POETRY INTERPRETATION

Teaching Critical Thinking Strategies in the Classroom Through Aesthetic Experiences

Created by Karen Foss for Fifth Grade

Objectives

Discuss thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas and imagery found in poetry

Choose a selection of original or published poetry to interpret

Determine a specific artistic means (music, dance, visual arts) in which to express poetry

Interpret a selection of poetry

Present the interpretation of a poem to an audience

Write about the experience in a Writer’s Journal

Students will interpret poetry through:

Dance

Music

Oral Reading

Artwork

STEP 1 Poetry Interpretation will be discussed and explored in several settings:

Physical Education Class

(Dance and Movement)

Music Class

(Composition)

Art Class

(Ideas and Emotion)

Homeroom

(Imagery and Rhythm)

Step 2 Students will choose a poem of their own or a published poem to

interpret.

Step 3 Students will view samples of poetry interpretation with a partner in the computer lab.

Click here for example

Step 4 Create or Design a method of interpretation

Step 5 Present to an audience

Click here for another example

Step 6 Students will reflect upon their poetry interpretation experience in their

Writer’s Journal.

Dressing up like a gray cat while

reading the poem “Fog” by Carl

Sandburg was so fun, I wonder

what…

Step 7 The RubricNovice Partially

ProficientProficient Advanced

Participatesin class discussions

Selects appropriate poetry

Creates or designs an artistic interpretation

Presents for an audience

Completesassignment in Writer’s Journal

Resources

http://www.poetry4kids.com/

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/

http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/home.dohttp://www.poetry-online.org/childrens_poetry_resource_index.htm

http://www.loc.gov/poetry/

http://www.schooltube.com/video/37973/Quatrain-Poetry

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3534/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFR3zz12p0

Websites:

Books:

Atwood, A. (1971). Haiku: the mood of the earth. New York: Scribner.

Meyers, D. (2003). Blues journey. New York: Holiday House.

Prelutsky, J.(1983). The random house book of poetry. New York: Random House.

Roden,J.(2005). Paint me a poem : poems inspired by masterpieces of art.

Honesdale, Pa : Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press

Ryder, J. (1996). Earth dance. New York: Henry Holt.

Reflection

I look forward to using this project with my fifth graders. My goal is to guide

them in their discovery of poetry interpretation and provide them with the opportunity to express that knowledge

through an artistic means.

Karen Foss 2009