Haiku Writing using Personal Photograph
by Patty Sibley, psibley@beau.k12.la.us

Content Area(s)
English/Language Arts

Grade Level(s)
3, 4, 5, 

Overview
Students will create Haiku poems to express what they see in a photograph that they have taken.

Software
Fling-It!
Inspiration
Word

Technology
Zire 72 (with camera)
Margie or Elmo
Desktop with MS Word

Objectives
TLW
1) apply grammar conventions to communicate effectively.
2) write a haiku correctly using ideas from personal photograph.

Procedures
PRE LESSON PREPERATION:
a) Log on to the following internet site: http://www.tecnet.or.jp/~haiku and use FlingIt! to download 2 layers of examples of illustrated Haiku poems.
b) Take a mini tour around school to have students take an interesting picture of something in nature (butterfly, creek, leaf on the ground, etc.) using their Palm Zire 72. Students could also take handheld home and take a picture for homework.
c) Beam all students a copy of the Fling It! file and teacher photo example.

PROCEDURES:
1) As an introduction, read several Haiku poems from FlingIt! file.
2) After reading the poems, ask the students what they found similar in each of the poems. At first students may not pick up on the 5-7-5 syllable structure of a Haiku. It may be helpful to have the students listen to the number of syllables on each line. Once they understand the structure, make sure they see a relationship between the Haiku and nature.
3) Discuss that Haiku poems are unrhymed, Japanese lyric poems. Each poem is written in three lines, and they have a fixed 5-7-5 syllable line structure. The poems often pair things in nature to the feelings of the poet.
4) Tell students, as a class, they will write a Haiku to describe the photograph. Have class open teacher photo example that was previously beamed.
5) As students observe photograph and brainstorm their ideas, teacher uses Inspiration template on handheld connected to a Margi to create a web.
Ask students to brainstorm a list of nouns – names of things that they see in the photograph. Record each word on a web. Then ask students to brainstorm a list of verbs to describe actions they see in the photograph. Next, brainstorm a list of adjective to describe what they see. Finally brainstorm a list of common prepositions. Teacher records words on web.
7) Using the 5-7-5 structure of a Haiku, ask students to help you compose a Haiku poem, using words from the web. Experiment using adjectives to begin the poem, then try using a preposition. Discuss how this changes the Haiku.
8) After completing the poem, have students type the Haiku on handheld using Word. Name document Class Haiku.

DAY 2
1) Have students select their favorite photography that they have previously taken. Have them generate nouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions they see in their photograph. They will use Haiku web template to make their list in Inspiration. Print out webs.
2) Have students use their web to create a Haiku that describes their picture. They will use Word on their Handheld to type in their poems.
3) Students will peer-edit poems.
4) HotSync poems and pictures to computers.
5) Using the class Haiku and teacher example photo, demonstrate how to import photo and poem into MS Word on desktop.
6) Demonstrate how to change fonts, add color, graphics and/or word art to enhance final product.
7) Students will import photo and poem into MS Word on desktop to create a final draft.
8) Print two copies, one to be assessed and the other to be published in a class book.

Other Supporting Material

Submitted on: 8/3/2004 4:31:54 PM