Roadside Poetry Signs of Language in the Landscape
Learning Objectives Builds students’ confidence level Can complete this in one class period Contest aspect motivates students – excitement Safe type of poem to share with the class Showing winning examples improves confidence level Easy to write, but more skilled writers can go further Poem’s constraints are helpful for beginning poets Includes technology use
MN ELA Standards Met: Write narratives and other creative texts develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience Use a writing process to develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, drafting, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Context
Project Logo and Sign Template
Posted Signs
November 2008 Poem by Jolie Sasseville
February 2009 Poem by Melissa Clark
April 2009 Poem by Karsten Piper
April 2009 Poem
Winter 2010 Poem by Gerri Stowman Winter 2010 Poem by Gerri Stowman
Winter 2010 Poem
Summer 2010 Poem by Autumn Mattfeld
Now it’s your turn to write a poem for Roadside Poetry!
Four 20 Spaces Per Sign Your poem must “fit” the signs. Each line can be no more than 20 spaces (count letters AND spaces) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ HINT: The easiest way to write a Roadside Poem is to write one sentence and then “chop it up” into four lines to fit the signs! Have fun!
Paul Carney, Project Coordinator M-State College Fergus Falls, MN Opportunities for “sister sites”- see our Wiki for more information. Visit Roadside Poetry Online at
Related Resources: Roadside Poetry website: poetry contest 4 times per year Schoology: like Facebook for school Donors Choose: easy way to get resources for your classroom We Video: free online movie editing - saves online as well Voice Thread: voice plus photos - can comment on others’ as well.