Bite Size Writing Assignment: Rhyming Poetry

Assignment for the week of September 16:

Welcome to another week of school and another opportunity to get those creative writing juices flowing. Little Darlings Press recently put out a fun, short writing unit called: A Bite of Writing: Rhyming Poetry (available at currclick).

This week try one of the unit's simple poetry assignments with your students. Details are below.

Writing a rhyming poem through observation:

1. Observe the room you are in.

2. Write down the name of one object and describe it in detail.

3. Write about how the object makes you feel.

4. Write about its purpose/function.

5. Take all the information you have and use it to write a poem that rhymes.

Students do not need to use all the information written down. Just select a few words and phrases to work into a poem. With a rhyming poem sometimes it is useful to take a few of the words and find other words that rhyme with them.

For example:

vase
face
lace
race
chase

Here is a poem about a plant:

Green Plant
Up on the shelf there is a plant
Its leaves are oh so green.
It has one flaw - it's dusty leaves.
I think I'd better clean!

When I wrote the word "green," I thought of some words that rhymed before I began the next sentence. The key is to be creative and have fun!!!

Bite Size Writing Assignment: September Journal Pages

September journal pages are a great way to get students back into the groove of school. With the first days of school behind us, it is easy to lose zeal quickly as familiar days of reading, homework, and studying settle in. Have your student(s) grab a notebook and choose some topics to journal about this month.

Make sure to let your student(s) know that journal pages are personal, expressive, creative, and fun!

September Journal Topics:

• I'm glad to be back in school because...
• My favorite fall sport
• Fall harvest at my house
• Why I love fall weather
• What Patriot Day means to me

Encourage your student(s) to journal about any other topics they can come up with.