One of the very first lessons I created was poetry-based, my favorite genre of creative writing!
I’ve always believed in the importance of creative writing in the classroom. Not only does it help to expand on topics in new, fresh ways, but it also helps students to get out of their comfort zone, relate to material on a deeper level, and sometimes even have fun! (Shocker!)
My very first lesson plan was PowerPoint-based: Introduction to Poetry
The lesson features the poem, The Orange by Wendy Cope and has students analyze that poem for literary devices, then work on creating their own 5-10 line poem based on what they learned about poetry/the components of poetry.
The Orange – By Wendy Cope
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I got a half.
And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.