WINTER 2024 EDITION

FIGURE ONE

Strengthing Literacy Development and Content Area Growtih through Student-Created Formul Poetry

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In this article, three types of formula poetry and ideas for incorporating those types into content area learning are discussed. The types of formula poetry discussed easily tie to many content areas (e.g. math, science, social studies). Suggestions will be provided for the greatest gains to occur in both literacy and content area development. In addition, Appendix A contains a brief chart of additional types of formula poetry that can be used across the grade levels. The poetry discussed in this article takes a minimal amount of preparation time on the part of the teacher and will not require extensive instructional time. The ideas shared can be modified to better meet the needs of the students and teacher.

Acrostic/ABC Poetry

While students may not be familiar with ABC poetry, many may have experience with acrostic poetry. Often acrostic poetry is used to discuss a famous person such as Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks. With this type of poetry, each line begins with the next letter in the name. Students can write a word, phrase or sentence for each line. For example,

Road a bus

Out of her seat she wouldn’t go

Strong

Always brave

However, these types of poems are not limited to names of people or places. They can easily be used with any content area. For example, students can use vocabulary terms in math or science too.

Always start with the right column.

Don’t forget to carry to the next column.

Double check your work at the end through subtraction.

The possibilities are endless. Terms such as pollution, cubic, ally, and others can all be used. This type of poetry can also serve as a lead into the less familiar ABC poetry. If choosing to have students work individually or in pairs, students can select a letter of the alphabet out of a bag. Then a content area term or topic is given to the class. Students write a line pertaining to that term for each letter of the alphabet beginning the first line with the letter they chose from the bag. At the end of a unit, ABC poetry can serve as a way to review content area material. For example, if students studied a place such as China, they can each select a letter out of a bag, or work in pairs, to write an ABC poem. If students get to a letter when writing the lines of the poem and cannot think of a phrase or word, then can leave that line blank or omit the letter. Often students choose to modify the “x” on their own and put eXceptional to begin that line. A lot of information can be shared through an ABC poem. For example:

Mammals

Always produce milk

Born alive

Cats and dogs are two types.

Don’t lay eggs

Echolocation is how some communicate.

Fur or hair covers them.

Give milk to their young

Have backbones and are warm blooded

When writing this type of poetry, encourage students to share specific information and use academic vocabulary. For example, have backbones and are warm blooded shares a lot more about mammals than have lots of examples in the world. The goal is to get students reviewing what they know on a topic. They can even work with a partner if they are “stuck” on a letter. It isn’t important if they omit a letter but focus on the learning and growth that is evident.

Definition

Definition poetry entails having students take a concept and define it. Each line defines the topic. The poem can be written individually or as a whole class. Almost any broad concept will work well with this formula poetry (e.g. freedom, slavery, electricity, buoyance, measurement).

A Good Citizen

A good citizen is someone who helps others.

A good citizen follows the laws.

A good citizen is proud of their country.

Math is

when you measure food to cook

when you add numbers together to get the sum

when you use a clock to tell if it is time to go to bed

when you compare how tall you are to your friend

Definition poetry can be used as an whole class activity to review a content area or topic and serve as a source of discussion so that all students benefit from its use. For example, if an early childhood teacher were reviewing math, and a student said, “Math is money.” That can be a great statement to put in the poem. However, as the class chorally rereads the poem aloud, the teacher can ask about what the students learned about money. What type of coins did they talk about? Likewise, if a student states, “Math is when you add numbers together to get a bigger number.” discussion might focus on what we call the “bigger” number. Definition poetry can open the same types of conversations at the upper elementary levels. As the class shares their individual poems or a class poem, they might discuss the details of people or historic events.

I Used to Think, But Now I Know

This is a great type of poetry to show students how much they have learned. It can serve to build confidence and review information. Each set of lines begins with those two phrases.

I used to think that adding numbers was hard,

but Now I Know how to add and multiply them.

I used to think that small objects were measured in inches,

but Now I Know that you can measure with centimeters and millimeters.

I used to think that the Native Americans were lucky the pilgrims landed here,

but now I know that they were often killed, and land was taken from them.

This type of poetry can be used to show content area growth over time. Another idea is to have students take the learning they are most proud of and write the phrase on a thought bubble to display around the classroom. The poems might even be used to share with future students for that grade level to show the type of learning they can expect in that grade.

Final Thoughts

Student-created formula poetry is a great way to develop literacy skills while strengthening content area knowledge. Students find writing poetry engaging and motivating. Providing choice is important in the classroom, so consider allowing students to choose the type of poetry they want to write once they have learned about the various types of poems.

The focus of formula poetry lessons should be on quality rather than quantity. Often because formula poems are easy to write, students may want to see if they can write the longest poem. This can often occur with definition poetry or ABC poetry. When that occurs, consider redirecting students to see if any lines in their poem are redundant or perhaps ask them to select the five or ten best lines to display in a final draft. Talk about how lines can be strengthened with specific academic vocabulary or ask them to extend lines. For example, if a student wrote A tornado sounds like a train roaring, the line can be extended to A tornado sounds like a train roaring through a darkening sky.

Remember to focus on the process and not just on the final product. The reflection necessary to write the poetry, the oral sharing of the poems, and the discussion of student-written poetry are important aspects of the poetry writing experience. Student-written formula poetry is an excellent opportunity to strengthen literacy development and deepen content area understanding.

WINTER 2024 EDITION | Page 31