Garden Poetry Lesson Plan
Grammar and Critical Thinking in a Thematic Writing Activity
Diamond poetry provides a creative language arts writing center activity that uses alternative assessment to test student knowledge of nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Spring is the perfect time to combine writing with elementary science curriculum. Students will enjoy
Diamond poems are a great way to combine parts of speech, love of language, and an appreciation of nature. Diamond poems also encourage an understanding of relationships since the top and the bottom lines of the poem are dissimilar but related in some way. Add this literary activity to a multi-disciplinary thematic gardening unit that includes composting, planting, sculpting, and painting.
Content Areas: Language Arts, Computer Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Critical Thinking
Materials: White board, white board markers, a worksheet or poster with diamond poem guidelines, computer with word processing software, printer, scissors, glue, construction paper.
Group Activity (Modeling):
- First brainstorm with students possible poetry topics. Write the topics on the board without commenting. (Possible topics: flowers, mud, seeds, sun, colors, worms, etc.)
- Encourage students to explain how seemingly different topics are related. For instance, students might notice that flowers grow in mud where worms crawl.
- Next, model the crafting of a seven-line diamond poem for your students.
- In the first line, students will write a one word concrete noun based on one of the brainstormed topics. For instance, a student might write the word “flower” at the top of his or her page
- In line two, students should write two adjectives to describe the noun in the first line (Ex: bright, yellow)
- In line three, students should think of three verbs that tell what the noun in line one does (Ex: Sway, blow, bend)
- Now students should skip down to line seven and write a noun that is seemingly different but related in some way to the first noun. (Ex: Worm) This seventh line of poetry will end the poem.
- Now going back to line four, students should write four nouns that are common to or that somehow connect the nouns in lines one and seven (Ex: Water, Mud, Soil, Compost)
- In line five, students should write three verbs that tell what the bottom word does (Ex: Eat, Crawl, Wiggle)
- Finally, in line six, students should write two adjectives to describe the noun in line seven (Ex: Brown, Muddy)
- Here is an example of a finished poem:
Daffodil
Bright, Yellow
Sway, Blow, Bend
Water, Mud, Soil, Compost
Eat, Crawl, Wiggle
Brown, Muddy
Worm
- If centered, the resulting poem will make the shape of a diamond.
Individual Activity:
- At the writing center, provide a worksheet to guide students through the line-by-line requirements of the assignment.
- Students should now be able to write a diamond poem of their own.
- Have students publish their final draft using word processing software such as Microsoft Word. If students use the Center Justify function, the printed poem will be the shape of a diamond. Students should use a moderately large font (such as 14) in a style of their choice.
- Have students cut out their printed diamond poem.
- Glue the printed diamond poems to bright construction paper for display.
Assessment Rubric: Be sure to provide students with assessment guidelines at the beginning of the activity.
- Did the student use specific concrete nouns for the first, fourth, and seventh lines?
- Did the student use vivid adjectives in the second and sixth lines?
- Did the student use interesting verbs in the third and fifth lines?
- Does the poem show a clear relationship between two seemingly unrelated nouns?
- Is the final draft free of spelling errors?
- Did the student use the center justify function in order to create a diamond shaped poem?
- Did the student neatly cut out the diamond poem?
- Is the finished poem glued to a bright piece of construction paper?
