Found Poetry, Headline poetry
Today’s assignment went really well (well, one class just couldn’t get started, but they eventually made their way to work). I showed the kids a few examples of found poetry and headline poetry via Borderland.
We’re doing a writing assignment today!
“Booo!”
“Hisss!”
But it’s not a regular writing assignment. Most of your teachers, after reading a play or a book, would have you take a test. I only want you to write a poem.
“BOOO!”
“HISSS!”
“Stupid rules in poetry!”
Well, that’s where the fun comes in. There are no rules this time around. I have one rule about the form — it’s not to write on your paper with your own handwriting. I have one rule about the topic — write a response to the play (”The Diary of Anne Frank”), the movie (”Anne Frank”), or your research topic. You have to use other people’s words and make your own poem out of it.
Then I showed them some examples of found poetry and headline poetry. They really took to it. they Oooh-ed and Ahh-ed and started reading the examples I put up on the projector. they loved the fact they could scour through magazines to make a picture.
It’s just as much about writing a poem as it is making art. some of you might wantr to wirte out what you want to say, and then go find the words in these magazines. Some of you might just want to flip through some pages and find things that strike you. There’s no wrong way about this.
I only suggested they show me their poems before gluing them down so I could offer some artistic challenges. Too many words on the page leads to a lot of white space. If I hang up all these poems, I’ll have a jumble of letters across my walls, so each piece needs to be viewed on its own. Here are a few examples of the work done by students who took this assignment seriously. They’re visually striking; they create a message; they take a stance.
Enjoy: (click each image for a much larger version)
A response to research done on Propaganda
I like this image because it resembles propaganda. It makes you analyze the image in order to understand the message.
A response to research on “The Final Solution”
I like this image because it makes you think about the placement of the phrase “Un-.” Where does it go?
Another response to Propaganda
This image seems like a bomb going off. There’s an explosion of text as well as an explosion of related articles and their relevance to the topic.
A student who thought: “I wonder…is this what Anne Frank was thinking every day?”
I love the fact that this simple statement was backed up by the student’s reason. What did Anne think from day to day?
Filed under: Lesson Plans, New Stuff, Reflection, Teaching, Writing, praise
Good job. My class had a discussion today about how this “works” and decided they’d like to take another shot at it. Right now they’re cutting out more words. I like the way this technique lends itself to reader response.
I do, too. not only are the kids being a little more creative with their writing process, but they’re arguing for their writing.
How does this poem relate to the questions I wrote on the board?
“Well, I wanted to take the voice of….”
“It has to do with…”
“Everybody thinks that….but,……”
They’re arguing, and in ways much different than a regular 13-year-old argues. They’re staking claims in their writing, and I think I’ll bring this up to them on Monday. To take a stance on your writing is to create a position. To follow up that stance with evidence strengthens the argument. To follow further questions [from the teacher] with more evidence requires that the students are well-read in the ares in which they write.
This is writing and this is critical thinking.
Your students’ poems are also nice to see. I like the fact they’re relating their work to fortune cookies, as it gives them the idea that ownership over writing takes place when the author redesignates the writing.
[...] This is really interesting, from The Reflective Teacher — something called “Headline Poetry” (more over at Borderland). I think it’s a great way to change the perspective of those who perceive “poetry” to be an arty-farty thing. [...]
What I like best about this (besides the wonderful art) is that they aren’t simply pasting stuff down that sort of connects ot what they read — the arguments and discussions and clarification and evidence they provide shows that they are thinking deeply and is the most important part.
I think I’d lke to come and be a student in your class.
[...] Last year I goofed up and kind of stumbled through those first few days, immediately leading into a homework assignment. Pretty sure it was at that point I lost a good deal of the kids. This year, though, I’m prepared to start off with something to get the kids thinking and writing, and using their heads, eyes, mouths, ears, and hands: Found Poetry. [...]
[...] Last year I goofed up and kind of stumbled through those first few days, immediately leading into a homework assignment. Pretty sure it was at that point I lost a good deal of the kids. This year, though, I’m prepared to start off with something to get the kids thinking and writing, and using their heads, eyes, mouths, ears, and hands: Found Poetry. [...]
josh rowe is the best
josh rowe gos to liberty high school and he is smart