Skip to Main Content

The Poetry of Falling Leaves

Let autumn's falling leaves inspire poetry and art.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Ribbon

Steps

  • Step 1

    Read a poem about autumn such as "The Kitten and Falling Leaves" by William Woodsworth or "Merry Autumn Days" by Charles Dickens. Ask students to think about the falling leaves in autumn. How does the movement make them feel? Does it look like the leaves are dancing?

  • Step 2

    Ask students to create an original poem about autumn. Younger students might create an acrostic poem or make one up and recite it as you transcribe it. Have them read their poems to the class.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to draw a large oval on a piece of paper and then write their poem in the middle of the oval and cut it out. Have them decorate the back side of the paper with images that evoke autumn sights. Younger students might just illustrate both sides of the oval.

  • Step 4

    Have students begin cutting a one- or two-inch spiral from the outer rim of the oval until they reach the center. Make a hole at the top end of the spiral and attach some ribbon. Then suspend the spiral poems from the ceiling and enjoy the feeling of autumn inside the classroom.

Standards

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

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

Adaptations

Have students collect some fallen leaves and use them to create an autumn collage.

Students can cut writing or illustrations into a square shaped spiral but using a square piece of paper and cutting around the edges continuously about 2 inches from the outer ridge, which will become closer to the center each time around.