Remembrance Day - Peace Poems

"Somewhere today...someone is reading a book about peace and thinking about making the world a better place. Maybe it is you."

From  Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace by Shelley Moore Thomas

Remembrance Day can be tricky to teach. There is so much history, so much war, so much pain that can sometimes be inaccessible for many of our students. Instead of focusing on war I turn my students' attention to peace. I came across a great lesson plan on readwritethink.org a few years ago that I have used with my Grade 6s with great success. Here's how I have used this lesson in my classroom:

Part 1 - Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace

1. Post 3 pieces of chart paper around the room with the following prompts - 

    "What do you do to find peace?"

    "How do communities create peace?" 

    "What are some symbols for peace?"

2. Read "Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace" by Shelley Moore Thomas

3. Pass out 3 sticky notes to each student

4. Give students a few moments to respond to the book by jotting down their thoughts to each of the prompts above on a separate sticky note

5. Have students pair up and share their responses

6. Invite students to share their response to the first prompt and place their sticky note on the corresponding chart paper.

7. Continue with the other prompts

8. Have all students put their stickies on the corresponding chart paper

Part 2 - Picasso Peace Doves 

1. Pass out "See, Think, Wonder" graphic organizers to students. This strategy is great to use with any lesson as it helps students to access their own knowledge about a topic and make some new connections. 

2. Show picture of Picasso's Dove of Peace

3. Using the graphic organizer, have students look at the picture and jot down what they see, think, and wonder in the appropriate columns.

4. Have students share out their thoughts.

5. Repeat strategy using Picasso's Dove with Flowers

6. Using blank 8.5x11 paper have students create their own dove in the style of Picasso using black markers for the outline

Part 3 - Peace Poems

1. In groups of 3, have students create a web and brainstorm words that have to do with peace. Alternatively, you could have students create their own webs like I did here using Google Drawings.

2. Come back together and use students' ideas to create a class web of peace words

3. Work together to add alliteration, adjectives, and sensory words to the ideas on their web

4. As a shared writing activity create a class poem using the following success criteria and rubric

5. Students will work independently to write their own peace poems using the success criteria

6. Once students have gone through the writing process they can publish their poems. I had them write them out using a black marker on a blank sheet of 8.5x11 paper. They glued their published poem and peace doves side by side on a blue sheet of 9x12 construction paper.

The poems and peace doves make a powerful statement when displayed in your classroom or in the gym during a Remembrance Day assembly. 

Click here to access the See, Think, Wonder, Success Criteria and Rubric tools to help your students create these poems in your classroom.