4th Grade Poetry Slam

Fourth graders at Morganton Day School study expression through poetry by exploring different poetic styles while writing and illustrating their own poem to share. Students recently shared their original poems and artwork for peers and parents at Adventure Bound Books in downtown Morganton. 

The fourth grade class studied figurative language and how poets use it to express themselves. Some students enjoyed Edgar Allen Poe and the dark emotions, while others preferred Emily Dickinson expressing life events, and most really liked humorous poems. They studied rhyming and how to put words together to share a message without explicitly stating it, similar to a code. It was hard for them to realize that there are no hard and fast rules about what a poem is or who is a poet. They listened to music and read song lyrics to some of their favorite songs to discover that they too are poems.

Their original poems should have made them and their audience feel some emotion, so the students created works of art to express that same emotion. Some decided to put the words of their poem in their art, while some left the words out and let the picture speak for itself. Every fall, MDS fourth graders share their poems and paintings at a “Poetry Slam” downtown. This year’s creative group expressed themselves beautifully.

Morganton Day School serves students from preschool to 8th grade and emphasizes meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for all grades. If you would like more information or a tour, please call (828)437-6782