#369. Creative Writing - Haikus

Reading/Writing, level: Senior
Posted Sun Mar 29 14:43:08 PST 1998 by Lori A. Comer (LoriT1@aol.com).
John F. Kennedy High School, Denver, Colorado
Materials Required: chalkboard, handout of sample Haiku poems
Activity Time: 45 minutes
Concepts Taught: Poetic Formats

1. Introduce students to the basic Haiku poetry format -
3 lines of poetry which follow a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern.

2. Explain to students that most Haikus deal with topics concerning nature and/or emotions. However, don't discourage creative writers to do outside these boundaries.

3. Read samples of Haiku poems. You can download several from a number of Websites.

4. Have students write 3 of their own Haikus. These are later typed and included in the student's semester
portfolio.

5. Students share their Haikus voluntarily for participation points.