It's World Poetry Day, on 21 March. This day recognises the unique ability of poetry to capture the very essence of humanity.  In every culture there are poets who feed the soul of their nation and present as advocates for the arts.  For those of you not yet completely comfortable teaching poetry, or for those looking to freshen up their current poetry resources, Here are some possibilities to explore.  Poetry Ideas Across the Curriculum • Invite students to organize a collection of poems relating to their own culture. You could organize them around such categories as celebrations, families, food, holidays. • Collect photo essays, newspaper and magazine articles, informational books, and historical fiction and invite students to use them as source material for poetry • Make weather poems using weather reports as the basis for ideas. • Encourage students to tell their own stories/experiences in poetic form • Use a science activity to launch a poetr...

I imagined this conversation between two boys and a chance observation... It's a variation on poems for two voices from the book,   Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices   by Paul Fleischman.  Initials On A Pencil Case What’s that on your pencil case? Right there in the corner in tiny letters Does it say I heart JB? Does it really? Why? Why does it say I heart JB? I cant believe you would write that… It’s not what you think It’s not what you think It’s something else Really it is Oh sure it is I heart JB – why did you write that For everyone to see? It’s about someone else Someone else? Who? Julietta Brocklesbee Who is Julietta Brocklesbee? A girl Thanks for the clue, but seriously, who is she? She’s a singer in a band What band? The Fishsticks Julietta Brosklesbee is a singer in a band Called The Fishsticks. Never heard of them… They’re a new band A very good band My favourite ...