Grade 1-2 Poetry
Poetry writing can be used to express personal feelings about important moments and events. It
offers an easy and meaningful alternative to traditional writing forms.
Criteria for Poetry Writing:
1. self-selection of topics – about the everyday lives, interests, and concerns of students
2. uses the unstructured form of free-verse (nonrhyming)
3. has a unique form and shape
Key Ideas for this Unit:
During this unit, students will develop their understanding of the genre of poetry through
discussion and writing of free verse poems. Working in free-verse allows all students to have
early writing success. The goal of this unit is to deepen their knowledge of this genre and apply
the traits of good writing. Students will hear, view, notice, and discuss free-verse poems written
by students of similar ages. Through the context of noticing and discussing the whole poem,
students explore elements of poetry. In addition, using kid’s poems as models gives students
enthusiasm, confidence, and ideas for their own writing. Seeing lots of poems in original
handwriting and invented spellings sends a powerful message to students: “You can do this too!”
Goals and Overview:
Students will learn to…
 experiment with language
 select a meaningful title
 focus on a single topic
 incorporate detail
 use imagery
 think about effective beginnings and endings
 create a mood
 express feelings with their own personal voice
Note: Continue to reinforce expectations for Writing Workshop. Repeat procedural mini-lessons
as needed. Also, repeat any of the following mini-lessons that discuss craft as needed. Your
conferences with students will support you in determining which mini-lessons students need
repeated.
Lesson ideas and resources for this unit were taken from the books by Regie Routman, Kids’
Poems: Teaching First Graders to Love Writing Poetry and Kids’ Poems: Teaching Second
Graders to Love Writing Poetry
Getting Started: Ways to Bring Poetry to the Classroom
1. Establish a Poetry Corner
 have lots of books with free-verse poetry, not just rhymes
o include poems related to science and nature - whatever subjects your students are
interested in
o include poetry anthologies
2. Read Poetry Aloud
 read lots of free-verse poems (students will be writing in this form)
3. Institute “Poet of the Day” (grade 2)
 a class poet reads a poem aloud to the class each day (poems can be written by the
student or by a published poet)
 students practice the poem in advance
 can be assigned as a weekly class job
Mini-Lesson #1-2
Immersion: Sharing and Discussing Children’s Poems (Gr. 1 pages 10-14, Gr. 2 pages 12-18)
Begin by telling students how excited you are by what they are about to do.
i.e. I am so excited! We’ve been reading and enjoying lots of poems together. Today we’re going
to learn how to write poetry, and I know you will love doing it. I will be showing you lots of
poems written by first/second graders just like you. That will help us get started and give you lots
of ideas. But before we begin, let’s find out what you already know about poetry.
Brainstorm a list of “What We Know About Poetry.”
Over the course of two lessons, immerse students in free-verse poems written by children “just
like them.” Share several original handwritten drafts of children’s poems as well as final
versions. Read poems aloud and then ask students, “What do you notice? What did the writer
do?” Comment on any of the following as you notice and discuss the whole poem.
Topic
Word Choice
Expression of feelings
Title
Special or missing punctuation
Rhythm/beat
Shape
Line breaks
Ending line
The goal is to dispel any notions about poetry writing being hard, constrained, or requiring strict
conventions. Draw the students’ attention to the following:
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doesn’t have to rhyme
can use few words
can be about anything
is easy to create
has a unique form and shape
often ends with a punch
may or may not have rhythm or a beat
has a title
may use invented spelling
lets us know the poet
may be serious or funny
taps into student’s interests
usually expresses important personal feelings
Mini-Lesson #3
Shared Writing – Writing a Poem Together (Gr. 1 pages 24-28)
Pick a topic that students will be familiar with – i.e. pizza. Together, brainstorm words that go
with the topic. Record on chart paper.
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pepperoni
tomato sauce
hot
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cheese
crusty
Writing: Conduct a shared writing of a poem with the students. Use any of the following prompts
to guide the writing. Record the students’ ideas. Reread the poem from the beginning each time
students contribute a new line, thought, or idea.
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What should we call our poem?
Who has an idea of how we can begin?
What could our first line be?
How else can we say that?
Let’s hear how that sounds with what we have so far.
How about if we say it this way?
Do you like the rhythm? Let’s clap that to hear the beat.
What about an ending line?
Let’s read it trying different endings.
Who has another idea?
Which ending do you like best?
Does the poem look the way we want it? How might we change it?
Let’s read it again and hear how it sounds. Does it sound right?
Does the title make sense?
Do we want to change anything to make our poem look or sound better?
Share: With a partner, have students partner read the class poem to each other.
Mini-Lesson #4
Choosing Topics (Gr. 1 page 33, Gr. 2 page 31)
Encourage students to write about what really interests them – what they care about, what they
know, what they observe, how they feel about things. Model writing your own list of poetry
topics. i.e. “I really care about and am interested in lots of things. I might write about…”
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The Seasons: Summertime, Snowflakes
Sports: I Like Gymnastics
Pets: My Fish
Nature: Flowers, Butterflies
Favorite places: At the Beach
Family: My Brother/Sister
School/Friends: Recess, All My Friends
Feelings: Surprise Party
Hobbies: Playing the Piano
Begin an anchor chart. “Poets …”
 write about their topic with big, strong feelings.
Writing: Distribute “My Poetry Topics” handout (see last page). Have students begin writing
their own topics list.
Share: Have students share their list of poetry topics with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #5
Writing the First Poems Independently (Gr. 1 pages 17-18, Gr. 2 pages 20-22)
Model for students how to choose a topic you are interested in from your own list of poetry
topics. Using a Think Aloud, model for students how to talk in detail about what you think you
might like to write a poem about. As you begin writing your own first poem in front of the
students, brainstorm possible beginnings, word choice, endings, etc. as students are “listening
in.” Possible prompts to guide your think aloud include:
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I’m going to write about ….
What do I want to say about…?
Okay, so how could I start my poem?
What else do I want to say?
Wow! I like all those words I used.
I chose action words that describe.
I might want to repeat some of those words.
Let’s hear how it sounds so far.
Let me think about the ending line to make sure my poem sounds as if it’s ended.
Writing: Have students begin writing their first poems independently. Remind students to pursue
a topic they are interested in and to think about word choice, beginnings, endings, etc.
Share: Have students share their poems with a partner.
Note: You will use your own poem to model poetry strategies throughout the unit.
Note: Typical comments to use when conferencing with students throughout this unit:
 I like that title. I know exactly what your poem will be about.
 I saw you rereading your first few lines. That’s what thoughtful writers do.
 You seem to be having trouble getting started. Let’s think together about the poems we
looked at today. I’ll help you think about how to begin.
 I like the way your poem looks on the page. I can tell you’re thinking about that as you
write.
 What an interesting topic. I can’t wait to hear how your poem turns out.
 I like the words you used. I can picture exactly how you were feeling.
Mini-Lesson #6
Small Poems (Gr. 1 pages 33-34, Gr. 2 page 32)
Share some short poems written by children just like them.
i.e. “Vinnie” (Grade 1, p.48), “All My Friends” (Grade 2, p.66), “Bubbles” (Grade 1, p.62).
Tell students that poems can be short. Point out how these poets don’t write a lot of words but
they choose their words carefully. They choose words that match exactly to what they are trying
to say – they reach for honest and precise words.
Model writing a short poem. Deliberately use a few words, modeling how to choose words
carefully so that you can still be descriptive and express feelings.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…”
 use just the right word to say what they mean.
Writing: Have students begin writing a small poem.
Share: Have students share their small poem with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #7
Choosing Language Carefully (Gr. 2 pages 32-33)
Careful word choice can create images, moods, and depth in a poem. Share other examples of
poems written by children just like them. Notice and discuss how the poets choose their words
carefully to create a picture to show they feel – how they make every word count. They create
the exact images or moods that they want to express.
Display the poem “Rollerblading” (grade 2, pg.74). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss
the way the poem is written on the page. Each word is emphasized on its own. You can feel the
speed and energy of the poet.
Display the poem “Hummingbirds” (grade 2, pg.42). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss
how the poet beautifully describes the hummingbirds. Note the poet’s intense and lyrical
observation including his simile (a comparison using like or as), “like holograms” and his
metaphor (a comparison without like or as), “their tiny feathers a train.” Talk about how the poet
made every word count.
Using your own poem, think aloud and model how you add a word/words to create a mood or an
image to show how you feel.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students how poets choose their
words carefully to create a picture to show how they feel.
Share: Have students share a place in their poem where they have added a word to create a mood
or an image that they want to express.
Mini-Lesson #8
List Poems (Gr. 1 pages 32, 34)
Through a shared writing, model how to write a very easy type of poem called a list poem.
Engage students in the following conversation as you record their responses on large chart paper
entitled “Mother’s Day” (You may wish to write a list poem on another topic).
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Let’s write a poem together about Mother’s Day.
How many of you make breakfast for your moms?
How about if we start with “We wake up and make breakfast”
What do you make her?
Write all the foods students make in a list form, stopping a few times to reread the
growing list together to hear how it sounds.
After several suggestions, say:
How about if we now say “And a whole lot more?”
And then what happens?
How can we end our poem?
Do you take her out to dinner?
How about “And then… We take her out to dinner”
Reread the poem together. Ask students if they like the way it looks and sounds.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…”
 reread their poem to see if it sounds right.
Writing: Have students begin writing a list poem. Remind students to reread the poem to make
sure they like the way it looks and sounds.
Share: Have students share their list poems with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #9
Line Breaks and White Space (Gr. 1 page 35, Gr. 2 pages 35-36)
Discuss how poems have their own special music. Tell students that one way to give our poems
music is to divide our words into lines that go down the paper. We call them line breaks. Line
breaks help set the rhythm of the poem as well as to create the white space and shape of the
poem. Line breaks help your poem look and sound the way you want it to. Poets can set up the
lines however they wish – however they feel their poem should sound and look.
Model how to think about and apply line breaks on a sample poem written without line breaks.
Read the first lines of the poem several times, each time pausing in a logical but different place
so the students hear and see the different possibilities. As determined by the students, model how
to insert slash marks on the poem to show where your voice stops. That will be the end of the
line.
i.e.
 Where should I place the line breaks?
 Do you want it to sound (this way) or (that way)?
 Should we end it here or there?
 Which way sounds better to you?
 So that’s where we will put our line break.
Rewrite several lines from the poem with the line breaks showing students the resulting line
breaks, white space, and shape of the poem.
Note: There is no one “right way” to teach about line breaks and white space. What we want is
for students to develop their own ear for rhythm and eye for visual form so they are able to
determine what sounds and looks right to them. While you model line breaks all along and talk
about it in the context of noticing and discussing kids’ poems, don’t worry about line breaks until
students are editing their favorite poems.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…”
 think about how they want their poems to sound and look on the page using line breaks
and white space.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems, thinking about how they would like their
poem to sound and look on the page. Remind students that as free-verse poets, they can set up
the lines however they wish. They add slash marks to show where their voice stops. That will be
the end of the line.
Share: Have students share with a partner a place where they added slash marks to their poem to
show where their voice stops.
Mini-Lesson #10
Using Repetition to Express Feeling (Gr. 1 page 36, Gr. 2 pages 34-35)
Repeating words, phrases, and lines can add much impact to a poem. Discuss how sometimes a
poet wants to express strong feelings in their poetry. One way a poet can do this is by repeating
certain words, phrases, or lines of a poem.
Display the poem “Only One” (Grade 1, p.54). Read the poem aloud and discuss the feelings
conveyed. Talk about how this poem is divided into stanzas with each ending “I hate being the
Only One” and how that repetition lets us know the depth of the poet’s feelings.
Display the poem “Storm” (Grade 2, p.70). Read the poem aloud and discuss the feelings
conveyed. Talk about how the repetition of the word “Oh” four times as well as the poet’s
repeated use of different sounds of thunder and rain gives this poem a “stormy” rhythm.
Using your own poem, think aloud and model how you repeat a word, phrase, or line to add
feeling.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…”
 repeat words or lines to add feeling.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students to think about a word,
phrase, or line that they might like to repeat to help them better express a strong feeling.
Share: Have students share with a partner a place where they have used repetition as a way to
convey strong feeling.
Mini-Lesson #11
Ending Lines (Gr. 1 page 36, Gr. 2 pages 33-34)
Discuss how poems often end with a punch. We can tell when a poem is over by the way the
ending line sounds. Ending lines often have a different beat.
Display the poem “Bubbles” (Grade 1, p.63). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss how the
poet uses the ending line “no more bubbles” to change the rhythm and shape of the poem. It
sounds like the poem has ended.
Display the poem “I’m the Pilot” (Grade 2, p.77). Read the poem aloud. Notice and discuss how
the poet uses the ending line “All in my reading room” to surprise the reader and let us in on
what the poem is really about.
Using your own poem, model how you think about your ending line and how you end the poem
with a punch.
Add to the anchor chart. “Poets…”
 end their poems with a punch.
Writing: Have students continue writing their poems. Remind students that good poets think
about their ending lines and often end their poems with a punch.
Share: Have students share their endings with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #12
Fancying Up Your Poem: Revising – Word Choice and Feelings (repeat as needed)
Display the original draft of “Bubbles” (Grade 1, p.62). Notice and discuss how the poet crossed
out his first written ending line “that’s the bubble” and changed it to “no more bubbles” This
shows that he reread his poem and asked himself, “Am I saying exactly what I want to say?”
Using your own poem, model how you reread the poem. Think aloud how you ask yourself three
questions:
 Am I saying exactly what I want to say?
 Do I show big, strong feelings?
 What can I add? (You can add big, strong feelings. You can add a meaningful title)
Writing: Have students choose their own poem they wish to publish. Remind students to reread
the poem and ask themselves the three questions.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #13
Choosing a Meaningful Title
Discuss the importance of meaningful titles. Using your own poem, model how you put in a title
that goes with your poem. Think aloud how you ask yourself, “Does the title make sense?”
Writing: Have students add a title to the poem they wish to publish. Remind students to ask
themselves, “Does the title make sense?”
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #14
Fancying Up Your Poem: Editing – Form and Shape
Using your own poem, model how to include lines breaks and white space to be sure that the
poem looks and sounds good to you. Show how you reread. Think aloud how you ask yourself:
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Do I like the way it looks and sounds on the page?
What can I add? (You can add line breaks and white space.)
Note: The unstructured form of free-verse poetry allows students the possibility for using phrases
and words instead of full sentences. Exactness in capitalization and punctuation – although these
remain important – is eased somewhat. You may revisit the mini-lesson on the use of the word
wall for the spelling of high frequency words.
Writing: Have partners read aloud one another’s poems - the poems they have chosen to publish.
Remind students to listen and decide if their poem sounds the way they’d like it to sound. Have
students ask themselves, “Do I like the way it looks and sounds on the page?” Have students
make changes to the shape of their poem if needed.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #15
Creating an Anthology (done over several lessons) (Gr. 1 pages 37-38, Gr. 2 pages 37-39)
Tell students that a poetry anthology is a collection of poems. Explore some commercially
published poetry anthologies. Together, brainstorm the different features noticed in the
anthologies. Ask, “What did you notice about the anthologies we looked at?” Record on large
chart paper. i.e.
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Cover and title
Dedication
Table of contents
Illustrations
Poet profiles –information about each poet
Poets’ photographs
Index
Tell students that they will be creating a classroom anthology that will contain one poem from
every student. Tell students they will need to decide as a class which features they would like to
include and also how they would like to organize their anthology.
Writing: Have students continue to work on the poem they wish to publish.
Share: Have students share the poem they wish to publish with a partner.
Mini-Lesson #16
Creating an Anthology (done over several days) (Gr. 1 pages 37-38, Gr. 2 pages 37-39)
Brainstorm possibilities for what the class anthology will include. Decide as a class which of the
following features you would like to include as well as the format of the anthology. Record on
large chart paper. Possibilities may include:
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A lot of different poems by different authors
Acknowledgements – at front or back – give thanks to those who helped
Index at back – can be titles, authors, first lines, subjects
Contents at front – title of poem, author, page format (whole page, columns)
Title page
Introduction or About This Book section
Illustrations – (format – two pages for each poem, can use colored pencils)
Dedication
Back cover
About The Poet page
Writing of poems – word processed
Title (ex. First Poems of First Grade)
Cover
Note: The anthology you and your students create can be as simple or complex as you decide.
Students might each bring one poem to final copy with an accompanying illustration. These can
be bound simply into a classroom book, and each student gets a photocopy to read and keep. You
may also include an “About the Poet” page (from the teacher too) to go along with each poem.
Mini-Lesson #17
Writing Celebration
To honor the students’ writing efforts, end the unit with a celebratory sharing. Because poems
are usually fairly short, all students may have the chance to read their poems to the whole group.
Enjoy a snack. Consider inviting another class or other adults in the building.
My Poetry Topics
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Poetry Unit of Study
Grades 1 and 2
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Lessons 1-2: Immersion: Sharing and Discussing Children’s Poems
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Lesson 3: Shared Writing – Writing a Poem Together
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Lesson 4: Choosing Topics
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Lesson 5: Writing the First Poems Independently
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Lesson 6: Small Poems
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Lesson 7: Choosing Language Carefully
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Lesson 8: List Poems
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Lesson 9: Line Breaks and White Space
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Lesson 10: Using Repetition to Express Feeling
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Lesson 11: Ending Lines
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Lesson 12: Fancying Up Your Poem: Revising – Word Choice and Feelings
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Lesson 13: Choosing a Meaningful Title
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Lesson 14: Fancying Up Your Poem: Editing – Form and Shape
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Lessons 15-16: Creating an Anthology
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Lesson 17: Writing Celebration