United StatesGetting to Know Each Other Through Poetry
Grade Levels: 3 - 5
Objectives
- Students will get to know each other through a poetry writing activity.
- Students will practice writing a form poem.
- Students will practice handwriting and art skills.
Materials
- Pencils
- Copies of Bio Poem Handout
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- 8"x11" Colorful construction paper folded in half
- Optional (for fancy decorating):
Newspaper
A metallic gold pen
Small flowers
Wax paper
A cheese grater
Old crayons
An iron
Procedures
- Give each student a copy of the
Bio Poem Handout.
- Ask students to fill in the information needed to create a bio-poem.
- Pair students and have them read the poems aloud to each
other.
- Have students switch partners every few minutes until everyone in the class has interacted.
- Have students make cards. They can write their name and the title, "Hello, It's Me" on
the outside cover of the card.
- Tell students to copy their poems onto the inside flap.
- If time allows, have students decorate the cards by following these instructions:
- Allow each child to pick one small flower from the bunch.
- If you teach older children, ask then to take old crayons and grate them into pieces with the cheese grater. If your students are too young, do this yourself.
- Put several layers of newspaper on the table.
- Put a piece of waxed paper on the newspaper.
- Arrange the flower along with crayon shavings on top of the wax paper.
- Cover with a second piece of waxed paper.
- Put several layers of newspaper on top.
- Iron until the crayons are melted (ADULT ONLY).
- Hang to dry.
- Cut out pressed flower and glue it to the front of the card.
- Decorate the rest of the card using gold metallic pen, crayons, or markers.
- Display cards around the classroom.
