Writing

In writing this week we are working on poetry! Did you know first graders could write poems and songs? We are learning about the characteristics of poems, different types of poems, and then trying our hand at several kinds. Students have started a poetry notebook which is a combination of poems we have read together and their own original creations. Ask your child what a poem is!

Essential Questions:
How can I study published songs and poems in order to notice what other writers do? How can I try some of those things in my own writing?
How can I write lots of songs and poems—writing about things that matter to me?
How can I show my thoughts and feelings in my poems?
How can I make my songs and poems longer and then get them ready for publication?

Here are some skills they will acquire during this unit:


-Immerse themselves in many types of songs and poems
-Notice the structural characteristics of songs and poems (ie: white space, line breaks, rhyme, repetition)
-Turn an original poem into a song by adding their own made up tune
-Turn an original poem into a song by using an existing tune
-Craft songs that teach (ie: counting songs, alphabet songs, how-to songs)
-Write with purpose
-Convey their thoughts and feelings through songs and poems
-Compare to convey feeling (ie: He was as happy as a car at a gas station)
-Make their best work better, writing with attention to detail
-Think about words, letters, and punctuation (ie: using all caps, end mark, comma, no punctuation)
-Read and sing with expression
-Share writing with an audience