Prairie
Activity: Imagist Prairie Poems
Museumlink
Web sites used:
Prairie:
https://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/prairie/index.html
Behind
the Scenes; Palynology: https://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/behind/htmls/cr_bot_pal.html
Heartfelt/Handmade:
https://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/art/htmls/hh.html
Other
online resources:
priate
poems for students 8th grade and above.
Elementary
School in Vermont.
Objective:
After viewing the Museumlink Web sites for inspiration, and the poetry sites
for examples,
and
discussing the concept of imagist poems in class, students will write an imagist
poem that creates a
mental
image in the mind of the reader/listener by its desriptive language.
Time
Required: two 30-40 minute class periods; one for motivation, Web exploration,
and first draft;
half
a period or more for editing and other drafts.
Motivation:
Lead a whole class discussion on imagery in poems, using some examples. Have
students
identify
which words or phrases gave them the mental image. Choose a prairie topic, such
as a flower,
or
a settler's tool or artwork printed out from the Web site. Then have them list
words that describe this
object.
(see sample poem on page three of this plan)
Discussion
questions about an object or image of an object:
What
is this an image of?
What
words can you think of that describe this image that appeal to the sense of
sight? hearing?
touch?
smell?
What
are some feelings you have when you look at this object?
What
words would you use to describe this feeling?
Let's
create some sentences that create a feeling image.
Using
poetry examples for form, have them decide if the poem will rhyme, have metre,
etc., according
to
grade level. Tell them they will be writing a first draft the first period,
and edit it the second period,
finish
it, and read it aloud.
Discussion
questions using a written poem: (read aloud by the teacher)
What
is the subject matter of the poem?
List
the words in this poem that appeal to the sense of sight. ...to hearing...to
touch..to smell.
Prairie
Activity: Imagist Prairie Poem -- page 1 of 3