Fourth Grade Poetry Unit

Unit Objectives:

 LA 4.2-Students will learn and apply writing skills and strategies to communicate.
 LA 4.2.1-Writing Process: Students will apply the writing process to plan, draft,
revise, edit, and publish writing using correct spelling, grammar, punctuation,
and other conventions of standard English appropriate for grade level.
 LA 4.2.2 Writing Modes: Students will write in multiple modes for a variety of
purposes across disciplines.
 LA 4.2.1.a-Use prewriting activities to generate ideas, organize, guide,
and answer questions.
 LA 4.2.2.d-Use precise word choice and domain-specific vocabulary to
write.
 LA 4.2.2.e-Compare various mentor texts to create a similar piece.
 LA 4.2.2.a-Communicate information and ideas effectively in poetic
modes to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
 LA 4.2.1.e-Revise to improve and clarify writing through self-monitoring
strategies and feedback from others.
 LA 4.2.1.f-Provide oral, written, and/or digital descriptive feedback to
writers.
 LA 4.2.1.h-Proofread and edit writing for format and conventions of
standard English.
 LA 4.2.1.j-Publish a legible document in manuscript, cursive, digital and
apply formatting techniques.

Poetry Unit Objectives/Activities:

 Students will identify a variety of forms and genres of poetry.

 Students will appreciate poetry as a literary art form.
 Students will broaden their vocabularies to develop an appreciation of language.
 Students will develop their own creativity.
 Students will enhance their writing skills.
 Week one: Students will use new knowledge and skills to write an Acrostic Poem and a
Haiku.

Week One (Monday-Thursday)

Day One-60 Minute Lesson
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will use new knowledge and skills to write an Acrostic Poem and a Haiku.
 Students will use digital media to recognize various forms of poetry.
 Students will use books to compare poems.
Discussion Questions:
1) What is poetry?
2) Recall one poem you remember. Can you write it down?
3) Have you ever written a poem for yourself? Why or why not?
4) Have you ever written a poem for someone else? Why?
5) Do you have a favorite musician or poet?
6) What is an Acrostic Poem? A Haiku?
Vocabulary:
Poetry, Acrostic, Haiku, Ballad, Ode, Free Verse, Thesaurus, Adjective, Syllables
Materials:
Computer Lab, writing paper, thesaurus, notebooks
Books:
Come on Rain by Karen Hesse
City Dog by Karla Kuskin
Harlem: A Poem by Walter Dean Myers
Introduction:
We will be using the Internet to learn more about poetry. Specifically, we will be focusing on
the kinds of poetry we will be creating in class this month. (Acrostic, haikus, ballads, odes, and
free verse)
Internet sites to explore and discuss: (Students will take notes as they watch.)
Acrostic (2:08) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCjMClh2opY
Haiku (5:05) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkiTLxIQhdw
Ballad (1:09) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ASOZwiE5L4
Ode (8:02) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugZ0ymHfZG8
Free Verse (0:56) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH1X_5nlJJY
I have three books here that you can use to look at samples of different kinds on poetry. They
will be available to you at any time.
Here are a couple examples of Acrostic Poetry. After you read through them, talk with your
neighbor about anything you notice about the words, the way the poem is written, and what
the poems make you think about.
Sure I go there every day So many blooming flowers
Computers, Art, Music and P.E. Petite, baby squirrels play
Homework most every night Really big bears awaken
On Math, Science, Reading, and History Imagination grows, like grass
Our class does projects and experiments No tree is leafless
Learning never ends. Green is everywhere.

Today, we are going to begin writing Acrostic Poems. I am going to assign you a classmate’s
name, and ask that you write your poem using that person as your subject. This is just practice.
You can use a Thesaurus to help you think of words. (Students will share their poems with the
class, if they would like.)
Assignment:
Now, you are going to choose a subject to write about. It must have at least six letters. You can
use the time left in class today, and class time tomorrow to write and illustrate your Acrostic
Poem.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Two-40 minute lesson
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will continue working on, and complete, their Acrostic Poems.
 Students will recognize that art and poetry go hand in hand.
 Students will illustrate their poems and present them to the class.
Materials:
Construction paper, markers, colored pencils, books of poetry, thesaurus
Introduction:
We are going to continue with yesterday’s assignment. You’ll have time to complete your
Acrostic Poems, and while you are doing so, think about how you would like to illustrate it.
*Show example of illustrated Spring Acrostic poem from yesterday.
Allow students to work for 30 minutes. Students will get up and share their work with the class
when it is completed. Poems and artwork will be displayed in the hall.
Assessment: All sentences begin with a capital letter, all sentences are related to the
word/subject, all lines contain correct spelling, illustrations pertain to the subject.

Day Three-50 minutes

Objectives/Activities:

 Students will review the meaning of Haiku.

 Students will recognize samples of Haiku Poetry.
 Students will begin writing a Haiku.
Materials:
Construction paper, notebooks, thesaurus, Bonsai Tree
Introduction:
Please take out your notes on the short videos we watched on Monday. Review what you
learned about Haiku Poetry. Tell your neighbor one thing you wrote down.
Questions:
1) What is a Haiku poem?
2) What are syllables?
List on board:
 Short poems
 Japanese
 Three lines
 First line is five syllables
 Second line is seven syllables
 Third line is five syllables
Activities:
I am going to read aloud two Haiku poems and I want you to clap the syllables as I read:
Laundry Ancestors
Where are my clean socks? Those who came before
These smell worse than rotten fish Shall forever be with us,
Time to do laundry. Always remembered.

Turn to your neighbor and try to come up with a phrase that has five syllables. Next, try seven.
(Give time for discussion.) It isn’t as easy as it sounds!
Like all of our writing projects, in writing a Haiku, the first thing you have to do is decide on
what you are going to write about—a subject. The subject can be your title. Next, brainstorm
words that would describe your subject. Take out your notebooks and take a few minutes to
brainstorm. Does everyone have a good subject and some good idea to include in your poems?
Assignment:
Now that you have some ideas, I would like you to work on a rough draft. You won’t be able to
come up with the right number of syllables right away. You might need to try different wording
to make each line work. (Use Haiku Starter worksheet-ReadThinkWrite)
Assessment:
Observation
Day Four-40 minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will complete Haiku poetry.

 Students will demonstrate editing skills by peer editing poems.
 Students will write final draft on various shaped pieces of construction paper.
 Students will attach a string to the paper and hang it from the Bonsai Tree.
 Students will develop an understanding of the significance of the Bonsai Tree.
Introduction:
This tree is called a Bonsai Tree. It’s simply a small tree that has become an art form! It’s a
small, potted tree that looks like a full size tree. Your Haiku poems will be hung on this tree and
displayed in the library for the entire school to see!
Assignment:
Get your notebooks out and complete your poems. Once completed, please pass to a classmate
to count syllables, check for spelling, punctuation, number of lines and a title.
Assessment: Poems follow the 5-7-5 syllable pattern, format is attractive and easy to read, and
includes vivid imagery.

Week Two (Monday-Friday)

Day One-50 minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will study the form of a ballad.

 Students will learn the ABCB and ABAB rhyming patterns.
 Students will tell a story with a ballad.
 Students will hear and write the typical rhythms of the four-line ballad stanza, with
variations.
 Students will put their ballads to music.
Discussion Questions:
1) What is a ballad?
2) What does it mean to rhyme?
3) How is a ballad like a story?
4) How are lyrics and ballads alike?
Vocabulary:
Narrative, rhyme, stanza, rhythm, refrain
Materials: Projector, Notebook, Thesaurus, Computer
(Website to aid in rhyming—rhymezone.com)
Introduction:
This week, we will be writing poetry called a Ballad. Before we begin, I would like you to listen
to a few examples of Ballads. Is there a message? Do words rhyme? Does it tell a story? Take
notes in your notebooks as you listen.
*Candle in the Wind by Elton John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80rHyABCb20
*Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer (poets.org)
*Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IOqRLR3Oug
Discuss what you wrote in your notebooks with your neighbor.
Assignment:
You will be writing your own ballad, and we are going to work all week because writing a ballad
is more difficult than an Acrostic Poem or a Haiku. Ballads are stories. Each verse has four lines,
and the poem can have as many verses as you need to tell your story. A ballad will usually have
a refrain, or a line that keep recurring throughout the poem.
We are going to begin by using the ABCB rhyme scheme. That means the second and the fourth
line will rhyme. The first and third line do not.
As I walked into the Starbucks shop,
I spotted her sipping tea.
She looked up with her very sad eyes,
Her sadness clear to me.
To begin, sketch out the tale. Don’t worry about beats per line, rhyme schemes, or stanza
breaks. Simply write the story you want to present as a ballad. Once you’ve written the
narrative, take out all the words you do not need. This bit of editing will make the process of
making a story into a poem much easier.
For the rest of the class period, I would like you to free-write a story, like we did when we were
brainstorming for our personal narratives. Tomorrow, we will begin working on making our
stories into ballads. Please work independently.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Two-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will use learned information to write two or more stanzas.

 Students will reform language into balladic form.
Introduction:
First, we are going to work on a refrain for our poem. What is a phrase that would be good to
repeat throughout your poem, like the chorus in a song. Listen to this song and write down
what you believe the refrain to be:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY-FhgcYbTk Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
Assignment:
Take a few minutes to come up with a refrain.
Next, we will begin writing a couple stanzas. The beginning is the most difficult part. Once you
get your rhyme scheme and syllables, it will get easier. Please share your first stanza, or first
four lines, with your neighbor. You will be peer-editing as you read.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Three and Four-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will continue writing their Ballad rough drafts.

Assessment:
Observation
Day Five-60 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will continue writing their Ballad rough drafts.

 Students will peer edit Ballads.
 Students will actively listen to a guest speaker.
 Students will begin to write Ballad final drafts.
Introduction:
You will spend the next thirty minutes writing and editing. Then, we have a special guest
coming in to show you how she writes music. She uses the same process to write her songs, as
you are using to write Ballads. She is also going to use her time and talents to work with each of
you, and our Music teacher, to put your Ballads to music! It will take approximately a month to
get everyone’s poems completed. You will be working with her and your Music teacher during
Music class each day.
Assignment:
Once your Ballads are complete, please share it with a partner. Your partner will edit your
poem for the ABCB or the ABAB rhythm schemes, syllables, spelling, mechanics, punctuation,
content and fluency. You will use the rubric handout to edit.
For those of you still working, your Ballads are due Monday, so you will be able to get started
working on Music.
(Music lessons will be daily for forty-five minutes. They will last thirty days. At the end of the
month, each student will have their Ballad recorded and will share it at an all-school assembly.)
Assessment: Ballads tell a story, have a refrain, follow the ABCB or ABAB rhythm schemes, use
iambic rhythm, (Number of syllables and when stressed) correct spelling and punctuation.

Week Three (Monday-Friday)

Day One-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will study the form of an ode.

 Students will use metaphors/similes.
 Students will use their five senses to describe a topic.
 Students will write an ode about an ordinary place or thing.
Discussion Questions:
1) Are there things you really love--like a pet, a place, a food, a sport, or a hobby?
2) What does it mean to exaggerate?
3) Have you ever seen or read a movie or a book that brings inanimate objects to life?
4) Have you ever spoken to an inanimate object? (Such as yelling at a soccer ball or talking
to a flower?)
5) What is an ode?
Vocabulary:
Ode, stanza, metaphor, simile, personification, repetition
Materials:
Computers, thesaurus, notebook, projector
Introduction:
This week, we are going to begin writing odes. An ode is a poem where you choose a subject
and pay tribute to it, in an exaggerated way, by bringing it to life and speaking to it. It doesn’t
have to have rhyme or rhythm. First, let’s read this ode. (Project it.) It is all about blueberries!
 An Ode to Blueberries

Oh blueberries,
I see you wearing your purple crown,
sprinkled over my waffle.

Oh blueberries, 
thank you for swimming
in sweet butter
and
maple syrup.

Oh blueberries, you are simply delicious.

Turn to your partner and tell him/her what you notice about the ode and whether or not you
enjoyed reading it.
What did you notice? (Write on board.)
1) It is silly.
2) The poet is talking to blueberries.
3) “Oh blueberries” is repeated three times.
4) It uses descriptive words like “sweet” and “purple.”
5) The blueberries are “brought to life.” They swim and wear a crown.
I am going to put you into groups and give each group a word. You have ten minutes to come
up with ways to bring the object to life, describe it using your five senses, and figure out how
you can speak to it with praise or thanks. It can be silly!
Group One - A tree Group Three – A clock
Group Two – A cloud Group Four – A refrigerator
(Each group will share with the class.)
You are free to go to Scholastic.com and watch children share their odes online and you can
also read many odes written by kids all over the country.
Assignment:
Today, you will be brainstorming a subject to write an ode about. By the end of this class
period, I would like for you to have a list of at least fifteen things you appreciate, enjoy or
adore. Once you have fifteen things, I want you to choose one you can really give life to and
describe. Once you choose your topic, make a second list on everything you notice, feel, smell,
taste, hear, think, and/or wonder about your topic.
Assessment: Students have two complete lists in their notebooks. The first will have fifteen or
more things listed. The second will have a chosen subject and words to describe it.
Day Two-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will begin writing odes using samples from the Internet to guide them.
 Students will write three or more stanzas.
 Students will use repetition.
Introduction:
Let’s take a minute and watch an ode to pens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqNlm2GrFbc
Assignment:
Today, you will begin writing your ode. Be sure to log on to Scholastic.com to help guide you
through the writing process.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Three-50 minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will continue working on their odes.

 Students will complete three or more stanzas by the end of the period.
 Students will use repetition and adjectives.
 Students will choose a title.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Four-50 Minutes
Objectives:

 Students will continue working on their odes.

 Students will peer edit.
Assignment:
Your odes should be coming along nicely! You have 30 minutes to work. Then share your ode
with a partner. Please edit each other’s poems using the rubric worksheet. Take the revisions
and write your final draft. It is due at this time tomorrow.
Assessment:
Descriptive words should be used, at least one simile or metaphor, the subject should be
directly addressed, there should be three or more stanzas, and the subject should be praised or
thanked for its qualities.
Day Five-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will publish their odes online.

Materials:
Computers
Introduction:
You will be sharing your odes with other children all over the country and/or the world! You
will be publishing your odes online. Please log in to teacher.scholastic.com. (Writing with
Writers) We will read the directions together and add your information.
Assignment:
Once you add all of your information, type your poem in the box. Be sure you use your edited
poems, as you do not want there to be any mistakes.
Assessment:
Odes will be successfully published on Scholastic.com

Week Four (Monday-Friday)

Day One-60 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will visit the Carnegie Arts Center.

 Students will view many forms of art work.
 Students will use artwork to come up with ideas to write Free Verse.
 Students will describe the connection between poetry and art.
Discussion Questions:
1) How are art and poetry related?
 2) How can art help us use our imaginations?
3) Can you describe a painting using descriptive words?
4) Can artwork bring out emotions in people?
5) Can poetry bring out emotions in people?
6) What would you think about writing poetry with no rules?

Introduction:
The last few weeks, we have had to carefully choose the words we use in our poetry. This week,
we are going to break all the rules to write out last category of writing—Free Verse. Free Verse
doesn’t use meter patterns or rhyme. It is based on a poet’s own rules of personal thought
patterns. To begin the brainstorming process, we are going to visit Carnegie Arts Center today.
We are going to walk through and view all the artwork there. Our guide is going to discuss the
art and describe the pieces. I would like you to take notes and try to use the pieces of art to
help you come up with ideas to write about. At the very least, the artwork should help you
come up with good, descriptive words and imagery for your Free Verse poetry.
Assignment:
Pay close attention as we walk through Carnegie. Take notes on any artwork that “speaks” to
you. You might be able to use it to help you come up with ideas and imagery for your Free
Verse poem.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Two-60 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will share their notes with the class from Carnegie Arts Center.
 Students will brainstorm ideas to write about using a mind map.
 Students will begin by free writing.
Vocabulary:
Free Verse, imagery, description
Materials:
Notebooks and notes, projector
Introduction:
What do you have many thoughts and ideas about? Football, homework, your dog, your best
friend, the rain, Hawaii? Free Verse lets you write about whatever you want to write about,
using emotion and descriptive words. I am going to project a few samples of Free Verse poetry.
As I read them, pay close attention to the imagery, description of the topic and whether or not
the poem is sad, happy, serious, or funny.
Winter Poem by Nikki Giovanni Friend by Anonymous
Once a snowflake You and I are friends
On my brow and I loved You laugh, I laugh
It so much and I kissed You Cry, I cry
It and it was happy and called its cousins
And brothers and a web You scream, I scream
Of snow engulfed me then You run, I run
I reached to love them all You jump, I jump
And I squeezed them and they became
A Spring rain and I stood perfectly You jump off a
Still and was a flower Bridge, I’m going to
Miss you buddy

What did you notice about those poems? How are they alike? Different? What did you notice
about the punctuation? Word choice? Voice? Talk with your neighbors.
Assignment:
The only rule for today is that you have to write. Write about what you saw at Carnegie Arts
Center. Write about anything you think or wonder about. Write to be silly or serious or sad.
Tomorrow, we will look at what you wrote and narrow it down to one subject or topic for you
to write about.
Assessment:
Observation
Day Three-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will choose a subject/topic.

  Students will use free write/mind map to create a Free Verse Poem.
Introduction:
Take a few minutes and read your free write from yesterday. What words stand out the most?
What ideas came easiest to you? Today, you are going to choose a subject for your poem.
Again, you do not have to rhyme or follow any format.
Assignment:
Write a rough draft. It can be three or more stanzas. It can be humorous or serious, about a
person, a thing, a feeling—anything!
Assessment:
Observation
Day Four-50 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will complete their Free Verse rough draft.

 Students will self-edit their poems.
 Students will add adjectives throughout the poems.
Introduction:
We are going to spend this period finishing up your rough drafts and editing them. You have 30
minutes to work, and about 20 minutes to edit.
Assignment:
Complete Free Verse Poem. Edit using a dictionary. Add more descriptive words using a
thesaurus.
Assessment:
Poems will have correct spelling and grammar. They will have three or more stanzas. They use
vivid imagery and there is a clear subject and reason/point for writing.
Day Five-75 Minutes
Objectives/Activities:

 Students will share their Free Verse Poetry.

 Students will answer questions about their poems.
 Students will develop good, oral speaking skills.
 Students will bind poems into a poetry journal.
 Students will develop a cover page for their journals.
  Students will add illustrations.
 Students will write a back cover, summarizing their experience with writing poetry.
Introduction:
Today, you will share your poems with the class. I know I look forward to hearing them again!
Read aloud your poetry and then ask your peers if they have questions. Sometimes these
poems can become personal to us, but not always entirely clear to your audience. You are also
going to create a journal of your poetry, so you can keep it always and share it outside of
school.

Assignment:
First, be sure all of your pages look the way you would like them to. Would you like to add
more color or illustrations? If so, please do that first. Next, you need a cover page. I would like
you to illustrate it, and add a title and your name. Next, you will create the back cover. On that,
I would like you to write a couple paragraphs about how you feel about writing poetry. I want
you to let your readers know why you wrote about what you did, and maybe even which poem
you enjoyed writing the most. I will list the steps of your assignment on the board:
1) Add more color and illustrations to your poetry.
2) Design a cover page with color, a title, and the author’s name.
3) Design a back cover, summarizing your feelings about your poetry and poetry in general.
Tell your reader which poems you liked the best and why.
4) Bind your pages together to form a poetry journal.
Your final project will not be due until next Friday, so use your free time to work on it.
Assessment:
Free Verse poems will be read aloud clearly, and author will take time to answer any questions.
The final project will be graded on effort and creativity. Each poem will be bound, in order, in
the journal, and each will have some sort of art or illustration.