Level: Intermediate (grades 3-6)

Student Objectives

• Write an acrostic poem
• Understand that adjectives are words that describe something
• Understand and use synonyms to write poetry

Introduce the Poetry
Acrostic poetry is written using the letters in a topic word. The topic word letters are used as the beginning letters for words and phrases that tell about the topic word. The topic word is written vertically along the left side of the page, and words or phrases that describe the topic are written left to right using the letters in the base word. Encourage students to use colorful words or phrases that describe the topic.

Teach the Poetry

• Reproduce the samples page as a student handout or as a transparency page for use on an overhead projector.
• Using the samples page as a guide, ask students to point out the similarities between the two poems. Discuss how each word or phrase begins with a letter within the topic word. Point out how Sunrise and Sunset share common letters and sometimes the two poems share the same word for those letters such as Unbelievable for U and Nature for N. At other times, the same letters are used to make different words, such as Shiny/Stunning and Exit/Entrance.
• Ask students to volunteer other words that begin with S that could be written next to the S in either Sunrise or Sunset (shining, stunning, sparkling, etc.). Encourage students to stretch their vocabulary and use a dictionary or thesaurus to find more colorful s words, such as scintillating, staggering, sensational, etc. Remind students that good poets are always searching for the word that most accurately conveys the meaning they want to express. Dictionaries and thesauruses are good tools to use to find those words.

Model Writing an Acrostic

• The first step in writing an acrostic poem is to choose a good topic. Acrostic poems may be written about any topic. Choose a topic that can be described using a variety of words or phrases.
• Have students brainstorm possible topics about which to write. Subjects might include: words from a content area being studied, a book title, a favorite author's name, or a student's personal interest. Encourage students to name topics that can easily be described or that evoke a feeling. For example, an action such as war or peace, a game such as soccer or basketball, or a name such as Jordan or Britney. Record students' suggestions on the board or overhead projector.
• Choose a topic from the generated list that you know students are familiar with and write it on the board or overhead projector, leaving space between the letters.
• Invite students to name words or phrases that describe the topic and that begin with each letter within the topic word. List their suggestions below each letter.
• Choosing one example for each letter, write a model acrostic for the chosen topic on the board or overhead projector.
• Have students write their own acrostic using the same topic. Encourage them to use a dictionary or thesaurus to find synonyms or more interesting and precise words.

Word Work: Adjectives and Synonyms

• Review the meaning and function of the following terms:

adjective: a word or phrase that is used to describe a noun
synonym: a word having the same or almost the same meaning as another word

• Discuss how understanding adjectives and synonyms can help a poet find words that fit the criteria of an acrostic: the words must describe the topic and begin with one of the letters of the topic. For example, if the poet wants to describe sun by using the adjective light but the letter he/she is working with is r, then the poet must search for a synonym for the adjective light that begins with the letter r (ray or radiant).
• Use this opportunity to introduce and model using a thesaurus. Explain to students how to locate an adjective in a thesaurus and then list the synonyms for that adjective. Encourage them to practice the activity with other words before they use a thesaurus for their acrostics.

Poetry Practice

• Have students work individually or in pairs to choose another topic from the generated topic list on the board. Then have them create an acrostic as independent practice.
• Remind students that each line in an acrostic poem typically begins with a capital letter and that the letters used in the base word, or topic, are usually stressed with bold print or with an ornate design.
• Have students list descriptive words and phrases for each letter about their topic on a piece of paper.
• As students write, encourage them to brainstorm to find words and phrases that communicate and fit the structure of their acrostic poem.
• Have students revise their work in order to improve understanding and flow by adding, deleting, consolidating, and rearranging words as necessary.

Use the Worksheets for Practice

• Have students compose an acrostic poem using the scaffolded worksheets. There are three choices of worksheets and a samples page:

Worksheet 1 for students who need additional support
Worksheet 2 for students who have a basic understanding of acrostics
Worksheet 3 for students who have a solid understanding of acrostics
Samples for examples of acrostic poetry

Extend the Activity

• Celebrate the writing process by having students read their poetry aloud with fluency, rhythm, and expression.
• Encourage students to write acrostic poetry on a topic that is the opposite of one they have already written. For example, if they wrote an acrostic on peace, have them write one on war. Publish the opposing poems on facing pages in a class book.
• Assign a class topic. Have each student write an acrostic on that topic. Compare the different word choices students use. Point out and discuss the number of words students used in common.
• Encourage students to choose a topic that has more than one word, such as ice cream or first flight.
• Have students share their writing with as many different audiences as possible. Poetry may be published through classroom or school-wide displays, a poetry book, a school newsletter or website, an online poetry contest, or any other creative form of communication.
• Practice fluency by having students read their poems into a tape recorder. Save their best readings. Make the recordings available for other classes and/or grade levels to check out and listen to.
• Publish grade or class books on the same topic. For instance, if you are studying states, one class might do acrostics on eastern states, one on southern states, and one on western states. Compile all the acrostics into a book titled "Our Fifty States" and place the book in your school library.
• Use the alphabet in alphabetical order to write an acrostic on a given topic, such as friendship, animals, or landmarks. Example:
  

Ants
Bees
Cicadas
Dragonflies