Figurative Language and Fireworks

Back to school today...ugh...wait...I mean hurray!  My kids came back excited and bubbling with stories of Spring Break adventures, but maybe not so eager to get back to work and especially not so ready to get ready for testing.  I will show you later how I put some spark into that motivation.

Now onto more important stuff...It’s April which means its National Poetry Month!  Yippee! 

Ok, let me be honest...I actually started doing some poetry preparations last month.  In Reading Workshop, we learned about forms of figurative language.  I start this off by calling everyone down to the carpet for a minilesson.
 
I share with my students the song “Firework” by Katy Perry.  I have downloaded the song from iTunes, but I like this version because the lyrics are right there on the screen.  (And in my district, we were only just given YouTube access!)  I will give you a warning though there is some kissing in this version that some may deem inappropriate, but there are other versions out there as well!

(I feel the lyrics of this song are appropriate for my students, but, if you are worried, there is also a Kidz Bop version to download from iTunes or view on YouTube although some of the substituted lyrics I don’t think make as much sense.)

My kids love this song!  They ask for it over and over, singing and dancing around the room!  I usually give in to playing the song a couple of times (heehee got ‘em hooked!)...then I call everyone to settle back down on the carpet.

I introduce students to the idea that what they just listened to was a poem set to music.  How might you I know that?  One reason I know this is because it contains figurative language.  I give them a copy of the lyrics to put in their reading notebooks. 

(If you choose to use the Kidz Bop version, this copy of the lyrics will not work.)

Throughout this unit we will be using this song to help us find some different forms of figurative language.

I then dismiss the students to independent reading making sure to point out the poetry baskets in the room for students that would like to go ahead and get started reading this genre.

I will share with you later on this week some of my favorite poetry books and a favorite poetry piece.