I'm so happy that Tried it Tuesday is back up and running weekly! I love this linky and the wonderful Holly over at Fourth Grade Flipper. I get so many great ideas each Tuesday.
For this week's Tried it Tuesday, I can't take credit for the fabulous idea and lesson but I just have to share because it turned out so well! My teaching partner Mrs.Wirtz over at Endeavors of Innovative Teaching took a poetry class this summer from the Ohio Writing Project. The ideas she has shared have been amazing. For this Tried it Tuesday, I'm sharing her idea for students to write a "This I Believe" poem.
This I Believe
I believe that we should tell the ones we love we care about them.
I believe that pets are a part of the family.
I believe that we should hold the door for others.
I believe that "please" and "thank you" are two of the most important words.
I believe that words are powerful.
I believe that my students can soar above my expectations.
I believe that mistakes lead to great discoveries.
I believe that you can never use too many exclamation points!!!
I believe that everyone has a special talent deep inside.
I believe that you should take pride in all that you do.
I believe that you should always put your best foot forward.
I believe that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
I believe that you never stop learning.
I believe that fair is not always equal.
I believe in hard work and loving what you do!
Then I challenged my students to create their own list of beliefs to turn into a poem. We wrote continuously for 10 - 15 minutes and then stopped to create our class poem. It gave me chills to hear some of the powerful things my 5th graders put into their poems. Everyone just read a single line as we went around the room without stopping. We had a few "silly" lines to laugh about but overall my students really did some deep thinking about themselves and what they believe.
Here are a few of my favorite lines from my students:
I believe one little act can change the world.
I believe everyone has some good inside.
I believe in Karma.
I believe that life isn't always fair.
I believe that we should respect and help others.
I believe we should be thankful for what we have.
I believe we can always make new friends.
I believe that friends come and go - and that's okay.
I believe in myself.
This activity took less than 20 minutes and was an easy nonthreatening way to launch poetry, writing, and a sense of community within the classroom. If you have a few spare minutes, share the broadcast with your students and listen to what they have to say. Sometimes the simplest statements have the most powerful impacts!
Hope everyone else had a great Tuesday!
I LOVE this!! It was very inspirational to read these small lines. :) Thanks for linking up!
ReplyDelete~Holly
Fourth Grade Flipper
This is such a great idea Amanda! Thanks for sharing it. Sounds like something I can and will fit in when we start poetry!
ReplyDeleteBrandi
Swinging for Success
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