Haiku poems

Note: this activity is associated with the lesson on exploring ecosystems.

Flamingo Haiku – Student sample

Activity-5-Haiku-poems Download

Purpose: To understand haikus and how to construct them.

Materials: Recycled paper, pencil, colored pencils, crayons, marker, watercolor paper, watercolors, and water cups.

Common Core Standards:

English Language Arts Standards:

Reading: Literature:

Craft and Structure:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.5 (third) Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

CCSS.ELA-ELA-Literacy.RL.4.5 (fourth) Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

CCSS.ELS-Literacy.RL.5.7 (fifth) Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Reading: Foundational Skills:

Fluency:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b (third), 4.4b (fourth), and 5.5b (fifth) Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

Writing:

Range of Writing:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10 (third), 4.10 (fourth), and 5.10 (fifth) Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):

Understandings about the Nature of Science:

Science is a human endeavor:

Science affects everyday life; Creativity and imagination are important to science.

Acorn Woodpecker student example

Procedure: (Discuss haiku poems)

Discuss the structure of haiku poems with students (first line has 5 syllable; second line has 7 syllables; and the third line has 5 syllables). Provide examples, such as:

Ocean Haiku Poem Rainforest Haiku Poem

Blue, salty water Trees, five stories high

Important ecosystem High biodiversity

All life depends on A bounty of life!

Have students practice haiku poems with you and with each other.
Encourage students to choose an ecosystem of interest to them when constructing their haiku. Note: If students choose to paint, cut a piece of watercolor paint and paste on metaphor writing activity below (pdf)
Students can share their work with their classmates and parents. These can also be showcased in the classroom (see below).
Students can fill in the type of ecosystem in the title of their haiku poem (see pdf).

Activity-5-Haiku-poems Download

______________ Haiku Poem

__________________________________________________________________

Written by _______________________________