April is National Poetry Month and Allison Mount’s second grade classroom at Park Avenue Elementary spent the month buzzing with rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, similes and many other poetic devices.
The month started when surprise guests began popping in to share poems. Students quickly immersed themselves in all things poetic in honor of National Poetry Month.
First, the students learned about different types of poetry like haikus, acrostics, and sensory poems. They had the opportunity to study mentor texts from poets such as Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and many others.
Mrs. Mount began the first poetry lesson by sharing her favorite poem, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. Later that day, students closely read Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and picked out details from the poem to include in their own illustrations.
Students continued to enjoy poems during independent reading time and class read alouds. From these poems they selected their favorite. This poem become their personal poem and they practiced reading it everyday. Finally, they donned headphones and took up a microphone to record a class ‘poetry podcast’.
Next, the students put pencil to paper and tried out each of the different types of poetry discussed. Students then compiled all of their rough drafts in their own personal Poetry Books. After the Poetry Books were completed, each student chose one poem to publish. Final drafts were created, illustrated, and presented to parents at the class Poetry and Popcorn Party on April 20.
The students’ newly found passion for poetry spilled out of the classroom and around the school and even across the street to the high school, when the students visited other classes to provide ‘Poetry Breaks’. The second graders popped into other classrooms and shared poems with students in other grades. High and middle school students were also treated to ‘poetry breaks’ from the second graders.
The class wrapped up their poetry unit by celebrating Poem in Your Pocket day which is celebrated on April 21 every year. Students spread poetry throughout the school by carrying short poems around in their pockets and handing them out all day and by creating an online bulletin board full of their own miniature poem creations.
