This document outlines a poetry interpretation project for fifth graders with the objectives of discussing thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas and imagery found in poetry. It involves students choosing a poem, interpreting it through dance, oral reading, music or artwork, and presenting their interpretation to an audience. The project will be explored through physical education, art, music and homeroom classes. Students will then reflect on their experience in a writer's journal. Resources for poems and interpretation examples are also provided.

1. Poetry InterpretationTeaching Critical Thinking Strategies in the Classroom Through Aesthetic ExperiencesCreated by Karen Foss for Fifth Grade

2. Objectives Discuss thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas and imagery found in poetryChoose a selection of original or published poetry to interpret Determine a specific artistic means (music, dance, visual arts) in which to express poetryInterpret a selection of poetry Present the interpretation of a poem to an audienceWrite about the experience in a Writer’s Journal

3. Students will interpret poetry through:DanceOral ReadingMusicArtwork

4. STEP 1 Poetry Interpretation will be discussed and explored in several settings:Physical Education Class(Dance and Movement)Art Class(Ideas and Emotion)Music Class(Composition)Homeroom(Imagery and Rhythm)

5. Step 2 Students will choose a poem of their own or a published poem to interpret.

6. Step 3 Students will view samples of poetry interpretation with a partner in the computer lab.Click here for exampleClick here for examplesClick here for examples

7. Step 4 Create or Design a method of interpretation

8. Step 5 Present to an audienceClick here for another example

9. Step 6 Students will reflect upon their poetry interpretation experience in their Writer’s Journal.Dressing up like a gray cat while reading the poem “Fog” by Carl Sandburg was so fun, I wonder what…

10. Step 7 The Rubric

11. ResourcesWebsites:http://www.poetry4kids.com/http://www.gigglepoetry.com/http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/home.dohttp://www.poetry-online.org/childrens_poetry_resource_index.htmhttp://www.loc.gov/poetry/http://www.schooltube.com/video/37973/Quatrain-Poetryhttp://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3534/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFR3zz12p0Books: Atwood, A. (1971). Haiku: the mood of the earth. New York: Scribner. Meyers, D. (2003). Blues journey. New York: Holiday House. Prelutsky, J.(1983). The random house book of poetry. New York: Random House. Roden,J.(2005). Paint me a poem : poems inspired by masterpieces of art.Honesdale, Pa : Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press Ryder, J. (1996). Earth dance. New York: Henry Holt.

12. ReflectionI look forward to using this project with my fifth graders. My goal is to guide them in their discovery of poetry interpretation and provide them with the opportunity to express that knowledge through an artistic means. Karen Foss 2009