More...Tell the Bible story through poetry!
by Phyllis Wezeman
This material was presented in the rotation.org email newsletter as the Teaching Tip of the month.


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DIAMOND
From the rotation.org email newsletter - August 2008

MATERIALS
Bible(s)
Formula for Diamond Poetry
Paper
Pencils or pens

METHOD
Share a current event story, which presents a problem such as care of the environment, and come up with creative solutions through a poetry project. Use a five-line diamond shaped poem for this process. The formula for Diamond poetry is as follows:

Line One
One word which is an opposite of line five

Line Two
Two words which describe line one

Line Three
Three words which resolve the conflict

Line Four
Two words which describe line five

Line Five
One word which is an opposite of line one.

For example:

        Litter
   Garbage everywhere
New     uses       found
   Gather.   Collect.
        Recycle.

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QUATRAIN
by Phyllis Wezeman
From the rotation.org email newsletter as the Teaching Tip of the month for January 2009.

MATERIALS
Bible(s)
Formula for Quatrain Poetry
Glue
Magazines
Paper
Pencils or pens
Scissors

METHOD
Quatrains are four line poems that may follow any one of four different rhyme patterns:

AABB
Lines One (A) and Two (A) end with words that rhyme.
Lines Three (B) and Four (B) end with words that rhyme.

ABAB
Lines One (A) and Three (A) end with words that rhyme.
Lines Two (B) and Four (B) end with words that rhyme.

ABBA
Lines One (A) and Four (A) end with words that rhyme.
Lines Two (B) and Three (B) end with words that rhyme.

ABCB
Line One (A) does not rhyme with the other three lines.
Lines Two (B) and Four (B) end with words that rhyme.
Line Three (C) does not rhyme with the other three.

When Quatrains are combined to make a long poem, each group of four lines is called a stanza. Use Quatrains to teach the stories of great persons of faith: past, present, and future. It might be helpful to cut pictures from magazines and to write verses about these people. Using the life of Mother Theresa as an example, a Quatrain with an ABCB rhyming pattern might read:

Mother Theresa helped the poor
She offered loving care.
She shared God's love in many ways
With people everywhere.

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TANKA
by Phyllis Wezeman
From the rotation.org email newsletter as the Teaching Tip of the month for April 2009.

MATERIALS
Bible(s)
Formula for Tanka Poetry
Paper
Pencils or pens

METHOD
Tanka is another Oriental verse form much like Haiku except that two more lines of seven syllables each are added to give this type of poetry a total of thirty-one syllables. The format for Tanka poetry is:

Line One
Five syllables

Line Two
Seven syllables

Line Three
Five syllables

Line Four
Seven syllables

Line Five
Seven syllables

Use the Tanka formula to help the participants share their own stories. Suggest that everyone write a Tanka describing him or her self. For example:

Mrs. Stevenson
Teacher; Guide; Friend; Example
Shows concern and care
Prepares exciting lessons
Listens; Laughs; Learns; Loves; and Leads.


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