Ideas for teaching poetic devices using free verse poetry

1. Year 3 Poetry Ideas
By Joanne Villis
http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/
http://www.pinterest.com/joannevillis/
Activities can be applied to
different year levels!

2. Australian Curriculum
• CONTENT DESCRIPTORS
Discuss the nature and effects of some language devices used to
enhance meaning and shape the reader’s reaction, including rhythm
and onomatopoeia in poetry and prose
• CONTENT ELABORATIONS
identifying the effect of imagery in texts, for example the use of
imagery related to nature in haiku poems
exploring how rhythm, onomatopoeia and alliteration give
momentum to poetry and prose read aloud, and enhance enjoyment

3. Engage
• Invite students to create a brainstorming wall of what they
know about poetry (I use the whiteboard at the front of the
room). Every day students are invited to read what other
people have written and add something new. Note, students
can’t write what someone else has already written.
• Introduce the concept of free verse poetry, it is poetry that
doesn’t have any rules about structure. The purpose of the free
verse is to express ones’ feelings, to entertain, to create an
image in the readers head of particular concept.

4. Engage
• Introduce the 6 Thinking
Hats poetry evaluation
chart. Read the poem
Marbles to students. Ask
students to use the hat to
evaluate the poem. Repeat
this process for the poem,
Mountain Lions.

5. Engage
• Poetry Magnets
Download the free iPad app and allow students to
drag and drop work to create free verse poems.
The initial focus is on free expression, no rules or
techniques needed.
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/poetry-
magnets/id369944301?mt=8

6. Explore
• On the smart board brainstorm
words that are associated with
a ‘cold winter’s morning’. Then
give students the task card to
the right. Once students have
written their very long sentence
choose 2 or 3 students to write
their very long sentence on the
smart board. Model how a very
long sentence can be used to
create shorter lines for a free
verse poem. Invite students to
write their own free verse
poem.

7. Explore
• Invite students to draw a scary forest. Then as a class,
brainstorm words associated with a scary forest.
Encourage students to focus on sounds as well as what
they might see. Ask students to write a very long
sentence about a scary forest and then write their own
free verse poem. See task card to the right.

9. Explore
• Repeat the 6 Hat poem evaluation using the poem below. Then ask
students to picture their own fence, describe their fence to their
partner before writing a poem about a fence.

10. Explore
• Revisit the purpose of concept maps (ie to help us sort our ideas).
Ask a student to randomly select a topic (ie dogs). Write dogs in
the middle of the board. Then use the sub headings; looks like,
smells like, feels like, sounds like and tastes like. Instead of using
round bubbles for sub headings use a hand. This will encourage
students to think of 5 words associated with each topic.
• Let students know that the following day they are going to create
their own concept map about a topic of their choice. Their concept
map will then help them to write a free verse poem based on the
topic they have chosen.

12. Explore
• Provide each student with a sheet of
white construction paper. Have the
students trace their hands on the
construction paper with their fingers
wide apart. Ask students to think of
something special that their hands do
such as wave “hello” in friendship, paint
a beautiful picture, help them to climb a
tree or play a sport, etc.
• Next, have each student write a poem
about his or her hand around the inside
edges of the hand outline. Cut out the
hand shapes. Display the hand poems
along a classroom

13. Explore
Inside/outside poems:
• Read the poem
and discuss how a
different sense is
introduced on each
line. Invite students
to write an inside
and an outside
poem.

14. Elaborate
• Onomatopoeia is a word used to describe words which describe sounds. For
example, words used to describe water might include:
• bloop
• splash
• spray
• sprinkle
• squirt
• drip
• Drizzle

15. Elaborate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1b5kCvVBo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAYGa3Lvlq0

16. Elaborate
Popcorn Onomatopoeia Poem
1. Listen to popcorn pop in the microwave
2. Write a list of the sounds you can hear
3. Share you word lists with the class
4. Imagine you are a popcorn kernel in the bag
5. Start writing your poem on your page and create the path
of your popcorn kernel as you write your poem

18. Elaborate
PE Onomatopoeia poem
Before students go to a PE
(Physical Education Lesson) as
them to think about the sounds
that they hear during the
lesson. After the lesson ask
students to write a poem about
PE, focusing on the sounds they
hear.

19. Elaborate
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds (usually consonants).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3GbMgs7NLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CMHrDDWado

20. Elaborate
Read Dr Seus's ABC then:
Ask students to choose a letter and then create a table
with three columns. Ask students to label the first column
nouns, the second verbs an the third adjectives. Ask
students to brainstorm as many words as they can for
each column. Then ask students to put the words together
to create a poem which uses the alliteration technique.

21. Elaborate
Rhyme: Not all poetry has to rhyme but rhyming can add
enjoyment to reading poetry. There are many rhyming patterns
that work well but students can make up their own patterns.
Traditionally, the last word of line 2 and 4 and then 5 and 6 work
well. Other rhyming patterns include A B A B or AA and
BB. Example;
The Elephant
Down south where the bananas grow
An ant stood on an elephant's toe
The elephant said with tears in his eyes
'Why don't you pick on someone your own size?

22. Elaborate
Ask students to complete the following:
1) Choose a topic
2) Brainstorm a list of words associated with the topic
3) Next to each word think of as many rhyming words as you can
4) Choose a rhyming pattern (ie AABB or ABAB)
5) Write a poem using rhyme

23. Free Verse Poetry using Bloom’s Taxonomy
KNOWING
Verbal: Write a poem about what might happen at school.
Mathematical: Write a poem about numbers.
Visual/Spatial: Write a poem about sticky tape. Mention how sticky
tape can be used and or creative ways of using sticky tape.
Kinaesthetic: Write a poem about a sport that you like to play or
watch.
Musical: Write a poem about what you know about music.
Interpersonal: Create a poem with a friend about friendship.
Intrapersonal: Write a poem about yourself.

24. Free Verse Poetry using Bloom’s Taxonomy
UNDERSTANDING
Verbal: Write a poem about how to write poems.
Mathematical: Write a poem persuading the reader why maths is
the best subject at school.
Visual/Spatial: Write a poem about eyes.
Kinaesthetic: Write a poem from a goal keeper’s perspective.
Musical: Write a poem about why a particular animal makes the
sound that it does.
Interpersonal: Write a poem about when your teacher went missing.
Intrapersonal: Write a poem about your teddy. What does it do all
day when no one is home?

25. Free Verse Poetry using Bloom’s Taxonomy
APPLYING
Verbal: Give students a poem with errors and ask them to find and make
the corrections.
Mathematical: Write a poem using the pattern AABB or ABAB.
Visual/Spatial: Write a poem explaining why we ‘breathe out misty
smoke’ on a very cold and chilly morning.
Kinaesthetic: Write a poem explaining a dance routine.
Musical: Write a poem explaining how to play a musical instrument.
Interpersonal: Work in a team to create a poem about cyber safety.
Intrapersonal: Write a poem about the daily life of an elderly person.

26. Free Verse Poetry using Bloom’s Taxonomy
ANALYSING
Verbal: Write a poem about an issue which you feel passionate about.
Mathematical: Write a poem about the relationship between addition and
subtraction.
Visual/Spatial: Write a poem about what life will be like in the future.
Kinaesthetic: Write a poem comparing playing sports to watching
television.
Musical: Write a poem comparing two different styles of dance/music.
Interpersonal: Write a poem about Club Penguin, Moshie Monsters or
Minecraft.
Intrapersonal: Write a poem about the benefits of ‘quiet (own) time’.

27. Free Verse Poetry using Bloom’s Taxonomy
CREATING
Verbal: Write a poem about a new poetic technique.
Mathematical: Write a poem using a new rhyme technique.
Visual/Spatial: Create a new cartoon character an them write a poem to
introduce your new character.
Kinaesthetic: Create a new game and then explain the rules of the game
using poetry.
Musical: Write and then sing or play the poem an instrument.
Interpersonal: In small groups, create a reader’s theatre scrip and include
poetic techniques.
Intrapersonal: Create a design brief for an app to teach poetry. Your app
must include the poetic techniques learnt throughout this unit.

28. Free Verse Poetry using Bloom’s Taxonomy
EVALUATION
Verbal: Write a poem about a world without any language.
Mathematical: Write a poem about a world without any numbers.
Visual/Spatial: Write a poem about a world without any drawing.
Kinaesthetic: Write a poem about a world without any sport/dance.
Musical: Write a poem about a world without any music/singing.
Interpersonal: Write a poem about a world without any friends.
Intrapersonal: Write a poem about a world without any
memory/personal thoughts.

29. This work is licensed
under a Creative
Commons Attribution
4.0 International License.