Rainbow – A Structured Poem
This whimsical lesson is another great opportunity to build vocabulary in a creative
and open-ended way. It provides students with structured sentences and frames while
allowing them to be playful with the language. The theme of this poem focuses on
colors. This lesson can be easily adapted to all secondary levels.
Language Objective: Students will be able to express (define) the identity of different
colors, using nouns and adjectives; and to describe what colors mean to them.
Content Objective: Students will be able to decide and evaluate what colors represent,
whether it’s objects or concepts/ideas.
Function: Express, Define
Time: 2-5 class periods (45 min)
Vocabulary: nouns (objects/concepts), adjectives
Materials: Structured poem template, Picture dictionaries, Thesauruses, Dictionaries
Step by step:
1. Warm up activity ideas. Ask students questions and record them on a poster.
Teacher: What objects are yellow? Students respond: sun, sunflower, lemon,
Teacher: What do you think yellow represents? Students: Light, happiness,
Teacher: What would world be like without yellow? Students: Dark, empty,
2. (Continue practicing questions and answers that might be related to other structures in
the poem, or ask students in pairs to ask each other about different colors).
3. Hand out the template for the poem.
(Now go over adjectives or create a list with students and talk about synonyms, also point
out how some nouns are generated e.g.: happiness vs. adjective: happy)
4. Have students fill in the template with personal responses. Allow students to
use dictionaries, thesauruses or picture dictionaries. Allow students to write a sentence in
their native language or add/change lines in the poem.
5. Revise, review, edit and ask students to rewrite or type a final copy of their
poem, add illustration if there is time or interest.
6. If time allows, have students create a power point of their poem, one stanza/one
color per page. My students loved this! See an example under Lesson plans.
7. Have students present/read their poems or present their power points.
Rainbow
Green – I am ________________, __________________and ____________________.
I feel _______________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would _______________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Blue -
I am __________________, __________________and __________________.
I feel ______________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would ________________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Yellow - I am __________________, ____________________and ________________.
I feel ____________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would ________________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Orange - I am _________________, __________________and __________________.
I feel _______________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would ________________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Red
- I am ______________, __________________and _____________________.
I feel _______________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would ________________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Purple - I am ________________, ____________________and __________________.
I feel _______________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would ________________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Indigo- I am _________________, __________________and ____________________.
I feel _______________________and _____________________________.
I represent _______________________and __________________________.
Without me the world would _______________________________________.
I am (live in), _________________________________.
Rainbow
GreenI am grass, trees and the Hulk.
I feel happy and alive.
I represent life and the world.
Without me the world would be ugly.
I am inexperience.
BlueI am the sky, water and beauty.
I feel beautiful and full of life.
I represent eternity and life.
Without me the world would not have water.
I live in the ocean.
YellowI am the sun, light and fire.
I feel enormous and never ending.
I represent light and days.
Without me the world would be dark.
I am luminescence.
OrangeI am oranges, mangoes and sunsets.
I feel splendid and joyful.
I represent food and magnificence.
Without me the world would be sad.
I am daybreak.
Red –
I am blood, heart and gore.
I feel lust and hate.
I represent love and sex.
Without me the world would be in constant war.
I am affection.
PurpleI am the king, Barney and power.
I feel loyal and powerful.
I represent royalty and supremacy.
Without me the world would be in anarchy.
I am elite.
IndigoI am dark, evil and bad.
I represent darkness and loneliness.
Without me the world would be happy all the time.
I am darkness.
By Jose
Rainbow
Green - I am grass, trees and leaves.
I feel fresh and clean.
I represent life and freshness.
Without me the world would be dry.
I am green.
Blue - I am the sky, a soccer ball and the ocean.
I feel bright and light.
I represent peace and calm.
Without me the world would be a disaster.
I am life.
Yellow - I am the sun, banana and mangoes.
I feel illuminated and powerful.
I represent the light and sweetness.
Without me the world would be dark.
I am energy and life.
Orange - I am a tiger, peaches and sunset.
I feel strong and potent.
I represent the fruit and hunger.
Without me the world would die.
I live everywhere.
Red - I am a rose, a strawberry and a heart.
I feel lovely and happy.
I represent love and passion.
Without me the world would be hateful.
I am the strongest thing in the world.
By Javier