In 1996, the American Academy of Poets established that April is Poetry Month. Schools all over the world take time in the month of April to celebrate poetic expression. At Northbridge International School Cambodia, MYP Language & Literature classes across all grade levels are investigating poetry as students focus on the creation, interpretation, and appreciation of poems.
As an introduction to Poetry Month, students experimented with creating “Blackout Poetry.” In the week before the Khmer New Year holiday, students took a page from an old book, selected meaningful words that could be linked together, and used marker to “black out” the remaining text and add artistic elements. (See photos for examples of student work.)
As the unit continues, students will work on analyzing poetry and writing poems of their own. They will share their work with their classmates through in-class “Poetry Slams.” Teachers from other subject areas will be invited to share their favorite poems with our students. Our goal is to make poetry accessible to all learners.
Some may wonder if poetry is still relevant or meaningful in today’s society. Students in our Language & Literature classes were asked about the purpose and relevance of poetry:
Interested in poetry? Check out these resources:
30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month: https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month
Poem of the Day: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/poem-of-the-day
13 of the Most Famous Poems: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/best-famous-poems-ever-written
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