Activity

1. Students choose a word, write it on a piece of paper, fold it, and put it in a pile. You could relate this to a topic you are studying or it can be random.
2. A volunteer picks out five pieces of paper.
3. Together, the class creates a five line poem using those five words.
4. Can it be improved by adding another word from the pile?
5. Continue to craft – improve by removing, replacing, or adding words from the pile.

Reflection

• Do you feel you got it right the first time?

• How did it feel to listen to other people’s ideas to improve our work?

Go Further

Bring a new word daily/weekly and add to the class pile of words and continue to improve the poem. Add a theme or rules.

Disciplined: Crafting and Improving

This activity illustrates the important process of moving beyond the first attempt or first answer and the power of working collectively to improve and edit.