Trials and tribulations of a poet...

I think I found all the stuff on odes most useful. I definitely think a softly, softly, gradual approach to writing poetry is the most productive and the least likely to scare the kids. I actually found that I tended to include rhyme in my poetry, without really thinking about it. I think that this helped me to create some structure to my poems, but when I came across the enforced rhyming slide I had serious writer's block. This challenge really lacked any stimulus, and I think this is what made it hard for me to feel inspired. Sensory stimulation is definitely the way forward - I've definitely had my eyes opened to the powers of sensory stimulation over the last few days!

Re-drafting as a class is a great way to not only demonstrate the editing process, but also to build on vocabulary. However, I am concerned that there is not much else that can be done to increase a child's vocabulary other than to encourage them to read.

Lesson Ideas

My main objective would be to get the kids thinking about imagery, but I would like them to revise poetic terms initially.

Starter: wordsearch on poetry terms eg. onomatopeia. There are a load of clues on the terms and then they find the words.

Then I'd introduce them to something like Tennyson's Ode to Autumn, because it's got so many fantastic examples of personification, onomatopeia etc, which I would then get them to spot in small groups.

I think I would focus the subject matter on the season of the time and show the kids some photos and maybe take them on a 10 minute walk around the school, drawing their attention to their sensory experiences. Back in the classroom we would revise these experiences and write down some words and phrases that describe them.

Think that might be it for an hour...supper time!