all you need to teach: poetry ages 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

AGES10+

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 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 10+ ISBN 978 1 4202 7908 5

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 ............................................................................................. 19

Sound ............................................................................................... 23

Description ......................................................................................... 26

Language ........................................................................................... 29

Symbolism .......................................................................................... 30

Narrative ............................................................................................ 32

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 make 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 that 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 slideshow 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 upper 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 slideshow 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 write poems that contain symbols and pronumerals such as x and y to represent unknown numbers (like the one in Text Model 5).

Science • Have students write poems about topics from Science lessons (like the earthquake poem in Text Model 11) or to reflect particular rules.

Languages Other Than English

• Have students write poems in their second language using very simple structures such as ‘I like . . .’ / ‘I don’t like . . .’.

History, Society and the Environment

• Have students explore the role of poetry in society, for example in politics, commerce and sport.

• 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 only a rough guide 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. 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 two fixed forms, villanelle and paradelle. The villanelle is a traditional Italian form based on patterns of repetition and rhyme. It contains six stanzas. The first five stanzas each have three lines and the sixth stanza has four lines. Lines one and three of the first stanza alternate as the third line in stanzas two, three, four and five. They are also used as the final two lines of stanza six. Text Model 2 and Worksheet 2 will help to clarify these rules.

The paradelle was invented by United States former poet laureate Billy Collins, originally as a joke (Collins never intended for the paradelle to be taken seriously). A paradelle consists of four six-line stanzas. In the first three stanzas, line

two repeats line one and line four repeats line three. In lines five and six, all the words from the rest of the stanza are presented in a new order. The fourth stanza is composed of all of the words from all of the previous stanzas, jumbled together. Text Model 3 and Worksheet 3 will help to clarify these rules. Paradelles do not need to make sense.

In addition to the Collins paradelle, this book introduces a new version: the reverse paradelle. In a reverse paradelle, the same rules apply as per a Collins paradelle, but the order of stanzas and lines within stanzas are backwards. Playing with a poetic form in this way will allow students to recognise that they can create their own poetic forms and vary existing forms to suit their purposes. This reinforces the notion that poetic forms are there to be challenged.

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.

Writing free verse involves many structural decisions. Stanzas may be balanced with equal line lengths or patterns of line lengths. Alternatively, they may be deliberately uneven, or perhaps used to create emphasis. Similarly, individual lines can be even or varied in length. Line breaks may create shapes and/or rhythms, or they may emphasise particular words. Free verse poetry may also involve patterns of language and sound. Even the deliberate avoidance of obvious structure is in itself a 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.

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).

AlliterAtion, AssonAnce And consonAnce

Alliteration, assonance and consonance all relate to the repetition of sounds in poetry. Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning letters of words, for example ‘crazy cats’. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words, for example ‘stone cold’. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds at the end of words, for example ‘first and last’. All three can be used to great effect in poetry.

sound repetition

Sound repetition can be created through alliteration, assonance and/or consonance, but also through the recurrence of sounds anywhere within words to create interesting effects.

onoMAtopoeiA And sound poetrY

Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like their meanings, for example bang, crunch, whoosh. On the page they offer very direct aural images, helping readers to imagine sounds. Sound poetry tells stories using only onomatopoeia.

rhYMe, internAl rhYMe And iMplied rhYMe

Rhyme is most commonly associated with ABAB form or other strict end-rhyme patterns. Internal rhyme occurs within lines. It can create syncopation and other unexpected effects to surprise readers. Implied rhyme hints at words without actually saying them. For example, ‘Tabby the cat sat on the mat. She was getting rather . . . hungry.’

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 pay attention to syllables and rhythm 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.

five-sensorY And phYsiologicAl iMAgerY

Poems that evoke all five senses—touch, taste, smell, sound and sight—feel more realistic than poems that only use visual imagery. Description can be taken to the next level when physiological elements—the things we can feel inside as well as outside our bodies—are also taken into account. These may include rapid heartbeats, unusual stomach sensations, and so on. Using physiological imagery is an effective way of describing emotional states.

siMile And reverse siMile

A simile describes something by comparing it to something else, for example ‘your bedroom is like a pigsty’. 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 something is something else, for example ‘your bedroom is a pigsty’. Personification gives an animal, an object or an idea human attributes. For example, ‘the wind sighed sadly’. Metaphor and personification are advanced concepts which require abstract thinking.

hYperBole

Hyperbole means exaggerating to ridiculous extents, for example ‘He was so tall he swatted satellites instead of flies!’. Overuse of hyperbole creates an absurd effect. Used sparingly, hyperbole can be effective within serious as well as silly poems.

shoW, don’t tell

Poetry involves readers more if it shows, rather than tells, information. For example, ‘Jo felt hungry’ tells readers the information, whereas ‘Jo’s stomach grumbled’ shows readers and allows them to interpret the information on their own.

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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. Encourage students to consider the impact language can have upon the way a message is received, and how it can make people feel.

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.

plAYing With punctuAtion

Punctuating the same sentence in different ways can radically alter its meaning. Experimenting with punctuation is fun, and it can help students to understand the role punctuation plays in effective communication. Tell students that in the context of experimental poetry, it is okay to break the rules of punctuation, but this is inappropriate in most other contexts. Of course, to break the rules, it is vital that students first understand them.

hoW lAnguAge evolves

Language is not static, but constantly changing. Exploring the etymology of different words as

well as the relationships between words will give students an insight into the way language is constructed and how it works.

Word coinAge

As time passes, 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. It is important to remind students that much like the use of SMS and online expressions, invented words are only appropriate for specific contexts.

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 (see Text Model 14). 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 in life

Encourage students to make the connection between the symbolism in poetry and the symbols they use and encounter in daily life. Help students to recognise the symbolic meanings of particular foods, fashion icons and cultural emblems. Discuss the use of symbolism in movies, books, visual art, music and advertising and its effect.

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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. Encourage students to explore these boundaries and acknowledge that categorisations are mostly used for convenience; they are not fixed but subjective and open to interpretation.

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 visualise narrative structures by using graphs based on the classic three act play structure (see Worksheet 13) and storyboards.

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 add emphasis and impact in their poems.

rAp

Many rap songs are fantastic examples of narrative poetry. Talk to students about the types of rap music they like and encourage them to consider the narrative elements in songs they know.

verse novels And verse plAYs

Verse novels and verse plays are entire novels and plays told through poetry. Each poem roughly equates to one chapter in a standard novel. There are many ways to write a verse play; a simple option is to write a series of linked monologues (dialogue poetry is very difficult even for adults to write).

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 and to consider the construction of personal identity and the ways in which characters, like people, learn from experiences.

lAYers of personAlitY

Encourage students to move beyond superficial or one-dimensional characters and create characters with complex layers of personality. Ask students to consider the various ways a person may be perceived. Strangers, acquaintances, close friends and family all ‘see’ the person differently and make different judgments about them. The way the person sees themselves can be very different again. Encourage students to make the same kind of reflections about their characters.

different points of vieW

First person poems involve an ‘I’ perspective. Second person poems involve a ‘you’ perspective. 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. In third person limited omnipresent perspective, some characters’ thoughts and feelings are revealed to readers, but others are not. 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. Some picture poems, such as the continuous poem in Text Model 19, can be said to have no beginning and no end.

Advertising And logos

Advertising posters and logos demonstrate the way the visual arrangement of words can create meaning. Help students to analyse the messages within logos and different forms of advertising so they can become more critical of them and less likely to be swayed by their persuasive power.

using the Whole pAge

For longer poems, scattering words across the page instead of left-aligning them is a means of creating a variety of effects and added meanings. Encourage students to experiment with different whole-page layouts for their own longer poems. For an example, see Text Model 18.

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• interact with an audience• consider the ‘journey’ the audience will

experience • 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

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

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

American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank at www.americanrhetoric.com

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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2 79

08 5

Rubric 1

TS

Dis

cuss

es f

orm

in r

elat

ion

to

cont

ent

Dis

cuss

es c

onne

ctio

ns b

etw

een

patt

erns

in p

oetr

y an

d M

aths

Use

s so

und

repe

titio

n to

cre

ate

effe

cts

with

in a

poe

m

Dis

cuss

es t

he p

ossi

bilit

ies

of im

plie

d rh

yme

Use

s m

etap

hor

and

pers

onifi

catio

n in

poe

ms

Follo

ws

the

‘sho

w, d

on’t

tel

l’ pr

inci

ple

in p

oem

s

Map

s re

latio

nshi

ps b

etw

een

wor

ds

Just

ifies

the

rea

sons

for

pu

nctu

atio

n ch

oice

s in

poe

ms

Inve

nts

pote

ntia

l sym

bolic

m

eani

ngs

for

ever

yday

obj

ects

Con

sider

s iss

ues

of c

ultu

ral s

ensit

ivity

TS

Inve

nts

a ne

w p

oetic

form

and

m

akes

a p

oste

r det

ailin

g its

feat

ures

Dis

cuss

es p

oem

s us

ing

the

term

s st

anza

, rep

etit

ion,

line

bre

aks,

sy

llabl

es a

nd p

atte

rns

Use

s al

liter

atio

n, a

sson

ance

and

co

nson

ance

to

crea

te s

ound

re

petit

ion

with

in a

poe

m

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

ts p

rodu

ced

by

rhy

thm

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

ts p

rodu

ced

by

end

and

inte

rnal

rhy

me

Cre

ates

exa

mpl

es o

f m

etap

hor

and

pers

onifi

catio

n

Use

s ph

ysio

logi

cal i

mag

ery

in p

oem

s

Con

vert

s ‘t

ellin

g’ t

o ‘s

how

ing’

Expe

rimen

ts w

ith w

ord

coin

age

Use

s pa

ralle

lism

in a

poe

m

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

ts p

rodu

ced

by

diff

eren

t pu

nctu

atio

n

Dis

cuss

es la

ngua

ge a

nd c

onte

xt

Cre

ates

a s

ymbo

lic r

ecip

e po

em

abou

t ow

n fa

mily

’s cu

lture

TS

Writ

es a

vill

anel

le u

sing

a t

empl

ate

Writ

es a

par

adel

le u

sing

a t

empl

ate

Writ

es f

ree

vers

e po

ems

Prod

uces

exa

mpl

es o

f al

liter

atio

n,

asso

nanc

e an

d co

nson

ance

Show

s aw

aren

ess

of rh

ythm

in p

oetr

y

Diff

eren

tiate

s be

twee

n en

d an

d in

tern

al r

hym

e

Use

s si

mile

s an

d re

vers

e si

mile

s

in p

oem

s

Evok

es a

ll fiv

e se

nses

in p

oem

s

Prod

uces

exa

mpl

es o

f pa

ralle

lism

Rew

rites

the

sam

e po

em u

sing

di

ffer

ent

punc

tuat

ion

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

t of

diff

eren

t w

ord

choi

ces

in a

poe

m

Iden

tifies

exa

mpl

es o

f sy

mbo

lism

in

ow

n lif

e

Dis

cuss

es s

ymbo

lism

in r

elat

ion

to

cultu

re a

nd c

onte

xt

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

Wri

ting

Poe

try

Ass

essm

ent

Tool

R

eadi

ng P

oetr

y

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15

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N 9

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2 79

08 5

Rubric 2

TS

Sugg

ests

pos

sibl

e re

latio

nshi

ps

betw

een

form

and

con

tent

Use

s te

chni

cal t

erm

s to

dis

cuss

po

etic

str

uctu

re

Iden

tifies

ass

onan

ce a

nd

cons

onan

ce in

poe

ms

Sugg

ests

pos

sibl

e ef

fect

s cr

eate

d by

sou

nd r

epet

ition

in p

oem

s

Dis

cuss

es h

ow s

ound

dev

ices

mig

ht

rela

te t

o m

eani

ng

Iden

tifies

exa

mpl

es o

f a

writ

er

‘tel

ling’

info

rmat

ion

Iden

tifies

exa

mpl

es o

f a

writ

er

‘sho

win

g’ in

form

atio

n

Dis

cuss

es t

he r

elat

ions

hips

bet

wee

n la

ngua

ge a

nd c

onte

xt in

a p

oem

Dis

cuss

es t

he e

ffec

ts c

reat

ed b

y

a po

em’s

punc

tuat

ion

Dis

cuss

es s

ymbo

lism

in a

poe

m in

re

latio

n to

mul

ticul

tura

lism

, and

w

ith a

n aw

aren

ess

of t

he m

ultip

le

inte

rpre

tatio

ns t

hat

are

poss

ible

for

ea

ch s

ymbo

l

TS

Dis

cuss

es t

he b

ackg

roun

ds b

ehin

d vi

llane

lles

and

para

delle

s

Iden

tifies

pat

tern

s in

free

ver

se p

oem

s

Iden

tifies

ass

onan

ce a

nd

cons

onan

ce in

a g

iven

poe

m

Iden

tifies

sou

nd re

petit

ion

in p

oem

s

Dis

cuss

es p

ossi

ble

effe

cts

crea

ted

by r

hyth

m in

a p

oem

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

Rec

ogni

ses

punc

tuat

ion

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

Iden

tifies

whe

ther

a p

oem

is a

vi

llane

lle, a

par

adel

le, a

fixe

d fo

rm

rhym

ing

poem

or a

free

ver

se p

oem

Iden

tifies

alli

tera

tion,

on

omat

opoe

ia, e

nd r

hym

e an

d in

tern

al r

hym

e in

poe

ms

Iden

tifies

rhy

thm

s by

cou

ntin

g sy

llabl

es in

poe

ms

Iden

tifies

sim

ile, h

yper

bole

and

re

vers

e si

mile

in p

oem

s

Iden

tifies

five

-sen

sory

imag

ery

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

poe

try

and/

or a

rt

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

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

Rea

ding

Poe

try

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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

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ustr

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2 79

08 5

Perf

orm

ing

Poet

ry

TS

Perf

orm

s tw

o or

mor

e po

ems

in f

ront

of

a la

rge

audi

ence

Con

side

rs t

he ‘j

ourn

ey’ t

he a

udie

nce

will

exp

erie

nce

as a

res

ult

of t

he

poem

s se

lect

ed f

or p

erfo

rman

ce

Com

mun

icat

es e

mot

ion

thro

ugh

one

or m

ore

of t

he f

ollo

win

g: t

one,

vo

lum

e, p

ace,

fac

ial e

xpre

ssio

n, b

ody

lang

uage

and

sile

nce

Inte

ract

s w

ith t

he a

udie

nce

Eval

uate

s ow

n pe

rfor

man

ce a

nd t

akes

st

eps

to im

prov

e it

TS

Rea

ds a

poe

m a

loud

in f

ront

of

a la

rge

audi

ence

(m

ore

than

one

cla

ss o

r an

as

sem

bly)

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

em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar

aspe

cts

of a

poe

m

Smile

s an

d ex

hibi

ts c

onfid

ence

bef

ore

and

afte

r th

e pe

rfor

man

ce

Crit

ical

ly e

valu

ates

str

engt

hs a

nd

wea

knes

ses

of o

wn

perf

orm

ance

TS

Rea

ds a

poe

m a

loud

in f

ront

of

the

who

le c

lass

Use

s ey

e co

ntac

t th

roug

hout

the

en

tire

perf

orm

ance

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

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

Iden

tifies

pos

sibl

e w

ays

to u

se s

ilenc

e to

add

inte

rest

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

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text

Models

text

Models

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You

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y A

ges

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mel

ia W

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acm

illan

Edu

catio

n A

ustr

alia

. ISB

N 9

78 1

420

2 79

08 5

TS

Perf

orm

s tw

o or

mor

e po

ems

in f

ront

of

a la

rge

audi

ence

Con

side

rs t

he ‘j

ourn

ey’ t

he a

udie

nce

will

exp

erie

nce

as a

res

ult

of t

he

poem

s se

lect

ed f

or p

erfo

rman

ce

Com

mun

icat

es e

mot

ion

thro

ugh

one

or m

ore

of t

he f

ollo

win

g: t

one,

vo

lum

e, p

ace,

fac

ial e

xpre

ssio

n, b

ody

lang

uage

and

sile

nce

Inte

ract

s w

ith t

he a

udie

nce

Eval

uate

s ow

n pe

rfor

man

ce a

nd t

akes

st

eps

to im

prov

e it

TS

Rea

ds a

poe

m a

loud

in f

ront

of

a la

rge

audi

ence

(m

ore

than

one

cla

ss o

r an

as

sem

bly)

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

em

phas

ise

part

icul

ar

aspe

cts

of a

poe

m

Smile

s an

d ex

hibi

ts c

onfid

ence

bef

ore

and

afte

r th

e pe

rfor

man

ce

Crit

ical

ly e

valu

ates

str

engt

hs a

nd

wea

knes

ses

of o

wn

perf

orm

ance

TS

Rea

ds a

poe

m a

loud

in f

ront

of

the

who

le c

lass

Use

s ey

e co

ntac

t th

roug

hout

the

en

tire

perf

orm

ance

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

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

Iden

tifies

pos

sibl

e w

ays

to u

se s

ilenc

e to

add

inte

rest

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

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18All You Need to Teach Poetry Ages 10+ © Amelia Walker/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7908 5

Element: What is poetry? Focus: Poetry can be whatever we want it to be Lesson bank: pages 38–39

Text Model 1

Poetry is dangerous, to be avoided at all costs. If you encounter poetry, be inert, not disarmed.

Poetry crouches in dark alleyways, creeps towards you like a whisper or a waft of last night’s smoke.

Poetry says lewd things in a lovely voice—don’t be fooled— Poetry bites and it carries disease.

Poetry talks with its mouth full, poetry answers back, poetry burps and poetry farts, poetry has no shame.

Poetry finds out all your secrets then tells them to the world. Poetry is every thought you ever thought before stopping to think better.

Poetry wraps toilet paper round street signs and calls it art. Poetry sees art on billboards, laughs and calls it toilet paper.

Poetry will get you in trouble and don’t think it’ll stay to share the blame. Poetry is dangerous, to be avoided at all costs.

Name Date

Poetry is Dangerous

WARNING

GO

BACK

DANGER

AVOID

AT

ALL

COSTS

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Element: Structure in fixed form Focus: Villanelle Lesson bank: pages 40–41

Text Model 2

I am just me, alone and small in a world where trees are dying. How can I make any difference at all? It’s factories and smokestacks tall, that’s why the ozone’s fading. I am just me, alone and small. It’s a lengthy drought, a low rainfall, that’s why our rivers are drying. How can I make any difference at all? I feel I’m up against a wall. What use is there in trying? I am just me, alone and small. Paul and I go to the park to play ball. We could walk, but we prefer Dad driving. How can I make any difference at all? Mum takes us to the shopping mall for lunch—plus all the paper it’s wrapped in—but I am just me, alone and small. How can I make any difference at all?

Name Date

Villanelle

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Element: Structure in fixed form Focus: Paradelle Lesson bank: pages 40–41

Text Model 3

Billy played a silly prank. Billy played a silly prank. He never thought anyone would go for it. He never thought anyone would go for it. Silly Billy never played it a thought for anyone he would go prank.

He invented a woman named Susan, He invented a woman named Susan, and wrote her a really bad poem, and wrote her a really bad poem. A really bad woman named Susan invented a poem and he wrote her.

First there was outrage . . . First there was outrage . . . Then the thing caught on! Then the thing caught on! The first thing was there . . . then outrage caught on!

First Silly Susan caught Bad Billy then he played a poem on her and a woman there thought he invented the thing named outrage. Never would anyone really go for wrote —a prank it was.

Name Date

Paradelle

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

Text Model 4

I’m a Rebel I’m a rebel—yes I am—don’t play by no-one’s rules. I stay up late, don’t cut my hair. Instructions? Who needs those?

Still I’m a rebel—yes I am— ripped jeans and wrinkled clothes. I play guitar, I play it loud and write all my own songs . . .

. . . except the ones by Green Day ’cause they’re my favourite band . . . but that’s the thing, I’m just so tough, I break my own rules too!

’Cause I’m a rebel—yes I am—can’t make me eat my greens . . . except for peas and broccoli and spinach—I like those.

But I’m a rebel—yes I am— my head down to my toes. I stay up late, don’t cut my hair, don’t play by no-one’s rules.

Name Date

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Element: Structure in free verse Focus: Connections between Maths and poetry Lesson bank: pages 42–43

Text Model 5 Name Date

Algebra Poems

Problem #1If x = youand y = me,then x + y = us

but if it is also true that x + y + z = usand z ≠ 0and x + y + z ≠ x + ythen what does z equal?

Problem #2If a = greenand c = yellowand a ÷ b = cthen what does b equal?

and if d = redand b × d = ethen what does e equal?

(Answer: another friend)

(Answers: b = blue and e = purple)

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

Text Model 6

Ghost SoundsThere’s something odd about that old house,

the one on the corner of the grove.

No-one ever goes there,

the doors are boarded over,

nobody even knows who’s supposed to own it,

but the front lawn’s always mowed

and I’ve overheard it told

that dogs won’t go beyond one metre round it.

Name Date

Three Sound Repetition Poems

Ocean SoundsWinds whoosh and gush,

shaking the shutters of shoreline shanties,

while waves smash and crash,

mashing shells and all their secrets

into shimmering specks of sand.

Campfire SoundsWe’ve walked all day, carting packs and rucksacks.

At last, we can sit back and share some tucker

—crispy crackers, marshmallows black

with ash. We attack them, ravenous

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

Text Model 7

Snor

rrrr

rrr—

Eeee

eeee

e .

. .

Snor

rrrr

rrr—

Eeee

eeee

e .

. .

Snor

rrrr

rrr—

Eeee

eeee

e .

. .

Snor

rr—

Brr

rrrr

rrrr

rrrr

rin

g!

Gasp

! Ta

p t

ap—

Thump—

KLUNK

Yaw

n

Hm

mm

mm

mm

. .

.

Flo

p

Snor

rrrr

rrr—

Eeee

eeee

e .

. .

Snor

rrrr

rrr—

Eeee

eeee

e .

. .

Snor

rrrr

rrr—

Eeee

eeee

e .

. .

Snor

rr .

. .

Name DateSo

und

Poem

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

Text Model 8Name Date

Wax in My EarsI’ve got wax in my ears! A tax on your tears?

You can’t be serious! You’re feeling delirious? Are you unwell? You think that I smell?

Well! You can talk.A walk? But we haven’t got time . . . We haven’t got lime?

I thought you didn’t like sour food.Oh so now I’m in a dour

mood? Speak for yourself!

A beak for my elf? I think you’re overtired!You got fired? But you

didn’t have a job!Who are you calling a slob?! I’m not! I’m clean!

Of course I know you’re not the queen! She wears a crown. I wear a frown? Well of

course, when you insult me!

Farming poultry? But we live in a flat . . . I am not fat! I’m

big-boned . . .

A pig phoned? Well I’m not calling back.

A falling yak? I don’t think so!

You want to see pink snow? I suppose we could dye some . . . Try some? Yak?

No thanks! I’m a vegetarian.A Sagittarian? You

behave more like a Taurus . . .

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Element: Description Focus: Five-sensory and physiological description Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Text Model 9

I’m searching for Buddha

amid the incense and silk pashminas,

not far from the shop with the super-hot laksa

that would make my mouth burn, my forehead shine.

“Do you have Buddha?”

I ask a red-haired Asian girl.

“Sold out. We’ll get more next week.”

I thank her anyway, keep searching . . .

my legs are aching, my lips dry.

Spruikers compete for attention

above a babble of language and barefoot buskers.

Children grizzle, parents scold,

pearl-necked women buy cheese for their parties

and my own stomach begins to growl.

Surrounded by colours, by spices and noise,

I keep on searching for Buddha

—but I can only find Ganesh.

Name Date

The MarketsJ

J

J

J

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


J

J

The School Bully

“I’m a tiger! I’m fierce

—so stay out of my way,” Penelope says

to all her classmates, who, being scrawny meerkats,

are startled and scatter fast.

“I’m a tiger! I’m fierce,” she says

every morning to the mirror

before she walks to school alone,

tiptoeing past the cemetery, whispering

to herself, “I’m a tiger. Tigers aren’t scared . . .”

“I’m a tiger,” Penelope says

when she is left all alone at lunch and recess,

“I’m a tiger,”

when no-one will sit near her in class.

“Tigers are tough. They don’t need friends.

I’m a tiger . . .

. . . but I’m locked in a cage.”

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Element: Description Focus: Personification Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Text Model 11

My grandpa has lots of cool stories, but my favourite, without a doubt, is the day Earth chucked a tantrum and-— he reckons-—nearly snuffed him right out. It was just another ordinary morning. The sun had barely crawled into the sky Grandpa had no clue what was about to happen, but now, years later, he knows exactly how and why. The skin of this Earth is not as thick as it seems, underneath there are sections called plates. They shift a little all the time-—sometimes a lotand then Earth gets irate. Grandpa was sitting, sipping coffee when the windows began to mutter. Moments later, all the plates on the shelves leapt onto the floor with a clutter. Earth was chucking a tantrum, and though it lasted just a little while, it carved deep scars into all of the walls because Earth chucks its tantrums in style.

Name Date

The Day Earth Chucked a Tantrum

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

Text Model 12

Version 7Winter morning! Walking along the beach! Collecting shells! Watching! Sea! Gulls! Dreaming of warmer days!

Name Date

Same Poem, Different Punctuation

Version 1Winter morning, walking along the beach, collecting shells, watching seagulls, dreaming of warmer days.

Version 2Winter morning, walking along. The beach collecting shells, watching. Seagulls dreaming of warmer days.

Version 3Winter: morning walking along the beach, collecting. Shells watching seagulls, dreaming of warmer days.

Version 4. . . winter . . . morning . . . walking . . . along . . . the . . . beach . . . . . . collecting shells . . . . . . watching seagulls . . . . . . dreaming . . . of warmer days . . . Version 5

(winter) morning walking (along the beach) collecting (shells (watching (seagulls) dreaming) of) warm(er) days

Version 6Winter morning? Walking along the beach? Collecting shells? Watching seagulls? Dreaming? Of? Warmer days?

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Element: Symbolism Focus: Symbolism and cultural diversity Lesson bank: pages 50–51

Text Model 13

Seeing RedJill sees red. She sees much more than red.

She sees love. She sees fury. She sees danger.

Jill’s friend Baruti sees red and sees death,

her friend Li sees a dress for a wedding.

Adina sees sin,

but Dipa sees purity,

Kuminjay sees the red earth of his country.

Stoplights are red,

but so are lots of race cars.

The shade that I call red you might call pink

or brown or orange.

Maybe my red is your white.

Whether crimson, cherry, scarlet or maroon,

only one thing is certain, as far as I can see,

red is much more than one colour.

Name Date

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Element: Symbolism Focus: Symbolism and food Lesson bank: pages 50–51

Text Model 14

Symbolism SaladBegin with one whole garlic and two bare hands. Smooth skin, gentle ridges. Unwrap, like a present: one object made of many.Take a small clove of the garlic. Chop finely and place in a bowl. Next dice three potatoesfor my Irish ancestors. Place in boiling water—heat as sudden as the Australian outback where my grandmother rode horses, built fences. Drain and leave to cool. Now slice two large tomatoes red as the blood on a Scottish battlefield. Season with dukkahfor the Egyptian family who lived next door when I was small. Also add a cup of chopped bok choyfor the Chinese meal we ate the night my UK-born Dad was naturalised. To the bowl of garlic, add half a cup of red wine vinegarfrom grapevines like those in the Barossa where thousands of German families settled, fleeing persecution. Squeeze in one fresh lemonfor bitter words and names changed, a pinch of saltfor all the long sea journeys and a shake of pepperbecause it both burns and is sweet. Combine the potato, tomato and bok choy in a large bowl. Dress with the vinegar and garlic mixture. Mix well and garnish with mint which is hardy and thrives despite difficult conditions.

Name Date

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

Text Model 15

Mawson’s EscapePerhaps this is the end. Dangling by my harness, dizzy with hunger, the last one still alive, I wonder how long it would take to hit the bottom of this icy crevasse. I wonder, could the pain be any worse than this endless stabbing in every muscle? Worse than the frostbite that gnaws my nails from my fingers? I close my eyes . . . I open my eyes. The lecture is still going. My teacher’s voice drones on and on, like an ache. I try to pay attention, but keep tumbling into my daydreams—Antarctica—I will go there some day, somehow. But right now I need to learn. I need to listen. My stomach growls. Only two of us are still alive. But not for long unless we eat. Our rations are all gone. The sledge dogs whimper. They are weak from hunger too and would die soon anyway. Telling myself this does not make it any easier to do what must be done. Somehow I manage to do it—one hand and then the other—slowly—upwards— I reach the lip of the crevasse . . . then slip and slide down again. No time for cursing. I climb back up, ignoring the pain, the cold, my hunger. Breathless, I haul myself to safety. Well, sort of. It will still take two weeks or more to make it back to Aladdin’s Cave.

Name Date

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Element: Character Focus: One character, various viewpoints Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Text Model 16

One Character, Many ViewpointsThere’s this guy who lives on my street. We’ve never spoken. I think he’s pretty quiet. So am I. He carries a green backpack and always wears earphones. I wish he would take one earphone out and give it to me. There’s this guy who goes to my school. He carries a green backpack and hardly ever speaks ’cause people bully him so he wears headphones all the time. What a dork. I bet the music he listens to is really boring. There’s this kid in the grade below me. He’s got an expensive green backpack, a music player and loads of other stuff my parents won’t buy me. I hate him so I give him heaps and tell other kids to do the same. My big buddy Sam is really great. When I started school he showed me everything and he doesn’t think he’s too cool to say ‘hi’ in the schoolyard like all the other big kids do. He shares all his music with me, so I know lots about bands. My friends all wish they had a buddy like Sam.

Name Date

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Element: Character Focus: Layers of personality Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Text Model 17

Personality LayersTo strangers on the street I am the girl inside the wheelchair. To some of them, it seems, not even a girl, just a wheelchair. To the other kids at school I am the Environment Rep and good at Art. To my friends I am the one who cracks jokes and makes up stories. To my really close friends I am the one who listens and doesn’t mind if they cry, because I also sometimes need them to listen and sometimes I need to cry —but to laugh lots as well. To people who knew me before my accident I am the girl who used to dance —they think they should feel sorry for me, that I am weak. But to my family I am the daughter, the sister who has learned how to fight —I won’t let them feel sorry for me, because I am strong, even stronger than before. To myself I am still a dancer. In my dreams I am able to fly.

Name Date

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Element: Visual poetry Focus: Poems which use the whole page Lesson bank: pages 56–57


Inside my head I have a portal.If I close my eyes I can open it, I can l e a p into lands far far away.

lands where everything is big . . .. . . lands where everything is small . . .

. . . lands where I am the centre of attention . . .

. . . and . . . lands where Ican be all alone

But the best thing of all, of course, is l a n d i n gback home.

Lands withou t much gravity . . .

My Fantasy Worlds

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Element: Visual poetry Focus: Poems without beginnings or endings Lesson bank: pages 56–57

Text Model 19

Continuous Poem Name Date

The

fem

ale

silk moths lay eggs a

nd e

ach egg becomes

a t

iny

silkw

or

m larvae. Each silkworm feeds on leaves, shedd

ing it

s sk

in as

it grows larger and larger, eventually large enough to sew itself a silk cocoon. Inside their cocoons the silkw

orms shed their skins one fi nal time and become pupae. When

they

em

erge

from the pupae, and then their cocoons, they ar

e th

e sa

me

creat

ures

, bu

t inside different bodies—bodies

with

win

gs.

They

are no longer silk w

orm

s, but now silk moths.

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You Need

lesson

Banks

lesson

Banks

All the

The

fem

ale

silk moths lay eggs a

nd e

ach egg becomes

a t

iny

silkw

or

m larvae. Each silkworm feeds on leaves, shedd

ing it

s sk

in as

it grows larger and larger, eventually large enough to sew itself a silk cocoon. Inside their cocoons the silkw

orms shed their skins one fi nal time and become pupae. When

they

em

erge

from the pupae, and then their cocoons, they ar

e th

e sa

me

creat

ures

, bu

t inside different bodies—bodies

with

win

gs.

They

are no longer silk w

orm

s, but now silk moths.

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38

What is Poetry?Lesson Bank

Mini Lessons

dAngerous poeMs

Distribute copies of Text Model 1 and read the poem together. Discuss the descriptions of poetry.

Does the description of poetry as being dangerous and misbehaved fit with your existing perceptions of poetry—or do you tend to see poetry as something safe and dull?

Do you think it is ironic that the poem warns against poetry when it is poetry? What do you make of this?

Explain that poetry can be whatever we want it to be. This means poetry can be about dangerous things, too.

Have students each write a poem on the topic ‘Dangerous’. Suggest they explore the idea of danger itself, or specific dangerous—but exciting—activities such as cycling, skating, doing tricks on monkey bars, boogie-boarding when the waves are big, or extreme sports.

‘it’s not A proper poeM . . .’

Distribute copies of Worksheet 1. Discuss the ideas in the speech bubbles.

Are the ideas in the speech bubbles correct? Why do you say that?

Discuss the notion that there is no such thing as ‘proper’ poetry, and poetry can be whatever we want it to be. If you write it and call it a poem, then it is. If you read it and call it a poem, then it is. Ask students to think of what they could say in response to each character on the worksheet and have them write their

answers in the spaces provided. When everybody has finished, share and discuss responses. Encourage students to add to their answers as they listen to what other students have written, using a different colour.

found poeMs

Ensure that each student has a notebook and a pen, then take the class for a walk around the school. Instruct students to look for pieces of writing such as words on signs, maps, printed food packets, and so on. Have them copy all of the texts into their notebooks (and put any rubbish in the bin). Allow about 10 minutes for students to finish writing, then return to the classroom.

Ask volunteers to read what they have written as a poem. Suggest they pick out parts of the texts, reorder words, omit words or combine different texts. Explain that the purpose of this activity is not to produce brilliant pieces of writing, but to demonstrate how anything can be a poem.

Have each student present their poem on paper and display these. Challenge the rest of the class to give a reason supporting the classification of each of the displayed texts as a poem (they do not need to argue that it is a good poem, only that it is a poem). Arguments could include:

• it has line breaks• it uses alliteration/rhyme/onomatopoeia• it uses its visual layout to convey meaning.

resources

V Text Model 1: Poetry is DangerousV Worksheet 1: “It’s Not a PROPER Poem Because . . .”V sheets of cardboardV art supplies

other useful resources

V examples of magazine ads for music albums

AreAs of focus

V Poetry can be whatever we want it to beV There is no such thing as ‘proper’ poetryV Meanings in poems are open to interpretationV Readers help to create the meanings in poemsV Poetry and bands

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What is Poetry?Who creAted the poeM?

Have students consider the following scenario:

A man, who couldn’t read or write, thought of a poem. He recited it for his daughter, who wrote it down. They decided to send the poem to a magazine to see if it could be published. Before it was published, the editor made some changes to the poem. A translator was called in to translate the poem into another language so it could be published in a magazine in another country. Someone bought the magazine and read the poem, but decided it meant something different from what the translator thought it meant. What the translator thought the poem meant was different from what the editor thought it meant. What the editor thought the poem meant was different from what the daughter thought it meant. What the daughter thought the poem meant was different from what her father meant when he composed it.

Who created the poem?

Go through all the characters mentioned in the scenario and ask students to raise their hands if they think that character created the poem. Tell students they can raise their hands more than once. Discuss the various reasons why it could be said that each of the characters ‘created’ the poem. Explain that every character in the scenario actually created the poem—even the reader. When we read a poem, we create it for ourselves as a result of our interpretation.

one poeM, MAnY MeAnings

Have students choose a poem they have written, a poem they have studied or a poem they like. Ask them to think of two different ways the poem could be interpreted. For example, ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ is usually interpreted as a poem about a real girl and a real lamb. An alternative interpretation could be that the lamb represents Mary’s conscience and it followed her everywhere she went because she had done something wrong.

Have students draw comic strips to reflect the two different interpretations of the poem they have chosen. Display the comic strips around the classroom as art.

poetrY And BAnds

The names of bands often use poetry, for example through the use of alliteration, rhyme or word combinations that are interesting, uncommon or unusual in some way. Ask students to name some of their favourite bands. Write the names on the board and try to work out what makes the names interesting. Brainstorm song and album titles and ask volunteers to identify the poetic elements in these. Challenge students to invent a name for a fictitious band as well as five song titles and an album title. Have each student create a poster advertising the band’s album. Display the posters, then discuss the poetic elements that were used.

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Structure in Fixed FormLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

villAnelles

Distribute copies of Text Model 2. Ask six volunteers to read the poem (one stanza each). Instruct the class to listen for any lines that are repeated.

Which lines were repeated? How many times?

Point out that two lines are repeated in the poem: ‘I am just me, alone and small’ and ‘How can I make any difference at all?’. Each line occurs four times.

Explain that this is a particular fixed form called a villanelle. Have students circle the repeated lines on their own copy of Text Model 2, using one colour for ‘I am just me alone and small’ and another for ‘How can I make any difference at all?’ so they can see how the pattern works. Discuss the use of rhyme in the villanelle. Many villanelles do employ rhyme, but others do not. Tell students they will not have to use rhyme when they write their own villanelles, as this is very difficult. It is fine just to follow the pattern of repeated lines.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 2. Go through the villanelle template and relate it back to Text Model 2. Have students use the template to write their own villanelles. Once students have completed their villanelles, invite volunteers to share their poems with the rest of the class.

What did you like about writing a villanelle?

What did you dislike about writing a villanelle?

pArAdelles

Distribute copies of Text Model 3. Explain that a paradelle is a modern fixed form which actually started out as a joke. The name ‘paradelle’ means ‘parody of a villanelle’. The United States former poet laureate Billy Collins thought he would play a trick on people by writing a very silly poem and claiming it was a very old and difficult form of traditional poetry. Billy didn’t think people would really believe him, but they did! Eventually Billy had to admit that he’d made the whole thing up, but people kept writing paradelles anyway. There are even whole paradelle anthologies. Text Model 3 is a paradelle which tells the story of Billy’s prank and the uproar it caused. Like villanelles, paradelles use lots of repetition; whole lines are repeated, and words are also jumbled in ridiculous ways. The paradelle is a good form for writing funny poetry.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 3. Go through the paradelle template and relate it back to Text Model 3. Have students use the template to write their own paradelles. Point out that in the third and fourth lines of the first, second and third stanzas they will need to jumble up all the words they have used in the first and second lines. They must use all of the words without adding any others. Explain that for

resources

V Text Model 2: VillanelleV Text Model 3: ParadelleV Worksheet 2: Villanelle Template

V Worksheet 3: Paradelle TemplateV sheets of cardboardV art supplies

AreAs of focus

V VillanelleV ParadelleV Reverse paradelleV Inventing new forms

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Structure in Fixed Form

the fourth stanza of the poem they need to take all the words from the other stanzas and jumble them up even more. Again, they must use all of the words without adding any others.

Inspire students to make their paradelles even weirder by basing them on headlines from scientific magazines about bizarre things like black holes and deep sea creatures. Once students have completed their paradelles, invite volunteers to share their poems with the rest of the class.

reverse pArAdelles

Explain that to write a reverse paradelle, you first write a normal paradelle and then rewrite it backwards, so the jumbled lines come before the non-jumbled lines. While a normal paradelle moves from (relative) logic towards chaos, a reverse paradelle moves from chaos towards logic. Have students write paradelles then challenge them to reverse their paradelles. Discuss how this reversal affects the poems.

inventing neW forMs

Explain that the reverse paradelle is not an actual poetic form (it was invented just for this book!), and remind students that the paradelle was itself invented as a joke. In fact, all fixed forms were ‘invented’ at some point.

What do you think this suggests?

Discuss the fact that anyone can create their own form of poetry. Challenge students to create poetry forms of their own. Encourage them to devise any rules they want, as long as they are original. Instruct them to also include all of the following:

• a set number of lines• a set number of stanzas (it’s okay to have

just one)• a set number of lines per stanza• a guide to the use of repetition in the poem• a name for their form.

Ask each student to write a poem in their new form, then make a poster explaining what the form is called and how it works. Challenge students to swap posters and try writing poems following the rules devised by their classmates.

WhAt Are You plAYing At?

Divide the class into groups of four or five. Discuss the story of the paradelle hoax and ask each group to develop a one to two minute play about it. Have students use one of the following suggestions as the basis for their play:

• a book launch before the hoax was revealed as a hoax—some people might be pretending that they have heard of paradelles before, because Billy Collins claimed it was a traditional French form

• the moments just after the hoax was revealed—some people might be angry with Billy Collins, others may congratulate him

• the reasons why Billy Collins decided to invent the paradelle in the first place

• a fictional poetry reviewer attempts to prove that the paradelle hoax itself was a hoax, and the paradelle actually is a traditional French form for which Billy Collins is falsely trying to claim credit.

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Structure in Free VerseLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

geoMetrY And forM

On the board, draw some of the 2D shapes that your students have learned about in Maths. Ask volunteers to name each one. Label each shape. Now draw some random, non-geometrical shapes.

If we cannot categorise and name these shapes, does that mean they have no shape at all?

Discuss the fact that all of the figures on the board have a shape. Some shapes are common and able to be classified according to their geometric properties while other shapes are unique and unable to be classified using any existing labels. Similarly, when a poem does not follow a particular fixed form structure, it does not mean the poem has no structure at all. All poems have structures; some are simply less common or less obvious than others.

Distribute sheets of blank paper. Ask each student to close their eyes and draw a random shape. Advise them not to make it look like any existing geometric shape. Once they have finished, tell students to open their eyes and look at their shapes. Ask them to imagine they are going to add their shapes to a Maths textbook. Have each student invent a name for their shape and provide a brief description of its features. Encourage students to be creative and to incorporate humour into both the names and the descriptions, for example:

Quadrigloober—a curve-edged splodge with four unequal sections that protrude like peninsulas on an island.

Share and discuss all the new geometric shapes.

poetrY Words

Discuss the terms stanza, repetition, line break, syllable and pattern. Offer examples and write the words on the board so students can see how they are spelt. Distribute copies of Worksheet 4. Have students write the correct term beside each speech bubble on the worksheet. Share and review students’ answers.

resources

V Text Model 4: I’m a RebelV Text Model 5: Algebra PoemsV Worksheet 4: Poetry Words

V art paperV coloured paintV plastic drinking straws

V old newspapersV coloured pencils


V Pro Hart: Inspiration at www.prohart.com.au/inspiration.php

AreAs of focus

V Free verse still has structureV StanzasV Line breaksV PatternsV RepetitionV Connections between Maths and poetry

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Structure in Free VersepoeMsplosions

Show students images of the cannon paintings and balloon paintings created by Australian artist Pro Hart (an IWB would be useful here). Explain that Pro Hart used a number of unusual techniques to create his paintings, including firing glass cannonballs of paint at a canvas and dropping paint bombs onto a board from a hot-air balloon.

Do you think these are ‘real’ painting methods, or just plain madness? Why do you say that?

Explain that an element of randomness can sometimes offer unexpected possibilities. Draw attention to the fact Pro Hart’s cannonball paintings were not completely random; they involved organisation and planning, as well as decisions about the colours to be used and the order in which they would be ‘fired’. While the outcome may have been left to chance, the artist still made a number of deliberate choices about each painting.

Show students how they can create their own ‘random’ paintings using straws (rather than cannonballs!). Have students cover their desks in old newspaper. Distribute plastic straws, sheets of art paper and different coloured paint. Ensure that the paint is not too thick (thin it out with water). Instruct students to place a small amount of paint on their paper. Demonstrate how to gently blow through the straw to move the paint around. Before the first colour dries, tell students to blow it around, then add other colours, allowing them to overlap and blend. Encourage students to try blowing the paint from one corner of the page, or from the middle. Give students enough time to create at least three ‘random’ paintings each.

Once the paintings are dry, ask each student to share whichever of their pictures they like the best. Discuss the shapes, colours and any coincidental pictures that may have emerged in each painting.

Have students write poems based on their paintings. Suggest they write about the shapes, colours and/or pictures they created, or about the process they used to create them. Have students copy their completed poems onto their paintings to create ‘poemsplosions’, which can then be displayed around the classroom as art.

stAnzAs, line BreAks, pAtterns And repetition

Ensure that students all have access to red, blue, green, orange and purple coloured pencils. Distribute copies of Text Model 4 and read the poem aloud. Now ask students to read the poem silently, marking the structural elements as follows (write these instructions on the board):

• a blue box around each stanza• a purple number at the beginning of each line

to indicate the number of syllables in that line • an orange asterisk beside each line break• a red line beneath each example of repetition • a green arrow pointing to a pattern (or patterns)

with an explanation of what the pattern is.

Share and discuss responses. Write the poem on the board (or display it on the IWB) and mark the different elements together. You can use the same approach to analyse other poems.

AlgeBrA poeMs

Distribute copies of Text Model 5. Explain that algebra is a branch of Mathematics that involves the use of pronumerals (letters standing in the place of numbers). Ask volunteers to read the poems aloud.

What Maths symbols can you see in the poem? How have these been used? How did you work out the ‘answers’ to the problems?

Have students create their own ‘algebra poems’. Encourage them to base their poems on the operations they are learning about in Maths.

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Sound in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

recognising AlliterAtion, AssonAnce And consonAnce

Explain what is meant by the terms alliteration, assonance and consonance (see page 9) and provide examples. Ensure that each student has access to a red, green and blue pencil. Distribute copies of Worksheet 5 and invite volunteers to read the word pairs. Go though the first five word pairs together, and ask students to identify whether each pair is an example of alliteration, assonance or consonance. Have students draw coloured circles around the word pairs, using red for examples of alliteration, green for examples of assonance and blue for examples of consonance. Explain that some pairs may contain more than one sound element, for example ‘quick kick’ is an example of both assonance and consonance, so it should be circled in green and blue circles. Have students complete the worksheet individually.

Writing AlliterAtion, AssonAnce And consonAnce

Distribute copies of Worksheet 6. Ask students to create word pairs that are examples of alliteration, assonance and consonance. The word pairs do not have to make sense. Work through the first two rows together, then have students complete the worksheet individually.

sound repetition

Distribute copies of Text Model 6. The three poems all use sound repetition. Read them aloud together. Ask students to guess which sounds are repeated in each poem, and why. In ‘Ocean Sounds’ the sh is repeated to mimic the sound of the wind and the waves at the beach. In ‘Campfire Sounds’ the ck is repeated to sound like the crackle of a fire. The a is repeated to imply the ahhhh sound people often make when they sit down and relax after a long, tiring day. In ‘Ghost Sounds’ the o is repeated to sound like the howling of a ghost—or the wind. Point out that the repeated sounds sometimes occur at the beginning, sometimes in the middle and sometimes at the end of the words.

Brainstorm things with distinctive sounds and list them on the board. You could start the list with:

• rain• a lawnmower• a train• a car engine• a thunderstorm.

Beside each suggestion, write letters that could represent the sounds made by each object.

Now brainstorm a list of emotions, and the sounds that could represent these emotions. For example:

• e for a squeal of excitement or fear• h for anxiety or breathlessness • m for satiety or contentment.

resources

V Text Model 6: Three Sound Repetition Poems V Text Model 7: Sound PoemV Text Model 8: Wax in My EarsV Worksheet 5: Sound DevicesV Worksheet 6: Writing Sound DevicesV red, green and blue coloured pencils


V poems with strong rhythms, for example the poems of Banjo Patterson

V rap music lyrics

AreAs of focus

V Alliteration V AssonanceV Consonance V Sound repetitionV Onomatopoeia V End rhyme, internal rhyme and implied rhyme

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Sound in Poetry Once you have brainstormed five or more sounds and their representative letters, ask students to vote on which one to use for a collaborative poem. Invite students to suggest words that use letters to go with your topic. The letters could be at the beginning, middle or end of the words selected. When you have about 20 words, begin writing your poem together on the board. Call on students to suggest lines; explain that each line should incorporate at least two words from the list on the board.

sound poeMs using onoMAtopoeiA

Distribute copies of Text Model 7 and read it aloud. Explain that it is a sound poem, and all of the words in it are onomatopoeic, that is, words that imitate sounds. Ask students to brainstorm other examples of onomatopoeia and list them on the board. You could start the list with:

• quack• beep • roar• whoosh.

Have students write their own short sound poems, describing an event using only onomatopoeic words. Allow them to write about anything they want, but remind them to use recognisable sounds. Some examples for topics could include:

• a cat catching a bird• a car race• inflating a balloon until it bursts• a game of backyard basketball that results in a

broken window.

Invite students to share their completed sound poems aloud as this is the best way to enjoy them.

WAx in MY eArs

This game is based on improv theatre. Have students stand in a circle. Explain that to play the game, everyone takes a turn to speak, in a clockwise direction. The first person says, ‘I’ve got wax in my ears’. The next person must pretend they have misheard the first person. Instruct them to repeat the misheard phrase as something that uses the same rhyme sound, then add a second sentence on the end. Go through Text Model 8 with the class for examples of the process. Tell students that each person in the circle will have a maximum of 30 seconds to give their response. If they can’t think of anything to say, or they make a suggestion that doesn’t contain a rhyme, they are out and must sit

down. Reduce the time limit as the game progresses and students become more familiar with the process. The last person standing is the winner.

At the end of the game, discuss rhyme—end rhyme, internal rhyme and implied rhyme—and the ways it can be used. Encourage students to generate their own examples and to try using these sound elements in their own poems.

reWriting rhYthMs

Choose a poem with a strong rhythm. The poems of Banjo Patterson work well, as do raps and most song lyrics. Read the poem aloud together to enable students to get a feel for the rhythm. Rewrite one stanza on the board. Invite volunteers to change several words in each line to words with equivalent meanings but different numbers of syllables. Read the poem aloud again.

How does it sound?

Discuss how rhythm affects a poem’s flow and impact.

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Description in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

five-sensorY And phYsiologicAl iMAgerY

Ask students to list the five senses (sight, smell, taste, sound and touch). Explain that evoking all of these is very important in writing. The use of physiological imagery takes description to the next level. Explain that physiological imagery is similar to the sense of touch, but instead of focusing on the things that we can feel outside of our bodies, it focuses on the things we can feel inside our bodies. For example, our heartbeats, the feeling of a full or empty stomach, a feeling of breathlessness, and so on. Distribute copies of Text Model 9 and read it together. Ask students to look for an example of each of the five forms of sensory imagery, plus at least one example of physiological imagery. Have students circle and label each example on their copy of the poem. Share and discuss responses.

Bodies And eMotions

Discuss the ways that emotions affect us physically. Brainstorm a list of emotions and write them on the board. Choose one of the listed emotions and record some of the physical changes that occur as a result of this emotion. For example:

• fear might cause a dry mouth and a racing pulse• happiness might create a feeling of warmth and

cause a smile• anger might make a person sweat and become

red in the face.

Divide the class into groups of three or four. Assign each group a different emotion and give each group a copy of Worksheet 7. Ask students to label the diagram with the ways the emotion might affect a person. When they have finished, check their work, then give each group a large piece of cardboard and some art supplies to make a poster version of their diagram. Have each group present and explain their poster to the class. Display the posters around the classroom.

siMiles into MetAphors

Distribute copies of Worksheet 8. Explain that a simile is a descriptive device that compares something to something else. The usual sentence construction for a simile uses the word ‘like’ or the phrase ‘as . . . as . . .’. For example, ‘his hands were like ice’ or ‘her skin was as white as snow’. A metaphor is related to a simile, but instead of saying that something is like something

resources

V Text Model 9: The MarketsV Text Model 10: The School BullyV Text Model 11: The Day Earth Chucked a TantrumV Worksheet 7: Bodies and Emotions

V Worksheet 8: Magic MetaphorsV Worksheet 9: Show, Don’t TellV sheets of cardboardV art supplies

AreAs of focus

V Five-sensory and physiological imageryV MetaphorV PersonificationV Similes and reverse similesV HyperboleV Show, don’t tell

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Description in Poetryelse, you say that something is something else. For example, ‘your room is like a pigsty’ is a simile, whereas ‘your room is a pigsty’ is a metaphor. Ask students to complete the worksheet individually, then share and discuss responses.

on the spot

This game requires students to think on their feet to provide examples of similes, reverse similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole and imagery. Review each of the terms (see page 9) and encourage students to generate their own examples. Explain that to play the game, students take turns to stand before the class. Ask the audience to suggest a topic; something fairly simple, like ‘cat’ or ‘bus’. Have the student at the front of the class roll a die. Instruct them to answer as follows:

• if the die lands on one, describe the topic using a simile

• if the die lands on two, describe the topic using a reverse simile

• if the die lands on three, describe the topic using a metaphor

• if the die lands on four, describe the topic using personification

• if the die lands on five, describe the topic using a hyperbole

• if the die lands on six, describe the topic using five-sensory and physiological imagery.

Write the instructions on the board before you start so there is no confusion. As they play, each student has only a minute to answer. If they roll a six they can have up to two minutes. If students struggle, call on volunteers from the audience to make suggestions. Aim to keep the game moving quickly. Students may be surprised at some of the creative ideas they come up with on the spot. Have students record any interesting ideas to draw upon later.

shoW, don’t tell

‘Show don’t tell’ is good piece of advice when it comes to poetry. It means you should aim to give your readers clues that allow them to work things out, rather than explaining everything directly. For example, ‘Sanjay felt sad’ is ‘telling’, whereas ‘Sanjay sniffed loudly and turned away to wipe his eyes’ is ‘showing’ because it allows readers to interpret why Sanjay is sniffing, turning away and wiping his eyes (he is trying to hide that he is crying—because he feels sad).

Distribute copies of Worksheet 9. Tell students to rewrite each sentence in the left column so it shows (rather than tells) readers what is going on. When everyone has finished, compare answers and discuss the different effects created by showing compared to telling.

MetAphor And personificAtion

Text Model 10 employs many metaphors; Text Model 11 employs personification. Explain these terms to the class (see page 9). Distribute copies of Text Model 10 and Text Model 11 and read them aloud. Ask students to identify the use of both devices in the poems, and their effect.

Have students write their own poems using metaphor or personification, or both. Share the completed poems; have students read their poems aloud and discuss the ways metaphor or personification have been used.

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Language in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

choice of vocABulArY

Distribute copies of Worksheet 10. Ask students to think about the words chosen in each speech bubble and what their reaction would be if they heard them. Have students write their reflections in the spaces provided. Share and discuss responses.

Which questions sounded friendly?

Which questions sounded threatening?

Which questions sounded formal?

Which questions sounded informal?

What was it that gave these impressions?

Refer to the following text:

Irina has a very nice bicycle. She enjoys riding it fast. Sometimes she falls off. She gets nasty bruises, but keeps on riding.

Brainstorm ways to reword each sentence. For example, ‘Irina has a very nice bicycle’ could become ‘Irina’s got a wicked bike’, ‘Irina’s bike is really cool’, ‘Irina possesses a most superb pushbike’, and so on.

pArAllelisM

Distribute copies of Worksheet 11. Explain that parallelism in poetry means to have two sentences which share the same basic structure, but with variations. A famous example comes from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’.

For each of the sentences on the left side of the page, have students write new sentences to create examples of parallelism. Tell students to record these on the right side of the page. Explain that there are many possible answers. For example, for ‘the best of the best’ some possibilities include ‘the worst of the worst’, ‘the strongest of the strong’ and ‘the lowest of the low’. For ‘I have dreams in my pockets’ some possibilities include ‘I have hope in my hands’, ‘I have clothes in my cupboards’ or even ‘I have pockets in my dreams’.

Share and discuss responses, then ask each student to pick their favourite example and incorporate it into a short poem (with a minimum of four lines).

resources

V Text Model 12: Same Poem, Different PunctuationV Worksheet 10: Different Words, Same Message?V Worksheet 11: Parallelism V about 30 small squares of cardboardV hat or small empty boxV blank A3 sheets of paper


V drama props

AreAs of focus

V Choice of vocabularyV ParallelismV Playing with punctuationV How language evolves V Word coinage

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Language in Poetry

plAYing With punctuAtion

Distribute copies of Text Model 12. Ask volunteers to each read a version of the poem aloud. Discuss the effect created by the different punctuation used in each case.

How did the different punctuation change the emphasis placed on various words? How did the different punctuation affect the poem’s flow and overall meaning?

Ask students to write their own five to 10 line poems, starting without any punctuation at all, and then using different punctuation. Have them create five versions of the same poem, keeping the words the same, but changing the punctuation in each version. Share and discuss the results.

hoW lAnguAge evolves

The meanings of words are not static; they change over time. For example:

• mouse originally only referred to the rodent, but has also come to mean the handheld device attached to a computer for controlling the curser

• bug originally only referred to a type of insect, but has also come to mean an illness caused by bacteria, as in ‘I’ve caught a bug’, and to an error in a computer program or the machine itself, as in ‘my computer has a bug’

• cool originally only meant a moderately cold temperature or a calm demeanour, but has also come to mean fashionable or stylish.

Brainstorm other words whose meanings have changed. Write the words and their different meanings on the board. Divide the class into groups of four or five. Assign each group a word from the list on the board. Allow each group 10 minutes to devise and rehearse a short, two-minute play to demonstrate how the word has evolved. Have each group perform their play for the rest of the class.

Word coinAge

Distribute small, individual squares of cardboard, one per student. Have each student write a word on their cardboard square, then place all the squares in a hat or small box so students can draw them out at random. Invite volunteers to draw out two words each. Have students invent new words by combining the two existing ones. Encourage them to form silly—and humorous —combinations. Write definitions on the board for the new words as if they were entries in a dictionary. For example, if the two words selected were ‘vampire’ and ‘trampoline’, the new word might be:

Vampoline (noun): a trampoline built especially for vampires, with extra strong fabric to withstand fang damage.

Have students write short poems incorporating one or more of the new words.

Word fAMilY Mind MAps

This activity encourages students to consider how words are related by sound and meaning. Ask each student to choose one word from the following list:

• example• recognise• nonsense• collect• labour• something • verbose.

Have each student write the word they have chosen in the centre of a blank A3 page. Challenge them to write all the words they can that are related to the original word around it. For example, for collect related words would include collide, collate, collaborate and collude. Other possibilities would include gather, assemble and accumulate because they are similes. Encourage students to use dictionaries and thesauruses to help them find related words or the etymology of their words.

Have students repeat the process for the words around the original word, and even for the words connected to the connected words (space permitting). Regroup as a class and share some of the interesting words students found, especially those with unexpected connections.

What did you learn about the origin or meaning of a particular word that surprised you?

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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. Symbols feature prominently in our daily communication. Words and the letters of the alphabet are actually symbols used to represent the sounds we make when we speak. Some symbols are functional, for example an arrow to symbolise ‘go this way’ or a red light to symbolise ‘stop’. Other symbols are more complex, for example giving flowers to symbolise affection or lighting candles on a birthday cake to symbolise years of life. Movies, books, poems and visual art often employ complex symbols. Explain that symbolic meanings vary greatly across cultures. For example, eye contact symbolises disrespect in some cultures, but respect in others. Even within the same culture, one symbol may have different meanings depending on its context. For example, a bird taking flight might symbolise freedom, but a caged bird might symbolise being trapped.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 12. Have students list symbols they have encountered in their own lives in each of the boxes. Have them record simple, functional symbols in the first box, for example the school bell. Have them record symbols their family and/or community uses to mark special occasions in the second box, for example birthday candles. Have them record symbols they have seen used in movies, poems, books and other creative works

in the third box. Have them record symbols they use in the fourth box, for example speech, SMS abbreviations, body language, clothing, haircuts, friendship bracelets, and so on.

sYMBolisM And culture

Distribute copies of Text Model 13. Read the poem ‘Seeing Red’.

Why do all the different characters in the poem see different meanings in the colour red?What are the cultural backgrounds of each of the characters in the poem?

Explain that colours have different symbolic meanings in different cultures. For example:

• yellow symbolises courage to the Japanese, but cowardice in Western cultures; to the Chinese it represents nourishment

• blue is one of the sacred colours in Iran; in Greece it is the colour used to ward off ‘the evil eye’; in Western cultures it can symbolise sadness

• white represents death and is used during funerals in many Eastern cultures; in Western cultures it represents purity and peace, and is used during weddings.

Ask students to consider their own cultural backgrounds and the meanings that particular colours or other symbols have to them. Explain that everybody has a culture, even if they are not aware of it. Most of us belong to many different cultures. As Australians we tend to connect with the culture of

resources

V Text Model 13: Seeing RedV Text Model 14: Symbolism SaladV Worksheet 12: Symbols in My LifeV dress-up or drama costumesV a box full of everyday objects

AreAs of focus

V What is a symbol?V Different types of symbolsV Symbolism and foodV Symbolism and fashionV Symbolism and cultural diversityV Symbolic objects

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Symbolism in Poetryour ancestry as well as the Australian culture. Beyond that we participate in school culture, popular culture, family culture and peer group culture. Ask each student to choose one thing that holds a particular cultural symbolism for them, and to write a poem to explain this symbolism to other people.

sYMBolic recipes

Distribute copies of Text Model 14 and read the poem aloud. Alternatively, ask two volunteers to read the two different parts. The poem is a recipe in which every ingredient symbolises a different aspect of a family’s history. Have students research their own family histories, recording different cultures, significant events, and any other information they find interesting. Have them write recipe poems that include ingredients symbolising these ideas. Collate the poems into a book of family history recipe poems to share at parents’ night.

sYMBolisM in fAshion

Fashion is a means through which many young people express themselves symbolically. Discuss this as a class.

What symbolic message does a person communicate if they wear a mohawk? Why do you say that?What symbolic message does a person communicate if they wear a business suit? Why do you say that?

Some items of clothing have symbolic meanings connected to cultural traditions. For example, the particular types of clothing worn at weddings, funerals, graduations, and so on.

Divide the class into groups of four or five. Send one student from each group out of the room so they can’t hear the discussion. Give the others a selection of drama costumes and dress-up items

(jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, glasses, ties, feather boas, and so on). Ask each group to choose three items for the group member who is waiting outside. Explain that they should select the items based on their perceived symbolic meanings, for example a black bandana, a black jacket and dark glasses to symbolise a biker. Invite the students who are waiting outside back into the room so they can get into costume. Bring the class together and ask the dressed up students to guess what their outfits symbolise. Instruct the other group members to say whether or not their guess is correct. If students do not guess correctly, allow members from other groups to make suggestions before you confirm the actual answer.

sYMBolic oBjects

For this drama game you will need a box full of everyday objects, for example a pair of scissors, a button, a ball of string, and so on. Have students stand in a circle. Invite each student in turn to take an object from the box. Explain that they need to give their object a symbolic meaning. For example, scissors could symbolise cutting oneself free, a button could symbolise how small things hold larger things together, a ball of string could symbolise untangling problems. Allow each student to think about the symbolism of their object for a minute, then share responses. If some students struggle, encourage the rest of the class to offer them suggestions. ©

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Narrative in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

nArrAtive structure

Copy the diagram on Worksheet 13 onto the board. Explain that it represents the way many stories are structured. The horizontal axis represents the progression of the story. The vertical axis represents intensity or excitement. The three smaller peaks represent important moments. These build towards a final large peak which represents the most important moment—the climax or turning point. The dip represents the conclusion of the story, when the excitement is resolved through a happy—or not-so-happy—ending. Some stories do not have this last part and instead end right at the peak.

Ask students to suggest a story everyone knows (like a fairytale), then mark its important moments and turning point on the graph on the board. For example, in Cinderella, the first peak could be when Cinderella hears about the ball. The second peak could be when her fairy godmother visits. The third peak could be when the clock strikes midnight. The final peak could be when the prince puts the shoe on Cinderella’s foot. The dip at the end is the happily-ever-after ending.

Distribute copies of Worksheet 13 and have students mark the important moments and the turning point of their favourite stories. Allow students to choose any story from the following mediums:

• a movie• a novel or short story• a narrative poem• a song• an episode of a television show• a cartoon or comic• a joke that contains a story (not a question and answer joke or one-liner).

You could also have students graph their own narratives as part of the planning process for their own writing.

MAking storYBoArds

Ensure that each student has access to sheets of blank A4 paper, writing materials, a ruler, an A3 sheet of cardboard, scissors and glue. Instruct students to rule an A4 sheet of paper into equal-sized rectangles (two columns and about four rows per sheet). Ask them to think about a story they would like to write, and have them brainstorm all the important things that happen in that story, with each idea in a separate rectangle. Explain that they should not try to put things in any order; just note the events as they spring to mind. Instruct students to cut out their rectangles and experiment with placing them in different orders on their sheet of cardboard. Encourage them to try different versions before making their final decisions. Once they are happy with the order of their storyboard, have

resources

V Text Model 15: Mawson’s EscapeV Worksheet 13: Graphing PlotsV scissors and glueV rulersV sheets of A4 paperV sheets of A3 cardboard

V In the Footsteps of Sir Douglas Mawson at www.mawson.sa.gov.au/ie.htm

V other resources about Sir Douglas Mawson


V examples of rap music and lyrics

AreAs of focus

V RapV Narrative structure V Verse playsV Making storyboardsV Chronological and non-chronological

narrative poems

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Narrative in Poetry

students glue the rectangles down in that order. Ask each student to present their storyboard for the class, explaining how and why they decided on their final order. Explain that storyboards help writers to think about the order in which they will relate events and reveal information. They are often used by filmmakers as well.

chronologicAl And non-chronologicAl nArrAtive poeMs

Distribute copies of Text Model 15 and read the poem together. Discuss the students’ reaction to the poem.

Who is the poem about?Who is telling the story?What is unusual about the poem?

This poem is not chronological; it jumps around in time. Have students research Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition, then ask students to write numbers next to the stanzas in the poem to indicate the chronological order. The correct chronological order is:

1—second stanza

2—third stanza

3—first stanza

4—fourth stanza.

Now read the stanzas aloud in the chronological order.

What do you think of this version compared to the other version?

Read just the first stanza followed by the last stanza. This is also chronological and offers the story of Mawson’s escape without any of the background information.

What do you think of this version compared to the other versions?

Discuss the way jumping around in time can make poems and stories more interesting.

What other poems, stories, movies, television shows or other texts do you know that also employ this technique?

Have students write their own non-chronological poems. Allow them to use the same order as that in Text Model 15, which begins almost before it ends, then jumps back in time and then forwards before returning to just after where it began. Encourage them to try other non-chronological orders as well.

rAp

Rap is a great medium for telling stories. It also features strong rhythms and lots of rhyme, particularly internal rhyme. Discuss rap with your students and invite them to bring in their favourite rap CDs or printed lyrics (check for content first; some rap music contains explicit and offensive lyrics). Encourage students to take turns reading parts of different raps aloud.

What do you think makes a good rap?

Ask students to write their own raps to tell stories.

collABorAtive verse plAYs

Verse plays are theatrical performance works made entirely from poetry. As a class, decide on a story you would like to tell. You could use a story from history or a story the class is studying. Ask students to identify all of the important moments in the story. List these on the board. Next, identify the character or characters who would best relate what happened during that important moment, and how they would relate it. Include two or more characters to relate an important moment if you think they will offer different perspectives on the event. Explain that the play will be comprised of a series of dramatic monologue poems. Assign one monologue to each student, or (if you have a large class) have students work in pairs. When all of the monologues are finished, piece them together as a script for performance.

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Character in PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

chArActer identitY developMent

Ask each student to invent a character. Have them write a few ideas about them, for example ‘An eleven-year-old boy who lives in rural Australia’. Encourage students to invent characters whose backgrounds and personalities are different from their own. If they are stuck for ideas, allow them to look through old magazines or newspapers to find pictures of people they can use as starting points. Distribute copies of Worksheet 14. Have students draw a picture of their character in the centre square (beneath the words ‘My character’).

Discuss the different roles people have in the social groups to which they belong. Within their family groups, students could be eldest child, middle child or youngest child. Other roles include parent, sister, grandparent, and so on. Responsibilities in family groups might be explicit, such as washing the dishes after dinner, as well as implicit, such as respecting each other’s privacy.

What roles and responsibilities do you have in your family?

Discuss the fact that one person could have many different roles and responsibilities in different social groups. Each of these roles contributes to a person’s overall identity.

What role do you have in your friendship group?What different roles do your parents have?

People may belong to other social groups including sports teams, art and music groups, clubs for particular interests, online groups, religious groups, and so on. Have students consider their characters’ different roles and responsibilities and then fill each of the boxes in Worksheet 14. Thinking about the roles their character’s play within different groups will help students to develop complex and interesting characters to use in their poems.

one chArActer, MAnY vieWpoints

Ask four students to perform the poem in Text Model 16 by reading one stanza each. Ask them to use voice to reflect each of the characters in the poem.

How did you imagine each of the characters?How did you imagine Sam, the character the others were speaking about?

Also ask students to describe their understanding of the relationships between the four characters and Sam.

Which characters liked Sam? Which ones didn’t? How was their understanding of Sam influenced by their own ideas and backgrounds?

Have students write their own character poems using different stanzas to describe the same character from various viewpoints. Have them include at least three perspectives, with a mixture of positive and negative observations. Ensure that all students’ characters are fictional.

resources

V Text Model 16: One Character, Many Viewpoints V Text Model 17: Personality LayersV Worksheet 14: Character Identity Development

V Worksheet 15: My Character’s ExperiencesV old magazines and newspapers

AreAs of focus

V Character identity development V Learning from experiencesV Layers of personalityV Poems with two or more charactersV Relationships between charactersV One character, various viewpointsV Using first, second and third person

points of view

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Character in PoetryleArning froM experiences

Ask each student in turn to describe an experience that helped them to learn something. For example, ‘When I broke my leg I learned to be more careful on the monkey bars’. Explain that our experiences help to make us who we are. This is true for characters as well as real people. Distribute copies of Worksheet 15. Refer students to the characters they created in Worksheet 14. Have students complete the sentences on the worksheet about those same characters’ experiences and what each of the experiences helped their characters to learn.

lAYers of personAlitY

Discuss the saying ‘People are like onions’ which means that people have lots of layers to their personalities. If you don’t know a person, you only see the outermost layer. If you know them a little better, you might see the first few layers. If you are a friend or family member, you might see many more layers. Distribute Text Model 17 and read it aloud. Discuss the way the poem describes the character’s various layers, beginning with the outside layer and gradually working in towards the character’s view of herself and her dreams in the final two lines. Have students write poems that follow the same structure. Allow them to write about fictional characters, or about themselves.

chArActer guessing gAMe

This game is based on improv theatre. Choose five or six students to play a scene. Ask the audience to choose the location for the scene, then send one of the actors out of the room. Ask the audience to assign each actor (including the one who is not in the room) a role in the scene and a relationship to the other characters. Have them decide what is going on in the scene. For example, the characters could be on a boat that is sinking—the characters in the room could be crew members, and the person outside could be the captain. Invite the student outside the room to return, then begin the scene. Instruct the other actors to deliver lines in keeping with the scene, for example ‘The ship is sinking! What can we do?’ and ‘Save us! Save us!’ but they may not directly name the other student’s role. Allow the student up to a minute to figure out who they are meant to be. If they cannot guess, allow the audience to give them clues. Repeat the game with other groups of actors.

exploring chArActers froM different perspectives

Have students write a short poem (with a maximum of 10 lines) about a disagreement between two characters, told from the first person or ‘I’ perspective of one of the characters. The disagreement can be about anything. Students could consider one of the following scenarios:

• one character is moving schools and the other, their best friend, feels rejected

• an older sibling is angry because their younger sibling is allowed to do things they weren’t at the same age

• two travelling companions get lost and each thinks the other is to blame.

Have students rewrite the same poem from the following perspectives:

• second person, in which the ‘I’ becomes ‘you’• third person omnipresent, in which both

characters are referred to as ‘he’ or ‘she’ or by their names, and the readers have access to what both characters are thinking

• third person limited omnipresent, in which both characters are referred to as ‘he’ or ‘she’ or by their names, but readers only have access to the thoughts of one character

• third person limited omnipresent, in which both characters are referred to as ‘he’ or ‘she’ or by their names, but readers only have access to the thoughts of the other character

• third person distanced, in which readers must guess the thoughts of both characters by observing their behaviour from the outside.

After everybody has finished, share and discuss the different versions.

What did you find easy about each perspective? What did you find difficult about each perspective?What were the advantages of writing from each of the different points of view?What were the disadvantages of writing from each of the different points of view?

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Visual PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

poeMs Which use the Whole pAge

Distribute copies of Text Model 18. Ask students to read the poem to themselves, then read it aloud together.

Do you think this poem would have the same effect if you just heard it without seeing it on the page? Why do you say that?Do you think this poem would have the same effect if it was printed in plain left alignment? Why do you say that?

Discuss how the poem uses space to add meaning. Have students write their own poems in this style.

visuAl poetrY in Advertising And logos

Advertising jingles often include rhyme so the messages will be easy for people to remember. Advertising posters and logos often use visual poetry for the same reason.

Describe an advertising poster or logo that sticks in your head. What is it about the poster or logo that makes it striking or easy to remember?

Discuss aspects such as combining words with pictures, colour, fonts, spacing, and so on. An example of a sneaky advertising poster is the placement of the word ‘coffee’ beside a picture of a muffin. This poster implies that when you buy a coffee, you should also buy a muffin (and vice versa). The purpose of advertising is to convince us to make purchases—even when we don’t really need them! Help students to analyse the messages within logos and different forms of advertising so they can become more critical of them and less likely to be swayed by their persuasive power. Have students design their own posters or logos for fictitious products of their choice.

continuous poeMs

Distribute copies of Text Model 19.

Where do you think the poem begins and ends?

Encourage students to give reasons to support their answers before you explain that it is a trick question. The poem begins and ends wherever the reader decides to start and stop reading. Have students create their own continuous poems. Allow them to

resources

V Text Model 18: My Fantasy Worlds V Text Model 19: Continuous Poem V Worksheet 16: The Great DebateV art suppliesV sheets of A3 cardboardV ink pads for thumb prints

V a photocopier that does enlargementsV coloured felt-tip pensV dictionariesV computer accessV scissors and glue

AreAs of focus

V Poems which use the whole pageV Visual poetry in advertising and logosV Poems without beginnings or endsV Blurred boundaries between poetry and art

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Visual Poetry write on any topic or select from one of the following:

• the life cycle of a particular plant or animal• a description of sunrise, daytime, sunset,

night-time, and so on• a series of reasons that lead back to the same

point, for example ‘I had to catch a bus because I had to go to the bank because I had to get some money because I had to buy a ticket because I had to catch a bus . . .’.

thuMB print poeMs

Ask students to write a list of words that relate to their interests, likes and hobbies (the words need not be in sentences), for example swimming, pink, practical jokes, dolphins, pineapple, summer, and so on. Instruct students to write 30 to 40 words each. Now have each student use an ink pad to make a thumb print. Once dry, enlarge the thumb print (so it fills an A4 page) using a photocopier. Have students use coloured felt-tip pens to write their words in the white spaces between the black parts of their thumb prints.

role-plAY

Distribute copies of Worksheet 16. Have students fill the speech bubble on the left with arguments supporting the idea that visual poems are really art, not poetry. Have students fill the speech bubble on the right with arguments supporting the idea that visual poems are really poetry, not art. Once the task is complete, have students form pairs to role-play the argument. After two minutes, ask them to swap roles. Have students repeat this process several times with different partners. Come together to discuss the outcomes.

How did people argue each side of the argument? Do you have an actual opinion on the issue or do you think that visual poetry is in fact both poetry and art? Why do you say that?

one letter poeMs

Ask each student to choose a letter of the alphabet. Encourage them to choose a letter that has special meaning for them, for example the first letter of their name, a letter they think has a nice sound, or an unusual letter such as Q or X or Z. Have students go through the dictionary and list interesting words beginning with their letters.

Ask students to write or type their letter over and over again, as many times as will fill an A4 page. Computers offer an advantage for this task as students can easily select different font sizes and styles, and use copy and paste to make the process faster. Encourage students to present their letter in as many ways as possible. Have students print their work, then cut out each of the letters. Have them create a picture collage of the letters on a sheet of A3 cardboard. Suggest that students use the letters to represent one or more of the words they found in the dictionary or create an abstract image related to their perception of their letter.

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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 17. Have students use the worksheet to help them plan their first slide. Ensure students have access to additional copies of Worksheet 17 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 colours, text sizes and fonts, and the accompanying images, animations and sound effects 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. For example, a poem about the environment might incorporate the colour green.

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). Students will also need to source sound effects. Apart from using the sound effects that come with the program, you could record students’ voices (either reading their poems or creating other noises) and other sounds.

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 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.

resources

V Worksheet 17: Slideshow 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 Word animation poemsV Hyperlink poemsV Computer thesaurus poems

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Cyber PoetryWord AniMAtion poeMs

Word animation poems are also created using Slideshow software, but they only use a single slide. Ask each student to think of five random words and type them into a slide, ensuring that each word is a separate object in the slide. Instruct students to give each word a different font size, style and colour. For example, the word ‘fire’ might be red. Have students animate the words to appear at different times, move around, grow, shrink, disappear, reappear, spin, bump into one another, and so on. Ask them to create connections between words visually, for example the word ‘cat’ might chase and eat the word ‘mouse’. For some students, it may be enough to include only two words in the slide. Other students may be proficient enough to include more words and more complex animation sequences. 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 sheets of A4 paper and ask students to turn them so they are in landscape format. Have students write the first two lines of a poem on the left side of the page. Instruct them to draw an arrow beside the second line and another arrow directly beneath the first one, both pointing to the right. Have students write two alternative lines for the second line of their poem, one for each arrow. Follow both of these lines with two alternative lines that could be the third line in the poem (that is, there are four alternatives for the third line).

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 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 two 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 four images and hyperlink them to documents which contain versions of line three.

7 Have students go back and hyperlink the other images 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 simple hyperlink poem of three lines (that is, line one, two options for line two, two or more options for 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.

coMputer thesAurus poeMs

Ask each student to choose a well-known poem, such as ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’. Have them create a new word processing document, type the poem in and save it. Challenge students to find each word in the computer’s thesaurus and change it to the first alternative offered by the thesaurus. If the thesaurus doesn’t offer any alternatives for a word, allow students to leave that word as it is. Explain that the computer thesaurus poems are meant to be absurd. For example, the first two lines of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ could become:

Mary have a small animal protein, its swindle be pallid because snowstorm.

Have fun reading the poems aloud and laughing at the strange new combinations. This process shows why translated poems (and other forms of writing) are never quite the same as they were in their original languages.

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Performing PoetryLesson Bank

Mini Lessons

rABBiting on

Discuss whether students think it is possible to communicate only through vocal expression, facial expression and body language. Ask each student to select a poem to perform. Instead of reading the actual words, have students replicate the rhythm of the poem using the word ‘rabbit’. For example, the first two lines of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ would become:

Rabbit rab—bit rabbit rab— bit rab—bit rab—bit rab.

Have students read from the real poem while they are performing because they need to convey all the original emotions. Remind them to use their vocal tone, volume and pace, their facial expressions and their body language. These can all be exaggerated; the performances should get laughs. After each performance, ask the audience to guess the intended emotions. Discuss what worked well.

Have students draw pie graphs to represent how much they think is communicated through words, how much through voice, how much through facial expression and how much through body language. Share and discuss everybody’s graphs.

there is soMething i Must tell You . . .

Ask students if they have ever seen a very melodramatic television soap opera. Explain that

the actors in these shows use long pauses to heighten the tension in the scenes; the audience has to wait to find out what it is they have to say. Have students form pairs to invent short melodramas (about one minute) in soap opera style about very mundane things. Instruct students to use the words ‘There is something I must tell you . . .’ to begin each scene and to include lots of long silences. The ‘something’ that needs to be told can be anything, provided it is not exciting. For example:

• we’re having spaghetti for dinner• tonight is bin night• I can’t find my green socks• I found five cents on the ground• we’ve run out of bananas.

Have pairs perform their scenes for the rest of the class. Discuss how silence can create both tension and humour, and how this might be applied to performance poetry.

Audience interAction

Asking the audience to participate in a poetry performance is a great way to keep them involved and interested. Instruct students to each write a short poem that repeats a particular word or phrase at least five times. Encourage students to make the poems absurd. For example:

‘I spent all of last night dreaming about mouldy black bananas. I woke up and the first things I saw were mouldy black bananas. I went and got

resources

V Worksheet 18: Performance Self-appraisal


V American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank at www.americanrhetoric.com

AreAs of focus

V Use of voiceV Use of body language and facial expressionsV Using silenceV Introducing poems and thanking the audienceV Audience interactionV Selecting the order of poems to be performed

in a setV Constructive self-criticismV Performance poetry in the ‘real’ world

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61

Performing Poetry

some breakfast. I had mouldy black bananas. But that’s okay, because my favourite food is mouldy black bananas. When I stood up, I slipped right over on some mouldy black bananas . . .’.

Explain that when the poems are performed, the performer must get the audience to say the repeated phrase. The best way to do this is to develop a special signal before the start of the performance. For example, the performer might say ‘As I read my poem, when I raise my hand I’d like everyone to say . . .’. Explain that the performer and audience should rehearse the signal and phrase a few times before beginning the poem.

A journeY for the Audience

Explain that when you perform a series of poems, you can’t just think about each poem individually; you also need to think about the way everything fits together. This includes walking onstage, introducing your poem, the poems you have selected, the order in which you perform them, the way you thank your audience when you have finished and the way you walk offstage. Remind students that when they select poems and decide on the order they will be performed in a set, they need to think about creating light and shade through contrasting topics and emotions. A performance can be seen as a journey for the audience. Ask each student to write an itinerary of their performance as if it were a guided round-the-world tour. Tell students to describe each poem—as well as the introduction and thanks—as a different destination. Suggest that students match different moods with different parts of the world. For example, a mysterious poem might be like visiting Stonehenge, while a more lighthearted poem might be like surfing on a Hawaiian beach.

self-ApprAisAl

After each poetry performance, ensure that students have access to Worksheet 18. Remind students to complete the worksheet immediately after performing, while everything is still fresh in their minds. Encourage students to reflect on their strengths as well as their weaknesses, using constructive self-criticism. If students are performing on a regular basis, go through the process frequently. Keep the completed worksheets on file so students can look back and see how their skills have developed over time.

perforMAnce poets (But theY don’t knoW it . . .)

Many people apply the elements of performance poetry in the ‘real’ world. Ask students to suggest ways in which the following people use performance poetry and their ideas on the board:

• politicians• magicians• spruikers• lawyers• salespeople• teachers and lecturers• sports commentators• mascots, cheerleaders and crowds

at sporting events• aerobics instructors.

Possible responses include:

• politicians could use poetry to make their speeches more interesting

• lawyers, spruikers and salespeople could use poetry to help convey emotion and encourage people to agree with their points

• aerobics instructors could use poetry to keep people engaged and motivated, and so on.

Have students read famous political speeches that demonstrate the use of performance poetry. The American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank has a good collection of these.

Ask students to write performance poems that could be used in the real world. Allow them to use their own ideas or write one of the following:

• a political speech about the importance of saving water

• a poem that a spruiker could use to sell fruit and vegetables

• a cheer for students to use to encourage their sports houses

• a poem to accompany a magician’s magic trick.

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Name Date

Write your response to each of the following reasons why people say some poems are not “proper”.

Element: What is poetry? Focus: There is no such thing as ‘proper’ poetry Lesson bank: pages 38–39

Worksheet 1

“It’s Not a PROPER Poem Because . . .”

It doesn’t rhyme.

It’s not published in

a book.

It uses plain, everyday words like

ordinary speech.

It’s only one line long.

It’s too funny and not at all

serious.

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Element: Structure in fixed form Focus: Villanelle Lesson bank: pages 40–41

Worksheet 2

line 1

line 2

line 3

repeat line 1

repeat line 3

repeat line 1

repeat line 3

repeat line 1

repeat line 3

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Element: Structure in fixed form Focus: Paradelle Lesson bank: pages 40–41

Worksheet 3

Paradelle Template line 1

repeat line 1

line 3

repeat line 3

jumble all the words from lines 1 and 3

line 7

repeat line 7

line 9

repeat line 9


line 13

repeat line 13

line 15

repeat line 15


jumble all the words from lines 1, 3, 7, 9, 13 and 15

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Name Date

These students are discussing a poem but are having trouble because they don’t know the correct terms. Write the terms in the boxes.

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

Worksheet 4

Poetry Words

I agree. The poet

organised the poem so the number of letter sounds in each

line increased by two each time. You could predict what would

happen next by looking at the line before.

The poem

has four sections. You know, where all the lines are grouped

together and then there’s a space between each group?

Yes, and

I really liked the way the poet used a line and then later

on, used the same line again.

Me, too.

I also liked the choices the poet made about where to stop

one line and begin a new one.

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Identify each of the following as examples of alliteration, assonance or consonance. Draw a red circle around each example of alliteration, a green circle around each example of assonance and a blue circle around each example of consonance. (Some examples might need two circles.)

Element: Sound Focus: Alliteration, assonance and consonance Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Worksheet 5

Sound Devices

dead duck

white bike

hollow bone

green cheese

fickle fate

best ghost

ruby red

snake soup

cold ghost

after all

black duck

other flower

hard part

last post

big frog

shutter bug

quick kick

amazing race

big blister

vicious vampire

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For each of the following words, write an example of alliteration, assonance and consonance. The three examples for each word do not have to make sense together.

Element: Sound Focus: Alliteration, assonance and consonance Lesson bank: pages 44–45

Worksheet 6

Writing Sound Devices

Word Alliteration Assonance Consonance

part

bring

cool

seen

dusk

trod

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Choose an emotion then write the ways it could affect each body part.

Emotion

Element: Description Focus: Physiological imagery Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Worksheet 7

Bodies and Emotions

Eyes

Mouth

Heart

Muscles of upper body

Head

Ears

Lungs

Stomach

Muscles of lower body

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Help Melvin the magician turn his similes into metaphors.

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

Worksheet 8

Magic Metaphors!

Simile Metaphor

A smile is like a ray of sunshine.

Hate is like a raging fire.

Love is as unpredictable as a roller-coaster.

Laughter is like a gift everybody can share.

Sadness overwhelms you like an unbearable ache.

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The examples in the left column tell us what is going on. Rewrite them so they show us instead.

Element: Description Focus: Show, don’t tell Lesson bank: pages 46–47

Worksheet 9

Show, Don’t Tell

Tell Show

Mum was angry.

I felt scared.

It was autumn.

Yianni was hungry.

Kate looked embarrassed.

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The following sentences all say the same thing using different words. How would each one make you feel if you heard it?

Element: Language Focus: Choice of vocabulary Lesson bank: pages 48–49

Worksheet 10

Different Words, Same Message . . . ?

Oi! What’s that

you’re up to?

Sorry to interrupt,

but I’m just curious about what you’re

doing . . .

Hey, what ya doin’?

Excuse me,

but may I please inquire as to your

activities?

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These sentences have jumped through a portal into a parallel universe! How do they look on the other side?

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

Worksheet 11

Parallelism

The best of the best

From top to bottom

Climb over the mountains

I have dreams in my pockets

As stubborn as a mule

I like to swim at the local pool

Honey is sweet

We make jewellery out of old buttons

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Element: Symbolism Focus: What is a symbol? Lesson bank: pages 50–51

Worksheet 12

Symbols in My Life

Simple, functional symbols that I encounter in daily life

Symbols I have seen used in movies, poems, books and other creative works

Symbols my family and/or community uses to mark formal or special occasions

Symbols that I use to help me communicate

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Mos

t st

orie

s co

ntai

n a

serie

s of

impo

rtan

t m

omen

ts t

hat

grad

ually

bui

ld t

owar

ds t

he m

ost

impo

rtan

t or

exc

iting

mom

ent,

calle

d

the

clim

ax o

r tu

rnin

g po

int.

Reco

rd t

he m

ost

impo

rtan

t m

omen

ts a

nd t

he c

limax

of

your

fav

ourit

e st

ory

on t

he g

raph

bel

ow.

Element: Narrative Focus: Narrative structure Lesson bank: pages 52–53

Worksheet 13G

raph

ing

Plot

s

Intro

duct

ion

and

setti

ng t

he s

cene

Firs

t im

port

ant

mom

ent

Seco

nd im

port

ant

mom

ent

Third

impo

rtan

t m

omen

t

Mos

t ex

citin

g m

omen

t

The

happ

y

(or

not-

so-h

appy

) en

ding

My

favo

urite

sto

ry

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Our identities are shaped by our involvement in different social groups. Characters’ identities are shaped in the same way. Draw your character, then reflect upon their roles and responsibilities within their family group, peer group, workplace or school classroom, and two other groups to which they belong.

Character’s name

Element: Character Focus: Character identity development Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Worksheet 14

Character Identity Development

Roles and responsibilities in their family group

Roles and responsibilities in their workplace/classroom

Roles and responsibilities in their

Roles and responsibilities in their

Roles and responsibilities in their peer group

My character

(other group #1) (other group #2)

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Element: Character Focus: Learning from experiences Lesson bank: pages 54–55

Worksheet 15

My Character’s ExperiencesThe happiest thing that ever happened to my character was when

This helped my character learn that

The saddest thing that ever happened to my character was when


The hardest thing my character has ever had to do was


The most embarrassing moment in my character’s life was when


The worst injury my character has ever had was


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Com

plet

e bo

th s

ides

of

the

argu

men

t.

Element: Visual poetry Focus: Blurred boundaries between poetry and art Lesson bank: pages 56–57

Worksheet 16Th

e Gre

at D

ebat

e

Vis

ual po

etry

is

re

ally

ar

t,

not

poet

ry,

bec

ause

Vis

ual po

etry

is

re

ally

po

etry

, no

t ar

t, bec

ause

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

Worksheet 17

Slideshow PlannerSlide Number

Text

Text colours

Text sizes and fonts

Reasons for your choices

Background

Reasons for your choice

Images


Animations


Sound effects


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After you have performed your poem or poem set, reflect on what you did well and what you would like to improve for your next performance.

Title(s) of the poem(s)

What mood or moods did you aim to convey?

How effectively was the mood (or moods) conveyed?

What were the best aspects of your performance?

What could you have done better?

How did you use your voice?

How did you use your face and body?

What will you do differently next time, and why?

Element: Performance Focus: Constructive self-criticism Lesson bank: pages 60–61

Worksheet 18

Performance Self-appraisal

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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

AGES10+

Amelia Walker

Poetry

Po

etr

y

Discover, explore and write po e t r y

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all you need to teach: poetry ages 10+

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poetry isbn

poetry ages

teaching poetry

poetry writing

elements of poetry

poetry performance

authoramelia walkers

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