Fall Poems

Poems are such a wonderful way to introduce the children to mental imaging.

Say... Mental imaging is when you mind makes a picture of what your reading.  It is full of colors, smells, sounds.  Anything your senses can imagine.  Today we are going to read a poem and create mental images in our minds. 

Remember to think about the colors, smells, and sounds as well as the picture your mind creates. 

There is NO talking during this activity.  Everyone will have a slightly different mental image and this is perfectly okay.

Start by having the children close their eyes and read the poem through several times.  After you have read the poems though, pass out the poem or a sheet of white paper. 

Read the poem through again several more times.  This time have the children use pencils and crayons to illustrate the mental image their minds are creating. 

During this time, I walk around to encourage silence and detailed drawings.  I might question a child by saying something like... What color were the leaves in the poem?  What was happening to the leaves?

After the children have completed their drawings, we come to the floor with our drawing in hand.  The children think-pair-share with a partner about their mental images.  Then, I allow the children to share out some of their noticings.

After the children share out, I might take the time to question a child on something I noticed as I walked around or allow a child to explain something he/she drew to the rest of the class.

This simple activity quickly becomes a favorite and can be done numerous times through out the year.  I try to do this activity with a poem at least once a week.

Crunchy Leaves

Autumn Leaves

Raining Leaves

Leaves Are Floating Down