During our first unit of inquiry titled I'm a Poet and I Know It,  under the theme How We Express Ourselves, the students will be looking at how people express themselves with poetry. This unit's central idea is "Expression of ideas, priorities, emotions, and images are communicated through various forms of the written word." Over the next four weeks, we will be reading and writing poetry. During Guided Reading and Writing, students will use a variety of strategies to read poetry and then practice writing various forms of poetry.

Here are ideas to incorporate this unit at home:
  • Create poems as a family.  Have each family member come up with a line. 
  • This unit will focus on form (What does the poem look like?) and perspective (What are the different points of view? How does the poem make you feel? Why did the author write the poem?)  When discussing poems with your child, please try to ask them about form and perspective.
  • Come up with similes/metaphors for everyone in the family - including pets!
  • If there are any poetry readings in your neighborhood, try to attend.  Afterwards, discuss the poems and have each family member share which poem was their favorite and why.
  • Art museums, music festivals, and street fairs are all great places to see different types of people expressing themselves!


Please check out the following links for poetry activities to do at home: