1. Find a simple poem and copy it on chart paper, skipping lines between each line of poetry for editing.2. Ask students to copy poem on paper, also skiiping lines on paper between each line of poetry.
3. After lesson on nouns( using the master poem on the chart paper) ask students which words are nouns.
Cross them out with one color of marker. Make a legend at the bottom of the paper--nouns .Ask students to brainstorm other nouns to replace the nouns you just crossed out. Write them ( in the marker designated for nouns) above the noun. this master poetry sheet becomes the "class" poem.
4. Students then cross out the same nouns on their paper and replace the nouns with their own nouns. (These can be taken from a noun bank which is posted somewhere in the room.
5. After you have completed a lesson on verbs, do the same thing. Cross out the verbs on the master copy. Use another color of marker and label the legend "verbs". Ask for volunteer verbs and add them above the crossed out verbs. Students do now have to have a specific idea in mind. After a few parts of speech, the poem tends to "take on its own theme" and students can go with it.
6. Continue with whatever parts of speech you want to teach or review. I change or substitute pronouns and then, using an insertion mark, add adjectives before each noun and adverbs either before or after each verb, adjective, or adverb.
7. Students copy their finished product, making any additions that they feel make their poem say what they want it to say and then they share it with the class. Their poems take on a very professional sound which impresses them as well as reviews important uses of parts of speech and development of sentence structure.
Example of poem:
Up in the sky, the sky so blue
Birds can be seen by me and by you.
(partial poem)
Deep in the murky waters, the lively croaking frogs bellow so loud
Dainty water striders are swiftly retreating from them and from others.
