinquain is better than the others. The audience may offer prompts if the actors are stuck, but must raise their hands rather than call out. Discuss the points raised during the role-play.

Which character did you agree with? Why?What was the most convincing argument?

turning free verse into fixed forM

Play some interesting instrumental music. Ask students to write freely for two minutes in response to the music. Encourage them to let their ideas flow. If students don’t know what to write about, offer a set topic, such as a colour.

Now have students turn what they have written into a cinquain. Allow them to select which type of cinquain they’d like to use and have them refer to Text Model 3 as a guide. Allow five minutes of writing time then ask volunteers to read their two pieces of writing.

How did the writing change as it moved from free verse into fixed form?Which one did you find easier? Why?

Encourage students to discuss any other discoveries they made during the writing process.

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Structure in Free VerseLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

WAtching clouds

Distribute copies of Text Model 4. Read the poem aloud, then take the class outside to look at clouds. If the weather is not appropriate, show photographs of clouds or display cloud photographs on the IWB. Challenge students to find a picture in each cloud in the sky or in the cloud photograph.

What do you see?

Discuss students’ responses.

Clouds are not ‘meant’ to look like anything (except clouds!), but people still manage to find pictures in them. Explain that free verse poems are much like clouds in this respect because when you first look at a free verse poem it can seem random and without form, but when you read it more carefully, patterns and other structural elements start to emerge. Focus students’ attention on Text Model 4. Together, count the syllables in each line. Write them on the board.

Can you see any patterns or recurring themes?

Things to notice could include:

• the first and last lines of the poem are the same• lines one, five and seven each have eight syllables• the second line has one syllable less than the first

line, the fourth line has one syllable less than the third line, and the last line has one syllable less than the second last line.

Read the poem aloud. Ask students to think about the sounds as they listen.

Can you hear any repeated sounds?

Things to notice could include:

• the two lines that end with ‘thing’• the alliteration (‘wave’ and ‘whale’, ‘boat’ and

‘bird’, and so on)• the last two lines which both end with words

containing ee.

Have students write their own poems about the pictures in clouds, based on the clouds they have seen, whether outside or in photographs.

poetrY Words

Discuss the terms line break, pattern, repetition, stanza, structure and syllable. Offer examples and encourage students to ask questions.

If you were writing a mini dictionary for young poets, how would you define each of these terms?

Distribute copies of Worksheet 4 and have students write definitions in their own words using blue pen

resources

V Text Model 4: Watching CloudsV Worksheet 4: Poetry WordsV photographs of cloudsV coloured pens or pencilsV an excerpt from a piece of prose

(about 50 words)

AreAs of focus

V Free verse still has structureV StanzasV Line breaksV PatternsV Repetition

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Structure in Free Verseor pencil. Ask students to read their definitions. Encourage the rest of the class to make notes if other people’s definitions give them ideas for improving their own. Have students use a different coloured pen or pencil (that is, not blue) for their notes. Discuss the changes students made. Distribute clean copies of the worksheet so students can write their revised definitions neatly.

lines And stAnzAs

Distribute copies of an excerpt from a piece of prose. Each student should have the same excerpt. You can use almost anything, but try to make it something students may enjoy. Ask students to add line breaks to the excerpt and arrange it into stanzas as if it were a poem. Tell them there are no rules for where they put the line breaks; it’s fine if the lines break in the middle of sentences and it’s also fine if they make the piece sound awkward. Sometimes poets do this on purpose! Similarly, the stanzas might all have the same number of lines, or they might be arranged in a pattern. Stanza breaks might also be used to emphasise particular words or sections in the poem. Encourage students to experiment with different arrangements and to have fun. Give them about 10 minutes for the activity.

When all students have finished, ask volunteers to show the rest of the class where they put their line and stanza breaks. Compare the different arrangements and the way these affect the feel, and perhaps even the meaning, of the words.

MAths poeMs

Poetry, like Maths, is full of patterns. Discuss some of the patterns students are learning about in Maths.

Is there any way to mimic these patterns using words?

Explain that a number pattern can be replicated in poetry in a variety of ways:

• the number of syllables per line• the number of words per line• the number of lines per stanza, and so on.

Write the number 123 on the board. Beneath it, write ‘I like mice’. Explain that just as changing the order of digits creates new numbers, changing the order of words can create new lines. Write a list of the three digit numbers that can be created using the digits 1, 2 and 3 on the board:

123

132

213

231

312

321

By rearranging the words in the same way, you can create the following absurd poem:

I like mice.

I mice like.

Like I mice.

Like mice I.

Mice I like.

Mice like I.

Poems like this are silly and funny when performed aloud. Occasionally they offer up interesting word combinations that capture listeners’ attention and cause them to reflect upon the unique sounds and meanings of each word.

even More MAths poeMs

Here is a poem that masquerades as a series of inequalities, but uses words instead of numbers. Write it on the board for students to see.

Fear > Danger

Danger < Hope

\ Hope > Fear

Ask students to create their own short poems using ‘greater than’, ‘less than’ and other Maths symbols.

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Sound in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

soft And shArp sounds

Distribute copies of Worksheet 5. Ensure that all students have access to red, blue, orange, yellow and green pencils or crayons. Explain that for this activity, colours are used as a sort of code. If a sound is extremely sharp, it should be shaded red. If a sound is extremely soft, it should be shaded blue. If a sound is halfway between sharp and soft, it should be shaded yellow. Sharp sounds should be shaded orange and soft sounds should be shaded green. Explain the key to students.

Work through the top row of sounds together to give students the opportunity to discuss different sounds and whether they would be classified as soft or sharp. Have students complete the rest of the worksheet individually then discuss their answers. Emphasise the fact that answers are not ‘right’ or ‘wrong’; they are based on personal opinion.

Examples like ‘shoosh’, ‘thud’ and ‘pitter-patter’ are particularly subjective. The purpose of this activity is to help students think about the different effects created when sounds are used in poems.

sound repetition

Distribute Text Model 5 and read the two poems aloud. Explain that both poems employ a device called alliteration, which means the use of words beginning with the same letter.

Which letter is used to create alliteration in the first poem?(answer: the letter s)Which two letters are used to create alliteration in the second poem?(answer: the letter b in the first stanza, the letter o in the second stanza)

Discuss the fact that the repeated s can sound like a hissing snake, the repeated b can sound like a bouncing basketball and the repeated o can sound like somebody saying ‘oh’, as in ‘Oh no!’, because the window is broken.

Ask students to write their own alliterative poems. Encourage them to consider the sounds that will best suit their poems. For example:

• for poems about the ocean, use sh words to sound like waves

resources

V Text Model 5: Alliteration and Sound RepetitionV Text Model 6: Roller-coasterV Text Model 7: Syllable Pattern PoemsV Worksheet 5: Soft and Sharp SoundsV Worksheet 6: Internal RhymeV coloured pencils or crayonsV percussion instruments, such as drums, cymbals

and maracas


V Derek Abbott’s Animals Noise Page at www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/personal/ dabbott/animal.html

AreAs of focus

V Sounds in poemsV Alliteration and sound repetitionV Onomatopoeia V End rhyme and internal rhymeV Rhythm and syllables

Extremely sharp red

Sharp orange

Between sharp and soft yellow

Soft green

Extremely soft blue

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Sound in Poetry • for poems about autumn, use words with c and k to sound like crackling leaves

• for poems about rain, using lots of p words to sound like the pitter-patter of raindrops

• for spooky poems, use words containing ee and oo to sound like screams and howls.

internAl rhYMe

Distribute copies of Text Model 6 and read the poem together. Ask students to circle the words that rhyme.

What do you notice about the rhymes in this poem?

Explain that this poem uses internal rhyme, which means the rhymes are within lines rather than at the end of lines.

Does internal rhyme have the same effect as standard forms of rhyme like ABAB? How does the rhyme relate to the roller-coaster in the poem?

Distribute copies of Worksheet 6. Have students fill in the blanks using the words in the box.

How can you tell which word is the best choice?

Once students have grasped the concept of internal rhyme, ask them to write their own poems with rhymes that fall within lines. They may write on any topic. Suggest ideas such as music, dancing and sports as starting points for those who are stuck for a topic.

onoMAtopoeiA

Explain that an onomatopoeic word is a word that replicates a sound; the word’s sound is its meaning. Some examples include bang, crash and moo. Ask each student in turn to say an onomatopoeic word. Prompt the rest of the class to repeat each word. Explain that onomatopoeic words can change over time and they are different in different languages. For example, American frogs ribbit but Russian frogs kva kva.

Together, brainstorm ways to say and spell new onomatopoeic words to represent:

• a washing machine• bicycle wheels• a pedestrian crossing• somebody blowing up a balloon.

Once you have at least four words per category, invite small groups of students to improvise short theatre scenes using no dialogue except onomatopoeia. Ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate.

rhYthM

Have the class sit in a circle. Give each student a percussion instrument. Going around the circle, have students devise and play their own short rhythm (of no longer than 30 seconds’ duration). Encourage students to make their rhythm different, and to explore the unique qualities of each particular instrument. Have each student play their rhythm a second time then ask them to replicate their rhythm using words, for example thud-a-thud-ud or shaka-shaka-shake-shake. Have students put down their instruments and repeat their rhythms again using only their voices. Explain that this is called a sound poem. Discuss the connection between music and poetry.

How do you think music and poetry are related?

sYllABles

Demonstrate the concept of syllables by giving example words and clapping them. Distribute copies of Text Model 7. Ask students to count the syllables and guess the poems’ patterns. In the first poem, line one is composed of one syllable words, line two of two syllable words, and so on. In the second poem, each line is composed of a one syllable word plus a two syllable word plus a three syllable word. In the third poem, each line is composed of a two syllable word followed by a one syllable word.

Challenge students to write sentences using only one syllable words.

Is this difficult or easy? How do the sentences sound when read aloud? Do the syllables create particular effects?

Now ask students to each invent a syllable pattern for a short (four line or fewer) poem on any topic (animals are an easy option). Have students swap their poems and guess the patterns.

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Description in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

the five senses And eMotions

Explain that an emotion is a feeling. Start with the examples ‘happy’ and ‘sad’, then brainstorm a list of emotions. Distribute copies of Text Model 8.Ask students to guess the mystery emotion in each poem. Mystery emotion 1 is embarrassment, although anger and disappointment are also valid suggestions. Mystery emotion 2 is the feeling of cheating or telling a lie, but again, there will be many valid suggestions.

Ask students to circle all of the sensory images in each poem (sight, smell, touch, taste and sound). Instruct them to use different colours for the different senses, for example red for sight, blue for smell and so on. Allow two or three minutes for students to complete the task, then share responses.

How do five-sensory images help to convey emotions in poetry?

Instruct students to select an emotion from the list on the board. Distribute copies of Worksheet 7. Prompt students to think about the emotion they have selected in relation to the five senses and record their thoughts on the worksheet. Have them use the completed worksheet as the starting point for a poem. Encourage students to rework the ideas into a new structure to create their poem. Prompt students who find this too challenging to use the first poem in Text Model 8 as a guide. Explain that it is important to not actually name the emotion in the poem, but rather, to refer to the emotion as ‘it’ (see the poems in Text Model 8). When students have finished writing, ask volunteers to read their poems aloud. Challenge the rest of the class to guess the emotion for each poem.

reverse siMile

Reverse similes look the same as similes in terms of word structure, but give the opposite information to what is expected. They often contain elements of sarcasm. For example:

• The bread was as fresh and soft as Dad’s old footy boots.

• My bedroom is as tidy as a train wreck.• Our new neighbours are as friendly as a flock of

cranky camels.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 8. Read the example then have students write their own reverse similes. Encourage them to make their reverse similes funny and silly.

resources

V Text Model 8: Guess the EmotionsV Text Model 9: My WingsV Worksheet 7: The Five Senses and EmotionsV Worksheet 8: Reverse Similes

V coloured pencils or crayons

AreAs of focus

V Five-sensory imageryV Simile and reverse simileV Identifying metaphorV Identifying personificationV Hyperbole

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Description in PoetryNow ask students to each write a poem about something they don’t like, using lots of reverse similes. Remind students not to write about other people. Possible topics could include:

• insects that bite• homework• the end of the holidays• rainy lunchtimes• chores• horrible foods.

MetAphor And personificAtion

Explain that a metaphor is very similar to a simile. When you use a simile you describe one thing by comparing it to another thing, for example ‘Your bedroom is like a pigsty’ or ‘That cat is as white as snow’. Similes almost always use either like or as. When you use a metaphor, instead of saying one thing is like another thing, you say that one thing is the other thing. For example, ‘The moon is a silver sword’. Personification is a particular type of metaphor which gives an animal, an object or an idea human attributes. Distribute copies of Text Model 9 and read it together. Challenge students to find examples of metaphor and personification. Don’t be too pedantic about which is which; at this stage the focus is to introduce the concepts to students. Discuss the effects that metaphor and personification create.

Brainstorm everyday sayings that use metaphor and personification, and list these on the board. Some examples of metaphor:

• You are the apple of my eye.• Education is the key to success. • Time is money.

Some examples of personification:

• The engine roared. • The thunder clapped.• The leaves danced in the breeze.

the hYperBole gAMe

Have the class stand in a circle. Explain that when you use hyperbole, you exaggerate to ridiculous extents. For example, ‘He was taller than a building’. To play the hyperbole game, begin with a realistic statement, such as ‘I ate a big piece of cake’. Ask each student in turn to exaggerate the statement a little more. For example, ‘I ate a piece of cake that was as big as my head’, ‘I ate a piece of cake that was as big as my sister’, ‘I ate a piece of cake that was as big as my house’, and so on. Continue until the hyperbole can get no more extreme then start again with a new realistic statement.

the MetAphor And siMile gAMe

Read a poem aloud. Instruct students to stand if they hear an example of a simile or metaphor. Challenge students who are standing to identify the example as simile or metaphor, and keep a points tally for each student. Play the game at different times and keep adding to the points tally. At the end of the week (or other designated time period), the student with the most points is the winner. Make the game more complex by asking students to identify reverse similes, personification, hyperbole and other descriptive elements.

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Language in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

choice of vocABulArY

Call on four to six volunteers to role-play a dinner scene in which one actor has the tomato sauce and another requests it. Prompt the other actors to help create the scene and react to events. Explain that the scene will be played four times (either allow the same students to play the scene, or choose a new group each time). The first time the scene is played, tell students the setting is a very formal dinner party. Instruct the actor asking for the sauce to say, “Oi! Give us the tommy, will ya mate?”. Ask the other actors to react appropriately. The second time the scene is played, the setting is the same. Tell the actor asking for the sauce to say, “Pardon me, gracious host/hostess, but would you be so kind as to pass me that delectable tomato condiment?”. The third and fourth times the scene is played, the setting has changed to a very rough pub. Tell the actor asking for the sauce to use exactly the same two pieces of dialogue as before. Ask the other actors to react in response to the new situation.

Discuss how saying the same thing in a different way can alter its interpretation.

Which phrasing of the tomato sauce request was the most appropriate for each setting? What happened when the actor used words that were not appropriate for the setting? What are some other things that are phrased differently in different situations? How is email and SMS language (Netspeak) different from the written language of books and newspapers?

Explain that when we write poetry, we don’t just think about what we say, but how we say it. We need to consider how language interacts with context.

dictionArY poeMs

Ask students to each choose a well-known poem, such as a nursery rhyme. Instruct them to find every word in a dictionary and replace it with one word from the dictionary definition. The results should be absurd. For example, the first two lines of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ could become:

Mary have one unimportant meatit woolly be colour concerning vapour

Explain that this is why translated poems and other forms of writing are never quite the same as they were in their original languages.

resources

V Text Model 10: TwinsV Text Model 11: Front-to-Back Poem V Worksheet 9: Parallelism Partners

V Worksheet 10: Front-to-Back


V dictionaries (one per student)V sheets of cardboardV art supplies

AreAs of focus

V Choice of vocabularyV ParallelismV WordplayV Word coinage

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Language in Poetry

pArAllelisM pArtners

Photocopy Worksheet 9 and cut out the cards. If there are more than 20 students in your class, you will need two copies of the worksheet to ensure there are enough cards for each student. Explain that parallelism occurs in poetry when you have two lines which share the same basic structure, but include some form of variation. Two famous examples include ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’ and ‘Roses are red, violets are blue’. Distribute Text Model 10 so that students can see how parallelism can be used in poems. Have students play ‘Parallelism partners’ to consolidate their understanding.

Distribute the cards from Worksheet 9, one per student. Explain that the aim of the game is to find a line that is the ‘parallelism partner’ of their own line. Ask a student to walk around the classroom, checking other cards until they find one that contains the ‘parallelism partner’ of their own, for example ‘As white as snow’ and ‘As green as grass’. Once a student has found their parallelism partner, have them sit together. Ask another student to walk around the room in search of their partner, and so on. When all students are paired, have each pair read their lines (there are many possible combinations). Challenge the rest of the class to judge whether the lines are truly an example of parallelism or not, giving reasons for their decision. A common mistake in the first round could be matches such as ‘A blue shoe’ with ‘As blue as the sky’. Reinforce the idea that parallelism is not about content but sentence structures. Repeat the game several times until most students can correctly identify parallelism.

front-to-BAck

Distribute copies of Worksheet 10. Read the idiomatic expressions on the left side of the page and discuss their meanings. Have students play with the idiomatic expressions by turning them back-to-front or twisting them around in funny ways. Explain that there are no right or wrong answers. Encourage students to experiment with the words and try to make their expressions as weird as possible. For example, ‘To weather the storm’ could become ‘The steather to worm’ and ‘To judge a book by its cover’ could become ‘To cover a judge by its book’.

Once students have completed the worksheet, share their responses. Write an absurd collaborative poem

on the board that incorporates some of the silly lines that students liked best. Distribute copies of Text Model 11 and have students use this as a model.

Word coinAge

Explain that the words x-ray, internet, telephone and computer are all less than 200 years old. Discuss the fact that these new words are used to name objects which did not exist two centuries ago. Whenever someone invents something, a name must be coined for the invention. Ask students to imagine that a fictional inventor, Professor Kook, has been busily creating things that still need to be named. The inventions include:

• a satellite that can be worn as a hat• a robot that messes up the house so people can

get fit tidying it up again• high heel rollerblades• broccoli-flavoured soft drink.

Prompt students with suggestions such as:

• hatellite• mess-bot• rollerheels• broccofizz.

There are many possibilities for each example. Encourage students to think of several different names for each invention. List them on the board.

Do you think Professor Kook’s inventions would be successful? Why do you say that?

Now ask students to suggest some crazy inventions of their own. List five of these on the board. Ask students to pick the one they like best and make a poster to advertise it. Remind students to include the invention’s name, picture and an explanation of how it works on their poster.

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Symbolism in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

WhAt is A sYMBol?

Explain that a symbol is something that is used to represent something else. Some symbols are functional, especially those used in daily life. Other symbols are more complex, especially those used in poetry and art. Brainstorm a list of simple symbols. Examples could include:

• road signs• maths symbols• arrows• no smoking signs.

Now brainstorm a list of more complex symbols. Examples could include:

• hearts for love• peacocks for vanity• a shining sun for happiness.

Explain that symbolic meanings vary greatly across cultures. This is particularly true for colour symbolism. For example, in some cultures white symbolises innocence and purity, while in others it symbolises death. For some people red symbolises love, for others, anger. Have each student create a poster depicting a selection of functional and complex symbols and their meanings.

sAMe MeAning, different sYMBol

Distribute copies of Worksheet 11. Ask students to draw pictures in the boxes to symbolise the words. Explain that you expect there to be many different symbols because images represent different things to different people. For example, ‘remembering’ might be symbolised by a picture of a string around a person’s finger, but it could also be symbolised by a poppy for Remembrance Day, an elephant (because supposedly they never forget) or something else entirely. Allow students about 10 minutes to complete the worksheet then share their responses.

Were any of your symbols the same as someone else’s? Why do you think this was the case?Do you think you would be able to interpret everyone else’s symbols? Why do you say that?

Discuss the fact that personal experiences, learning experiences and cultural background all help to shape our understanding of symbols and their meanings.

resources

V Text Model 12: Ekphrastic PoemV Text Model 13: Two Rhyming PoemsV Worksheet 11: Symbolism V pictures of visual art with symbolic elements


V The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali at www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79018

V Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso at www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=78630

V Drawing Hands by MC Escher at www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/timage_f?object=54237 &image=13382&c=ggescher

V www.artchive.com/

AreAs of focus

V What is a symbol?V Same meaning, different symbolV Comparing symbolism in art and poetryV A poem’s form can be symbolic

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Symbolism in PoetrysYMBolisM in Art And poetrY

Collect some examples of visual art that employ symbolism. Some examples include:

• The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali • Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso• Drawing Hands by MC Escher.

Choose one picture to display on the IWB or distribute copies of the picture to students. Discuss the possible symbolic meanings of the different images in the picture. For example, the melted clocks in Dali’s The Persistence of Memory might symbolise that time has become irrelevant or the feeling that time is moving too quickly. Encourage students to consider many different interpretations for the images and explain that no one interpretation is ‘correct’.

Organise students into pairs. Give each pair a different picture from the collection of visual art examples. Allow students five minutes to discuss the symbolism in their picture then have them come together to share their ideas. Ask students to write poems based on their pictures. Tell them poems that comment on another art form are called ‘ekphrastic’ poems. Allow students to work individually or in their pairs. Distribute copies of Text Model 12 as an example of an ekphrastic poem.

sYMBolic forM

Distribute copies of Text Model 13 and read the two rhyming poems aloud. Ask students to identify the type of rhyme in each poem. The first poem contains an ABAB rhyme scheme. The second poem contains rhymes that are offbeat and unpredictable and many internal rhymes.

How do the different types of rhyme reflect the personalities of each character?

The use of a traditional structure and rhyme scheme in the first poem symbolises the fastidious, tidy and well-behaved personality of the brother character. The less rigid form of the second poem—the way it invents its own rules as it goes along—symbolises the personality of the more rebellious sister character. Explain that these two poems exemplify the way a poem’s form, as well as its content, can provide symbolic meaning. Have students write poems in sections that alternate between a fixed rhyme scheme and free verse. Explain that the change in form should represent some kind of change in the poem. Allow students to choose their own topic. They could also select from one of the following ideas:

• A poem about waiting for the bell to ring on the last day of the school term. (Use fixed form to symbolise students waiting and free verse to symbolise their liberation once the bell rings and the holidays begin.)

• A poem about getting caught in a rip at the beach and swimming out of it. (Use fixed form to symbolise safety and free verse to symbolise danger. Alternatively, use fixed form to symbolise being trapped and free verse to symbolise freedom.)

• A poem about riding a bicycle up a hill and then freewheeling down fast. (Use fixed form to symbolise uphill and free verse to symbolise freewheeling.)

• A poem about a wonderful new cleaning robot that breaks down and destroys the house. (Use fixed form to symbolise the robot functioning properly and free verse to symbolise it going berserk.)

sYMBolic poses

Instruct students to walk around the room without speaking until you clap or say a word. Tell them when you say a word they must freeze into a pose that symbolises that word. For example, if you say ‘strength’, students might flex their muscles, and if you say ‘fear’ they might cower on the floor. Tell them that a single clap is their signal to resume moving. Play the game several times to give students the opportunity to try a number of different ‘symbolic poses’.

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Narrative in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

Building plots using drAMA

Choose two students to be actors. Have the first actor walk on stage and freeze in a particular position, for example kicking a football. Then have the second actor enter and freeze in a position related to the first one, for example umpiring the game. Remind the actors that they are not to explain what they are trying to be. Direct the rest of the class to look at the scene and create a story. For example, ‘There’s a minute left and Belinda’s team needs to kick one more goal to continue their undefeated streak, but the umpire seems to be favouring the other team because . . .’. Repeat the activity several times with different actors. Have students use their story ideas as starting points for poems.

nArrAtive poeMs ABout historY

Read the poem in Text Model 14, using the tone and mannerisms of a disgruntled camel to make it funny. Discuss the story of Burke and Wills. Focus on the idea that these explorers are often described as being brave and clever heroes when they were really quite inexperienced. Discuss the point of view employed in the poem.

How is the perspective unusual?Are stories from history usually told by camels?

Why is the camel the narrator this time? What effect does this have?

Brainstorm a list of events from Australia’s history. Choose one and write a collaborative narrative poem about this event on the board. Encourage students to tell the story in an unusual way, that is, from an unexpected point of view. Some possibilities could include:

• the story of any ‘great’ explorer from the perspective of their mother, who thinks they are very naughty for running away to do reckless and dangerous things

• the story of Captain Cook’s death from the perspective of a parrot in the treetops

• the story of the Dutch explorers who visited Australia before the British but didn’t settle, from the perspective of a ship rat (perhaps the rat escapes and declares itself the ‘real’ first European settler).

the chronologicAl versus non-chronologicAl gAMe

Explain that chronological means arranged in time order, and non-chronological means arranged in a different order. For example, ‘Yesterday we visited the zoo and today we will visit the park’ is chronological, while ‘Today we are visiting the park and yesterday we visited the zoo’ is non-chronological.

resources

V Text Model 14: Burke and WillsV Text Model 15: Backwards PoemV Worksheet 12: Make a StoryboardV sheets of coloured cardboardV scissors and glueV basketball court or similar outdoor space


V history resourcesV Hans Christian Anderson: Fairy Tales and Stories

at hca.gilead.org.il/ V Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick

(verse novel) V Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood (verse novel)

AreAs of focus

V Building plotsV Narrative poems about historyV Chronological and non-chronological

narrative poemsV Making storyboardsV Collaborative verse novels

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Narrative in Poetry

Take the class outdoors to the basketball court or another open area. Have students line up on one side of the basketball court. Explain that you are going to read a series of different sentences. Instruct students to stand still if the sentence is chronological, but to run to the other side of the court and back if the sentence is non-chronological. Explain that there will be 10 seconds for them to make a decision every turn, but if students make the wrong choice they are out. The last person to make it back from each run is also out. Count down aloud from 10 each turn so students know how much time they have. Include the following sentences but invent more if necessary:

• Today I feel wonderful, but last week I had a terrible cold. (non-chronological)

• I ate my breakfast and then I got ready for school. (chronological)

• I gave Tran a hug and said goodbye. We had been best friends since we sat together on the first day of school. (non-chronological)

• In the morning I will write a letter and in the afternoon I will post it. (chronological)

• Ellie grew up and became a famous comedian, but as a child she was shy and barely opened her mouth. (non-chronological)

BAckWArds poeMs

Distribute copies of Text Model 15 and read it together.

What is odd about this poem?

Explain that this is a non-chronological poem because it begins at the end of the day and works back to the beginning of the day. Have students write their own backwards poems. Encourage them to choose their own topic, but prompt them with suggestions such as:

• making and eating a healthy salad• climbing to the top of a big hill and looking down

at the view below• winning a race or sports match against the odds• painting a picture on a blank piece of paper• planting a seed and watching it grow.

MAke A storYBoArd

Distribute copies of Worksheet 12 and sheets of cardboard. Ensure that all students have access to scissors and glue. Explain that the cards on the worksheet are for making storyboards, much like what scriptwriters and directors use when they are

making movies. Storyboards are helpful for any kind of storytelling, including narrative poetry. Instruct students to cut out all the cards and to arrange them in different ways. Once they have found an arrangement they like, have them glue the cards onto their sheet of cardboard. Tell students there is no right or wrong order as storyboards can be created in many different ways. Take the activity a step further by asking students to write narrative poems based on their storyboards.

collABorAtive verse novels

Verse novels tell longer stories through poetry. Each poem is roughly equivalent to one chapter in a novel. To create a collaborative verse novel, have students decide upon a well-known story. Choose something simple with broad appeal, such as The Ugly Duckling or The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. Brainstorm the important moments in the story. List the same number of episodes as there are students in the class, and assign one episode to each student. If the class is large, have students work in pairs. Ask each student or pair to write a poem capturing their moment or episode. Allow them to choose their preferred style. When the poems are finished, put them together to form a verse novel. Bind the pages together inside a cardboard cover and display the book in the classroom for students and visitors to read.

Two good examples of Australian verse novels are:

• Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick • Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood.

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Character in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

Building chArActers froM pictures

Inventing a character out of the blue can be daunting. One way to help ideas flow is to begin with a picture. Go through some old magazines and cut out pictures of interesting looking people. Give one picture to each student and ask them to answer the following questions:

What is the person’s name?How old are they?Who are their family members?Who is their best friend?What is their favourite food?Do they have a job? If so what is it? Do they like it?If they are too young to have a job, what do they want to be when they grow up?What do they like to do on weekends?Do they own a pet? What is it? What is something they really hate?What is their deepest darkest secret?What is their greatest fear?

After students have answered these questions, encourage them to list further details about their characters. These details can be used as the basis of a character-driven poem.

chArActers out of context

Choose three or four students to be actors. Explain that each student will be taking on the role of the character they have been writing about. Allow audience members to choose the location and situation for the scene. Prompt students to choose a situation that is different from the characters’ normal settings. For example, the characters have all accidentally travelled back in time and are trying to find a way to get back to the present. Encourage the actors to make quick decisions about how their characters would react to both the setting and the actions of the other characters. Keep each scene short, of about a minute’s duration, and give all students a turn. This improv game can help students to get to know their characters better.

point of vieW

Distribute copies of Worksheet 13. Discuss what is meant by first, second and third person and read through the example on the worksheet. Explain that each column is to be completed in the same way. When students have finished, go though the answers together.

resources

V Text Model 16: The Big GameV Text Model 17: My Sister the EmoV Worksheet 13: Point of View V Worksheet 14: Stereotype Overhaul!


V old magazines

AreAs of focus

V Building charactersV Developing charactersV First, second and third personV Third person omnipresent and distanced

perspectivesV Challenging stereotypes

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Character in Poetrythird person

Distribute copies of Text Model 16. Have students cover the right side of the page with a notebook. Together, read the parts of the poem that can be seen on the left side of the page. Ask students to uncover the right side of the page. Now read the entire poem aloud, including the follow-up lines on the left side of the page.

What did you notice was different about the two versions?

Explain that the first version is presented from a ‘distanced’ third person point of view. As we read the poem, we don’t know what Sunjit is thinking; we can only observe him from the outside and see what he does. The second version is presented from an ‘omnipresent’ third person point of view. As we read the poem, we are able to get inside Sunjit’s head to understand his thoughts.

Go through each section of the poem, one side at a time.

Did the text on the right add something we wouldn’t have known otherwise? Why do you say that?

Could we have worked out the same information using just the text on the left? Why do you say that?

Discuss the pros and cons of knowing a character’s thoughts when you read a poem or story. For example, the omnipresent point of view makes it easier to understand what is going on, but it can also make things a little too obvious.

MAsquerAde poeMs

Sometimes poems masquerade as other forms of writing such as letters, lists and SMS messages. A novel way to explore characters is to imagine the sorts of things they might write. Ask each student to think of a character. As that character, have them write a poem that masquerades as either a list of birthday wishes, a list of New Year’s resolutions, a to-do list or a letter. Tell students the masquerade poems are to be written from the character’s perspective, not their own, and they should reflect the character’s personality. For example, a very spoilt character might ask for lots of outrageous things as part of their birthday wish list, such as a pet rhinoceros or a trip to the moon. A thoughtful character might list non-material things such as a wish for their sick friend to feel better. A character who loves swimming might wish for new goggles, while a character who prefers reading might wish for a collection of books by their favourite author.

stereotYpe overhAul!

Distribute copies of Worksheet 14. Explain that stereotypes are conventional, predictable sets of characteristics. Characters that fit stereotypes are dull and unrealistic. They are also not very believable. Brainstorm some examples of stereotypes that students recognise from books, in advertising and in the media.

Explain that sometimes we accidentally write stereotypes into poems and stories. To avoid these, we need to look for ways to make characters unique. Focus students’ attention on the worksheet. Explain that the blank spaces allow students to add characteristics that will break the stereotypes. For example, perhaps ‘Mabel’, the little old lady, is also a spy; perhaps ‘Blondie’ is a Maths genius.

Have students write poems featuring characters who break particular stereotypes. Encourage them to use the examples in the worksheet as a starting point. Distribute copies of Text Model 17 which tells the story of a character who is a sullen ‘emo’ but secretly likes to laugh and have fun. Discuss the stereotypes that have been overhauled in this poem. Have students refer to the text model as a guide as they write their own poems.

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Visual PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

creAting contrAst in picture poetrY

Distribute copies of Text Model 18. Explain that the poem is set out like a Venn diagram in Maths. The text itself is based on the saying, ‘never the two shall meet’, but ironically, the two do meet in the centre of the diagram. The visual arrangement of the words contrasts with their literal meaning. A poem like this one is more complex than a simple picture poem in which the shape simply reflects the topic of the poem. A poem like ‘Opposites’ gives the reader more to think about. For example, a poem about a tree in the shape of a tree is attractive, but it doesn’t add any new dimension to the poem. A poem about a tree in the shape of an axe, on the other hand, provides much more food for thought.

Have students create their own picture poems employing a visual arrangement of the words that contrasts with or contradicts their literal meanings. To make things simpler, suggest that students start with just one word or one sentence for their poem. For example, they might use the words ‘big’ and ‘small’, but make the word ‘big’ small and the word ‘small’ big. The poem could then be read to suggest that things we see as very important (‘big’) are not so important (‘small’), while the everyday things we sometimes overlook (‘small’), such as friends and family, are important (‘big’). Other possibilities include the word ‘sad’ in the shape of a smiling face and ‘I love you’ in the shape of a broken heart. Encourage students to use their own ideas.

poeMs And diAgrAMs

Distribute copies of Text Model 19. The Solar System Poem is an example of a visual poem with multiple sections that can each be read on their own, or together in any order. Ask volunteers to read each section aloud.

How does the visual representation of the poem add to its meaning?

Discuss other ways the poem could be presented. Have students work in pairs or small groups to devise their own visual representation of the poem and present this on cardboard. Display these around the classroom.

Now ask students to create their own visual poem diagrams. Have them base their poem diagrams on another area of Science such as:

• the life cycle of a butterfly• the water cycle• the carbon cycle• the human digestive system• how a volcano works.

resources

V Text Model 18: Opposites V Text Model 19: Solar System PoemV Worksheet 15: Pie Graph Poems—Who Am I?

V sheets of cardboard V scissors and glue

V art supplies including coloured pencils or crayonsV clay for making sculptures

AreAs of focus

V Picture poemsV Poem postersV Creating contrast in picture poetryV Poems without set ordersV Diagrams and other visual texts

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Visual Poetry pie grAph poeMs

Pie graphs are used in Maths to provide a visual representation of data, but they can also be used to create visual poems. Distribute copies of Worksheet 15 and look at the example together. Explain that the pie graph format has been used to show a person’s traits. For example, the person described in the ‘Who Am I?’ poem is a swimmer and they have a messy bedroom. Point out that the sectors of the graph indicate the importance of each trait. Ask each student to create their own ‘Who Am I?’ pie graph poem using the blank graph at the centre of the worksheet. Have students write about themselves or about fictional characters.

Words And pictures

Have students choose a poem they have written, a poem they have studied or a poem they like. Ask them to rewrite the poem, replacing one word from each line with a picture. Have students swap their poems and read them aloud. Discuss the results.

Was the new poem different from the original plain text version? Did people interpret the pictures the same way or did each person give them new meanings? Why do you think this happened?

Brainstorm examples of pictures that are used to communicate ideas in everyday life, for example street signs, maps and the signs on toilet doors.

How are pictures like these useful?How can pictures like these be problematic?Can you think of a time when you misread the meaning of this type of picture? What happened?

poeM sculptures

Choose a short poem that contains interesting imagery. Distribute pieces of clay, one piece per student. Explain that you are going to read a poem aloud twice and as students listen they are to sculpt their clay in response to what they hear. Tell students they can choose whether to sculpt an image described in the poem, something they associate with the poem or abstract shapes to reflect the mood of the poem. Allow an extra minute after the second reading for students to finish their sculptures. Have students compare their sculptures and share the ideas behind them.

What does your sculpture represent? Why?

Repeat the task using several different poems. Choose poems that vary in terms of themes and moods.

fAshionABle poetrY

Discuss the use of poetry on clothing.

Have you ever owned or seen items of clothing with words on them? Did you think of these words as poems? How is reading a poem on somebody’s T-shirt different from reading it in a book?

Have students choose a poem they have written, a poem they have studied or a poem they like. Ask them to each sketch a design for a piece of clothing featuring all or part of the poem. T-shirts are the easiest option, but hats, pants, shoes, ties and other articles of clothing can work well, too.

Organise students into groups of three or four and distribute sheets of cardboard, one per group. Instruct students to create ‘fashion spread’ posters for the articles of clothing they have designed. Display the fashion spread posters around the classroom to remind students that poetry is not only found in books.

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58

Cyber PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

slideshoW poeMs

Slideshow poems are like the video clips that go with music. They can be created in Microsoft PowerPoint or similar slideshow software. Have students choose poems to use. They can use poems they have written, poems they are studying, or poems they like. Distribute copies of Worksheet 16. Have students use the worksheet to help them plan their first slide. Ensure students have access to additional copies of Worksheet 16 as they will need a separate worksheet for each of their slides, and there should be one slide per line of poetry.

Have students record their choice of background, text colour(s), text size(s) and font(s), and the accompanying images and animation(s) they will use for each slide on the worksheet, as well as the reasons for their choices. Encourage students not just to use the visual elements they think will look good, but to consider how specific visual elements relate to the meanings in their poems. Explain what is important is not so much how attractive the slides look, but rather, how well their visual elements convey the poem’s meaning.

To create their slideshows students will need to source images. There are several options. They can draw, paint or collage their images by hand and then scan them. They can take digital photographs

and insert them. They can draw images using a computer drawing program. They can use the computer clip art or search for free images on the internet. Have students save their selected images as JPEGs or similar files (not PDFs).

For some students, adding even one animation to their slideshow presentation will be a valuable achievement. Other students may be proficient enough to make their slides more complex by creating sequences of multiple animations and adding sound effects. Adapt the activity to accommodate the ICT skills of the students in your class.

Slideshow poems make great displays for open days, assemblies and special events.

hidden MessAge poeMs

Hidden message poems are also created using slideshow software, but with only a single slide. Ask students to write sentences that contain a hidden word. Encourage them to make the hidden word relate to the original sentence. For example,

WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO GO AND TURN OFF THE TAP? WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO GO AND TURN OFF THE TAP?

(The hidden word is drought.)

Tell students to insert their sentence(s) into a slide, leaving blank spaces for the letters which make up the hidden word. Explain that they need to add the

resources

V Worksheet 16: Slideshow PlannerV Worksheet 17: Hyperlink Poem PlannerV computer accessV word processing software V slideshow software (eg Microsoft PowerPoint)


V a scanner for scanning student artworks

AreAs of focus

V Slideshow poemsV Hidden message poemsV Hyperlink poemsV Poems about video games

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Cyber Poetryhidden word letters individually. The hidden word letters should be in the same size and font as the original sentence so as not to stand out from the original text. Show students how to animate their original sentences to slowly fade away. There are many fade options including spinning, shrinking, tumbling off the screen, and so on. After the main sentence has faded out, the hidden word letters will be left behind. Have students animate each letter so they all move together to create the hidden word.

For some students, just learning how to make the letters fade will be a valuable achievement. Other students may be proficient enough to include several hidden words that fade and/or reappear at different times as a sequence of animations. Adapt the activity to accommodate the ICT skills of the students in your class.

hYperlink poeMs

Hyperlink poems are like websites. They have links you can click on that take you to different pages. Distribute copies of Worksheet 17. Explain that this worksheet has enough space to plan a hyperlink poem of up to five lines. If students wish to write a longer poem, they will need to set it out on a separate page, referring to the worksheet as a guide for the line pattern. Allow students to choose whether to adapt an existing poem or write a new one. Prompt them to consider the images that will accompany the poem.

Hyperlink poems can be very complex, but a simplified version can be created in Microsoft Word or similar software using the following steps:

1 Have students source their images by scanning in their own artworks, inserting photographs, searching the computer clip art, accessing free images on the internet, or by drawing them in a program such as Microsoft Paint.

2 Have students save their selected images as JPEGs or similar files (not PDFs), ready to be inserted into a word processing document.

3 Have students create a new document and type in the first line of their poem.

4 Have students add their images and save the document.

5 Have students add hyperlinks to each of the two images. Have them select one of the images, then insert a hyperlink by clicking ‘Hyperlink’ from the ‘Insert’ menu. The menu will ask students if they want to use an existing document or create a new one.

6 Have students create a new word document and save it. Have students type in one version of line two into this document, then insert an image and hyperlink it to a document which contains line three.

7 Have students go back and hyperlink the second image in the first document so that it goes to another version of line two, which will also link to the line three document.

For some students, writing a hyperlink poem of three lines (that is, line one, two options for line two, line three) will be a valuable achievement. Other students may be able to make their poems longer or add additional hyperlinks. Again, adapt the activity to accommodate the ICT skills of the students in your class.

video gAMes And poetrY

Discuss the types of video games played by students in the class.

Can you think of ways that video games could involve poetry?

Brainstorm ideas and list them on the board. Start with ideas such as:

• using poetic devices such as alliteration to name games, levels and characters

• using quests written in the form of poems• using symbolism.

Have students write storylines for video games. Then have them write poems describing the games. Ask students to imagine that their poems are going to be used on the back cover of the game cases or in advertisements to promote the games.

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60

Performing PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

voice in poetrY perforMAnce

Discuss the types of music students like to listen to. Ask students to think of their favourite song.

Does it use the same pitch throughout, or does the pitch vary to create melody? Is the volume the same the whole way through, or does it change? Is the tempo the same the whole way through, or are there fast and slow sections?

Read a poem aloud in a monotone voice then read it again including variations in pitch. Discuss the differences created by the changes in pitch. Now read the same poem, first at one volume throughout, then with variation in volume (ranging from shouting to whispering). Discuss the differences created by the changes in volume. Read the poem again, first fast, then slow, then with a mixture of speeds. Discuss the differences created by the changes in tempo.

How do the pitch, volume and tempo changes affect our understanding and enjoyment of the poem?

Discuss where and when the pitch, volume and tempo should be varied in poetry performance.

Is a loud, booming voice appropriate for a very quiet and reflective part of a poem?

Write a short poem or a section of a poem on the board. Leave space between each line. Discuss the

parts of the poem that would benefit from changes in pitch, volume or tempo. Use different colours to mark the sections—red for higher or lower (pitch), blue for louder or softer (volume) and yellow for faster or slower (tempo). Encourage students to use the same process when preparing poems for performance.

BodY lAnguAge in poetrY perforMAnce

Explain that when we watch a performer, we observe what they do as well as listening to what they say. The way we use our bodies on stage matters. Ask three volunteers to read poems for the class and have each demonstrate one of the following:

• turning their back to the audience• holding the book they are reading from directly

in front of their face• standing with bad posture.

Ask the rest of the class to identify the problem in each instance.

Now brainstorm things that can be done to improve poetry performance. The list should include:

• using eye contact to connect with the audience• using facial expression for emphasis• using gestures and other small movements (where

appropriate) for emphasis.

Ask volunteers to demonstrate performing poems with and without these performance elements.

resources

V Worksheet 18: Improving Poetry Performance V poems to perform (include text models from

this book, the students’ own work, or any other poems students would like to perform)

V coloured chalk or whiteboard markersV drawing materials, including coloured pencils

or crayons

AreAs of focus

V Use of voiceV Use of body languageV Avoiding common mistakes V Improving poetry performanceV Using silenceV Introducing poems and thanking the audienceV Selecting the order of poems to be performed

in a set

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61

Performing Poetry

Discuss the differences they create. To consolidate their learning, have students write the elements of good poetry performance as a recipe (that is, a list of ingredients and a set of instructions), either in pairs or individually.

iMproving poetrY perforMAnce

Distribute copies of Worksheet 18. Ask students to look at the picture on the worksheet and label the mistakes. (The performer is not facing the audience, he is holding the paper directly in front of his face, he has bad posture and he is reading too quietly—even the mice can’t hear him!) Allow students two or three minutes to complete the task, then discuss their responses. In the space provided on the worksheet, have students redraw the picture to show effective performance elements.

sAY it With silence

Sometimes a well-timed pause or silence says more than any words could. Ask three volunteers to act out the following scene:

Two children have accidentally broken their mother’s favourite vase while playing cricket in the hallway. They find some glue and try to put the vase back together, but it is too badly broken. Their mother comes inside and sees what has happened. She starts yelling loudly . . .

Now ask the actors to replay the scene, but this time, instead of the mother yelling, have her stand silently with her hands on her hips staring at the children, who also fall silent when they realise she is there.

Discuss how the audience and actors felt during the mother’s long silence.

Could you feel the tension? Did you imagine what the mother was about to say and how much trouble the children would be in? What did you imagine?Were the imagined possibilities worse than the actual result?

Instruct students to take a poem they have chosen to perform and mark at least one point where they could pause, look up at the audience and wait 10 seconds before continuing. Suggest they use this technique when something exciting, scary or unusual is about to happen. Ask volunteers to read their poems, both with and without pauses. Discuss the different effects created when the poems are performed with effective silences.

the Whole pAckAge

Explain that a poetry performance is not just about the delivery of the poem. Other considerations should include:

• how to walk onstage• how to introduce the poem• how to thank the audience • how to walk offstage.

When a performance is comprised of more than one poem, it is also important to consider how the different poems will work together. For example, there should be variations of theme and mood.

Have each student plan a poetry performance ‘set’ by drawing a comic strip. Explain that the comic strip should be set up using frames as follows:

• First frame—the performer walks onstage.• Second frame—the performer introduces

themselves. Have students include a speech bubble in this frame to show the words the performer will use, for example ‘Hello, my name is . . . My first poem is called . . .’.

• Middle frames—the performer introduces their other poems. Students do not need to write the entire poems into their comic strip; it is enough for them to indicate the order of the poems and perhaps change a frame’s background colour to indicate variations in mood.

• Second last frame—the performer thanks the audience. Have students include a speech bubble in this frame, too.

• Final frame—the performer walks offstage.

Remind students to refer to their comic strip as they prepare their own poetry performance.

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62

WorksheetsWorksheets

You Need

All the

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Name Date

Draw lines to match the people on the left to the ways poetry can be used on the right.

Element: What is poetry? Focus: Poetry comes in many guises Lesson bank: pages 38–39

Worksheet 1

Poetry and Careers

Politician

Journalist

PE Teacher

Counsellor

Pop Star

To write catchy song lyrics

To help other people express their emotions

To make their speeches interesting and memorable

To think of chants and sayings that will motivate sports teams

To write attention-grabbing headlines for news stories

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Name Date

Step 1: Fold a square piece of paper diagonally. Open it out, then repeat for the opposite corners. Open out the paper again.

Step 2: Fold the corners into the centre.

Step 3: Turn the paper over so the folded sides are face down.

Step 4: Fold the corners into the centre.

Step 5: Fold the square in half so that the triangular flaps are on the inside.

Step 6: Put your thumbs and index fingers under the four outside flaps and gently push the outside corners so they meet in the centre.

Step 7: Write a poem on your poem pet.Decorate it with pictures, googly eyes and other craft materials.

Element: What is poetry? Focus: A poem can be different every time you read it Lesson bank: pages 38–39

Worksheet 2

How to Fold a Poem Pet

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Name Date

Element: Structure in fixed form Focus: Didactic, Adele Crapsey and reverse cinquains Lesson bank: pages 40–41

Worksheet 3

Cinquain TemplatesDidactic Cinquain

(One word)

(Two words)

(Three words)

(Four words)

(One word)

Adele Crapsey Cinquain

(Two syllables)

(Four syllables)

(Six syllables)

(Eight syllables)

(Two syllables)

Reverse Cinquain

(Two syllables)

(Eight syllables)

(Six syllables)

(Four syllables)

(Two syllables)

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Name Date

Define the terms using your own words to create a poetry mini-dictionary.

Line break

Pattern

Repetition

Stanza

Structure

Syllable

Element: Structure in free verse Focus: Free verse still has structure Lesson bank: pages 42–43

Worksheet 4

Poetry Words

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Name Date

Look at the words in the boxes below. Say each one aloud. Colour the word according to the key on the right.

Element: Sound Focus: Sounds in poems Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Worksheet 5

Soft and Sharp Sounds

ooh

crack

chomp

pitter-patter

eek!

yum

yikes

plonk

shoosh!

wheee!

thud

hmmm

Extremely sharp redSharp orangeBetween sharp and soft yellowSoft greenExtremely soft blue

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Name Date

This is the story of Pete and

Paul who wore shoes.

One day they made their downtown

where they five fat

all playing sax and making some

sounds.

Element: Sound Focus: Internal rhyme Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Worksheet 6

Internal Rhyme

blue

TallfoundNeat

catslive

shakingway

Use the words in the box to complete the internal rhymes in the poem.

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Name Date

Choose an emotion.

Element: Description Focus: Five-sensory imagery Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Worksheet 7

The Five Senses and Emotions

My emotion

If this emotion were a food, it would be

If this emotion had a smell, it would be

If this emotion had a colour, it would be

If this emotion made a noise, it would be

If I could touch this emotion, it would be like

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Name Date

For each of the similes in the left column, write a reverse simile that says the opposite.

The first one has been done for you.

Element: Description Focus: Reverse similes Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Worksheet 8

Reverse Similes

Simile Reverse simile

Mum’s car is as fast as a cheetah.

Mum’s car is as fast as a snail.

My hair feels as soft as silk.

That perfume smells as sweet as a rose.

The school principal was as tough as nails.

The dancer was as graceful as a swan.

The party was as much fun as a holiday.

Your voice is as loud as a trumpet.

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Element: Language Focus: Parallelism Lesson bank: pages 48–49

Worksheet 9

Parallelism Partners

A black hat Red and green

A blue shoe A red car

A house of bricks A bowl of plastic

A dress of silk As yellow as a sunflower

A statue of stone Loud and soft

As red as a tomato A green dress

As green as grass A yellow flower

As blue as the sky As white as snow

Tall and short As purple as an eggplant

Big and small A silver saucepan

✂

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Name Date

Twist the expressions around in crazy ways . . .

. . . way crazy the twists around in expressions.

Element: Language Focus: Wordplay Lesson bank: pages 48–49

Worksheet 10

Front-to-Back

To weather the storm

To judge a book by its cover

To get the ball rolling

To make hay while the sun shines

The best of a bad bunch

To take a leaf out of someone’s book

A half-baked plan

A flash in the pan

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Name Date

Draw a picture in each box to symbolise the word above it.

Element: Symbolism Focus: Same meaning, different symbol Lesson bank: pages 50–51

Worksheet 11

Symbolism

Love Danger Uncertainty

Freedom Friendship Peace

Remembering Reconciliation New beginnings

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Name Date

Cut out the storyboard cards and arrange them in the order you like best.

Element: Narrative Focus: Making storyboards Lesson bank: pages 52–53

Worksheet 12

Make a Storyboard

The brave princess slays the dragon and rescues the knight.

A dragon captures the knight and takes him hostage.

The princess meets the knight at a fancy dress party.

The princess decides the knight is rather boring and that she doesn’t like him.

The princess takes up karate lessons.

The knight turns into a frog.

Everybody in the whole kingdom is happy.

The dragon kisses the knight.

✂

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Name Date

Fill in the missing points of view. The first one has been done for you.

Element: Character Focus: First, second and third person Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Worksheet 13

Point of View

First person Second person Third person

I like apples. You like apples. She likes apples.

He hates spiders.

Your cat is purring.

Where’s my shoe?

Who is she?

Can you bake a cake?

Blue is my favourite colour.

He rode his bike.

You won the race!

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Name Date

The

follo

win

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arac

ters

are

ste

reot

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ake

them

mor

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tere

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add

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tha

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ster

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pes.

Element: Character Focus: Challenging stereotypes Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Worksheet 14St

ereoty

pe O

verha

ul!

Mab

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• Lik

es k

nitti

ng

• Pl

ays

law

n bo

wls

• • • •

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of

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gs

• • • •

Sim

mo

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apta

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team

• N

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aths

• • • •

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little

dog

• • • •©

Macmillan Education Aus

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Name Date

Create a pie graph poem about yourself in the large circle. Use the example to guide you.

Element: Visual poetry Focus: Diagrams and other visual texts Lesson bank: pages 56–57

Worksheet 15

Pie Graph Poems—Who Am I?

Dext

er

• Lo

ves

Scie

nce

• A

llerg

ic to

lots

of

thin

gs

• • • •

Blon

die

• Lo

ves

to s

hop

for

cloth

es

• C

arrie

s a

little

dog

• • • •

Messy bedroom

Grumpy in the mornings

SwimmerLoyal friend

Music-lover

Daydreamer

Example

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Name Date

Slide Number

Element: Cyber poetry Focus: Slideshow poems Lesson bank: pages 58–59

Worksheet 16

Slideshow Planner

Text

Images

Reasons for your choices

Animations


Text colour(s)

Text size(s) and font(s)


Background

Reasons for your choice

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Name Date

Record the words and images for each page of your hyperlink poem.

Element: Cyber poetry Focus: Hyperlink poems Lesson bank: pages 58–59

Worksheet 17

Hyperlink Poem Planner

words

words

image

words

image

two images +

words

words

image

words

image

two images +

words

final image

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Name Date

Look at the picture below. Label the four things the performer could improve.

Element: Performance Focus: Improving poetry performances Lesson bank: pages 60–61

Worksheet 18

Improving Poetry Performance

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About the Author

Amelia Walker’s poetry has been published

in magazines and journals around the world.

She delivers writing workshops for schools

and community groups and is a member

of the Australian Poetry Centre’s National

Education Committee. Amelia is passionate

about engaging young people with poetry.

Titles in this series:All you need to teach: Poetry Ages 5–8 ISBN 978 1 4202 7906 1

All you need to teach: Poetry Ages 8–10 ISBN 978 1 4202 7907 8

All you need to teach: Poetry Ages 10+ ISBN 978 1 4202 7908 5

Macmillan Wall Charts: Poetry ISBN 978 1 4202 8102 6

Poetry

All the tools a smart teacher needs!

All you need to teach . . . Poetry contains essential information, text models, lesson banks and worksheets to support you and engage your students as they

discover, explore and write poetry.

Teaching Tips — including information on the elements of poetry,

poetry and multiple intelligences, poetry across the curriculum and teaching poetry.

Text Models — examples of both fixed form and free verse poems.

Lesson Banks — mini-lessons that can be easily integrated into English

programs and will complement Drama and Public Speaking programs.

Assessment Rubrics — lists of levelled criteria to help you and your

students assess their poetry writing, poetry reading and poetry performance.

Worksheets — to help students think about poetry and then create their own.

Plus!All you need to teach: Narrative Text Types

All you need to teach: Nonfiction Text Types

All you need to teach: Drama

www.macmillan.com.au

Endorsed by the Australian Poetry Centre

AGES8-10

Amelia Walker

Poetry

Po

etr

y

Discover, explore and write po e t r y

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Documents

All You Need to Teach: Poetry Ages 8-10