Laura Candler's File Cabinet for Language Arts

Teaching Poetry
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Featured Book: Poetry Matters by Ralph Fletcher 


This is the most amazing book! Whether you love teaching poetry or the subject makes you feel a little uncomfortable, you need this book! Buy it and read it yourself before you use it with your students, and it will change the way you think about poetry. This is the second year I've used the book with students, and I had the same results both years. Ralph Fletcher speaks to young writers in this book and gets to the heart of what's important in writing poetry. When I read it aloud, my students are captivated by his words, and after just a few chapters they are writing very powerful poems on their own. Some students are finding their voice in writing for the first time this year . . . because poets can break the rules, kids who normally have trouble writing seem to excel in writing free verse. 
    

More Fantastic Poetry Books
   

 

Laura Candler's File Cabinet Poetry Blacklines
    
Poetry Multimedia Project - If I Were In Charge of the World
Idea submitted by Radene Girola
   
Recently one of my newsletter subscribers described a wonderful multimedia project she is doing with her students. She is using PhotoStory 3 which can be downloaded for free from Microsoft, but other multimedia programs would work as well. Radene is having her students take the poem "If I Were in Charge of the World" by Judith Viorst (book shown above) and is asking them to rewrite it in their own words and create a PhotoStory. She sent me a sample PhotoStory she created for her students, and I have her permission to post it online. Please be aware that this file requires Windows Media Player, and if you have a Mac you might not be able to view the file. She also sent me her lesson overview. I have omitted the original poem by Judith Viorst due to copyright concerns, but you can order the book from Amazon (above) or look for it in your library. Take a look at Radene's sample PhotoStory and prepare to be inspired! This would make a great end-of-the-year project! If you have questions about this activity, feel free to contact Radene at radene.girola@comcast.net. 
    
     
 
 
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