School Poetry Workshop: Haiku Hike

Happy Poetry Friday, Readers.It's May, my month to serve as poet-in-residence at Northfield Elementary School. This is my longest running residency through the Maryland State Arts Council. 11 years!When I had my orientation meeting with third grade educators this year, they had important information for me. This year's 3rd graders are active. They need to move! How could we adapt the poetry lessons to meet this need?We decided to kick off our series of poetry workshops with a haiku hike, inspired by the book HAIKU HIKE from Scholastic. This book won the 2005 "Kids Are Authors" award. It's a great introduction to haiku and inspired us to go outdoors and gather images for our poems.Haiku poems have a rich history, steeped in Japanese culture. We talked about a few quick things before we went outside.

1. Japanese is read from top to bottom, not left to right like English. The 5-7-5 syllable count isn't a rule, but an attempt to recreate the rhythm of a Japanese haiku. I encourage students to write three lines -- short-long-short -- or even two lines for their haiku. (We looked at a traditional haiku, in Japanese, from a page in the book WABI SABI, by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young.)
2. The book HAIKU HIKE introduces the concept of kigo, a word in the haiku that symbolizes the season.
3. In some classes, we discussed the difference between haiku and senryu.

Then we were ready for our hike.Each of the five third grade classes went outside for about 10-15 minutes on a series of sunny, very windy days. Wow! They student poets were so observant, paying attention to details small and large. Thanks to the Northfield 3rd grade team and families for giving me permission to share the students' poems.Poet: Jessica M.Leaves whispering quietlyMy name in the breezeCome outside with mePoet: A.J. H.Itchy eyesAcorns on the tips of treesMillions of grassPoet: Jameson I.Running in grassBrown pine cone in our pathSappy handsPoet: Sarah B.On a sunny daySpring flowers start to bloomThen I do too Poet: Sarena D.Scratch, dirt creaks and crackUnder tree, all alone, far away from homeNo movement, no tossingPoet: Kate A.Cute little creaturesScurrying through green tree topsEating lots of nutsPoet: Lucas B.Shooting starSome people make a wishOthers just watchPoet: Milie S.Shh, the leaves goRustled by the spring windNature’s librarianPoet: Jackson A.Furious windTrees swaying and branches battlingSpring wind warPoet: Addy M.Raining, sad, sorrowSitting in my lonely shadowBoom! Crash!Then, this happened. (Haiku by Ms. Shovan)windy spring daystudent papers take flighthaiku blizzardInspired by the wonderful haiku by Northfield third graders, I've been working on my own haiku poems this week.During one of my walks, I took photos instead of notes, then came home and wrote haiku like this one.May walkSun puddles on pavementWatch your step!Want to try this lesson with your students? This is the frame I used. Feel free to borrow.