How to Teach Blackout PoetryMarypatApril 14, 2019
Looking for a fun poetry activity? This will guide you on how to teach blackout poetry — and why you should!
You know those books on your shelf that are falling to pieces? Grab ’em! You’re going to love using them for blackout poetry!
What is blackout poetry?Blackout poetry is a type of “found” poetry. (Which is a completely wonderful concept!! Poetry is everywhere!!)
In 2005, Austin Kleon started creating a daily “blackout” poem using the newspaper (you can read more about his process here). He posted his poems online, and the idea took off!
To create one, you can use any text (including the newspaper), scan it for words and phrases that create a poem. Then, black out (with a Sharpie or other marker) all the other words. You poem jumps out of the text from there. Simple as that.
The great thing is that your students will be looking at language, word choice, imagery, mood, and theme as they create their poems!
And, it’s a BLAST!
What will my students learn from blackout poetry?Like eating veggies “hidden” in V8 juice, blackout poetry is a fun, creative way for students to apply and synthesize:
Here’s how you teach it:Time needed: 2 days.
Your students will love playing with language, word choice, imagery, mood, and theme as they create blackout poetry!
Follow these simple steps.
How am I going to grade it?Since this is such a creative activity, you may decide to give a completion grade, but I’d encourage you to have your students dig a bit deeper. They can complete a quick self-assessment that asks just a few questions:
Want to extend this?Keep your students writing poems!
Once they feel successful with blackout poetry, introduce them to other writing poetry forms. You can find more poetry writing activities here.
Read more poems!
Here are 12 poems that are perfect for middle school students to practice analyzing and even imitating!
Looking for more ways to teach poetry? This “Strategies for Teaching Poetry” post is full of helpful ways to make teaching poetry fun and effective.
Have fun with these blackout poems!
And check out these ? teaching tools in my shop!
by | Comments Off
Looking for a fun poetry activity? This will guide you on how to teach blackout poetry — and why you should!
You know those books on your shelf that are falling to pieces? Grab ’em! You’re going to love using them for blackout poetry!
![Teach blackout poetry to reinforce literary elements like theme, diction, tone, figurative language, and word choice. Fun and creative!](https://justaddstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/how-to-teach-blackout-poetry.png)
In 2005, Austin Kleon started creating a daily “blackout” poem using the newspaper (you can read more about his process here). He posted his poems online, and the idea took off!
To create one, you can use any text (including the newspaper), scan it for words and phrases that create a poem. Then, black out (with a Sharpie or other marker) all the other words. You poem jumps out of the text from there. Simple as that.
The great thing is that your students will be looking at language, word choice, imagery, mood, and theme as they create their poems!
And, it’s a BLAST!
What will my students learn from blackout poetry?Like eating veggies “hidden” in V8 juice, blackout poetry is a fun, creative way for students to apply and synthesize:
- word choice
- theme
- imagery
- tone
- diction
- mood
Here’s how you teach it:Time needed: 2 days.
Your students will love playing with language, word choice, imagery, mood, and theme as they create blackout poetry!
Follow these simple steps.
- What is it?Before even getting started, it can be helpful for students to see examples of different ways they can create blackout poem.
You can share these images with them to give them ideas. - Choose a page of textStudents can use a page from a newspaper, a copied story or informational text, or a page from a book that is falling apart or ready for the recycle bin.
Try to find different pages for each student. This will make for great sharing and unique finished poems. - Gather the interesting words.Have students scan the page looking for words and phrases that jump out at them. They will circle those words lightly in pencil.
- Determine what words to keep.Students can read through the list of words they’ve circled and begin to see their poem appearing.
Remind students that we read from top to bottom and left to right, so the words need to be in that order so the reader will understand the poem in the same way the writer wants.
They may find words that they want to eliminate from their poem, or they may find that they need more. This is why using light pencil is helpful! Erase or add! - Refine word choice.Ask students to read their poems aloud to themselves to make sure they make sense. They can also write them out.
It’s helpful to ask students at this point what theme they are trying to convey. What do they want the reader to understand or feel after having read their poem? - Once students are happy with their poem, they can begin to blackout the page.There is so much flexibility in this step! Students can simply blacken the words with a marker, or they can connect them with color. They can paint or illustrate the page — even use collage. (Check out my Pinterest board for examples.)
- Or — create an image that fits with the poem.After circling the words, you can sketch a design that fits with the theme or images of the poem.
- Use a sharpie or pen to outline. If you’re going to have your students use watercolor to finish their poems, you want to make sure the marker won’t bleed. I used a Sharpie for mine. Then, erase all the pencil marks.
- Add color!I used watercolor for mine. Since the paper absorbed the water, it is a bit wrinkly, but I still love the finished product.
- Share!Be sure to share your students’ poems by hanging them on the wall, having a gallery walk, or asking students to present their poems to the class.
Glue them to black construction paper to make a dramatic display.
Finally, take time to have students reflect on their poems — what they want the poem to express, how they chose their words, the mood, tone, and diction of their poem.
Don’t forget to create your own right along with your students!
How am I going to grade it?Since this is such a creative activity, you may decide to give a completion grade, but I’d encourage you to have your students dig a bit deeper. They can complete a quick self-assessment that asks just a few questions:
- What is the theme of my poem?
- What mood am I trying to create?
- How did I accomplish that?
- What do I want my reader to feel after reading my poem?
- What are the strongest images?
Want to extend this?Keep your students writing poems!
Once they feel successful with blackout poetry, introduce them to other writing poetry forms. You can find more poetry writing activities here.
![Strategies for teaching poetry](https://justaddstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Poetry.png)
Here are 12 poems that are perfect for middle school students to practice analyzing and even imitating!
Looking for more ways to teach poetry? This “Strategies for Teaching Poetry” post is full of helpful ways to make teaching poetry fun and effective.
Have fun with these blackout poems!
And check out these ? teaching tools in my shop!
by | Comments Off
Blackout Poetry: Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is revered and valued as a statement of American resistance and rejection of British rule. Thomas Jefferson and others crafted the document and the Second Continental Congress debated its text until the document was adopted on July 4th, 1776. But the Declaration has elicited many different views and emotions over time.
You will use the Declaration of Independence to create a new message written from an assigned perspective.
1: Determine how the following groups of people may have viewed the United States’s declaration.
•
• British King
• Wealthy New England Merchants
• Large Plantation Owners in the South
• Poor Farmers
• Slaves
• Other British Colonies
2: Take a large copy of the Declaration of Independence and piece together single words or short phrases to create a new message from one of the perspectives above. You will do this by identifying words and phrases in the text that explain the view of the group you choose. Instructions for creating a successful Blackout Poem are at the bottom.
3: Following the instructions below, add an illustration around your text that helps to visualize the stance of your chosen group.
STEPS FOR CREATING A BLACKOUT POEM:
Step 1: Scan the page first before reading it completely. Keep an eye out for an anchor word as you scan. An anchor word is one word on the page that stands out to you because it is packed and loaded with meaning and significance. Starting with an anchor word is important because it helps you to imagine possible themes and topics for your stance.
Step 2: Now scan/read the page of text in its entirety. Use a pencil to lightly circle any words that connect to the anchor word and resonate with you. Resonant words might be expressive or evocative, but for whatever reason, these are the words on the page that stick with you. Avoid circling more than three words in a row.
Step 3: List all of the circled words on a separate piece of paper. List the words in the order that they appear on the page of text from top to bottom, left to right. The words you use for the final poem will remain in this order so it doesn’t confuse the reader.
Step 4: Select words, without changing their order on the list, and piece them together to create the lines of a poem. You can eliminate parts of words, especially any endings, if it helps to keep the meaning of the poem clear. Try different possibilities for your poem before selecting the lines for your final poem. If you are stuck during this step, return back to the original page of text. The right word you are searching for could be there waiting for you.
Step 5: Return to the page of text and circle only the words you selected for the final poem. Remember to also erase the circles around any words you will not be using.
Step 6: Add an illustration or design to the page of text that connects to your poem. Be very careful not to draw over the circled words you selected for your final poem!
Tips for Your Poem:
• Though we call it a poem, note that not all poetry rhymes. Rhyming is not required for this assignment. This can be written in prose.
• Copy and paste the text of the Declaration into a Google Doc. This will allow multiple people to review the text and find key words.
• Make sure you know the perspective you want to write from. Double-check that it is an accurate perception of the Declaration.
The Declaration of Independence is revered and valued as a statement of American resistance and rejection of British rule. Thomas Jefferson and others crafted the document and the Second Continental Congress debated its text until the document was adopted on July 4th, 1776. But the Declaration has elicited many different views and emotions over time.
You will use the Declaration of Independence to create a new message written from an assigned perspective.
1: Determine how the following groups of people may have viewed the United States’s declaration.
•
• British King
• Wealthy New England Merchants
• Large Plantation Owners in the South
• Poor Farmers
• Slaves
• Other British Colonies
2: Take a large copy of the Declaration of Independence and piece together single words or short phrases to create a new message from one of the perspectives above. You will do this by identifying words and phrases in the text that explain the view of the group you choose. Instructions for creating a successful Blackout Poem are at the bottom.
3: Following the instructions below, add an illustration around your text that helps to visualize the stance of your chosen group.
STEPS FOR CREATING A BLACKOUT POEM:
Step 1: Scan the page first before reading it completely. Keep an eye out for an anchor word as you scan. An anchor word is one word on the page that stands out to you because it is packed and loaded with meaning and significance. Starting with an anchor word is important because it helps you to imagine possible themes and topics for your stance.
Step 2: Now scan/read the page of text in its entirety. Use a pencil to lightly circle any words that connect to the anchor word and resonate with you. Resonant words might be expressive or evocative, but for whatever reason, these are the words on the page that stick with you. Avoid circling more than three words in a row.
Step 3: List all of the circled words on a separate piece of paper. List the words in the order that they appear on the page of text from top to bottom, left to right. The words you use for the final poem will remain in this order so it doesn’t confuse the reader.
Step 4: Select words, without changing their order on the list, and piece them together to create the lines of a poem. You can eliminate parts of words, especially any endings, if it helps to keep the meaning of the poem clear. Try different possibilities for your poem before selecting the lines for your final poem. If you are stuck during this step, return back to the original page of text. The right word you are searching for could be there waiting for you.
Step 5: Return to the page of text and circle only the words you selected for the final poem. Remember to also erase the circles around any words you will not be using.
Step 6: Add an illustration or design to the page of text that connects to your poem. Be very careful not to draw over the circled words you selected for your final poem!
Tips for Your Poem:
• Though we call it a poem, note that not all poetry rhymes. Rhyming is not required for this assignment. This can be written in prose.
• Copy and paste the text of the Declaration into a Google Doc. This will allow multiple people to review the text and find key words.
• Make sure you know the perspective you want to write from. Double-check that it is an accurate perception of the Declaration.