Celebrate National Poetry Month with a diamante poem activity for the classroom

April is National Poetry Month in which we honor the craft of poetry. Previously in my third grade classroom, we worked on acrostic poems, but I wanted to introduce my students to a new type of poetry that would get their creative juices flowing.

I decided to introduce them to diamantes. It ended up coinciding with our geometry unit in math, and I love when two subjects coordinate like that!

A diamante is a structured poem with seven lines that form the shape of a diamond, following a specified pattern. I found different versions of diamantes online, but I decided to stick to an age-appropriate one for my third graders. Readwritethink.org had the perfect outline we could use for this activity.

Here are three steps to help you lead students through a diamante in your home or classroom:

1. Allow them to choose a topic. I wanted these poems to be meaningful to them, so I allowed them to pick something they were passionate about. I let them know that whatever the topic, they had to be able to come up with adjectives, verbs and synonyms associated with it.
2. Encourage them to make a rough draft. Following the outline closely, students filled it in as a rough draft. I was able to provide feedback and also help with spelling before the final draft. I allowed the use of thesauri and kid-friendly search engines to help with the process.
3. Complete the final draft. Students were given a diamond shape printed in cardstock. They printed their diamante poems, following the outline closely, and ensuring their writing took the shape of the diamond. Finally, I asked them to design or color the background to match their poem theme.

These turned out so cute and were the perfect bulletin board display for National Poetry Month! For more free activities, initiatives and resources, visit the Academy of American Poets.

In what ways will you celebrate National Poetry Month in your home or classroom? View the examples below, and let us know at @ArizonaEducator on Twitter or Arizona PBS KIDS on Facebook!

Examples

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About the author

Marissa Will is the mother of two, Olivia (6) and Logan (4). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent the past nine years educating third grade with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.