Lesson Title: The Ancient Art of Haiku
Curriculum Area: English Language Arts
Social Studies
Technology Strand: Multimedia/Presentation
Societal Issues
Grade Level: 7
 
Essential Question: How does the form and structure of a Haiku impact the reader’s connection with the poetic text?
 
A Activity Summary In this activity, students will explore the literary genre of poetry. Specifically, students will learn about the form and structure of the Haiku and will examine how form and structure impact the reader’s connection with the poetic text. Additionally, students will utilize what they learn about the art of writing Haiku to create their own multimedia Haiku presentation.
C Curriculum English Language Arts
5.02- Study the characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry) through:
- reading a variety of literature and other text (e.g., mysteries, novels, science fiction, historical documents, newspapers, skits, lyric poems).
- analyzing what genre specific characteristics have on the meaning of the work.
- analyzing how the author's choice and use of a genre shapes the meaning of the literary work.
- analyzing what impact literary elements have on the meaning of the text such as the influence of setting on the problem and its resolution.

Social Studies
4.03 Examine key ethical ideas and values deriving from religious, artistic, political, economic, and educational traditions, as well as their diffusion over time, and assess their influence on the development of selected societies and regions in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
T Technology Multimedia/Presentation
Societal Issues
3.08 Plan, design, and develop a multimedia product using data (e.g., graphs, charts, database reports) to present content information in the most effective way, citing sources.
3.01 Select and use appropriate technology tools to solve problems and make decisions in content areas.  
 
Activating Strategies
Grass Sandals
1. Introduce students to the form and structure of a Haiku by reading the picture book, Grass Sandals, by Dawnine Spivak. Grass Sandals is the story of Haiku master, Basho, a 17th century Haiku artist. Make sure to read aloud the book’s introduction that introduces the form and structure of a Haiku poem.
2. After reading Grass Sandals, share a couple of Haiku from each of the other two resource books—In the Eyes of the Cat, by Demi, and Cool Melons—Turn to Frogs!, by Matthew Gollub.
3. When reading selected Haiku, see if students can identify which of the two senses the poet is trying to activate in the poem:
a. Sight
b. Hearing
c. Smell
d. Touch
e. Taste
f. Or, the additional Japanese sense of movement
4. Either pass the books around for students to view, or, make the books available for students to access during the cognitive portion of this lesson.
 
Technology Vocabulary: Multimedia Vocabulary
Detailed Technology Instructions:
 
Cognitive Teaching Strategies
Capturing Nature
1. Divide students into groups of no more than three persons each.
2. Inform students that in this portion of the lesson, each group will be provided with a digital camera, an AlphaSmart, and access to the scanner, with which to “capture nature.” If these technologies are not available, this activity can be done by using pictures from the internet or clip art files.
3. Pass out the Capturing Nature Instruction Sheet to each group (download Capturing_Nature.doc below).
4. Bring students outside to a natural area where they will be able to find various natural artifacts.
5. Once student have gathered their photos and artifacts, bring them back inside to the computer lab. Students may upload their digital pictures into PowerPoint or scan their artifacts for insertion into PowerPoint.
6. Assist students in opening up a PowerPoint slideshow for the purpose of creating their multimedia Haiku. (Detailed instructions for creating the PowerPoint slideshow are found on the Capturing_Nature.doc file to be passed out to all students.)
 
Summary Strategies
Haiku Showcase
1. Once students and groups have completed their Haiku presentations, allow time for them to share their presentations with the whole class.
2. Have the class check Haiku for form and structure as they view the presentations.
 
Resources
Click for directions on how to download files on a Windows computer. 
Microsoft Word Files
Capturing_Nature.doc
Basho.doc

Websites:
1. http://www.big.or.jp/~loupe/links/ehisto/ebasho.shtml
2. http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/5022/bashobio.html

Hardware:
Digital Camera
AlphaSmart
Scanner

Books:
Grass Sandals, by Dawnine Spivak
In the Eyes of the Cat, by Demi
Cool Melons—Turn to Frogs!, by Matthew Gollub  
 
Re-teaching and Enrichment Activities
To extend this activity, students can create additional Haiku and illustrate them using Microsoft Paint. Included at the end of this activity is a short biographical piece on Basho . Students can research this famous Haiku master and examine the form and function of his poems.

The concept for this lesson plan was submitted by 
Amy  Holcombe
Prescott Technology Center, Data last modified: 8/3/2006