Poesía en el cuarto grado (Poetry in the fourth grade)

Writing poetry is a great exercise for all language learners, regardless of the target language. It gives the learner a chance to experiment with language and vocabulary, and to freely share their ideas without the confinement of accurate grammar. To express their joyful encounter during their shore trip to Cape Henlopen in Delaware, the fourth graders gave this art form a try.

To embark into this learning practice, we first gathered for a Meeting and reflected on the shore trip experience. To help awaken the students’ thoughts and memories, we viewed on the SMART Board the many photographs taken during this inolvidable (unforgettable) journey.

Afterwards, we read Pam Muñoz Ryan’s book, Hello Ocean / Hola mar. In this tale, a young girl shares how she experiences the sea with all of her senses. Inspired by the story, we decided to create a poem on how our five senses were evoked by the shore experience, adding an emotional feeling as well.

 

A PowerPoint was prepared that included the Spanish vocabulary for los cinco sentidos (the five senses). As a large group, we discussed the many words that one might use in their poem and included them in this document. The fourth graders were encouraged to contribute their ideas for each part of speech; sustantivo (noun), adjetivo, (adjective), verbo (verb), and also for sentimiento (feeling). Then, a list was compiled that included all the vocabulary words suggested by all the students. The words were then typed by category (sustantivo, adjetico, etc.) in English with the Spanish translation. To help the students organize their thoughts and ideas, a soothing environment was set. While listening to the sounds of ocean waves and the gentle melodies of guitar and strings of the cd, “Body & Soul Ocean Moods”, everyone settled into a moment of silence that was extended through the duration of class. ¡Que calmante! (How soothing!) Using the list, Spanish-English dictionaries, and iPads the fourth graders formed complete sentences.

The students’ complete work is up on display in front of their classrooms. Please make sure to stop by and see the amazing job they did. The poems are truly inspiring!

Cariños,

Alicia