Tag: Pizza Poetry Prompts
#WritingPromptWednesday: If Poems
“If I were a black bee,
I’d buzz around town.
I’d soar like a bird above the whole world
I’d drop on someone and stick in my stinger and fall to the ground.”
In an if poem, the writer imagines what they might do if they were something, or someone, else.
How do you write an If poem?
An “If” poem can take many structures. They can consist of several stanzas of the writer imagining he/she is multiple things, or the writer can imagine he/she is one thing, and expand upon it over several lines. One structure of an “If” poem could look like:
Line 1 – “If I were a _____________________”
Line 2 – “I’d ______________” (action)
Line 3 – “I’d ______________” (action)
Line 4 – “and ______________.”
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write an If poem and submit it for consideration!
#WritingPromptWednesday: Pizza Poetry Acrostics
Last year Chloe wrote a staff favorite: an acrostic poem about pizza (and zebras). Acrostic poems are popular poetry forms taught in schools, because the structure is easy to grasp.
So…how do you write an acrostic poem?
An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase.
To challenge older students, try having them create an acrostic poem where the last letters in the line spell out a word or phrase.
Makes my brain poP
Love to read them sO
Funny and awesomE
Poems are the besT
Makes my heart roaR
They make me happY
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write an acrostic poem and submit it for consideration!
#WritingPromptWednesday: Pizza Poetry Fractured Nursery Rhymes
Everyone needs a little help sometimes to get started writing poetry. Changing the words of a well-known poem could be a good jumping-off point. Fractured Nursery Rhymes do just that. It’s fun to take a familiar nursery rhyme and change some of the words to make it funny.
How do you write a fractured nursery rhyme?
Fractured nursery rhymes have many different structures. To be successful, they should follow the same rhyme scheme/pattern of the original rhyme they are imitating.
Give Mary an animal other than a lamb.
Maybe something else twinkles other than a star.
Try giving the Old Woman a place to live other than a shoe.
Try your hand at a fractured nursery rhyme and share it with us!
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write a fractured nursery rhyme and submit it for consideration!
#WritingPromptWednesday: Pizza Poetry Couplets
Armani showed us that couplets are not just meant for the Elizabethan era, and can be differentiated to fit most age groups and abilities. Couplets are two lines of poetry that make up a stanza. These two lines can be part of a longer poem, or can stand alone as a very short poem. Couplets usually rhyme, but do not have to.
How do you write a couplet poem?
There are multiple ways to approach writing a poem of couplets. You can try first thinking of a subject, like shoes.
Next, brainstorm a list of words associated with the subject:
feet
run
cool
tough
Then, think of words that rhyme with the associated words:
feet – sweet
run – fun
cool – school
tough – rough
Lastly, write sentences using the rhyming words:
Shoes are needed for my feet.
Wearing them is really sweet.
And there’s a couplet!
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write a couplet and submit it for consideration!
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #6: Prose Poems
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.
Prose Poetry
A prose poem is a poem written in sentences. Often, it appears as a block of text and resembles a paragraph more than a typical metered poem. A prose poem however, is not a story, focusing more on the characteristics of poetry, such as poetic meter, language play, and images.
Prose poems first appeared in 19th Century France as an act of rebellion. Poets like Charles Baudelaire and Aloysius Bertrand wanted to protest the predominance of the Alexandrine metered line and the typical content that followed it. Breaking out of metered form, they wrote in a block of text that resembled prose, but behaved like poetry.
Many prose poems are written in second person, meaning the poet is addressing somebody or speaking to them.The second person uses the pronouns “you,” “your,” and “yours.” Often second-person prose poems resemble letters or postcards.
Below are two examples of prose poems written in second person. Now, it’s time to try writing your own prose poem. Think about WHO you want to write your prose poem to and what you want to say! Remember, you’re still writing a poem so imagery, devices and rhythm are important!
from Citizen, I
By Claudia Rankine
A woman you do not know wants to join you for lunch. You are visiting her campus. In the café you both order the Caesar salad. This overlap is not the beginning of anything because she immediately points out that she, her father, her grandfather, and you, all attended the same college. She wanted her son to go there as well, but because of affirmative action or minority something—she is not sure what they are calling it these days and weren’t they supposed to get rid of it?—her son wasn’t accepted. You are not sure if you are meant to apologize for this failure of your alma mater’s legacy program; instead you ask where he ended up. The prestigious school she mentions doesn’t seem to assuage her irritation. This exchange, in effect, ends your lunch. The salads arrive.
A Supermarket in California
Allen Ginsberg, 1926 – 1997
What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.
In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of your enumerations!
What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!—and you, García Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?
I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.
I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?
I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective.
We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier.
Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in a hour. Which way does your beard point tonight?
(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.)
Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely.
Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage?
Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe?
—Berkeley, 1955
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #5: Awake At Night
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: Awake at Night (7th-12th grade)
Hanging Fire
BY AUDRE LORDE
I am fourteen
and my skin has betrayed me
the boy I cannot live without
still sucks his thumb
in secret
how come my knees are
always so ashy
what if I die
before morning
and momma’s in the bedroom
with the door closed.
I have to learn how to dance
in time for the next party
my room is too small for me
suppose I die before graduation
they will sing sad melodies
but finally
tell the truth about me
There is nothing I want to do
and too much
that has to be done
and momma’s in the bedroom
with the door closed.
Nobody even stops to think
about my side of it
I should have been on Math Team
my marks were better than his
why do I have to be
the one
wearing braces
I have nothing to wear tomorrow
will I live long enough
to grow up
and momma’s in the bedroom
with the door closed.
-
Read Hanging Fire together as a class. Then ask students to read the poem silently a couple more times.
-
Brainstorm both concrete and abstract things that keep students awake at night worrying. Encourage them to list things that might seem trivial (how come my knees are always so ashy) to grander things (will I live long enough to grow up?)
Depending on the comfort level and culture of the classroom, this brainstorm might be more fruitful if done individually.
-
Now encourage students to write their own poems modeled after Hanging Fire.
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 poems? Let us know and we’ll feature them on this blog! Click here to learn more about the Pizza Poetry Project.
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #4: Odes
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.
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #3: Nature Haikus
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.
H A I K U S
A Haiku poetry is a short, centuries-old form of Japanese poetry.
A haiku is three lines and 17 syllables total.
The first line contains 5 syllables
the second line has 7
the final line has 5 syllables.
A good Haiku is like a photo that captures the essence of what’s happening, often connecting two seemingly unrelated thing. With just a few words, they call attention to an observation and in effect say, “Look at this” or, “Think about this.”
If possible take your students outside and ask them to record their observations in complete sentences. If you are unable to take your students outside, photographs or videos from nature will do. Don’t be afraid to use vivid descriptions and personifications.
Examples:
-
The tree branch shakes in the wind and tickles the grass
-
Each blade of grass pokes the soles of my feet
-
I saw ducks swimming in a pond during a rainstorm
-
I noticed the first buds on tree branches in your backyard
Now you have to pare the sentence down so it still describes the scene while inviting the reader to see what you saw.
For example:
I saw ducks swimming in a pond during a rainstorm.
Sudden spring storm—
a family of ducks paddles
around the deserted lake.
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.
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #2: Acrostic Poem Bookmarks
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.
Acrostic Poem Bookmarks
Materials: Cardstock or blank bookmarks, colored pencils or crayons, adjective handout (optional), list of well-known literary characters for inspo (optional).
An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase.
A n acrostic poem
C reates a challenge
R andom words on a theme
O r whole sentences that rhyme
S elect your words carefully
T o form a word from top to bottom
I s the aim of this poetry style
C hoose a word and then go!
First, brainstorm descriptive adjectives as a class. Then, choose a familiar character such as Spongebob, Mickey Mouse or Cinderella. Alternatively, you could use a character from a class reading. Then students should feel comfortable choosing their own characters and adjectives. Once students are satisfied with their poems they should copy down their acrostic poems on their blank bookmarks! For higher grades challenge the students to write descriptive sentences using alliteration!
M agical
A ffable
T alented
I ntelligent
L oyal
D aring
A dmirable
M ysteriously makes magic
A lways attentive to adults
T ricked the terrible Trunchbull
I ntelligently investigated the FBI
L oyal to Lavender
D aughter of a dishonest dad and miserable mom
A uspiciously, she always asked why!
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #1: Limericks
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.
Limericks
Limericks are funny humorous that are structured into five lines. The first and second lines rhyme and contain the same number of syllables, as do the third and fourth. The fifth line yields a surprise ending or humorous statement and rhymes with the first two lines. Typically, limericks are written in the past tense. They were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous poet who wrote the “Book of Nonsense” in the 1800s.
Limericks often start with the line “There once was a…” or “There was a…”
Some examples of Limericks:
There once was a wonderful star
Who thought she would go very far
Until she fell down
And looked like a clown
She knew she would never go far.
-Kaitlyn Guenther
There was an Old Person of Chili,
Whose conduct was painful and silly,
He sat on the stairs,
Eating apples and pears,
That imprudent Old Person of Chili.
-From the “Book of Nonsense”
Now, Write Your Own!
The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 8 or 9).
The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 5 or 6)
Templates are below for those that need it!
Template A
There once was a ______________ from __________________.
All the while s/he hoped _______________________________. So s/he _______________________________. And _________________________________. That ___________________ from ___________________.
Template B
I once met a _________________ from ___________________.
Every day s/he _________________
______________________. But whenever s/he ______________________.
The _________________________________. That strange ___________________ from ___________________.
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 limericks? Let us know and we’ll feature them on this blog! Click here to learn more about the Pizza Poetry Project.
#WritingPromptWednesday: If Poems
“If I were a black bee,
I’d buzz around town.
I’d soar like a bird above the whole world
I’d drop on someone and stick in my stinger and fall to the ground.”
In an if poem, the writer imagines what they might do if they were something, or someone, else.
How do you write an If poem?
An “If” poem can take many structures. They can consist of several stanzas of the writer imagining he/she is multiple things, or the writer can imagine he/she is one thing, and expand upon it over several lines. One structure of an “If” poem could look like:
Line 1 – “If I were a _____________________”
Line 2 – “I’d ______________” (action)
Line 3 – “I’d ______________” (action)
Line 4 – “and ______________.”
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write an If poem and submit it for consideration!
#WritingPromptWednesday: Pizza Poetry Acrostics
Last year Chloe wrote a staff favorite: an acrostic poem about pizza (and zebras). Acrostic poems are popular poetry forms taught in schools, because the structure is easy to grasp.
So…how do you write an acrostic poem?
An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase.
To challenge older students, try having them create an acrostic poem where the last letters in the line spell out a word or phrase.
Makes my brain poP
Love to read them sO
Funny and awesomE
Poems are the besT
Makes my heart roaR
They make me happY
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write an acrostic poem and submit it for consideration!
#WritingPromptWednesday: Pizza Poetry Fractured Nursery Rhymes
Everyone needs a little help sometimes to get started writing poetry. Changing the words of a well-known poem could be a good jumping-off point. Fractured Nursery Rhymes do just that. It’s fun to take a familiar nursery rhyme and change some of the words to make it funny.
How do you write a fractured nursery rhyme?
Fractured nursery rhymes have many different structures. To be successful, they should follow the same rhyme scheme/pattern of the original rhyme they are imitating.
Give Mary an animal other than a lamb.
Maybe something else twinkles other than a star.
Try giving the Old Woman a place to live other than a shoe.
Try your hand at a fractured nursery rhyme and share it with us!
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write a fractured nursery rhyme and submit it for consideration!
#WritingPromptWednesday: Pizza Poetry Couplets
Armani showed us that couplets are not just meant for the Elizabethan era, and can be differentiated to fit most age groups and abilities. Couplets are two lines of poetry that make up a stanza. These two lines can be part of a longer poem, or can stand alone as a very short poem. Couplets usually rhyme, but do not have to.
How do you write a couplet poem?
There are multiple ways to approach writing a poem of couplets. You can try first thinking of a subject, like shoes.
Next, brainstorm a list of words associated with the subject:
feet
run
cool
tough
Then, think of words that rhyme with the associated words:
feet – sweet
run – fun
cool – school
tough – rough
Lastly, write sentences using the rhyming words:
Shoes are needed for my feet.
Wearing them is really sweet.
And there’s a couplet!
We are now accepting submissions for the 5th Annual Pizza Poetry Project. If you are not able to bring us to your classroom for a free workshop, consider having your students try to write a couplet and submit it for consideration!
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #6: Prose Poems
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.
Prose Poetry
A prose poem is a poem written in sentences. Often, it appears as a block of text and resembles a paragraph more than a typical metered poem. A prose poem however, is not a story, focusing more on the characteristics of poetry, such as poetic meter, language play, and images.
Prose poems first appeared in 19th Century France as an act of rebellion. Poets like Charles Baudelaire and Aloysius Bertrand wanted to protest the predominance of the Alexandrine metered line and the typical content that followed it. Breaking out of metered form, they wrote in a block of text that resembled prose, but behaved like poetry.
Many prose poems are written in second person, meaning the poet is addressing somebody or speaking to them.The second person uses the pronouns “you,” “your,” and “yours.” Often second-person prose poems resemble letters or postcards.
Below are two examples of prose poems written in second person. Now, it’s time to try writing your own prose poem. Think about WHO you want to write your prose poem to and what you want to say! Remember, you’re still writing a poem so imagery, devices and rhythm are important!
from Citizen, I
By Claudia Rankine
A woman you do not know wants to join you for lunch. You are visiting her campus. In the café you both order the Caesar salad. This overlap is not the beginning of anything because she immediately points out that she, her father, her grandfather, and you, all attended the same college. She wanted her son to go there as well, but because of affirmative action or minority something—she is not sure what they are calling it these days and weren’t they supposed to get rid of it?—her son wasn’t accepted. You are not sure if you are meant to apologize for this failure of your alma mater’s legacy program; instead you ask where he ended up. The prestigious school she mentions doesn’t seem to assuage her irritation. This exchange, in effect, ends your lunch. The salads arrive.
A Supermarket in California
Allen Ginsberg, 1926 – 1997
What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.
In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of your enumerations!
What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!—and you, García Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?
I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.
I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?
I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective.
We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier.
Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in a hour. Which way does your beard point tonight?
(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.)
Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely.
Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage?
Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe?
—Berkeley, 1955
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #5: Awake At Night
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: Awake at Night (7th-12th grade)
Hanging Fire
BY AUDRE LORDE
I am fourteen
and my skin has betrayed me
the boy I cannot live without
still sucks his thumb
in secret
how come my knees are
always so ashy
what if I die
before morning
and momma’s in the bedroom
with the door closed.
I have to learn how to dance
in time for the next party
my room is too small for me
suppose I die before graduation
they will sing sad melodies
but finally
tell the truth about me
There is nothing I want to do
and too much
that has to be done
and momma’s in the bedroom
with the door closed.
Nobody even stops to think
about my side of it
I should have been on Math Team
my marks were better than his
why do I have to be
the one
wearing braces
I have nothing to wear tomorrow
will I live long enough
to grow up
and momma’s in the bedroom
with the door closed.
-
Read Hanging Fire together as a class. Then ask students to read the poem silently a couple more times.
-
Brainstorm both concrete and abstract things that keep students awake at night worrying. Encourage them to list things that might seem trivial (how come my knees are always so ashy) to grander things (will I live long enough to grow up?)
Depending on the comfort level and culture of the classroom, this brainstorm might be more fruitful if done individually.
-
Now encourage students to write their own poems modeled after Hanging Fire.
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 poems? Let us know and we’ll feature them on this blog! Click here to learn more about the Pizza Poetry Project.
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #4: Odes
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.
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #3: Nature Haikus
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.
H A I K U S
A Haiku poetry is a short, centuries-old form of Japanese poetry.
A haiku is three lines and 17 syllables total.
The first line contains 5 syllables
the second line has 7
the final line has 5 syllables.
A good Haiku is like a photo that captures the essence of what’s happening, often connecting two seemingly unrelated thing. With just a few words, they call attention to an observation and in effect say, “Look at this” or, “Think about this.”
If possible take your students outside and ask them to record their observations in complete sentences. If you are unable to take your students outside, photographs or videos from nature will do. Don’t be afraid to use vivid descriptions and personifications.
Examples:
-
The tree branch shakes in the wind and tickles the grass
-
Each blade of grass pokes the soles of my feet
-
I saw ducks swimming in a pond during a rainstorm
-
I noticed the first buds on tree branches in your backyard
Now you have to pare the sentence down so it still describes the scene while inviting the reader to see what you saw.
For example:
I saw ducks swimming in a pond during a rainstorm.
Sudden spring storm—
a family of ducks paddles
around the deserted lake.
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.
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #2: Acrostic Poem Bookmarks
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.
Acrostic Poem Bookmarks
Materials: Cardstock or blank bookmarks, colored pencils or crayons, adjective handout (optional), list of well-known literary characters for inspo (optional).
An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase.
A n acrostic poem
C reates a challenge
R andom words on a theme
O r whole sentences that rhyme
S elect your words carefully
T o form a word from top to bottom
I s the aim of this poetry style
C hoose a word and then go!
First, brainstorm descriptive adjectives as a class. Then, choose a familiar character such as Spongebob, Mickey Mouse or Cinderella. Alternatively, you could use a character from a class reading. Then students should feel comfortable choosing their own characters and adjectives. Once students are satisfied with their poems they should copy down their acrostic poems on their blank bookmarks! For higher grades challenge the students to write descriptive sentences using alliteration!
M agical
A ffable
T alented
I ntelligent
L oyal
D aring
A dmirable
M ysteriously makes magic
A lways attentive to adults
T ricked the terrible Trunchbull
I ntelligently investigated the FBI
L oyal to Lavender
D aughter of a dishonest dad and miserable mom
A uspiciously, she always asked why!
Pizza Poetry Blog Post #1: Limericks
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.
Limericks
Limericks are funny humorous that are structured into five lines. The first and second lines rhyme and contain the same number of syllables, as do the third and fourth. The fifth line yields a surprise ending or humorous statement and rhymes with the first two lines. Typically, limericks are written in the past tense. They were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous poet who wrote the “Book of Nonsense” in the 1800s.
Limericks often start with the line “There once was a…” or “There was a…”
Some examples of Limericks:
There once was a wonderful star
Who thought she would go very far
Until she fell down
And looked like a clown
She knew she would never go far.
-Kaitlyn Guenther
There was an Old Person of Chili,
Whose conduct was painful and silly,
He sat on the stairs,
Eating apples and pears,
That imprudent Old Person of Chili.
-From the “Book of Nonsense”
Now, Write Your Own!
The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 8 or 9).
The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 5 or 6)
Templates are below for those that need it!
Template A
There once was a ______________ from __________________.
All the while s/he hoped _______________________________. So s/he _______________________________. And _________________________________. That ___________________ from ___________________.
Template B
I once met a _________________ from ___________________.
Every day s/he _________________
______________________. But whenever s/he ______________________.
The _________________________________. That strange ___________________ from ___________________.
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 limericks? Let us know and we’ll feature them on this blog! Click here to learn more about the Pizza Poetry Project.
