 |
Back |
This workshop encourages students to create their own comic verse. No one misses out and there's even a "build your own limerick" kit for those who are not struck by the muse! For younger children, a drawing challenge can be run whilst others are writing.
The session lasts approximately one hour but this can be adjusted to suit your requirements. It is suited to small groups up to a full class. For larger groups, additional adults' support (teaching staff, NTAs etc.) would be required - as a guideline, one adult for every eight to ten students. Students work in groups for part of the session so it is useful to have an adult supervising each group. Mixed age and ability groups can be accommodated.
What is poetry, what is verse and are they the same thing? I quote examples of things that rhyme and have metre, but are not poetry (eg. advertising jingles) and poetic writing with no rhyme or metre.
What is comedy? We exchange jokes to see what makes us laugh and analyse why.
We discuss the use of rhythm in poetry and how it can be used to enhance the comic effect. Rhythm leads us naturally on to the limerick.
We talk about word play as a source of comedy, touch on fantasy and the purely bizarre.
There is an activity section with a choice of activities ranging from creating your own limerick to drawing a slithy tove.
I quote some verse from my poem "If I were", chosen because it has a simple theme that lends itself to the children writing an additional verse of their own. We brainstorm for animal names and rhymes for those animal names. Together we choose an animal and build up a verse of our own. At the end, we review the mental processes we went through to create our own poem.
If time, the session ends with me reading a comic poem. The children are encouraged to take notes. What did they like or not like? What made them laugh?
|