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Flashlight Poems

Flashlight Poems

Students will shine a light on a topic by writing a poem and illustrating it in an illuminating way.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

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Steps

  • Step 1

    Poetry is a great way to explore feelings and situations. It can provide a creative outlet for addressing anxiety-provoking experiences or unknown situations. Have students read some poems by Shel Silverstein such as "What if" which addresses nighttime worries, "Monsters I've Met" about scary figures who don't want to harm him and only need favors, or "Listen to the Mustn'ts" which implores the reader to keep persevering because anything is possible.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to compose a poem that highlights a thought or issue they want to address. Then have them draw a flashlight with a beam of light coming out of it. They can draw the image on light paper and fill it in with color or draw it on a yellow piece of construction paper. Have them write the poem in the beam of light, then cut it out and glue to a piece of black or dark construction paper.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their poems to the class and discuss how shining a light on a topic can help you address your fears and concerns and also help you illuminate what's important to you.

Standards

LA: Write using words, numbers, and images to inform and explain, share experiences, and create narratives, either fictional or non-fictional.

SEL: Self-Awareness: Recognize one's strengths, emotions, and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Adaptations

Have students learn about Amanda Gorman - poet, activist, and the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. Have them read her poem "The Hill We Climb" which uses images of light and darkness, hope and fear, to describe two opposing sides of America - those who want to divide and those who want to unify.

Have students read the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou, a writer and activist who often wrote about racism.