Write a Diamante Poem – Education.com
What You Need:
- Notebook
- Pencil
- Colored construction paper, 9″ x 12″
- Decorative art scissors
- Ruler
Encourage your child to record the memories of your trip in a notebook. Explain that a fun way to do this is by writing short, fun poems called diamantes. Show her how to write a diamante by writing one of your own as a model. Here’s the basic structure:
- The first line is one word, and is the topic. It is a singular or plural noun. The 7th line is also one word, and a noun. The 1st and 7th lines should be in contrast to one another.
- The second line is made up of two adjectives that describe the noun from the first line.
- The third line is three -ing verbs that tell actions associated with the noun from the first line.
- The fourth line is the longest of the entire poem, and is its turning point. This line has four more nouns. The first two nouns are words that are associated with the noun of the first line, and the second pair of nouns are words that are associated with the noun of the seventh line.
- The fifth line is three -ing verbs that are associated with the noun from the seventh line.
- The sixth line has two adjectives that describe the noun in the seventh line.
- The last line of the poem is a singular or plural noun that contrasts with the one from the first line.
- pool
- wet, wild
- slipping, sliding, splashing
- water slides, wading pools, beach towels, sunbaths
- drying, resting, snoozing,
- quiet, restful
- sand
No matter how many of these poems your child writes, you’ll want to select at least one for a card to send. Relatives, in particular, tend to adore these handmade messages; and it won’t hurt that this one is so literary, too!
To make a “diamante” card, fold a piece of construction paper horizontally to make a card 6″ x 9″ in size. Open the card, and on the left hand flap, use a ruler to trace a diamond that’s 6½” tall x 4″ wide, on the center of the panel. Cut out the diamond using decorative scissors (the kind with cool, scalloped edges—craft stores are sure to have a myriad of beautiful choices).
Now have your child use her best writing to write the poem through the diamond “window” you have made. (Hint: if your child struggles with writing straight, help her out by making pencil lines, or you can even write the poem on white, lined paper and glue it on. Don’t let handwriting frustrations get in the way!)