I'm taking this super inspirational e-course with Mariah Bruehl of the book Playful Learning. Our homework this week is to experiment with creating a playful learning box. I decided to do one on poetry. I definitely didn't take the easy road here, I wasn't sure if Spud would be interested but it was a great success! A very fun way to spend a weekend morning!
POETRY BOX MATERIALS
· Dollar store bin
· 2 library books as reference and introduction to types of poetry (Barron's Rhyming Dictionary and Raps, Riddles and Concrete)
· A tin with strips of words for glueing (free printable here)
· Paper
· Alphabet stickers
· Stencils
· Scissors, glue, pencil, eraser, crayons — and Sharpie upon request!
Spud was definitely intrigued by all the things he found in the box. With some encouragement and direction he took to the project hesitantly at first but with determination through to the end. I read a few samples of short poems from the book. We talked about how they didn't all rhyme but that they all seemed to paint a picture or evoke an emotion through words. We also noted that they tended to use very few words to convey their message. Finally, and this was tough for Spud, sometimes poems break the "rules". He busted out of his shell a little bit and was pretty proud of his work in the end.
So here it is ... Spud's first poem:
One midnight underneath the
moon a cozy country
barn house in tree shade.
How
Quiet.
