Activity Description

Preparation:

   1. Become familiar with the format and structure of writing cinquain poetry
              a.   Cinquain poetry contains five lines that define a term
                      •    The first line is a noun
                      •    The second line includes two adjectives that describe the noun
                      •    The third line includes three action verbs that describe the noun
                      •    The fourth line is a four-word sentence or phrase that describes the noun
                      •    The fifth line includes an ending word
   2. Find 2 cinquain poems that follow structure described above
              a.    One can be a simple example to demonstrate formatting
              b.    The other should begin with a noun that is an interesting vocabulary word, and use descriptive words that paint a picture of the noun
   3. Write the sample cinquains on chart paper
   4. Decide on a vocabulary word to use to create a model cinquain

Implementation:

Session 1:

1. Present a sample cinquain poem to students
   1. Activate prior knowledge by discussing other kinds of poetry structures that they might know, like haiku
2. Highlight and explicitly describe the structure, format and components of a cinquain
3. Create a cinquain poem together with the students, by modeling the process and including their suggestions 

Session 2: 

1. Present another cinquain poem to the students, but hide the first noun
2. Invite students to use the vocabulary in the rest of the poem to try to guess the “mystery noun”
3. Explain to students that they will be choosing a vocabulary word to create their own cinquain poetry
4. Allow students to select a mystery noun and complete poems independently
   1. Support students in following the format and choosing interesting vocabulary to describe their noun 

Session 3:

1. Have students share their cinquains by hosting a “guess the mystery noun” party
2. In small groups, have each student read their poem aloud and have other students guess
   1. This could be done in a written format, where each student writes their guess and puts it face down
   2. All students, including the author, reveal the word and see who got it right!

Adaptations For

English Language Learners/ESL:

- Review the different parts of speech in a cinquain and provide plenty of examples
- Partner students with more fluent readers and writers

LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:

- Review the different parts of speech in a cinquain and provide plenty of examples
- Provide students with a graphic organizer outlining the format of a cinquain poem
- Provide support, either adult or peer, for finding adjectives and verbs

Cultural Appropriateness & Diversity:

- Have students choose a topic that they are familiar with, such as a family member, an item, food and/or tradition from their culture

Differentiated Instruction:

- Allow students to choose vocabulary words at an appropriate level of difficulty

Related References

Source:
Strong, R.W., Silver, H.F. & Perini, M.J. (2008). Reading for Academic Success, Grades 2-6: Differentiated   Strategies for Struggling, Average and Advanced Readers. California: Corwin Press.

Evidence:
Cabrera, Matilda. (2007). The Poetry of Science: Effects of Using Poetry in a Middle  School ELD Science Classroom. Electronic Journal of Literacy Through Science, 7, 1-42.