Teachers: Want to incorporate Pizza Poetry into your classroom, but not sure where to get started? From now until April 7th, we’ll be posting bi-weekly poetry writing prompts here on our blog! Remember, anyone ages 6-18 in Greater New Orleans can submit poetry to be published on a pizza box. And don’t forget: the deadline to submit poetry is April 7th.

Lesson Plan: Odes (1st-5th grade)

An Ode is a poem that admires something ordinary or shows the importance of something that is usually overlooked. An Ode does not have to (but can!) rhyme. Usually, an ode has detailed descriptions and observations. There are many ways to approach writing an ode, the most important thing is praising the object (or person). Here are four different odes praising the same object: PIZZA!

Oh Pizza!
Sausage and onions,
And deep mozzerella,
Ground beef and mushrooms
Make life vita bella;
Pizza sauce, hot cheese
That comes off in strings,
These are among my favorite things!
-John Bliven Morin

Ode To Pizza
You come in different shapes and sizes
Round or Square
O you look so fair
Sitting in a box
While I watch Fox
Whenever I’m sad
You make me glad
Your colors shine so bright
In the summer night
Whenever I’m around you
You make me glad that I’ve found you
I love you pizza
-Allyah, age 10

Ode to Pizza
No matter if you’re from Chicago or NYC
Pizza is appreciated everywhere, ode to thee
In the end there’s no contest, anyone will agree
No matter what form, you’re flawless like Queen B.
-Anonymous

Ode to Pizza
Pizza is my favorite snack,
Now what do you think of that.
Crust so warm and soft and chewy,
Cheese so tasty, scrumptious, gooey.
Hot in a box or on my plate,
Either way I just can’t wait,
To get my hands upon a slice,
To taste it now would be so nice.
Like nectar from the gods of old,
It tastes so good I’ll eat it cold.
When life is hard and I get down,
When on my face I wear a frown,
Only Pizza makes it right,
Now quench my raving appetite.
Restore my faith in all that’s true,
With a dose of cheesy goo,
Give me Pizza, give it now,
If you don’t I don’t know how,
I’ll ever live in harmony,
Without my Pizza ecstasy.
But where to get my Pizza snack,
I’ll tell you where, just where it’s at.
To Round Table you should go,
If you didn’t already know.
To feast upon their luscious pies
For they take Pizza to new highs
I love Pizza, that’s a fact,
Now what do you think of that.
-Michael Sykes

Now it’s your turn:

1. Brainstorm what you could write about.

Think about things you see and experience everyday that you don’t usually notice.
For example, Shoes, Teachers, Grandma, Friendship, Trees, Pencil, Love, Custodians, Hairbrush, Shoes, Computer.

2. Pick your topic and brainstorm why it is important.

Describe your object:
-What it does
-Why it’s important
-What would happen without it
-How you feel about it

3. Write your poem. If you get stuck go back and study the examples.

4. Share it with us!

Don’t forget to submit the final poems by April 7th!

Email us at pizzapoetry@bigclass.org to let us know how the workshop went, and submit your students’ poems. Are you especially proud of any of the haikus? Let us know and we’ll feature them on this blog! Click here to learn more about the Pizza Poetry Project.