Stacie Wiatt challenged her fourth grade students at Mathews Elementary School to create Christmas-themed poems using a variety of poetic techniques.
The students wrote cinquain poems (five-line poem with a 24682 syllable pattern); acrostic poems (where the first letters of each line spells out a word or phrase vertically that acts as the theme or message of the poem); diamante poems (an unrhymed seven-line poem where the beginning and ending lines are the shortest and the middle ones are longer, giving it a diamond shape); haikus (traditional Japanese poems with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern) and a final version that Wiatt called “grammar poems” that allows the students to practice using all things grammar: nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and similes.
Here are a few examples of each. First, cinquain poems:
Candy Canes
by Noah DeForge
Candy
Sweet, Yummy
Eating, Sucking, Licking
Fun to Eat Them
Sweets
Stockings
by Noah DeForge
Socks
Soft, Furry
Wearing, Having, Holding
Nice to Feel Them
Tights
Here are some acrostic poems:
Rudolph
by Emma Saunders
Red nose
Up in the sky
Different
Odd
Loving
Prancing
Helping
Reindeer
by Emma Saunders
Rudolph
Exploring through the night
In the sky
North Pole
Dasher
Eve of Christmas
Eats candy canes
Readying to fly
Christmas Tree
by Lilly Graham
Colorful lights
Holly strings
Reindeer ornaments
Icy tinsel
Snowflake ornaments
Tinsel
Merry feeling
Angel on top
Sleigh ornaments
Tinsel
Reindeer ornaments
Each tree has lights on
Each family member comes
Santa Claus
by Kenny Brown
Santa is cool
At the North Pole
Nibbles on candy canes
The magic of Christmas
Amazing gift giver
Candy canes are the best to elves
Loves Christmas
At Christmastime, it’s the best
Us, we love Santa
Santa is on his sleigh
Rudolph
by Colten Helebrandt
Red nose
Under the tree
Deer
Outcast
Leader
Popular
Harness
Reindeer
by Colten Helebrandt
Respectful
Energetic
Important
Nice
Deer
Equal amount
Exact
Red nose
Here are a couple of diamante poems:
Reindeer
by Henry Richardson
Reindeer
Furry, Noisy
Running, Flying, Soaring
Santa, Mrs. Claus, Presents, Elves
Eating, Landing, Sleeping
Soft, Heavy
Santa’s Pet
Star
by Henry Richardson
Star
Bright, Big
Burning, Shining, Shooting
Light, Sun, Sky, Solar System
Moving, Lighting up the Planet, Soaring
Shiny, Pretty
Light
Here are some haikus:
Candy Canes
by Addie Congrove
Minty, Striped, and Sweet
Red, Green, and Sometimes Rainbow
They’re like Peppermint
Christmas Tree
by Addie Congrove
Multi-colored Lights
Topped with a Metallic Star
Where Santa Puts Gifts
Christmas Eve
By Trevor Hill
Red and White Presents
Snowflakes falling from the Sky
Drinking Hot Cocoa
Christmas Day
by Trevor Hill
Opening Presents
Eating Gingerbread Cookies
Time with Family
Candy Canes
By Jaxon Evans
They are red and white.
Candy canes are for Christmas
They look like a J
And finally, here are a few grammar poems:
Santa
By Mason Mateyko
Santa
Joyful Santa
Joyful Santa Checks
Joyful Santa Checks His List Twice
Joyful Santa Checks His List Twice in the North Pole
Elf
By Mason Mateyko
Elf
Small Elf
Small Elf Watches
Small Elf Watches Close
Small Elf Watches Close for Kids Who are Good or Bad
Santa
By Levi Hidalgo
Santa
Jolly Santa
Jolly Santa Checks Presents
Jolly Santa Checks Presents Happily
Jolly Santa Checks Presents Happily in the North Pole
Reindeer
By Levi Hidalgo
Reindeer
Flying Reindeer
Flying Reindeer Fly a Sleigh
Flying Reindeer Fly a Sleigh Joyfully
Flying Reindeer Fly a Sleigh Joyfully in the Sky