Using Riddle Poems To Teach Poetic Elements

Hank MaineRIWP Summer InstituteJuly 19, 2004

K W LWhat do you Know aboutpoetry?

What would you like to learn?

What did you Learn from The lesson?

The purpose of the lesson isto teach poetic elements sostudents can identify them in their reading and utilize them in their writing.

Why are we learning this?

Standards and GLEs E1c-student reads

informational materials to develop expertise and produces written or oral work that reflects these points.

E3b-student participates in group meetings

E3c-student prepares and delivers an individual presentation

E5b-student produces work in at least one literary genre that follows the conventions of the genre

NEGLE W1-student applies understanding of the structures of language in a particular genre of writing

NEGLE W2, W3-student writes in response to literary or informational text

NEGLE W9-student applies conventions of a particular genre of writing

NEGLE R1-student uses word identification skills and strategies

NEGLE R2, R3, R4, R7-student applies vocabulary strategies and understanding of literary and informational text

What is a Riddle Poem?

I like to feel it Firm and cool-And Round beneath my feet

It’s one of hundreds shoulderingA long-enduring street.

I like to muse who felt it first-And why They trod, and when,To fit in patterns-edge to edge-The paths from Now to Then.

Ruth Tenzer Feldman

Cobblestone

What am I?

Writing a Riddle Poem

Getting Started Choose an answer Brainstorm Use a thesaurus Think like the object Use figurative language

Step 1: Begin with your answer or topic

Your topic can be concrete like a desk, a car, or even a person. You can also choose something abstract

like happiness or peace

Step 2: BrainstormCreate a list of words and ideas related

to and associated with your topic.Think with all your senses: where do you see, hear, smell, taste and touch things

related to your topic?

Example: waterClouds, wet, rain, liquid, fish, stream, river,

lake, pool, pond, swimming, ocean, ice, glacier, steam, snow, boats, sailing

Also think of words or ideas that are

opposite or opposed to your

topic

Example: WaterEarth, fire, dry, air

Choose some words you brainstormed and look up their synonyms in a

thesaurus. Look up synonyms for your topic

tooUse a rhyming dictionary

to look up words that rhyme with the ones in

your list

Think like the object: Try describing the world from the object’s point of view. What do

you see, hear, feel? What do you do? What do you like?

What would a river think?I run downhill

I make canyonsFish live in me

Try using figurative language:

Describe your topic using figurative language to give

cluesSimile: Pools that reflect like mirrors

Metaphor: Streams are fish roads

Personification: The rain played a steady beat

DraftingOnce you’ve gathered your notes, you’re ready to begin a draft. How should weStart?

Let’s start with the ideas of water cutting canyons

and reflecting like a mirror

I am like a mirror when I’m still

I am stronger than stone when I move

Sounds good but bland. Try playing

with the word orderStill, I am like a mirror

Fast, I’m stronger than stone

Now use your brainstorm to add different poetic

elements like personification,

metaphors, and maybe even rhymeTry different line and word

combinations. Sometimes even the slightest change can make

a big difference. Read your poem aloud and play with the words and order until it makes

sense and sounds right.

Publishing Your Final Draft

Publish your poem in a creative wayUse form and shape the poem like

its topicUse a creative background that

doubles as a clueDraw a picture to go with your poemMake an audio recording of your

poem

Have students generate a rubric for the assignment. Include an explanation of

the poetic elements in their poems and how they

used them

Have a poetry reading and invite parents, administrators, other classes and outside guests. Have the audience try to guess the riddle. Display the poems in your classroom and school building

Thoughts and Questions

Should students work independently or in groups?

What are some other follow-up activities?How should I differentiate the lesson for

students at various levels?How can I integrate this lesson to other

subject areas?How can I introduce different types of

poetry into the lesson?How can I use this with different genres

of literature?

Bibliography 

 Feldman, Ruth Tenzer. “Guess What” Cobblestone, March 1995, 24-25 Claggett, Fran, Louann Reid and Ruth Vinz. Daybook of critical Reading and Writing. Wilmington, Massachusetts: Great Source Education Group, 1999 Writing Riddle Poems. NCTE/IRA, marcopolo. 2003; cited July, 2004 http://www.readwrtiethink.org Zemelman, Steven and Harvey Daniels. A Community of Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988 Caravia, Lori. Riddle Poem. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, November 6, 1997; cited July, 2004 http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/YLP/97-98/97-98_units/97-98mini- unit/LCaravia  Miller, Carol Rawlings. 50 Writing Lessons That Work. New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 1999 My Students and My Collegues. Western Hills Middle School. Cranston, Rhode Island: 1999-2004

Thank You!

The End