This activity helps students stretch their vocabularies to include rich sensory words in response to a powerful image. They use these words to build a richly descriptive poem.
Strategies/Skills Used
Writing Skill 5: I carefully choose the most effective words to express my ideas.
(1) Cut sheets of four colours, and give each student one of each colour.
(2) Present students with an interesting image, or alternatively have them recall an interesting experience that has stayed in their memories. Provide time for students to talk about the image or experience.
(3) Have students record their reactions to the image on each coloured sheet:
- Sheet 1: two to three descriptive phrases to describe what the image looks like
- Sheet 2: two to three descriptive phrases to describe the image using other senses
- Sheet 3: two to three phrases to describe how the image makes them feel
- Sheet 4: a question they have about the image
(4) Have students arrange their colour swatches to create an appealing poetic description. They may choose to cut their swatches to enable them to weave ideas from different swatches together, or to repeat a phrase as a refrain, or to act as a powerful beginning or ending. Students do not have to include all the words and phrases.
(5) Have students glue their swatches to build a tower vertically on a backing page. If you wish, have them write a “good copy” of their newly created poems and develop a visual to go with their poems.
Primary
Intermediate
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Secondary
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