Why do I read business articles? Because they are often the source for amazing ideas to use in the Language Arts classroom.  This Forbes’ article about the Limerick Butler poet Stephen Clare inspired my take on Fresh Poems in the Classroom.

Stephen Clare sets up his typewriter and creates “fresh” poems for people in under 10 minutes.

He requires two things to create poems… a WHAT and a WHO

• WHAT is the topic for the poem?
• WHO is the poem for?

The customer talks to him as he writes. Stephen’s creative process determines the length and the structure of the poem, he lets the poem take the lead.

This magic can happen in the classroom too! Here’s how!

Setting Up This Experience in the Classroom

Immerse students in poetry. Explore many different kinds, not just ones that rhyme.

Here are some handy lists.

30 Books of Poetry for Young Readers

20 Best Poetry Books for Kids

Practice writing poems together as a class. Model first as a teacher (I DO, STUDENTS WATCH), then together as a large group and in small groups (WE DO TOGETHER) and then as individuals (YOU DO ON YOUR OWN).

After writing a few different types of poems, set up students in pairs to write “Fresh Poems”.  Encouraging students to share topics that are meaningful to them and to carefully consider who could the audience of their poem could be. This opens the audience to other students in the class and in the school, in addition to other school staff and to family at home.

However, reality is that writing a poem without scaffolds can be challenging. While some students can listen to another student’s ideas and create a poem, most cannot. Here are some ways to support the student writer of “fresh poems.”

Have poem templates for students to use with prior instruction of how to create with them.  These are the same templates students have explored in class to write poems.

Consider an organizer for holding the ideas of the student “customer”.  One option is to have a paper for students to make a jot list or perhaps a series of boxes on a page for students to create quick drawings with/without words.

If you have access to Google Apps, perhaps have the student “customer” speak into Google Docs using the voice typing feature found on the toolbar under “tools”. The benefit of  voice typing is that the poet can use these captured words, already typed into a doc to create the poem without worrying about the initial step of idea capture.

Finishing ideas can include no tech, meaning hand printed on a page.  It can also be low tech, using a word publishing technology to create a polished poem using typed words and found images. A high tech option would be using BookCreator, to include pictures and words in an eBook format.

Here are some other places online to create or learn how to write poems.

Poster My Wall

Poetry Templates from READWRITETHINK.org

Poetry Templates from Teach-nology

Using Google Slides to Make a Poster

How to Write Free Verse Poetry

Enjoy this process, make tweaks as you find out what works for your students. I think it is important to emphasize the beauty in the personalized gift of writing. Celebrate these newly created poems by bringing in those that are receiving the poems. As an extension, set up a FRESH POEM REQUEST box where students can fill out a form to request a fresh poem. The form should include, the name of the person requesting the poem, the topic for the poem and for who the poem is for.

I look forward to hearing how you used “fresh” poems in your classroom. Please make note in the comment section.

Here’s a bonus for you! I created this Poetry LiveBinder and you might find it helpful as you explore poetry in your classroom.

Until Next Time,

Coach Clark

 

 

 

 

You might need to Ketch-up!

 

You can find the previous lessons here – Lesson 1 and Lesson 2

By the way, thanks for hanging in there. I appreciate that you are taking the time to strengthen your skills as a teacher. Your students will appreciate that.

Knowing all this information is the difference between using a template and understanding the coding of a template.

I promise as you stay with this course you will understand how to connect all the smorgasbord of opportunities to take Language Arts to the max. I want you to be able to understand how to make your own Language Arts plans with the confidence to include web tools, Makerspace and Project-Based Learning.

So let’s keep going.

Today’s Lesson: Developing an Understanding of the Five General Outcomes

When I was able to dive deep and explore the contents of the five general outcomes, it opened up my world.

Among other things,  it makes it so much easier to link the content areas to language arts when the connections are made obvious.

Even though the general outcomes are listed separately they are in fact approached in the classroom as integrated with each other and the six language arts.

Here is a direct quote from the program of studies.

“The general outcomes are interrelated and interdependent; each is to be achieved through a variety of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and representing experiences.”

Nothing in language arts is really on its own and this is important to understand.

In my experience the isolation of skills and processes leads to learning out of context and without the possibility of transfer.

So here we go…

Outcome 1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences

As mentioned in a prior post, outcome one  is all about students unpacking ideas, feelings and experiences whether this happens at the beginning, middle or end of a unit or lesson. In this outcome you can connect these processes: brainstorming, webbing, mind mapping, KWL charts, think-pair-share, anticipation guides, graffiti walls, place-mat activity, four corners, free writing, and quick writes.

Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts

In the first section of Outcome 2 are your READING outcomes.  This is where you will find the support for phonics and comprehension strategy instruction. This is also your READER RESPONSE outcome. This outcome also suggests that reading a variety of texts is important as is examining them for AUTHOR’S PURPOSE. If you ever wondered where CLOSE READING fits, it fits here in outcome 2.

 

The second section of Outcome 2 are your WRITING outcomes. Students will be using the variety of forms and genres encountered during reading instruction to create their own text. They will be experimenting with WORD CHOICE and collecting ideas to write about. If you have wondered where the WRITER’S NOTEBOOK fits, this is the general outcome to connect it to. Also there are connections to STORY WRITING  and CLOSE WRITING.

This outcome is “meaty” and requires a lot of attention in the language arts classroom.

Outcome 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information

 

This outcome is your NONFICTION outcome. It can and should be connected to the other CONTENT AREAS. If you wondered where PBL fits in language arts, it is here.

This is also your RESEARCH outcome.

Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication

In this half of outcome four we find SPELLING, WORD PLAY, EDITING, REVISION, CAPITALIZATION, PUNCTUATION and PRINTING/HANDWRITING.  This is the outcome focused on clarity and being precise.

This half of outcome four is about PRESENTING to an audience and being an AUDIENCE member. If you wondered where AUTHOR’S CHAIR fits, it fits here.

Here is a direct quote from the program of studies.

“As students use English language arts in a variety of contexts with instruction, encouragement and support, they revise and edit to clarify meaning, achieve purposes and affect audiences.  In doing so, they apply the conventions of grammar, language usage, spelling, punctuation and capitalization.”

Think of outcome four as the Fix-em Up  and Presenting outcome.

Outcome 5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and collaborate with others.

This is your GROUP WORK and CELEBRATING outcome. This is where students can be taught skills to work in partnerships and larger groups. Similar to the other outcomes, this one fits well with the other content areas. Social Studies is another subject area that has outcomes directed at working in groups. I would suggest comparing and combining the L.A. and Social Studies outcomes.

Here are some direct quotes from the program of studies.

“Language is necessary for working together. Students learn collaboration skills by discussing in groups, by building on the ideas of others, and by planning and working together to meet common goals and strengthen community.  In every classroom, students develop a sense of community.  They learn to use language to offer assistance and to participate in and enrich their classroom community.  In this way, students share perspectives and ideas, develop understanding and respect diversity.”

“Students learn that language is important for celebrating events of personal, social, community and national significance.  In their language learning and use, they develop their knowledge of language forms and functions.  As well, they come to know how language preserves and enriches culture.  To celebrate their own use of language, students display their work, share with others, and delight both in their own and others’ use of the language arts.”

Think of this outcome as the group work and celebration of work outcome.

This marks the end of today’s lesson.

I know.

You want me to keep going.

But I want you to digest today’s learning.

Know the Five General Outcomes.

Think about the resources you have access to and how they might match up to the five general outcomes.

Trust me…everything else makes sense if you understand these five general outcomes.

Until Next Time,

Coach Brandi!

Next Lesson:  Understanding “Text” in the English Language Arts program of studies (K-9)

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