Poetry For Fourths

A WebQuest for 4th Grade English Poetry

ED631 Technologies to Advance Learning
Dr. Corder
Mary Baldwin College

Laura Squire
February 20, 2013

1. Introduction

Calling all fourth graders! Random House Books is looking for writers for a new book called Poetry for Fourths: A Collection of Poetry for Fourth Graders. Do you know the types of things that fourth graders like to read? Are you sometimes funny, serious, quiet, shy, athletic? Well then, Random House needs YOU! megaphone
Child Reading

Instructions for Growing Poetry by Tony Mitton

Shut your eyes. Open your mind.
Look inside. What do you find?
Something funny? Something sad?
Something beautiful, mysterious, mad?

Open your ears. Listen well.
A word or phrase begins to swell?
Catch its rhythm. Hold its sound.
Gently, slowly roll it round.

Does it please you? Does it tease you?
Does it ask to grow and spread?
Now those little words are sprouting poetry
inside your head.

2. Task

Man with clipboard Random House Books wants your help to make a new book Poetry For Fourths: A Collection of Poetry For Fourth Graders. By the time you are done with the "Process" step below you will have a poem book with:
  1. A glossary,
  2. several different types of poems you selected from the web of different styles, and
  3. some original poetry written by you!

3. Process

Part 1: Glossary

todo list 		You may work with a partner on Part 1. One person will be the writer, the other the researcher. You will start by making a glossary.
  1. Both partners should learn what a glossary is by visiting this link.
  2. The writer will copy the words below into a Microsoft Word document.
    • stanza
    • rhymed poetry
    • free verse
    • alliteration
    • onomatopoeia
    • cinquain
    • haiku
    • limerick
  3. The researcher should use the following web links to learn what each word means. Both partners then work together to write a definition that a fourth grader would understand. The writer should type this definition into the word document.
  4. Print the glossary you have created with your partner. Both partners need to put a copy in their poetry folder.

Part 2: Examples

girl reading
  1. Use the following links to look for examples of different kinds of poetry. Read through several poems on each site. Look for poems about different subjects. Look for rhymed poems and free verse poems. Look for good examples of cinquains and haikus. Take your time!
  2. Choose one rhymed poem, one free verse poem, one cinquain, and one haiku to submit to the editors for inclusion in the Poetry for Fourths book. Print those 4 poems and place them in your poetry folder.

Part 3: Write Your Own

light bulb

The publishers have asked that you include some original pieces of poetry in their new book.

  1. Click the poetry engine link to help you write your own limerick.
  2. Write either a cinquain or a haiku using help from one of the links below.

    Writing a cinquain

    Writing a haiku

  3. Write one other original poem in any style. Illustrate this poem using whatever medium you think would work best - watercolors, colored pencils, crayon, or collage. This site can help you find words that rhyme.

4. Evaluation

Name:_________________________________________

Date Submitted:__________________________________

Criteria Points
4 3 2 1
Part 1: Glossary All 8 words are defined correctly and words are spelled correctly All 8 words are defined correctly and but some words are misspelled Not all 8 words are defined correctly but all words written are spelled correctly Not all 8 words are defined correctly and there are misspelled words _______
Part 2: Examples There are 4 different poems included; one rhyming, one free verse, one haiku, one cinquain and the authors names are included There are 4 different poems included with authors names; but they do not include a rhyming, a free verse, a haiku, and a cinquain There are 4 different poems but no authors names are included. There are less than 4 poems included. _______
Part 3a: Quantity Three original poems were written Two original poems were written One original poem was written Poems were not original, or no poems were written _______
Part 3b: Quality Poems are free of grammar have no spelling or grammar mistakes There were 1 or 2 spelling or grammar mistakes There were 3 or 4 spelling or grammar mistakes There were more than 5 spelling or grammar mistakes _______
Part 3c: Variety There was 1 limerick, 1 haiku or cinquain, and 1 free-choice poem written and artwork All three poems were present but with no original artwork There were only two different styles of written original poems All original poems written were in the same style _______

Total

 _______

5. Conclusion

Choose one poem from your folder to share with the class. Return all folders to me so I can put them in a class Poetry for Fourths book.

Standards

Fourth Grade English - Poetry
Standard SOL English 4.7f: Writing: Write rhymed, unrhymed, and patterned poetry
SOL English 4.7g: Use available technology