Writing SonnetsBy Lindsey Ingram

Ideas and Resources for simple ways to teach a middle school level

classroom

Rationale for Technology Integration

• As we experience poetry throughout our lives, we do not immediately think of how it is structured or set up, but rather focus on how it sounds and flows. By incorporating technology into a lesson about the structure of certain forms of poetry, students can learn to recognize different forms of poetry through sound.

Rationale for Technology Integration

• By incorporating technology into a lesson, students can learn to pick up on important rules of poetry, such as structure and form, specifically in sonnets.

• Throughout this presentation viewers will see various resources and organizations that recognize the work that goes into writing sonnets.

Websites

• The following websites used in this presentation have proven to be reliable sources and provide accurate information regarding the structure of proper sonnet construction and poetic structure

• Links to each website will be provided within its designated slide as well as the footnote section

YouTube

Click the image for a fun video on how to write a sonnet!

Podcast

• Along with being able to learn how to interpret sonnets, it is also important for students to hear how sonnets are performed or read aloud. This podcast is simply a reading of all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets broken up into different sections so listeners can focus on a small group of sonnets at a time.

Click the image to listen!

Blog

• It can be a little confusing for students to grasp the concept of sonnets. This blog translates common pop songs into Shakespearean sonnets, making it a bit easier for students to learn how to interpret Shakespearean styled sonnets!

Agencies/Organizations

• Academic Entertainment – This organization travels around presenting at school assemblies, camps and various other programs encouraging student creativity!

• Academy of American Poets – This organization of poets thrives on presenting poetry and encouraging young minds to pursue their creativity and poetic goals!

• Modern Language Association – This association is responsible for setting specific standards on format and structure for the English language and all kinds of literature. This is an important source for students to be familiar with!

Inspiration

This diagram shows the layout and structure of a sonnet, along with a brief explanation of iambic pentameter. You can find

more helpful tips on writing a sonnet here!

There’s an app for that!

This app allows users to browse through Shakespeare’s abundance amount of sonnets and listen to a reading of each performed by various stars, including Sir Patrick Stewart, David Tennant, Kim Cattrall, Stephen Fry and several others!

Click the image to get the app!

Interactive Chart

ReadWriteThink.orgprovides an interactive chart that helps students break down a sonnet and keep track of the details in each line. You can even print out your notes directly from the page!

Click the image above to interact with the chart yourself!

Write your own Sonnet!

• Amundsen High School in Chicago, Illinois provides several resources that can be used in teaching sonnets to a high school level classroom. The next slide gives an example of a very simple and detailed worksheet that students can use to learn how to write a sonnet! Click on the worksheet on the left to be directed to the school’s resources!

Amundsen High School Worksheet

Trivia

• Once you have worked with Shakespeare’s work for some time, try your hand at a little trivia and interpret some lines from Shakespeare’s sonnets! Click the picture to check out the website!

Subject Specific Internet Based Resources

• Edsitement is a humanities based resource that includes educational tools for both teachers and students.

• This website includessources such as lessonplans, articles andblogs that students caneasily access

Websites

• It is important to understand exactly how a sonnet works before reading and studying them. A sonnet has a very specific structure and layout. Click the notebook to see the tools you need to write your very own sonnet!

Websites

• William Shakespeare is one of the most well known authors of poetry, specifically focusing on sonnets. Click on the picture to go to a website that not only has great tips on sonnet writing, but links to all of Shakespeare’s own sonnets!

Web 2.0

• Google Drive is a great app that was created by Google that can be used to share documents and other materials!

• Students can interact with teachers by uploading their work and have the teacher make comments and edit. Students can also communicate via a chat app to talk to the teacher about the material!

Web 2.0

• Edublogs is an interactive website that teachers can use to create blogs that students can post on and work with other students as well as the teacher.

• Teachers can also utilize this website to postpodcasts and other useful resources forstudents to use and interact with.