Powerpoint Poetry Projects

(from Teachers Network, Andrea Menotti)
HOW IT WORKS:
PowerPoint Poems is a way for students to play with poetry and learn multi-media design at the same time. The students select a poem of their own or a favorite published poem, and they make it into a dancing, singing work of art as a PowerPoint slide show. They use images, colors, sounds, and creatively positioned and choreographed text to create their displays. In doing this, they study a poem in depth, determine its meaning, and work towards conveying and enhancing that meaning with their design choices. This program has two instructional purposes. First, as a computer technology project, it teaches the use of multimedia design to convey meaning. Secondly, as a language arts project, it engages students in creative response to poetry. In choosing how a poem is displayed, the student demonstrates his/her understanding of its meaning, and contributes to the expression of this meaning with his or her own ideas. The students are also engaged in reflection and critique. They are asked during sharing sessions to explain certain design decisions. They then discuss and defend their choices. They gain a greater appreciation of poetry, a greater understanding of design principles, and more comfort and skills with computers. This also teaches them a program that they can later use for another class project (i.e., presenting a research project or report)

1. Select a poem from the web site Poetry 180. This will be the poem you will interpret by another poet.

2. A second powerpoint will be your own interpretation of one of your own poems.

3. Be sure to add notes to the powerpoint slides. This will help us appreciate
your rationale for design and interpretation.

4. When you finish one of the projects, save it in the Writing for Publication folder.