Grades 3–5
PoetrySparksStudents will learn about self-portraits and concrete poetry.
Students will write a poem in the shape of a pizza that celebrates all the unique parts of themselves.
This Spark was inspired by 826 New Orleans’ annual Pizza Poetry Day. Since 2014, 826 New Orleans has celebrated National Poetry Month, and the power of youth voices, by publishing student poems on pizza boxes for delivery across the city. You can learn more about Pizza Poetry Day on 826 New Orleans’ website.
This Spark utilizes two techniques: self-portraits and concrete poems. A self-portrait is a visual representation of how the artist views themself—sometimes in a painting or a photograph, but in this case, a poem. That poem’s final form will take the shape of a pizza, which is what makes it a concrete poem!
Before you start, think of 3 nouns that all students will be familiar with and construct an example of a simile and a metaphor for each of the 3 nouns.
STEP 1
First, project the mentor text on page 1 of...
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