for elementary and middle school students
Anything kinesthetic is fun for kids in class, no matter how little calories are burned. They love to clap to find syllables, and we do so vigorously. We clap out each person’s name together to start with. I show students vowels in words to find syllables (or silly bulls, if we are being particularly zany that day). But the clapping works so much better. The tapping of the chin on a hand is active too and pretty amusing to watch—definitely quieter if the class is needing to settle down to be able to write.
I give this assignment to both elementary and middle schoolers. For the elementary writers, we work on a syllable worksheet first. I create a new one every semester, so the students always see something new. The top part is mix and match, drawing a line between the matches, and the bottom is simply counting the syllables. After I am sure everyone understands syllables, we move on to the nonet poems.
Fishy Syllables
WAL STER
PEN CHIN
UR PHIN
BAR TOPUS
LOB NACLE
SNOR RUS
BE STER
OC LUGA
OY KEL
DOL GUIN
How many syllables in:
Flounder _____ Shark _____
Whales _____ Algae _____
Ocean ____ Anemone ____
Pacific _____ Jellyfish ____
Squid _____ Barracuda ____
I am constantly searching online for new poem forms. Students love trying out forms that present a challenge. I find them excellent for enhancing the art of brainstorming too. There are loads of poem forms listed on this website: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/ I believe this is where I first saw nonet poems.
When we read the nonet poem examples aloud, we count the syllables. I like to point out the enjambment in the nonets. I also ask the students to look for alliteration. Next we write one on the board as a class. I start with a subject and make a list on the right side of the board with everything the students suggest about the subject. Then we form the poem, with a line running down the board’s left side with syllable numbers:
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
We fill in the lines when we use an idea from the right side of the board, counting its syllables and filling in one of the syllable lines. We keep adding as many lines as we can. Finally we find that the remaining lines are easy to fill up.
Here are two class examples, one about an animal, and one in which the students wanted to be characters:
I like turtles because they are cool.
Alligator Snapping Turtles,
Slow but very fast swimmers,
Can bite off a finger.
Different species,
Round shell with squares,
green, weird, cute,
Short legs.
Hide!
Our Writing Class is running from the
Dinosaur who is shooting us
With a flaming Zamboni.
Jeremy is hiding.
Gavin gobbles it.
Anthony saves.
Anya fights.
Jo pops.
Ouch!
I wrote some nonets to add to the sample nonets I have on a handout for the students. (This was mainly to show alliteration and enjambment.)
Nonets
Pirate Play by Ms. Erin
Pirates grow their beards upon the sea
Set sail to steal from ship to ship
divide the loot, cheat at cards,
swashbuckling buccaneers
laugh, sing, never bathe
Argh, Matey Mine,
a pirate's
life for
me
Daring to De-stress by Ms. Erin
leaning above bubbly water,
anticipating hot springs.
Synchronized swan dive dip,
So stiff . . . ahh, relax,
swirled by chopsticks
salty brine:
Ramen
spa.
