Four senses poems
Aims: to create a poem based on four senses; to practice the vocabulary; to develop creative writing; to develop the ability to visualize and imagine.
Materials: pictures of the sun, spring, a flower, a bag with green leaves, a list of adjectives.
Procedure
1. Show the picture of spring and encourage students to complete the proverb. “No matter how long the winter, … is sure to follow”
2. Draw a mind-map on the board.
hear smell
see touch
3. Let students listen to the recorded noise of the rain and ask them what it is. Write down “rain” in the first circle of the mind-map and emphasize that we can hear it. Ask students to close their eyes and let some of them smell the flower and guess what it is. Write down “flower” in the second circle of the mind-map and emphasize that we can smell it. Show your students the picture of the sun and ask them what it is. Write down “the sun” in the third circle of the mind-map and emphasize that we can see it. Let students touch the leaves in the bag and guess what there is in the bag. Write down “leaf” in the fourth circle of the mind-map and emphasize that we can touch it.
4. Show your students the list of the words and encourage them to choose words that rhyme with rain, sun, flower, leaf.
sky |
storm |
circle |
tulip |
bright |
heavy |
first |
blue |
grass |
April |
dewy |
snow |
blinding |
vivid |
believe |
pass |
smooth |
windy |
warm |
fun |
cold |
school |
shower |
Easter |
brown |
yellow |
green |
friend |
winter |
vain |
5. Ask students to choose adjectives that describe the sun, rain, flowers and leaves and complete the mind-map.
6. Encourage students to create a poem using words from the mind-map. (For weaker students you may offer your variant of the poem with gaps)
An example of a poem using this technique is as follows:
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I smell the first flowers.
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I like its April showers .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I hear the heavy rain .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
Don’t waste your time in vain.
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I touch the dewy leaf .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
In love we all believe .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I see the blinding sun .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
Let everyone have fun!
No matter how long the winter,
. . .
is sure to follow.
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I smell the first
… .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I like its April … .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I hear the heavy … .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
Don’t waste your time in … .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I touch the dewy … .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
In love we all … .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
I see the blinding … .
It’s spring, it’s spring!
Let everyone have … !
sky |
storm |
circle |
tulip |
bright |
heavy |
first |
blue |
grass |
April |
dewy |
snow |
blinding |
vivid |
believe |
pass |
smooth |
windy |
warm |
fun |
cold |
school |
shower |
Easter |
brown |
yellow |
green |
friend |
winter |
vain |