Acrostic Poem Pals

Acrostic Poem Pals lesson plan

Write your own acrostic poems! With Crayola Dry-Erase Markers, it’s easy to make them colorful.

  • 1.

    An acrostic poem uses each letter in a word to start a new line of poetry. The text always describes the word. For example, the word SUN might have an acrostic poem lines that reads Shining, Ultraviolet, Not seen at night.

  • 2.

    Join a small group of your classmates. Select a word as your acrostic poem theme word. Write the word with Crayola Dry-Erase Markers vertically along the left side of a dry-erase board. If you want to make a change--no problem! Simply use a facial tissue to erase and then rewrite.

  • 3.

    Work together to come up with words or short phrases, related to the theme word, that begin with each letter of that word. Brainstorm a variety of ideas to decide which ones best fit your poem. Write each word or phrase next to the theme word letter.

  • 4.

    Take turns presenting your poetry to the other groups in your class. Each person in your group could read one line in turn or you could read in unison, for example.

Benefits

  • Children work cooperatively to determine a creative writing theme.
  • Students listen to one another to produce a group acrostic poem.
  • Students collaborate with their partners to recite their poetry.

Adaptations

  • Add simple drawings to add an artistic element to the poem and to help convey feelings associated with it.
  • Use the same theme word for the entire class. Look at the creative differences between each person’s interpretation of the same word.
  • Try writing poems with new vocab words, spelling words, or words in a new language. You’ll be amazed how much you remember!
  • Create an acrostic poem using your name, or the name of someone important to you. Use the poem to make a bookmark for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, for example.
  • Assessment: Observe each group’s process of theme word selection and cooperative creativity. Note how clearly and cooperatively they present their poetry to the class. Ask students to transfer their finished poems to paper to create a classroom display.