This document provides information about different types of poetry forms that could be used in the classroom, including cinquain, haiku, acrostic, list, limerick, and diamante poems. For each form, it provides the basic structure and number of lines/syllables. It also gives potential connections to classroom skills and strategies, such as using certain forms to teach about syllables, point of view, activating prior knowledge, cause and effect, vocabulary, and descriptive writing. Finally, it provides example student poems and external resource links for each form.

1. Created By:
Traci Coney

3. A cinquain poem, also referred to as a five-line stanza, is a form of syllabic
verse, which means that the form is built on the number of syllables. The five
lines of the poem have 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2 syllables.
(Fountas and Pinnell. Copyright 2001.)
Connection to 3-blocks:
I would use this poem during language and word study.
Connection to skill, strategy, or idea:
I would use it to teach students an understanding of syllables in a sentence.
Having students write with a restricted number of syllables can help them with
getting the main idea across using less words. This can be used as a reference
for students to refer to when writing.
Resources:
http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/davidc/6c_files/Poem%20pics/cinquaindescrip.htm
This is a site for students to see examples of three different formats of cinquain
poems.
http://www.21-learn.com/teamtarget/Passports/poetry/cinquain%20poetry%20gr-%203-
6.pdf
This is a site teachers can use for planning when doing cinquain poems in the
classroom. It provides examples and structures how to use it as a lesson.

4.  Kitty sees a mouse
 Kitty wants the mouse badly
 She will get that mouse!

5. Style of poetry that originated in Japan. It uses simple language, may contain no
rhyme, and rarely includes metaphor. It has a syllable structure of 5, 7, 5 equaling 3
lines.
(Fountas and Pinnell. Copyright 2001.)
Connection to 3-blocks:
I would use this poem during writing workshop.
Connection to skill, strategy, or idea:
I would use it to teach students points of view and how people view things completely
different sometimes. This can be used as a smaller form of poetry for expressing their
perception of a story using main points. After discussion of what a Haiku poem is
teacher can pass out pictures to students and give them a time frame to write their
own Haiku poem of the picture. The students can then compare and contrast their
poems with one another.
Resources:
http://www.storyboardtoys.com/Haiku-Poetry.htm
This is a site where students can see several examples of the poem created by a theme.
http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm
This site provides examples of what a Haiku is and includes printable worksheets for
teachers to use with students.

6.  C urling upside down
 A round the house
 T hinking like a dog but,
 S poiled like a baby
 K neading a pillow and
 I nsisting on being
 T he center of attention
 T ripping you as
 Y ou walk up the stairs.

7. Poetry that is a word written vertically with a descriptive word or phrase going
horizontally. Acrostic poetry isn’t about rhyme or verse. Each line is made up of 1 or 2
words or a short sentence/phrase.
(http://www.ehow.com/how_5014612_teach-kids-write-acrostic-poems.html . Copyright 2006. )
Connection to 3-blocks:
I would use this poem during writing workshop.
Connection to skill, strategy or idea:
I would use it for activating prior knowledge. Students would provide their
experience/prior knowledge of the topic through large group discussion. Giving students
a topic they are familiar with and having them explain it on their own expands their
knowledge. Students can choose a word based on a topic the teacher has introduced
and write their poem using prior knowledge of the topic.
Resources
http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/acrostic.htm
This site provides examples for students to see what a acrostic poem looks like. It also
provides printable worksheets for students to do.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5014612_teach-kids-write-acrostic-poems.html
This sites explains what a acrostic poem is and how to teach it to your students.

8.  My Silly Kitty
 She runs in circles chasing her tail.
 She drinks from the faucet.
 She plays fetch with a jack.
 She gets her own treats from a bag.
 She rubs her face on my face.
 She sleeps with her head upside
down.
 She goes bonkers for wet cat food.

9. A list poem, also called a “catalogue” poem, may be rhymed or unrhymed, short or long. It
may list objects, a series of events, specific characteristics, or any other set of items.
(Fountas and Pinnell. Copyright 2001.)
Connection to 3-blocks:
I would use this poem during readers workshop.
Connection to skill, strategy or idea:
I would use it to teach children different forms of poetry, discussing how poems don’t
always have to rhyme and that they can be in list form explaining something that is funny
or silly to them. Students can discuss things they think their animal does that is funny. The
teacher can ask students to give her one word or short phrase that they will write a list
poem together as a group. The teacher models what writers do for writing this poetry.
Resources
http://www.poetryteachers.com/poetclass/lessons/bugsme.html
This is a site where students can see different kinds of list poems to better understand the
concept of “list” poetry.
http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2008/11/poetry-friday-list-poems.html
This site provides all kinds of examples for teachers to use as list poems with students. It is also
a blog site for teachers to read.

10. There once was a kitty with no name,
whose owner was the one to blame.
She ran out the front door,
which she had done before.
All because she was a kitty, not one in the same.

11. Poems that are structured in five lines. The first and second lines rhyme, as do the third and
fourth lines. The fifth lines yields a surprise ending or humorous statements and rhymes
with the first two lines.
(Fountas and Pinnell, Copyright 2001).
Connection to 3-blocks:
I would use this poem during readers workshop.
Connection to skills, strategy or idea:
I would use it to teach students cause and effect using more then one sentence to identify
it. It can be used for students to read through to identify the cause and effect for modified
instruction while others might be reading more lengthy text. The first part of the poem could
be taken out for students to guess what they think the cause is.
Resources
http://www.brownielocks.com/kidlimericks.html
This site provides examples of limerick poems created by and for children. This provides
reading examples for students to read from creators around the same age range.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6344973_write-limerick-poem-kids.html
This site provides instruction for the teacher on how to create your own limerick poem.

12. Kitty
Cute, Silly
Running, Playing, Loving
Play with me, Leave me be
Sleeping, Yawning, Eating
Boss, Glorious
Cat

13. Poem that is seven lines, shaped like a diamond. Line 1 is subject/noun that is contrasting to line
7. Line 2 is two adjectives that describe line 1. Line 3 is 3 –ing action words that relate to line 1.
Line 4 is 4 nouns (or a short phrase) 2 words related to line 1 and 2 words related to line 7. Line 5
is 3 –ing action words that relate to line 7. Line 6 is two adjectives that describe line 7. Line 7 is
subject/noun that is contrasting to line 1.
(IRA/NCTE. Copyright 2006. Read-Write-Think.)
Connection to 3-blocks:
I would use this poem during Language and Word Study.
Connection to skills, strategy or idea:
I would use it to teach students new and different vocabulary words. It can be used as an
example for explaining something or someone using single words and/or phrases. Students
can learn how to create their own creative poem by discussing the words and what they mean
in this particular poem.
Resources:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/diamante-poems-
30053.html
This interactive site is a resource for teachers and students. It can be used to learn about and write
diamante poems. There is also an interactive program for students to use as a guide for creating the
poem.
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=examples+of+diamante+poems&media=lesson
This is a search engine for teachers to use with several examples of lessons including diamante
poems.

14. 1. Nesbitt, K. (2008). Adventures in Learning Cinquain Poetry. In 21st Century Learning. Retrieved May 24,
2011, from http://www.21-learn.com/teamtarget/Passports/poetry/cinquain%20poetry%20gr-%203-6.pdf
2. (2010). In Cinquain Poems. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/davidc/6c_files/Poem%20pics/cinquaindescrip.htm
3. Storyboard. (2008). Haiku Poetry. In Art House. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://www.storyboardtoys.com/Haiku-Poetry.htm
4. DLTK, . (1998). Haiku. In Kid Zone Fun Facts. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm
5. Mahaffey, S. (2010). How to Teach Kids to Write Acrostic Poems. In eHow. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://www.ehow.com/how_5014612_teach-kids-write-acrostic-poems.html
6. Lansky, B. (1996). How to Write a List Poem. In Poetry Teachers. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://www.poetryteachers.com/poetclass/lessons/bugsme.html
7. Magliaro, E. (2011). Poetry Friday: List Poems. In Wild Rose Reader. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2008/11/poetry-friday-list-poems.html
8. Brownielocks and The Three Bears. (1999). Limericks For & By Children. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://www.brownielocks.com/kidlimericks.html
9. Chavez, S. (2007). How to Write a Limerick Poem for Kids. In eHow. Retrieved May 24, 2011, from
http://www.ehow.com/how_6344973_write-limerick-poem-kids.html
10. International Reading Association. (2011). Diamante Poem . In ReadWriteThink. Retrieved May 24, 2011,
from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/diamante-poems-30053.html
11. Lesson Planet . (2009). Examples of Diamante Poems . In The Search Engine for Teachers . Retrieved May
24, 2011, from
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=examples+of+diamante+poems&media=lesson
12. Fountas, I. C., & Su Pinnell, G. (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers (pp. 410-414). Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.