In PreK we're reading oodles of Dr. Seuss stories like Horton Hears a Who and The Sneetches. We also have discussions about whether or not it's fair that the Sneetches with "starts upon thars" deserve to get special treatment.
In Kindergarten we're preparing to write "5 sense poems", so last week we spent some time imagining we were on the beach (complete with the soothing sounds of the tide!).
In 1st grade we're focusing on creating shape poems about animals. First we read poems about pets (our favorites were the poems in Who Swallowed Harold by Susan Pearson and David Slonim). Then we practiced describing different animals and putting our words into the shape of that animal (it's harder than it sounds!)
In 2nd grade we became traveling poets when we visited various classrooms and recited poetry about snakes, turtles, and breakfast. It was good to perform our poetry for captive audiences!
In 3rd and 4th grade, students are keeping poems in their pockets in the hope of being "caught" and winning a special prize. (National Poem in Your Pocket Day is April 26th, so we're getting an early start).
In 5th grade, we are creating "found poetry" from novels and picture books. First we go on a word "treasure hunt" and pull words from our books (for example, the 5th word on page 1 or 3 nouns from page 23). We compile these words and attempt to create poetry from these words (this is also much harder than it sounds!)
What are you doing to celebrate Poetry Month? Leave me a comment to let me know!