Shape Poetry: A Colorful & Fun Writing Activity

How-To Teach Color Shape Poetry Writing

Introduction to Colour Shape Poetry

If you have been following my previous posts HERE and HERE, then you understand my passion for teaching children poetry. Children love to learn and read poems, and exposure helps them strengthen their reading, writing, and listening skills. Read this post to find out more about why teaching poetry to children is beneficial and how to introduce poetry in your classroom.

To start our lesson on color poetry, I start by explaining it using these poetry styles posters. Color poetry is poetry written about a particular, perhaps favorite color. It includes what the color means to you and what it reminds you of. It is written where the first word of each line is that color. Each line connects that color to our senses (i.e., what it tastes, smells, feels, looks, sounds, and makes us feel like). There are different variations of color poetry out there, but for this lesson, we used a template and format that works for primary children.

Planning Colour Shape Poetry

We start every poetry lesson by reading a book that connects to our senses. Some of my favorite go-to choices for books on colors are Bear Sees Colors, A Color of His Own, and Duck & Goose Colours (affiliate links). These books each give examples of things that are different colors. This exercise helps us think and imagine more.

To prepare for color shape poetry writing, separate students into small groups (4 or 5 in one), and give them a specific color. Their task is to brainstorm together a variety of things (food, items, animals, clothing, etc.) in their particular color and write them on the back of their planning sheet. Visit with each group to guide them and encourage ideas. Working together and sharing helps them think of more.

Writing Colour Shape Poetry

Once each group has plenty of ideas, we meet as a class to share and discuss the format for writing our color poems. We complete an example as a class using a different color that is not being used by a group already. We work together to create sentences to fit the color poetry frame. This activity is constructive as a guide for those less confident writers.

Students get a blank template to write their color poems. They are encouraged to use the words and ideas we thought of as a class and in small groups. This template and a planning sheet are available for free at the end of the post.

At this point, students are relatively confident and independent in writing their color poetry drafts. For a lot of writing with young children, usually, one draft is enough, but with poetry writing, I like to have a polished, edited piece to add to a display.

Creating Colour Shape Poetry

Shape poetry is poetry written in a shape that relates to what the poem is about or its topic. We connect our color poems by creating a shape poetry display with them. Students take one idea or thing from their color poems and draw its shape.  For example, shapes for the color red could be a strawberry, a rose, a heart, etc.

With a large white piece of poster board, students draw that shape large to cover the page and leave enough room to copy their poems inside. They use a ruler to draw the appropriate number of lines to fit the poem. If it is an odd shape (like a snake, for example), students can write the poem without using lines for a more freestyle form.

Students copy their edited poems in the spaces of their color shape. After re-writing their poems, they trace their writing with skinny markers and use pencil crayons or crayons to color them in.

Hang the color shape poetry writing up to create a unique display or bulletin board that will grab any reader passing by.

Poetry Writing Resources

Try the Colour & Shape Poetry Writing Templates

You can grab your own FREE color shape poetry templates today by clicking the image below. Color and shape poetry writing and 11 other styles are included in the poetry writing unit available HERE. It includes posters, poetic terms, planning and creating sheets, many templates, and student poetry notebooks and covers.

Integrate the following resources easily into the primary classroom and any language arts curriculum. Each offers a wealth of engaging poems and activities to build a ton of skills and a love of poetry!

Poetry Mega Bundle

Watch the video to see the poetry writing unit in action!

Poetry Writing unit

More Ideas for Poetry Writing Lessons

Poetry Writing for Kids

Poetry Activities

Why is Poetry Important?

How to Teach Poetry

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