Skill focus: Writing
Level: Grades VI, VII and VIII
Estimated time: 20 minutes
Group size: Individual/Pair/Group
Learning objectives: To enable the learners to:
Write simple poems
Build active and passive vocabulary
Methodology
1. Share with the learners what a cinquain is.
A Cinquain is a five-line poem that describes a person, place, thing or a theme.
It describes a community issue, a problem, a theme or a challenge that one faces or comes across in the society.
2. Discuss with the students the different steps for writing a cinquain with the help of an example.
Example:
First line: A noun, one word, title, theme – mother
Second line: Two adjectives (on the above theme) – beautiful, calm
Third Line: Three- ing participles – loving, caring, forgiving
Fourth Line: A phrase – makes life happy
Fifth line: A synonym for the title, noun written in the first step – nurturer
3. Brainstorm various themes of cinquains with the students. Examples: pollution, girl child, education, books, trees, plastic, rivers.
4. Ask the students to write a cinquain. (Keeping in mind the linguistic ability of the students, assign the task individually, in pairs or in groups.)
5. Help the students with appropriate vocabulary when required.
6. The learners may draw an appropriate picture with their cinquain if they wish to.
7. Encourage the students to display and share their cinquains with their peers. Arrange a gallery walk for the same in the class.
Examples of Cinquains
Pollution
Dirty, Dangerous
Destroying, Affecting, Killing
Demolishes the beautiful life
Contamination.
Manu Gulati is a teacher and a Mentor Teacher in Delhi Government schools. She also provides onsite support to teachers to strengthen their academic and pedagogic capacities. For using innovative strategies in teaching- learning process, Manu has been conferred with National Award for Teachers 2018 and National ICT Award 2014 by MHRD.
mwadhwa22@gmail.com
