One of my favorite things as a classroom teacher was teaching my students how to read and write poetry.
It can definitely be a challenge to transfer classroom activities to the library. There are constraints on time, and the ability to seamlessly stick to a unit week after week.
It’s a total win when you can think of ways to bring the spirit of classroom activities into the library and still get high student engagement.
Honestly, this is one way I win over my most reluctant and disengaged students!
When I first became a Library Media Specialist, the fourth grade team asked me to help out with their poetry units. They needed their students engaged in poetry during scheduled Library classes.
I was only happy to oblige!
I’m not going to pretend that planning this was easy!
One challenge is that students are in library for such a short period of time! During a regular library class, it’s as long as 40 minutes. And if it’s an early dismissal day, it’s anywhere from 20-30 minutes.
Because of time constraints, it was necessary to create an activity that could be completed over 2-3 Library Media classes. And something that didn’t necessarily require continuity.
For me, it was important that what I was teaching didn’t duplicate what the students were learning in their classroom. It was also important that it provide them a different perspective and outlet for creation.
That’s why, as Librarians, we have the opportunity to infuse more library centric types of activities. We can, and should, consider activities that incorporate texts, digital features, and have a maker spirit.
When creating activities like this, choice is critical! It give students a chance to consider their strengths and interests. Choice also invites students to test out multiple formats.
Which is where Personalized Learning comes into play. Personalized Learning can look like a lot of things, and sometimes it’s just providing students with a Playlist or Choice Board.
Digital Choice Boards can look like a choice board that is shared with students online and they click the link to get started.
It can also look like a printable handout that has QR Codes linked to activities. Students scan the QR Code and get started with their activity.
Because they were going to create their own poetry, this digital choice board linked to examples for students. They accessed the link, and learned how to create that form of poetry. And VOILA! Fun was had!
The Poetry Digital Choice Board comes with a complete lesson. It includes both print and digital handouts. Regardless of which you choose to use, everything is already linked and ready to go. Making this a no prep activity for you!
When the students engage in this activity they are communicating their ideas in a variety of media formats. They are also making decisions about their learning and audience. This sounds a lot like standards in the Common Core, ISTE, and AASL!
This lesson is PERFECT for Libraries because of the choice it provides your Library Learners! They get to choose the poetry form that they want to create.
But. Before students can participate in an activity like this, they need to get some skills!
In our library, we spend a great deal of time teaching students how to:
One of those ways happens to be QR Codes. While teaching QR Codes, I teach students how to scan a QR Code with the camera app.
This can be a bit tricky because kids almost always forget to click the pop up to go to the link.
This is where the interactive poster comes in handy!
Before using any activity that uses QR Codes, I first teach the kids about them with this interactive poster.
Then it remains hung up in the library for reference.
Understanding how to access QR Codes makes using an activity like this easy.
Students can independently access the links embedded in the QR Codes. All because they have already learned how to scan them.
BUT students DON’T have to use the QR Code version of this activity!
There is also a digital version that can be uploaded to Google Classroom, shared through Clever, and more.
In addition, there is a digital (and print) reflection sheet for students to assess their own work.
Have fun creating!
