Here are some meaningful co-op activities for World Poetry: Reading & Writing.
Meaningful Co-op Activities for World Poetry: Reading & Writing
World Poetry can be an eye opening subject to teach to your homeschool high schoolers in co-op. You’ll be delighted to see how they grow as they have small experiences with other people’s cultures.
Want some tips for teaching World Poetry to your teen group?
*Choose a good curriculum. For many homeschool high schoolers, they will get the most out of a curriculum that allows them to
- not be intimidated, but have a little fun with World Poetry
- feel they can understand the poetry selections
- gain some skills for reading World Poetry
- feel they can be successful at writing basic poetry
- not be overwhelmed or feel the course is too intense
That’s exactly what 7Sisters’ World Poetry: Reading and Writing is about. The lessons are short, accessible, fun and engaging. There’s an answer key to help co-op teachers grade assignments.
*Create a syllabus for the course. World Poetry: Reading and Writing is a quick, 5-week course. This is perfect for introducing World Poetry in a homeschool co-op setting. Click here for a simple how-to on writing a syllabus for your course.
For teens who get excited and want a full year/full credit of poetry, here’s a syllabus for a poetry credit to walk them through the process.
*Start with interest-building. This is probably the most important thing you will do to win your homeschool high schoolers’ attention. Show them a video (or several videos) of famous people reading poems.
There are some links in World Poetry: Reading and Writing.
*Share a quote about poetry at the beginning of class each week. Here are a few from Brainy Quote:
- I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better. -Abraham Lincoln
- We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in light of what they suffer. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- When it comes to understanding others, we rarely tax our imaginations. -Lawrence Hill
- Poetry is the truth in Sunday clothes. -Joseph Roux
- Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. -Paul Engle
*Read a poem in person each week. Choose a favorite poem to read as a group, you read or a student reads.
*Build vocabulary. Create a word wall. Have students bring an interesting word that they have found this week and write it on a group poster board. Then have each student share their word and what it means. Over the unit they will have enriched their vocabulary in a fun way.
*Group writing each week. Introduce each topic and then write a poem of that style as a group (you lead the activity). Allow this to be fun, silly and no-fail.
*Team writing each week. Break into teams. Have them write a quick, fun version of the topic then share with the group.
*Sharing poems. Each week have students share their homework poem with the group. This can be done by passing around.
Remember to keep the atmosphere relaxed. Your teens will be deeper, more understanding people when they’ve interacted with some World Poetry.
For more practical planning tips for teaching homeschool co-ops, check out this post.
7Sisters email subscribers receive periodic practical encouragement, special offers and NO SPAM EVER.
Click the image above to periodically receive real homeschool value in your inbox.
