Creepy-Crawly Poems (3)

Butterflies and more

I've been offering a few tips, in these last few posts, for preparing the way for mini-beast poetry-writing with children. To recap, it's obviously a great start if children can go outside and find some insects and the like for themselves, and then show, share and discuss with peers and adults, studying them more closely too, if possible.

Observations make building blocks

Even if children don't write anything down, they will have equipped themselves with a host of new concepts and - hopefully - words to describe them too. Perhaps they've stopped to notice for the first time some unique feature of a particular insect - say the intricacy of a butterfly's wing. Perhaps they've pricked up their ears at the word intricate too, said by playmate or adult. Perhaps they've made up a word of their own for the little creature, or how it moves. All are valuable steps to creativity and much more, of course.

For children who are keen to have a go at a creepy-crawly poem, here's another creature to consider: the butterfly. The picture poem above is limited in scope; some writers might like to draw their own, bigger, or with more space around, for extra writing.

Language-building

Describing words

Prompt for words to describe butterflies the children have seen, delving for the more precise, vivid, interesting or unusual. Here are some suggestions:

light, graceful, decorative, delicate, peaceful, soundless, papery, pale, colourful, dainty, fluttery, serene, calm, patterned, ornamental, free, floaty, gentle.

Similes

Ask: how light? As light as fluff? (Or a scrap of silk, a chick's feather, a petal?) Or pick a different adjective to work with.

Now show children how their simile ideas can be inverted, or turned round the other way, for neatness. Here are some examples:

chick-feather-light, tissue-papery, leaf-fluttery, flower-colourful.

Now show how they can be extended, as here:

as colourful as a beautiful summer rose in the sunlight;
as soundless as the drifting white clouds above.
Let them write one or two ideas down before they forget, either on their picture poems - assuming they're using a picture format - or on scrap paper.


Movements

Encourage children to be butterflies, flitting high and low, left and right, landing on a flower and resting, wings together, now sailing off again. Be one yourself too!

What was that butterfly doing? Flying? Yes, but what sort of flying? you ask. Draw up a list, either just verbally or jotted down for reference. Here are some suggestions to prompt for:

flitting, dancing, twirling, gliding, soaring, sinking, tipping, tilting, drifting, pausing, sailing, waltzing, pirouetting, skipping.

Settings

Ask: where does it fly? Encourage thoughts about its setting, real or imagined - the sky, greenery, flowers, street, cliff-top, forest... Where will it go? A little fantasy would be fun. (So would a world of it! That's up to your young writers.)

Celebrate!

How about a celebration of the finished creepy-crawly poems? This could take the form of dance, song, pictures, costumes, collages, or simple readings of the verse to class, friends, carers or family.

Adults might enjoy the activities too!

Creepy-crawly kenning ideas coming soon.Kate