Title: Acrostic Poem Grade Level: 1st Grade Subject: English Author: Briana Chapman Concept: 4MAT System

Overview Objective: Students will find words that begin with the letters in their own names, using a variety of sources including word banks and online dictionaries. create two acrostic poems. revise poems as needed, for meaning and conventions. share their poems with classmates. complete a reflective self-assessment. Understand how to find and look up words using an online dictionary

Required Resources: Writing materials, markers, dictionaries, white paper, construction paper (12X18), Chart
paper, examples of acrostic poems, dictionary

Quadrant 1, ENGAGE
Activity: Introduction and Modeling with Teacher Name Read and show some acrostic poems to students Explain that Mothers Day we are going to make a poem for our mothers. Gather students and explain that they will help you write a poem using the letters in your name, and you need them to help you think of some words. On chart paper, write your own first name vertically down the left side, so that each letter can be the first letter of the first word of one line. Be sure to do this in front of the students (rather than in advance), so that the starting format can be modeled for the students. (ELL Accomodation) Have students read the letters aloud, starting at the top. Then write your name and the verb "is" on the top line, using the first letter. For instance, I would write, "Briana is." Ask students to suggest some words which begin with the next letter and which can describe you. Write all appropriate suggestions on the letter/word matrix and explain that the chart is going to be a word bank the whole class can use. If no one can come up with an appropriate word, refer a dictionary for some ideas. Show students how to find lists of words by clicking on a letter. Choose at least one word from the dictionary and have a student add it to the matrix. When you have a few possible words, choose one and complete a phrase or sentence, writing it down and having students read it with you. Continue the process with all the letters of your name. My example: o Briana is Radiant Inspiring Animated

Nurturing Adventurous When the poem is complete, have students read it aloud together and then talk about it. Does it make sense? Do you get a picture of the person by reading the poem? Did we use complete sentences or just words and phrases? Is there anything we should change? If changes are suggested, talk about them and change some words if desired. Leave the poem displayed on the wall.

ELL: Write a list of commonly used adjectives that were given in class on the board so that they can pull from those examples when writing their acrostic. Evaluation: Participation and word suggestions. Quadrant 2, SHARE
Activity: Students Write Their Own Name Acrostic Poems Before starting, review the large chart paper matrix. Have students suggest more words for the matrix, and especially for any blank spaces. Try to have at least two words in each space. Have students begin by writing their names in capital letters down the left side of a sheet of paper, then to begin their poem by completing their name and adding "is" to the top line. Invite them to help each other find words they need that begin with the letters of their names, and to use those words in phrases. Have adult helpers assist students as needed, if they are available. (ELL Accomodation) As students work, invite them to add any particularly interesting words to the matrix for others to use, too. Keep in mind that they will be doing another acrostic poem about something they like, so including some of these images in their name poems would be particularly good. As students finish their poems, have them informally share with each other. Working with pairs or small groups of students, invite them to give each other suggestions. Encourage students to rewrite their poems on clean paper if they have done a lot of erasing. When all students are finished, have volunteers read their poems aloud to the group. (ELL Accomodation) Collect the poems and keep them for later use.

ELL: Students will have the opportunity to work with the teacher or with an adult supervisor to help with suggesting of or looking up words as well as spellings. Evaluation: Participation in group sharing, acrostic poem. Quadrant 3, PRACTICE
Activity: Students Write a Second Acrostic Poem Post a blank piece of chart paper to the right of your name poem. Gather students and explain that they are going to write another acrostic poem, this time about something that is important to them. Ask students to tell about some things that are important to them. Suggestions might be a pet, a favorite person, a favorite food, and so forth. Go around the room asking each student. Quickly review the process with students and give directions by choosing something that is a favorite of yours and writing that word down the left side of the chart paper.

Then write the word and the verb "is" (or "are" if appropriate). For instance, you might write "Hedwig is" or "Cookies are." Have a student suggest words for the second line. It isn't necessary to complete this whole poem, since students have already been through the process. Have students choose what they will write about before they get a sheet of paper to begin. Ask them to write the word down the left side of the paper and show it to you before they begin writing their poem. At this point, you can check the spelling. As with the first poem, invite students to help each other, use an adult helper for extra assistance, encourage students to share their finished drafts with each other, and invite students to write a clean copy if necessary.

Evaluation: Participation, topic appropriate, collaboration. Quadrant 4, PERFORM

Activity: Preliminary Sharing and Revising Tell students that they will work in groups to read each other's poems. Explain that they will trade poems with each other, read each other's poems, and give each other suggestions for alternate words and changes in spelling and/or capitalization. Make sure they understand that they should read all the poems in their group, so that everyone will get lots of suggestions and help. (ELL Accomodation) Point out to students that suggestions are optional, and that this is a time to try out different ideas, to get help with spelling, and to finish up their poems before they make a new, clean copy for publishing.

*Arrange students in heterogeneous groups, with four to a group. As they work, circulate among the groups to listen in, giving advice and ideas when necessary and appropriate. Publish and Perform Before starting, transfer your name acrostic poem and your favorite thing poem to blank white copy paper. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half and glue one poem to each side of the inside of the folded paper. Gather students together. Show them your sample illustrated poems mounted on construction paper. Explain to students that you are going to give them both of their poems, and that they will do three things: 1. trace over the words with a fine-tipped marker or colored pencil 2. illustrate their poems 3. mount their poems on construction paper Display the acrostic poems throughout the classroom so students can see their work and be proud of their accomplishment.

Evaluation: Student participation, assistance to fellow peers, acrostic poems.

Common Core State Standards:

1.W.2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure. With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed. Research to Build and Present Knowledge 1.W.7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

1.W.5.

1.SL.1. 1.SL.1.a.

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in basic sentences (e.g., He hops; We hop). Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Capitalize dates and names of people.

1.L.1. 1.L.1.c. 1.L.2. 1.L.2.a.

REFERENCE: Goularte, R. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lessonplans/acrostic-poems-about-favorite-309.html?tab=4