Dixon_Activity

Original Japanese:

mizu no oto -- Basho **
 * Furuike ya **
 * kawazu tobikomu

English Translation:

A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again. **
 * An old silent pond...

This poem will serve as an interesting example of how to create a haiku. It will provide me the opportunity to teach the structure associated with a haiku (5-7-5 syllable lines) as well as the concept of concrete imagery. I imagine using this poem as we discuss the Himalayas. As a part of my instruction, I will be showing many images and spending a good amount of time discussing the importance of the Himalayas to the Indian subcontinent.

Before we begin the activity, I will pick some sort of landform that I am able to vividly describe so that I can model how to go about writing a haiku. As a class, we will make a list of descriptors of the landform, and then I will model how to create the haiku in the 5-7-5 structure.

To begin the activity, I will have the students make a list of adjectives to describe the Himalayas. I will request that it be a long list as I want them to have a substantial "bank" to choose from. They may include short phrases if they wish, and this will be our pre-writing activity. I will then ask that they create a haiku of their own about the Himalayas. Each poem, while very short, should create vivid images in the mind of any reader or listener (I plan to have time set aside for sharing as well.)