What are some great poetry lessons for fifth grade?

Answer 1

When I taught fifth grade, one of my favorite activities to kick off a poetry unit (or just use as a lesson in the unit) was called a "Find a Poem" workshop. I checked out many poetry books from the library and gathered those from my personal collection. Then I had each student pick a partner. The pairs worked to find poems with certain characteristics, which I had outlined on a worksheet. The page said:

FIND A POEM

1. Find a poem that makes you happy.

2. Find a poem that makes you sad.

3. Find a poem in which rhyme is an essential element.

4. Find a poem in which rhythm is an essential element.

5. Find a poem that makes you say, "hmmmmmm."


The pairs were to look through the books, finding each one from a different source (it is fun to watch the books fly around as they are swapped, traded, and explored). They recorded the title of the book, the name of the poem, and the page number under each. When the class was finished, we would go around the room sharing a selected favorite of each pair.

The activity is fun and gets them excited about exploring poems. They also have to identify the difference between rhyme and rhythm in poetry. The class gets to laugh over funny poems (which are usually the top choices when they are ready to share) and, as a teacher, it is always interesting to see what they choose for the last poem.

I hope this helps as you start your plans - it's a fun activity!

p.s. Something else fun to have the children work toward during your poetry unit would be a "Poetry Cafe." Have each student memorize one or two favorite poems and share them in a poetry cafe event. You could invite parents, have them bring treats, and set up the room with tables, a black backdrop and spotlight for the students, and a stool for them to sit on while sharing their poems. Oh yes, and the audience would not clap...they would snap, of course! :o)