This month we celebrate POETRY and JAZZ. Here is an activity I would like to share with you that you can use immediately with your students to celebrate jazz, poetry and promote freedom in structure!
Students work cutting and manipulating words from a jazz tune to create DADA poetry.
Activity to celebrate POETRY and JAZZ:
• Write the lyrics to a jazz tune on small pieces of paper.
• Put the pieces in a pile and pick out 14 words.
• Arrange the words on a piece of paper until you like the way they look and sound.
• Add words in, if need be to make your final poem!
Check this out! We have already done the first step for you! Follow these links and you will be able to print out a copy of a jazz tune that has been written out, ready to be copied, cut and used with your students.
April Showers
Basin Street Blues
Here are some student examples using the above worksheets.
Enjoy and check in later to share how the activity went in your classroom. Share a poem or two too!
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Elizabeth Peterson has devoted her life to education and to reaching out to other teachers who want to remain inspired. Mrs. Peterson teaches fourth grade in Amesbury, Massachusetts and is the host of www.theinspiredclassroom.com. She holds an M.Ed. in Education, “Arts and Learning” and is currently enrolled in a C.A.G.S. program through Plymouth State University with a focus in “Arts Leadership and Learning.” Elizabeth is author of Inspired by Listening, a teacher resource book that includes a method of music integration she has developed and implemented into her own teaching. She teaches workshops and courses on the integration of the arts into the curriculum, leads an arts integration PLC (PLaiC) and is adjunct faculty for PSU. Mrs. Peterson believes there is a love of active, integrated learning in all children and from their enthusiasm, teachers can shape great opportunities to learn. 
Check out this one “perhaps strange”
http://members.peak.org/~dadaist/English/TextOnly/perhaps.html
That IS strange! Thanks for sharing.
This is very cool! I was familiar with the Dada visual art movement, but not poetry. It reminds me of the “magnetic poetry” kits, which are a lot of fun.
Maybe you need to come in and share what you know about Dada visual art movement…that sounds great!
Since the term, “dada” (hobby horse), was randomly chosen from the dictionary, being free is certainly the essence of the learning experience. Remembering how happy we were on the hobby horse is how we need to keep our students engaged. May we all enjoy learning in a safe, positive, progressive ambiance.
Denise, thank you for that inspiring reminder!
I think I will revisit the Dada Poetry assignment. I have done it in the past and have forgotten about it. My students almost always embrace different ways to express themselves and to let others know about them. Sometimes it’s hard to find the words – perhaps the freedom is almost too much! Having the words there to put together in the way that they like and the way that reflects what they want/need to express is a terrific way to give them a starting point.