Playing with Poetry: Discovery invites families to dive deep into a single writing subject over the course of four weeks. Writers will read a variety of poems to answer the fundamental question: What counts as poetry? Poetry allows writers to focus on play with language and form as they practice crafting messages within established structures.
In the course of class, writers develop an appreciation for language, musicality, literary elements, and rich vocabulary. Each participant emerges from class with an appreciation of this art form as well as a collection of original works.
Syllabus
Week One
Families get acquainted with analysis of poems, considering narrator, structure, rhyme, vocabulary, and themes as they enjoy reading poetry aloud together. Writing this week focuses on free verse poetry.
Week Two
Creativity is unleashed with visual poetry, where writers use the formation of letters, words, and overall poem shape to convey meaning beyond what the text says.
Week Three
This week, writers practice writing within the constraints of word counts as they craft cinquain, diamante, and etheree poems.
Week Four
Families round out the class with a dive into Japanese poetry, specifically the haiku and the tanka. Then it’s time to celebrate poetry accomplished!
Common Core and Academic Standards Support
What follows is a word bank and set of skills associated with this class. Use them to craft your own learning narrative for use in year-end evaluations, charter school reports, or any other accountability source.
Word Bank
- Alliteration
- Analysis
- Audience
- Close reading
- Metaphor
- Point of view/Perspective
- Rhyme
- Rhythm
- Simile
- Structure
- Symbolism
- Theme
- Voice
Core Skills
- Analyze effective writing craft in poetic forms
- Determine central ideas and themes
- Evaluate effectiveness of rhyme, rhythm, and structure in a poem
- Evaluate persona or narrator in a poem
- Maintain distinct writer’s voice
- Read diverse authors
- Utilize literary devices in writing
- Use vivid detail to describe using all senses
- Write detailed, organized, structured original narratives
- Write poetry in structured forms (free verse, concrete, shape, acrostic, cinquain, diamante, etheree, haiku, tanka)
