We have loved seeing so many amazing poetry-themed Haiku Decks this month! Here are three more fantastic poetry project ideas submitted by teachers.
1. Spring Sensory Poems (Grade 1)
Submitted by Carrie Bresnehen, Cox Elementary – Cedar Park, TX
Learning Objectives
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL1.4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings to appeal to the senses
Materials
Haiku Deck iPad App or Haiku Deck Web App (free)
Activity Description
- Discuss the five senses and sensory words. What might you see on a walk in the spring? What might you smell? Etc. Take a walk or read a spring book.
- Create lists of sensory phrases for each of the five senses.
- Students use lists as ideas to create their own “spring is” poem.
- Students publish their work using Haiku Deck and share their finished product with the class.
Pro Tip
Creating word lists and a class example help students understand the project.
Carrie loves Haiku Deck because….
“Young students can easily create amazing projects!”
2. Wondering About Kindness (Grade 5)
Submitted by Donna Adkins, Fairlands Elementary School, Pleasanton, CA
Learning Objectives
Our team of fifth graders had several learning objectives, including:
- Learning how to use Haiku Deck (shared classroom iPad)
- Working collaboratively to share our thinking
- Responding to literature (We are reading the book Wonder, by R.J. Palacio)
- Really thinking of what the word kind means, and what kindness really looks like and feels like
Some of the standards this project touched on included:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7: Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Resources
Students access published works related to the theme of “Kindness.” For our class, we are reading the book Wonder. The theme of Wonder is kindness as well as acceptance of self and others. Any book that has a strong theme relating to character education would support the project.
In addition to print resources, our school participates in a character education program that helps students recognize and develop various positive character traits, including kindness. This program, “Soul Shoppe,” is a schoolwide character education initiative.
Activity Description
- After reading Wonder as a group, students wrote several reflections about what “Kind” is and how it affects them in reading journals.
- Using an iPad and class list, student leaders worked with individual students to create the slide deck on my teacher account.
- The teacher checked the deck for spelling and grammar only, then published the student work.
- Work was shared with family and friends.
Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app
Pro Tip
My biggest tip is to just let the students do it and not try and “help” them or worry about whether it is “perfect.”
Donna says….
“My students really love sharing their thinking. They loved the images that were available. I loved that they could do this easily without me.”
3. Spring Poetry (Grade 3)
Submitted by Smita Kolhatkar, Barron Park Elementary – Palo Alto, CA
Learning Objectives
- Learn various styles of poetry
- Work on word work (vocabulary)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.5: Learn process of revision
- With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 3 here.)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.6: Publish digitally
- With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Materials
Activity Description
- Students wrote their poems on paper.
- They then typed and revised them in Google Docs, using the new Google Docs Thesaurus Add-on (fantastic feature!).
- After a few iterations, they used Haiku Deck to type their poems, associating each line with a pertinent image.
- They played Haiku Deck in Play mode and took a screen shot of each slide (picture + text).
- They imported those pictures into Explain Everything from the Camera Roll.
- They added their voice and annotation.
- Students saved the end product as a video in the Camera Roll.
See the final video on Smita’s blog
Pro Tips
- The sound reduction microphone is not a must. However, the quieter an environment for students to record, the better the quality of the product.
- Ensure that the images really connect with the pictures.
- For teachers: Frontload the meaning of poetry, emphasize the process of revision, and focus on 1 or 2 key areas of revision.
Smita’s favorite thing about Haiku Deck is….
“The fantastic pictures. They are simply amazing.”
More Poetry Project Inspiration
Don’t miss 12 Awesome Poetry Project Ideas for All Ages
Special thanks to Carrie, Donna, and Smita for sharing their poetry project ideas! If you have additional tips or inspirations, please share them in the comments. And if you have a photography-themed Haiku Deck project idea to share, we’re collecting those throughout May.
