Level 6th and 7th Grade

Students will research internet to explore meaning of Haiku, how it has been used historically and in modern times, preview examples of other works, and write their own Haiku.

Two to three days. One day for internet exploration, one or two days to write own Haiku.

Access to internet.

Magazines (travel magazines or National Geographic usually works best)

Explain to students that a Haiku is Japanese poetry that is written with three lines:

first line 5 syllables,

second line 7 syllables,

third line 5 syllables

for a total of seventeen syllables, although sometimes this rules is not strictly followed.

Traditionally, the Haiku is a poem about nature. If possible, take students out side, have them sit quietly and observe the nature around them: feel the wind, smell the trees, the air,

the flowers. Have them look at the sky, make observations about the clouds, and feel their environment. Tell them to use their "poet’s eye".

Return to the classroom and discuss thoughts and feeling regarding what they experienced. Then get out travel magazines and have students looks for examples that depict nature. Travel magazines have excellent examples of nature photographs that are inspirational. Try to get the students to choose a picture that moves them. Ask them, what do they see, or hear in the photograph? How does the picture make them feel? Then see if they can write some of those ideas and feeling down on paper (as phrases only).

From the phrases they have written on paper, now see if they can put them into a Haiku, using the seventeen syllable format.

Students will mount their picture on construction paper and rewrite the Haiku below the picture.