Power in Poems: Flocab tips for engaging students through poetry
For April’s #FlocabChat, we talked about how poetry can help students hone a variety of skills, such as analytical thinking, artistic expression, creative writing and public speaking. There are so many ways that teaching poetry can be used in the classroom, and more than that, there are many mediums (like hip-hop) whose texts can be read and analyzed as poetry. Explore how to use Flocabulary to teach poetry on this blog post..
Flocabulary offers several lessons about poetry, but as many educators in our community point out, Flocabulary’s content is poetry. To delve into why, see some of the chat’s highlights below.
The chat was led by Platinum MCEducator Megan Forbes, or as many know her, Too Cool for Middle School.
Captivate students and make learning experiences memorable and interesting through Flocabulary. Teachers can sign up below to access the activities and lessons shared in this blog post. Administrators can contact us below to learn more about the power of Flocabulary Plus.
A2: As important as figurative language skills are when studying poetry, so much poetry can also give us a way to learn about people’s experiences. Poetry can be used in social studies and literacy as a way to learn about people, eras, etc. #FlocabChat https://t.co/isX3lLZakz
— Megan Gress Madlon (@MeganMadlon) April 24, 2019
A2: I think for testing purposes (yeah I said it) it’s important to teach being able to quickly recog. a poem by its visual format and key words like stanza, rhyme, meter, rhythm, etc. Poetry is great for author’s tone, too and obvi symbolism and fig. language. #FlocabChat
— Andrea Runnels (@runitrunnels) April 24, 2019
Yes! We talk about the relationship between words, the language the author chooses as well as the story he/she is telling/feelings he/she is expressing- the choices all mean something… so much to discover. … #FlocabChat
— Renee Owens- ELA 8 (@rowens1) April 24, 2019
A2:Figurative Language Learning! Alliteration is All Awesomeness Alive. Onomatopoeia…Boom…Mind Blown not to mention Similes making words flow like butta across a hot cast iron skillet. I digress, Figurative Language for $200 Megan #FlocabChat https://t.co/EAQ6cGekMc
— Statia Paschel (@Mocha_Minds) April 24, 2019
A3: I was thinking about this today when I got a few groans when I mentioned teaching poetry. I didn’t have them write any yet but I am going to let them do it on Google Docs (which they think is awesome) and give them a chance to pick topics. #FlocabChat https://t.co/YVvpUiO4NW
— Andrea Runnels (@runitrunnels) April 24, 2019
A3: if you just pose a topic and let Ss chose with format, you’ll get the best results. Studying the different types for a period of time (week or 2) exposes them to all of those choices. Break out some Bob Dylan lyrics and have at it! #FlocabChat
— Jaclyn Woerner (@jacwoerner) April 24, 2019
I hadn’t taught 5th grade in a few years and my whole Fig. Language Pinterest board has songs like that. I opted to not use them bc my current students wouldn’t knwo them although Firework is an awesome song for it!! #FlocabChat https://t.co/uo341raUmX
— Andrea Runnels (@runitrunnels) April 24, 2019
A3 I start with short poems, that follow patterns like cinquain and hikau poems for younger kids and then get them with funny poems like “Sick” by Shel Silverstein. #FlocabChat
— Kimberly Acito-Tanig (@AcitoTanig) April 24, 2019
A3: For the generation we currently serve… You can easily print the lyrics of a popular rap or song… Switch words out with synonyms and say you wrote a poem and need them to critique it… Hopefully they will say you stole _____’s song.. then you got them hooked! #FlocabChat
— Reginald Wright M.Ed. (@MrRLWright) April 24, 2019
A3: This week I used a poetry lesson from @nearpod where we traveled virtually to places where famous poems were set. “Standing” on the cliffs of Dover or within a snowy wood really made the poems come to life! #FlocabChat
— Megan DuVarney Forbes (@TooCool4MS) April 24, 2019
A4. @Flocabulary lives and breaths poetry in every lesson. It’s very powerful. Every lesson is created with clever word play. Then let them create in the lyric lab. They learn that poets have powerful tools for creating. #FlocabChat
— Jezer Ureña, M.A. (@pastorjezer) April 24, 2019
The perfect combo to jump-start those great discussions about poetry with our Ss. #FlocabChat https://t.co/6suCLYTvL7
— Kimberly Acito-Tanig (@AcitoTanig) April 24, 2019
A4: Using the printable lyrics from the lesson video and Lyric Lab are great ways to teach poetry. One of my favorite pieces of Lyric Lab is the area on the creation page that generates rhyming words. It is so helpful when working on poetry! #FlocabChat pic.twitter.com/g5SsQuZmRu
— (@techamys) April 24, 2019
A4: My history students loved using Lyric Lab for the Black History Month Rap Contest, so my ELA students will definitely be using it to help them write their own poems during our current poetry unit! #FlocabChat
— Megan DuVarney Forbes (@TooCool4MS) April 24, 2019
A4: I LOVE the “Shakespeare is Hip Hop” lesson. It’s so clever and packed with a ton of vocab. A great inspiration for students to use the lyric lab to create their own raps and poems. #FlocabChat
— Summer Johnson (@scholarcation) April 24, 2019
Use Flocabulary to learn about and create poetry
A5:Teach it in an authentic way. Don’t try to be MC Teacher with your best South Side of Chicago impression. Facilitate the learning. Find out what resonates with your students then make connects to the academic vocabulary & technical side of the art form #FlocabChat https://t.co/59SZEo07Mo
— Statia Paschel (@Mocha_Minds) April 24, 2019
A5: We have a responsibility to stay relevant and open-minded to new music and poetry. Ask your students to pull songs and give suggestions. #FlocabChat
— Kate Jackson (@mrsjacksonelar) April 24, 2019
A5: Many educators in the LA area are taking a closer look at the lyrics of #NipseyHussle He was an example of how to use poetry and the power of language to change communities. #FlocabChat
— Megan DuVarney Forbes (@TooCool4MS) April 24, 2019
A5 You can bring in figurative language, speaker, rhythm through hip hop. Have each student bring an appropriate set of lyrics that exemplifies poetic terms such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification and more. #FlocabChat
— Kimberly Acito-Tanig (@AcitoTanig) April 24, 2019
Captivate students and make learning experiences memorable and interesting through Flocabulary. Teachers can sign up below to access the activities and lessons shared in this blog post. Administrators can contact us below to learn more about the power of Flocabulary Plus.