I'd like to have my kids keep Poetry Notebooks this year (or maybe they would better be called Poet Notebooks, since they'll focus on the child as a poet). Inside I want them to at least have:
a place to list words that sound good to them
a place to paste or copy other people's poems that they love
a place to experiment with their own writing
This journal will be separate from our more structured poetry times.
Question: What would be the best way to make these? It seems like a regular composition book isn't going to be organized enough, yet 3 ring binders just annoy me and I think they're too big.
using a pronged folder with some pages preprogrammed for the lists, etc. and open pages for writing. You could add poems from the back of the pronged part as you give them or kids find them. How many pages (roughly) do you envision it being over the year?
I don't know how long it will end up being... I've never used that kind of folder with the kids. How many pages would you say it could safely fit without falling apart? It could work!
I googled POETRY NOTEBOOKS and saw this website from a teacher who has used them. She uses the composition books but offers that spirals, binders, and other things are possible and lists the pros and cons. She felt that she added too many poems each year to do the pronged folder. I think you could realistically add 40+ poems. http://www.jmeacham.com/poetry.htm#materials
I use a 3 prong/ two pocket poetry folder (passionate purple).
1. First, I insert copies of a title page and then table of contents. I start the TOB off listing the "programmed" pages followed by blanks so the children can enter their additions into the TOB.
2. As a child adds an original poem or a poem they have read and liked to the folder, s/he numbers the page and adds that poem title to the TOB.
3. I always insist that the "back" of the page is blank. S/he uses that blank page to illustrate her/his interpretation of the facing poem.
If it is not a poem we have used class wide, I will copy it for the student on the copier. I use this method because I found pasting to be too messy and time-consuming. I liked the idea of illustrating the poems. It helps me know if they really understand the poem and/or skill I am teaching.
great ideas have been posted at PT before. Take a look at this: http://www.proteacher.net/discussion...ad.php?t=45864
When I said 40+ pages, I meant that's how many you might add, not how many would fit. Since that post I've been thinking that you could do more than one folder! It could be by month, quarter, season, etc. What do you think?
If you think you'll have too many poems for a folder, you might want to consider doing a folder for each quarter (or semester). Who says you have to keep it in one organizer.
I am convinced that teachers think with a collective brain, that we share great idea possibilities. I just wish I had Book Muncher's brain! BookMuncher, you are a treasure to us! Thanks!
Sorry I let the conversation lag, I surfed over to some poetry sites! I am so excited to talk about poetry because I love it and use it a lot in my classroom. And this year we are having a poet come for Right to Read Week as our author visit. Our school committee is working on doing poetry in every grade from the get/go as school starts so we can post our favorite poem on the doors with illlustrations for that week.
I have used it many times for the great lessons it has for the kids. I have a SMARTboard and it lets me bring the page up to show the model. I can't think of the other sites I have used without my school computer. I really store a lot of info on my computer these days. I know there are some great poet/author websites, too.
I wasn't gone very long, but you guys pretty much solved my problem and then some!! I do really like the idea of starting with one pronged folder and then adding more. Duh! Why didn't I think of the fact that it's OK to have more than one??
I've never used them before. Do you stick in all of the page ahead of time? I would think you wouldn't want the kids to continue opening them.
Maddie-- I love the idea of the kids just adding to the table of contents as they go. Genius! Thanks!
I am also using a three prong. I will put the paper in for the studnets. Thank you so much for the idea of a TOC.
I am introducing a poem of the week. We will read the poem through the week for fluency practice, identify spelling or grammar patterns that we are discussing. Discuss literary elements, descriptive words, tone, figurative language.... On Friday I will give them a copy to staple in their book. (Friday only because that is the day that I have the time.) The page will be set up with a blank spot for the poem. Under that there is a space for reflection. I like/don't like because...It reminds me of when... It is like the other poem...They will illustrate the poem on the opposing page. There will be lined paper in the back for their own poetry writing. I will put a colored page in between so they can find it easier.
At least this is what I am thinking now. You guys may change my mind.
I've always used a three prong folder (the plastic ones last much longer). We just added the poems as we did them. However, this year I plan on using the composition books. In my college class they showed a video of the students pasting the poem in and then they could illustrate or whatever. Since I teach first I thought I'd change to the composition books because of the lines. The kids could add to the poems, list certain words from the poem such as nouns, adjectives, rhyming words, etc.
After I try this , next year I may go back to the three prong folders.
I came back to this thread by accident. I'm wanting to do a lot with mental images/poetry in the next three weeks. It seems I wrote the last thread .
But as an update--I did use the marbelized composition books (Office Depot ran them for 10 cents in August ). I have to say that the poetry book is absolutely one of the kids favorites. I have them keep them in their bookshelves and so they can access them every day during independent reading time of Reading Workshop. They really do use them. If I had used the folders they would have toppled out I think.
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08-02-2007, 03:06 PM
I do really like the idea of starting with one pronged folder and then adding more. Duh! Why didn't I think of the fact that it's OK to have more than one??
. 
). I have to say that the poetry book is absolutely one of the kids favorites. I have them keep them in their bookshelves and so they can access them every day during independent reading time of Reading Workshop. They really do use them. If I had used the folders they would have toppled out I think.
