Valentine's Day Poems
Roses are red, violets are blue, poems are sweet and educational, too.
By Rachel D
Like most in-school holidays, Valentine's Day will have your classroom abuzz. Students will be a little more inclined to celebrate, and a little less focused on the normal daily routine. During the day of love, why not work with their extra fuel and incorporate a few themed activities across the curriculum? In language arts, writing poetry is the perfect activity to pair with Valentine's Day. This holiday would not be the same without a poem about love.
There are many different styles of poetry. Depending on your purpose, you can incorporate short, highly structured poems, such as haiku or cinquain, or more challenging forms such as sonnets. You can choose one type for all of your students to write, or give them the option to select from a variety of choices.
Free-Form Words from Cupid
To avoid structure entirely and promote complete autonomy, use free-form poems to allow your students to get really creative. With no boundaries or expectations, you will be surprised by what your students come up with. However, they may need inspiration to get started. Print out some poems to read aloud as a class. Alternately, allow your students to peruse the Internet or the library shelves for some examples. If you have some extra time, you could even have your students turn their poem into a song.
Adding Structure
If some students need a little more structure, have them select a rhyming pattern such as ABAB or AABB for their poem from the very start. For more support, make a word list with your students on the white board. You can start with common Valentine's Day nouns, such as love, candy, flowers, and cupid. Then, brainstorm different adjectives, like red, pink, romantic, and special. These starting activities will get your students on their way to writing their own poem.
A Haiku for You
A haiku provides a fun twist on poetry writing. First, introduce the structure of haikus. A haiku is a very short form of Japanese poetry. A traditional English haiku consists of seventeen syllables and three separate lines. The first line must contain five syllables, the second has seven, and the third has five. Due to the various translations from Japanese to English, some English haikus contain between eleven to seventeen syllables.
Since haikus are rather short, students may have time to write more than one. Or, have them accompany their haiku with a detailed drawing.
Putting Creativity on Display
After students finish writing their poems, there are multiple ways to present their hard work. Students can type and format their lovely words on a computer and choose some clip art to go with them. You can have them print their poems out and hang them around the classroom, or glue them to paper bags if you have a Valentine's Day exchange.
A poetry reading or "open mic" would also be a fun way for students to share their creativity. Set the mood by making the classroom dim and arrange your chairs and desks in a half circle around a stage area. Provide students with a stool or chair to use if they want to get comfortable on the stage. Students may also want to perform their poetry as a song, rap, or with an interpretive dance.
If performance is not the thing for some of your students, give them the option to design a greeting card with their poem. They can design then on the computer and experiment with different fonts and colors. However, handmade cards can also be fun. With some card stock paper, a good writing pen, colored drawing utensils, and maybe some glitter, students will enjoy creating their own Hallmark card. You can have a gallery of the cards for all students to see, and then students will be able to give their card to a loved one...or that special crush.
More Lessons:
In a fun Valentine’s Day-themed math lesson, students learn how to shop based on cost per item, rather than overall cost. Students will practice their comparison skills to find the better deal on Valentine’s Day gifts.
In this lesson, students will write poetry inspired by models, prompts and experiences in the classroom. They will be involved in a community poetry reading.
This lesson plan teaches students the history of Valentine’s Day. They will research information on the Internet and write a report about their findings.