Creating Poetry Videos

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  1. Teacher and students read poetry aloud (see Teacher Resources)
  2. Assign students to groups and give assignment to create a poetry video
  3. Students should analyze their poem line by line and plan to shoot video images that will interpret each line. Have students draw a series of images that they want to represent each line on a storyboard.
  4. Teacher checks the storyboards.
  5. Students shoot video with a digital camcorder. Students can video other students or they can have someone video them if they want to be the star!
  6. After shooting the video, students should record themselves orally reading the poem using dramatic pauses.
  7. Choose instrumental background music.
  8. Import video and background music.
  9. Using the iMovie software, record voice, edit video clips, create title page, transitions, and credits.
  10. Top this unit off with an Academy Awards of Poetry. Kids love it!

Students can assess themselves and teachers can also assess using a poetry video rubric (40k, PDF). Give this rubric to students before you begin so they will know exactly what will be expected of them. This video can be added to students' portfolios and also used for documentation of exceptional students. Check to see if your state participates in the local International Educational Film Festival Awards.

Tools and Resources

Poems:

  • Batty" by Shel Silverstein (A Light in the Attic, p139)
  • "You've no need to light a nightlight," (Tongue Tanglers, p 14)
  • "Bubble Gum" by Nina Payne (The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, p 106)
  • "I Love You," (The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, p102)
  • "Song of the Pop-Bottlers" by Morris Bishop (More Tongue Tanglers,p 35)
  • "By Myself" by Eloise Greenfield (Honey I Love, p 24)
  • "Betty Botter bought some butter," (Tongue Tanglers, p 27)
  • "Listen to the Mustn'ts" By Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends, p 27)
  • "The Worm" by Ralph Bergengren (The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, p 127)
  • "Anteater" by Shel Silverstein (A Light in the Attic, p 115)
  • "The Creature in the Classroom" by Jack Prelutsky (The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, p212)

Books:

  • Bennett, Jill, ed. Noisy Poems. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987
  • Cole, Joanna. Anna Banana; 101 Jump Rope Rhymes. New York: Marrow Junior Books, 1989
  • deRegniers, Beatrice Schenk, et al. Sing a Song of Popcorn. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1988.
  • Greenfield, Eloise. Honey, I Love. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1972.
  • Jacobs, Leland B. Poetry for Space Enthusiasts. Champaign, Illinois: Garraed Publishing Co. 1971
  • Potter, Charles Francis. Tongue Tanglers. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1962.
  • Prelutsky, Jack. Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1976
  • Silverstein, Shel. Where The Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974.

Internet Sites:

Facilitation Tips

  • Group students in twos or threes
  • Use a tripod to videotape performance
  • Provide storyboard template so students can organize their shots
  • Use instrumental music CDs
  • Use a quality microphone (boom mikes) to ensure quality audio if you are recording voice with a VHS camcorder and not using the microphone on the iMac

Email: Melinda Storey

Melinda Storey