CLINTON, N.C. -- Third Grade students at Butler Avenue School, specifically those in Mrs. Cortez’s ESL class, got a firsthand look at the interactive tools on iPads, and used them create shape and haiku poems.

 

Cortez hopes that by creating a shape poem, her students will learn the basic steps involved in writing a poem: finding a topic,brainstorming for ideas, coming up with a title, writing/typing, revising, and publishing.

 

From basketballs to balloons, children were able to choose from avariety of shapes. Building the poem inside the shape helped them to focus their attention on the topic.

 

School officials say poetry in the classroom is an excellent way for students to express themselves, synthesize information they have learned, and enjoy word play.

 

The haiku is a perfect form of poetry for classroom use because it’s short, does not need to rhyme, and lends itself to any topic.