Cross-Curricular Found Poem

What is it?• A found poem uses language from non-poetic

contexts and turns it into poetry. • Writing this type of poetry is a kind of treasure hunt.

Search for interesting scraps of language, then put them together in different ways and see what comes out. Putting seemingly unrelated things together can create a new understanding of the material.

Student Directions• As we read this text, you will need to identify important words or phrases, and

highlight.– www.wordle.net– www.tagcrowd.com

• Type out the phrases, one on each line.• Based on the highlighted words, you will need to create a purpose or topic of

these words. – You will use this as a title.

• Rearrange the words to maintain a flow. • Here are some tips:

– Read aloud as you arrange the words.– Test the possible line breaks by pausing slightly.– If it sounds good, it’s probably right.– Arrange the words so that they make a rhythm you like. – You can also put key words on lines by themselves.– You can shape the entire poem so that it’s wide or tall or shaped like an object.– Emphasize words by playing with boldface and italics, different sizes of letters, and so

forth.

Examples:• Science Example:• An example is the scientific

"found poem" in William Whewell's "An Elementary Treatise On Mechanics":

"Hence no forceHowever greatCan stretch a cordHowever fineInto a horizontal lineWhich is accurately straight."

• Fiction Example:• Found Poem From Page 127 of Holes by Louis

Sachar Found Poem: There was a change For the worse. The air became humid Beads of moisture ran down The handle of his shovel It was almost as if The air itself was sweating Thunder echoed across the empty lake A storm beyond the mountains. Thirty seconds between the flash And the thunder Sound travels a great distance Across a barren wasteland

Check This Out:1. Read the text.2. Highlight the important words & phrases.3. Read what you have highlighted several times.4. Try to organize the words into paragraphs, chronological order, some

rhyme, or according to topic.5. What topic do the highlighted words cover?

1. Write this down, and hang onto it as your title!

6. Start to put them in your order.

  4 3 2 1Use of Details The poem uses ____

effective details from the original text that pertain to the topic and go beyond the obvious or predictable.

The poem uses ____ effective details from the original text

The poem uses obvious or predicatble details from the original text.

The poem does not use details from the original text.

Logical Progression or Sequence

The poem is presentenced in a logical sequence.

The poem is presentenced in a logical sequence, but 1-2 items are out of order.

The poem is presentenced in a logical sequence, but 3-4 items are out of order.

The lines were thrown together in no specific order or flow.

Focus The poem maintains the focus of the theme or topic and effectively communicates a tone.

The poem mostly maintains the focus of the theme or topic and usually communicates a tone.

The focus wavers or is somewhat jumble, not matching the tone.

There is no focus and an inconsistent tone.

Process & Format

At least 12 details were highlighted from the original text.

11-9 details were highlighted from the original text.

8-7 details were highlighted from the original text.

6 or less details were highlighted from the original text.

Product Format

_____ details were used in the final product.

_____ details were used in the final product.

_____ details were used in the final product.

_____ details were used in the final product.