Environmental Poems
Summary: Writing poetry allows students to express their feelings in a creative way. It is also good language practice, as long as the structures are simple enough. Giving students the chance to write environmental poems can help them to get in touch with their appreciation for the earth’s beauty, as well as their concerns over human responsibility towards the earth and our common future.
Levels: Gem poem*
Diamond poem**
If I could… poem ***
Grammar: Nouns, verbs, adjectives
Gem Poem/Diamond Poem Try this activity as a recycled version of these two easy poems. Instead of allowing students to begin with any noun of their choice, have them start with a noun related to nature or the environment (eg: earth, flower, tree, sky, water, pollution). Go over some environment vocabulary at the beginning of class or start off by writing a poem together.
Gem Poem
1 Noun (Meishi)
2 Adjectives (Keioshi)
3 Three Verbs (Doishi)
1 Sentence (Bunsho)
1 Noun (Meishi)
Diamond Poem
1 Noun
2 Adjectives
3 Three Verbs
4 Nouns
3 Verbs
2 Adjectives
1 Noun
Examples:
Tree
beautiful, big
living, breathing, smiling
I want to be like you.
Yes
by Kunio Shiraishi, 3rd year HS, Kamo SHS, Kagoshima-ken
Nature
Beautiful, Clean
Living, Growing, Flowering
Green, Life, Trash, Destruction
Destroying, Polluting, Ruining
Ugly, Messy
People
by Takahiro Hanarei, 1st year HS, Kajiki SHS, Kagoshima-ken
"If I could change the world"
How can we make the world a better place? What do we need to do to make sure that the Earth and its inhabitants will survive far into the next century? Have students write their ideas down in the form of a poem. Start each line with: "If I could change the world…".
Example:
If I could change the world
animals would never be abused.
If could change the world
the ozone hole would be getting smaller and not bigger.
Variation: Each student writes one sentence to compose a class poem.
Contributed by: Samantha Berman, Kagoshima-ken ALT.