ELA6, CSS, Sferrazza

What do you dream of? Your wishes? Your hopes for the future?

• for yourself
• for your family
• for children
• for animals
• for the environment
• for the arts
• for science, technology, or nature, 
• for your country or the world. 

How are people's dreams impacted by the personal experiences and background?

• A teacher may have this dream: "I dream a world where powerful books capture children." 
• A United Nations leader may have this dream: "I dream a world where the rights of the child are for every child." 
• A health worker may have this dream: "I dream a world where no child goes without exercise every day." 

What are you passionate about? What would you like to see improved in your world or the world around you? What "causes" do you know of? 

Your task is to write a quatrain poem about one or more of your dreams. You can write three or more stanzas and you can use one theme for the entire poem or one theme for each stanza.

TOPIC: 

Brainstorm ideas of what dream you could write about. 

Each stanza might start with "I dream a world where _______" like Langston Hughes poem or you may choose your own words.

THEME: 

After you have chosen one or more topics, think of your theme or themes. What do you want the readers to "think" about the topic? What important message do you want to give?

BRAINSTORM: 

Brainstorm what the world would be like, what would be different, what people or creatures would do differently. Put your ideas in a list or a web.

(Of course, if you have another topic for your quatrain and are feeling inspired, you may use your topic instead.) 

In your Learning Guide, complete your Prewriting and Drafting tasks. Then follow the steps below to complete your writing. Finally, complete the "Reflection" in your Learning Guide.

Make changes to improve your writing. Remember, poetry uses purposefully powerful words to cause a reaction.

• Does each stanza have a consistent rhyme scheme? ABAB, ABCB, AABBCan you add simile, metaphor, alliteration, or personification to enhance your poem? 
  
  • Try a few versions of some of your lines to make the rhyme scheme consistent. 
• Can you improve your use of imagery to create a picture? 
  
  • Where can you add specific details?
  • Can you revise to add or substitute stronger action verbs? (looms, winding, pedaled, sought, absorbed, lapping, hummed)
  • Can you revise to add or substitute creatively applied adverbs? (menacingly, casually, reluctantly, seemingly)
    
  • Can you revise to add or substitute more interesting nouns? 
  • Can you revise to add or substitute more tantalizing adjectives? (majestic, grass-filled, endless, fairyland, gentle, peaceful, salty)

The next step in the writing process is "Evaluating". In your Learning Guide, think and talk about the evaluating questions with your home facilitator. Decide how well you think your draft meets the criteria. Revise and edit your poem more, if you feel it is needed.

The last step is "Publishing". This step will be completed in your Reading Projects. For now, this lesson and poem are completed. Congratulations!

Do you have someone you can share your poem with now?