Writing A Haiku Poem Lesson Plan for 7th Grade Students

Topic: Writing a haiku poem about the wintery weather unique to Ballarat

Objectives & Outcomes

• Understand what defines a haiku poem
• Write a haiku poem about the wintery weather unique to Ballarat

Materials

• Pen and paper for each student
• Access to artwork or photos of wintery weather in Ballarat

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever heard of a haiku poem.
• Ask them to define what a haiku poem is and what makes a haiku different from other types of poems.
• Write down their answers on the board.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that a haiku is a type of Japanese poetry that is made up of three lines with a total of 17 syllables.
• Each line must have five syllables, and the last line must have a word that sounds the same as the first line but has a different meaning. This is called a "cutting word."
• The first line introduces a theme or a feeling, the second line expands on that theme, and the third line brings the poem to a conclusion.
• Introduce the topic of winter and the unique weather in Ballarat. Ask students to brainstorm words and phrases that they might use to describe the winter weather.
• Have a few students share their ideas with the class.

Writing the Haiku

The first step of writing a haiku poem is to come up with a topic. Ask yourself, "What do I want to write about?" Then, think about what you have observed in your environment. For example, if you are in a snowy area, you may want to write about the wintery weather. If you are in a sunny area, you may want to write about the warm summer weather. After you have come up with a topic, come up with three images. Images are descriptive words that help readers visualize what you are writing about. For example, if you are writing about the wintery weather, you might use the images of snow, cold, and ice. The next step is to put your topic and images into three lines, with each line having five syllables. To make your haiku poem more interesting and descriptive, you can use poetic devices such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, and metaphor. Once you have finished writing your haiku poem, you can share it with your classmates and have them give you feedback.

Closure:

Ask students to share their haiku poems with the class. Encourage them to provide feedback and support.

Assessment:

• Observe student during independent practice to ensure they are following the rules and using appropriate language.
• Collect and review their written haiku poems for understanding of the rules and appropriate language.