I LOVE POETRY!
Lesa from @Smithteaches9to12
I discovered this is not a common sentiment among teachers from chatting with many in real life and online. But hear me out, my love of poetry comes from language play. In my experience, getting students to familiarize themselves with taking (small) risks with their own poetry writing now, makes them more willing to take (bigger) risks in analyzing poetry later. Enter the collaborative poem, also known as a modified exquisite corpse – sounds morbid but really isn’t!
Every year I devote different days throughout the year, and added ones in April for National Poetry Month, so students can play with language through poetry creation. One of the most successful and fun activities is to write collaborative poetry! Each student writes a line or two or more then hides it from the next student, who then writes a line or two or more, and so on, only to reveal a final product at the end of it all. The results are always a surprise, rarely disappointing, and often quite hilarious and/or meaningful depending on the provided topic. (Cheese as a topic is a fan favorite year after year!). The added bonus of the activity is the sense of community that is built through this shared effort and final product.
Want to try this out with your class?
I do collaborative poetry with every grade from 9 to 12; I just change up the themes and/or requirements for lines depending on the class (see later in this post for some suggested variations). Here’s how I do it in my classroom with variations for in-person or online.
IN PERSON
- For each poem or ‘station’ you will need a large sheet of paper with an image with a strong theme, mood, or idea to it OR a word prompt. Honestly, the best poem my students write year after year is the one that has the word “cheese” as the topic for the poem to be written. So yes, it can be super simple!
- You will then circulate the paper from student to student or the students will move from paper to paper. I use 11×17 paper for students to pass around, or chart paper posted around the room. (For the chart paper on the walls an added piece of tape or even a fun sticker to help keep the paper folded between students is helpful so the weight of the folds don’t reveal the poem too soon.)
- Have students circulate to write a single line (or more) of poetry based on the image or word. Have them write AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE -this is important and will make life easier for revealing the final piece. A student writes their line(s) at the bottom and when they’re done their line(s) they fold the paper up to cover their line(s).
- The next student will then add a line or more without knowing what’s written after theirs. When that next student finishes their line, they too will fold up the paper. And so on until there is no more room on the paper. **This is why it’s good to have quite a few rotating/posted around the classroom. If you’re stuck for topics, feel free to use some repeats, rarely will a student write the same line(s) twice even for the same prompt!
- At the end, you can reveal the full poem by unfolding the page with all of the lines students have contributed. Students always get a kick out of the revelations of their collaborative poems. And there’s safety in not having to claim your lines.
DISCLAIMER: You know your students best! If they’re likely to go rogue in the writing of their line(s) you can add in a layer of accountability – certain students are assigned certain colors of pens/markers to write, or students have to add their name to their lines, etc. For the first few times if completing in person, you might want to be the one who reviews and reveals the poems. Perhaps it’s done in one class and then revealed in the next to give you time to check the wording. I have found that if I do a delay and review the first time and tell students I’ll be checking, the next time I don’t have any issues with students going rogue in their lines.
ONLINE
If you’re online, use a Google Form to complete the same activity.
- Include a header, and questions for students to write 1-4 lines of poetry based on the header image/word.
- Once students submit, you can export their lines into a Google Sheets and share it with the class in whatever online format you’d like. I usually copy the lines to a Doc and share it on our class Google Site. This option isn’t as instantaneous as the in-class version but still provides an opportunity for a finished product.
Extending Students’ Skills
To add another layer to the writing, you can brainstorm formats for different lines or ask for different inclusions.
Focused on figurative language? Share the terms and get students trying their own: Each line must include a simile.
Focused on rhyme and meter? A line must contain an internal rhyme or 10 syllables (stressed, unstressed?).
Focused on vivid writing? A line must use one of the five senses to describe the topic.
Focused on structure? A line must use the following structure: A (adjective) (noun) (verb) the (adjective) (noun) – e.g. A blue kangaroo kicked the distracted zookeeper. ← but more poetic!
So many opportunities to tailor it to your classroom.
Want to try one out with your class?
Make a copy of this file to receive a FREE hard copy to print if you’re in person, the link to a Google Form ready to go on the topic of friendship if you’re online, and instructions to export from Google Forms in order to share the collaborative poem with your class.
Want even more poetry resources for your classroom? Click here for a ready-made set of 24 different collaborative poetry activities using Google Forms and click here for the printable PDF versions. And take a look at the many other poetry activities so you can get your students started taking small risks with creating poetry.
