Haiku for You
Poetry and art….they really go hand in hand. Poems are a series of words which paint a picture in one's head while art can evoke poetic words in the mind of the viewer. This project marries the two genres into one piece. 8th graders review the formula needed to write a haiku. 5--7--5 is the pattern they need to remember in terms of the amount of syllables needed in each line. I teach them to think of the syllables as the "beats" in each word and it is through this musical comparison that students seem to really succeed with this project.
Students need to write 20 Haikus before they pick their favorite and begin illustrating it. At first, writing 20 haikus seems like a lot! But once they get going and realize how they can write about practically anything, they start to have so much fun with this part of the project. It's like a puzzle they need to fit together and the challenge of finding the right words that fit into the formula is sometimes difficult because they also need to keep their theme consistent so it makes sense.
After writing 20 haikus, students pick their favorite one to illustrate. They must include the poem on the paper as a part of the artwork. Handwriting is important for this project so we spend some time discussing how the handwriting is a part of the artwork….these letters need to be precise, neat, and intentionally placed on the page to work as a part of the whole.
Minnesota State Visual Arts Standards:
Students need to write 20 Haikus before they pick their favorite and begin illustrating it. At first, writing 20 haikus seems like a lot! But once they get going and realize how they can write about practically anything, they start to have so much fun with this part of the project. It's like a puzzle they need to fit together and the challenge of finding the right words that fit into the formula is sometimes difficult because they also need to keep their theme consistent so it makes sense.
After writing 20 haikus, students pick their favorite one to illustrate. They must include the poem on the paper as a part of the artwork. Handwriting is important for this project so we spend some time discussing how the handwriting is a part of the artwork….these letters need to be precise, neat, and intentionally placed on the page to work as a part of the whole.
Minnesota State Visual Arts Standards:
- 2. Analyze the meanings and functions of visual art. (6.1.3.5.2)
- 2. Revise artworks based on the feedback of others and self-reflection and artistic intent. (6.2.1.5.2)
- 2. Revise a presentation based on the feedback of others, self-reflection and artistic intent. (6.3.1.5.2)
- 2. Analyze the meanings and functions of visual art. (6.1.3.5.2)
- 1. Assemble and prepare personal artworks for public exhibition. (6.3.1.5.1)