Teachers and docents find that writing with art is an exciting, productive activity. Writing Tours are offered to school groups and can be adapted to fit any grade level. The Write for Understanding Tour Overview includes potential stops, background information, and images. The featured writing activities could be performed in the gallery or in the classroom and include printable handouts that can be springboards to writing for many purposes.
Teachers and docents find that writing with art is an exciting, productive activity. Whether you are in a museum or a classroom, the following ideas and prompts can be springboards to writing for many purposes.
Engagement Strategies: How many of you have seen something in nature the you wanted to take a picture of? A Japanese haiku is an ancient type of poetry that is a snapshot in words. Read some examples together. What do we know about haiku after reading these poems?
Clarify: 5-7-5 syllable structure. Also that theme of nature and capturing a single moment in time. Simplicity.
Questions / Activities:
- Share information on calligraphy and poetry found on scrolls if using those.
- Choose a piece in the gallery and spend time with that piece. Write your own haiku following the structure from the study done earlier.
- Share the haiku with a partner or the whole group.
Possible Props:
Clip boards, pencils, handout with haiku examples.