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Monday 22 December 2014

HANDS - Writing Activity/Idea for KS1

My Hand

It claps
It waves
It misbehaves

It clicks
It flicks
It plays with sticks

It holds
It scolds
My clothes it folds

It cares
It shares
It tickles bears!!


Start off by performing this poem, using actions suggested by the children.
Next, have a discussion: what are some of the different things that hands can do? Jot down some ideas on the board. Each child then goes to their table, and has a go at writing down some of the things they like doing with their hands (reading books, hugging teddies, eating crisps, etc). Each child then has a go at drawing an outline of their hand, and copying their writing so that it follows the outline. They end up with a lovely shape poem!!!

Friday 19 December 2014

Christmas Poem

I’m in Love with the Fairy on Top of the Tree

I’m in love with the fairy
on top of the tree.
The way that she stands there
and smiles at me!
Her wand is amazing,
her hair is fantastic,
her dress is made out of
the finest pink plastic.

I’m in love with the fairy
on top of the tree.
She fills me with pleasure,
she fills me with glee.
Her arms and her legs
are so dainty and sweet.
What wonderful fingers!
What magical feet!

I’m in love with the fairy
on top of the tree,
the loveliest creature
I ever did see.
She is my darling,
my one and only.
Standing up there
must get terribly lonely.

I’m in love with the fairy
on top of the tree,
but I don’t think she feels
the same about me.
I blow her big kisses
which she just ignores...
I think she’s in love
with Santa Claus.


(not the best poem I've ever written, but thought I'd have a crack at a Christmas poem anyway)

Wednesday 3 December 2014

IF ONLY - workshop idea + students' poems

If Only

people spoke of the living
like they speak of the dead.

Just imagine:
we would all go around declaring
how wonderful everyone else is;
how kind they are;
how, even in spite
of outward appearances,
their hearts are made of gold.

People would cherish urns
of dandruff and nail clippings;
forgive each other almost anything;
treat each bad word as sacrilege.
Everyone would go out of their way
to attend the birthday parties
of distant relatives, declaiming it
the right thing to do.

Just think:
living itself would become an achievement.
The news would be a rolling dispatch
of everyone who made it through the day,

and when they died
we’d realise
that they weren’t that great anyway.

by Joshua Seigal

In the light of the poem above, ask students to write out a list of their own 'if only...' statements. These could be as heartfelt or as whimsical as they wish. This could form a list poem in itself, or students could take one of the ideas and develop it further, imagining the consequences if their desired scenario came to fruition. Here are some interesting approaches taken by students in one of my workshops:

If Only (By Naqeebah, Year 11)

If only…
We were able to go back in time,
Like how they do in the movies.
Go back into our past
But only our own past.
Just imagine:
We could change the sad times
Into happy times
We could stop the pain
We could change our actions
If only we were able to
Go back in time
We could change our past.

If Only (By Omaima, Year 7)

If only I could make good wishes
If only I had friends like fishes
If only I was the best
If only my house was near the west
If only I could fly
If only I could see the entire sky
If only I could cover the east
If only I could have a ginormous feast
If only I was good at winning
If only I could make the earth go spinning
If only the world was only about me
If only I was the famous one to be
If only, if only
I don’t want to be lonely.