Poetry In Motion

In this project, students come to hear the language, rhythm, and motion of poetry, as they read poems and select images to represent their poetry. The students use the video Flip camcorder to record themselves reading grade level poetry.
In the beginning, I introduce various grade level poetry to the children, discussing the type of poem, the elements used, and the students ‘reactions. Next, the students choose a theme to pursue and practice reading the poem. They keep in mind the different elements used in the poem they studied. The students use the Internet to locate and download images that reflect and enhance their chosen poems. They import the images into the iPhoto poetry album. The students then read their chosen poem for an audience, with the performance filmed with a digital Flip camcorder. The students then import the video into the iMovie software and each student's images are interspersed with shots of the student reading his or her poem. At the end of the school year at our "Open House", the students will present their poetry project to their peers and family. Their poetry movie is burned onto a CD's so the students can have a keepsake.