Poems Have Shapes, Too!

Mathematics

Students will explore the world of geometric shapes by writing poetry.

What You Need

• writing materials
• Diamante Poetry (PDF file)

What to Do

1. Ask students to name geometric shapes. Have volunteers draw the shapes on the board.
2. Have students look in the classroom for items that have those shapes.
3. Explain to students that they will be creating original diamante poems about the shapes. Write this diamante poem on the board:

   Circles
   Round, complete
   Rolling, holding, finishing
   Orbits, pizza, seasons, merry-go-rounds
   Thinking, running, looping
   Circular, circuitous
   Circles
   

4. Ask students if they can figure out the pattern in the diamante poem. Write the complete pattern on the board:

   Line 1: subject (noun)
   Line 2: two adjectives that describe the subject
   Line 3: three participles (verbs ending with “-ing”) that describe the subject
   Line 4: four nouns related to the subject
   Line 5: three participles (verbs ending with “-ing”) that describe the subject
   Line 6: two adjectives that describe the subject
   Line 7: noun

5. Distribute copies of the Diamante Poetry worksheet. Have each student select one geometric shape and, using the template, create his or her own poem.
6. When the students have finished, invite them to share their work by reading their poems out loud or displaying them around the room.

Teaching Options

• Invite students to try their hand at writing other kinds of poems that incorporate math or geometry concepts. For instance, cinquains, rhyming couplets, and concrete or visual poems are some of the forms they might explore.

Internet Resources

Poetry for kids - Fun Poem sites
Tips for teaching poetry, different kinds of children's poetry, examples by famous authors—it's all here on the Web.
Membership required.
http://www.gigglepotz.com/