×
Grades level iconsGrades 6–12
Session time icon60+ Minutes
Genre information iconPoetry
Video resource type iconVideos

Meaning from Shape (Secondary)

by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
Journalist and 826 MSP staffer, Cristeta Boarini, shares a poetry prompt that walks students through using shapes to convey meaning.
About the Author

In addition to working as the Program Director at 826 MSP, Cristeta is an audio producer, journalist, and writer. As a writer of color, she values the amplification of fellow voices to bring greater equity to the storytelling landscape. When she gets to share stories that impact her community–like how neighborhood parks matter in the fight for social justice, or the impact of racial profiling of African immigrants in police reports–that work makes her feel part of something bigger than herself.

What Your Students Will Learn

You will learn how presentation and shape can affect the meaning of a poem.

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4 Common Core Standards Icon
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4 Common Core Standards Icon
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.4 Common Core Standards Icon
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 Common Core Standards Icon
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4 Common Core Standards Icon
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
What Your Students Will Produce

Your students will produce poem whose shape and meaning are intertwined, in the style of E.E. Cummings, Rosemarie Castoro, or Layli Long Soldier.

What You Will Do

If you’re looking for a version of this lesson for elementary students, please click here!

STEP 1

First, answer this question in your writing journal: “What does a poem usually look like? Think of at least 3 common physical qualities a poem usually has.” Then, watch the “Meaning From Shape” video. What is the main difference in the poem Cristeta wrote and a poem you may have seen before?

STEP 2

Slowly scroll through the poems on the Meaning from Shape — Mentor Texts and observe the physical shapes the poems take. What do the shapes of these poems remind you of?

Examples:

  • “The Sky Was” by E.E. Cummings has words written in arcs reminiscent of clouds.
  • Rosemarie Castoro’s poem lines up perfectly on graph paper, like soldiers in formation.

Next, read through the poems and note how the content is related to...

Login Blurred Image

See more Videos at this level