April: Poetry Month
April 26, 2018
April 26th is national Poem in Your Pocket Day! On April 26th, students and teachers are asked to select a poem and carry it in your pocket that day. Poems are to be shared with anyone you talk to that day. From students at the bus stop to your followers on social media, read your poem to everyone. Share your poem using the hashtag #pocketpoem on your social media post! For more info on this special day, visit poets.org!
Gallery Walk
Post four to six poems on chart paper on the walls around the room or in the hallway. Have students work in teams of two to four to visit each poem. Each team should have a reader and a recorder. After the reader reads the poem, the team discusses what the poem says and means. The recorder adds their thoughts to the chart paper. Thoughts can be words, phrases, sketches, or sentences. The key is that each team leaves their perspective on the poem. The next team to visit the poem, reads the previous teams remarks and adds their own unique insight.
At the end of the gallery walk, teams return to the poems to see what other teams have added. The class can vote for the class favorite.
Act Out a Poem
Have students work in small groups to select a poem to perform. As groups prepare to perform, have them discuss what's going on in the poem and where the poem take place. Students should decide how to divide the poem into parts so that everyone has a part to read during the performance.
Students should have several days to practice before performing. This is a great way to develop fluency and incorporate the arts.