How is Poetry Useful in the Classroom?
Poems help us tell our stories. They tell lived experiences that would be difficult to convey without the literary freedom poetry provides. The metre, the rhyme scheme, and line breaks all convey meaning.
When we read the poem, we become the speaker, and this invites us to identify with the text.
Poetry helps students explore their identity and create imagery.
Poetry is highly emotional and provides an emotional release and for students to process their feelings.
Our desire to express ourselves, encourages us to find new words, play with language, and brainstorm abstract ideas. Poetry introduces a new way of thinking.
How to Use Poetry
Poetry is a multi-subject tool and is not limited to English Language Arts- it can be used in all subjects.
It can be used in a variety of classes, such as science and history.
In science, poems- such as a haiku- can be used to talk about the speaker’s relationship with nature.
In history, poems can be used to talk about how a particular event shaped your student's life, or how this event makes them feel or see about the world. I recommend using an ode or a ballad.
Poetry has the flexibility to meet the needs of all students.
Different languages: Poems can be written in the language of the author’s choice- English, their first language, second language, a combination, etc.
Different learning styles: map out the story behind your poem using tactile methods, such as a mind map. For auditory learners, read example poems aloud. For visual learners, look at templates or finished examples.
How to start in 5 steps
1. Make a mind-map: include optional prompts
2. Create a word wall
3. Choose your style of poem
4. Read or Listen to some examples
5. Use a template
Step 1: What is a Mind Map?
Step 2: what is a word wall?
Ask your students: "what words are important to your story?"
Make a word wall with your students. The words can be from languages they know, words that want to know, or languages they feel connected to. Paste them on a wall in the classroom.
Step 3: what is your style?
Acrostic: the first letter of each line in the poem spells out a word or phrase. Each stanza is a space.
Concrete: the poem is written in the shape of an image that adds meaning.
Ballad: the poem tells a story and can be put to music.
Haiku: a short Japanese poem that “focuses on a brief moment of time”; typically about nature.
Free Verse: you determine the rules of your poem
Step 4: Partner up
In small groups, have your students read or listen to examples of the poetry style they've chosen.
Step 5: get started
Provide templates for students who want more guidance. Here are some examples:
