Haiku Curriculum Rating

Ciminy St.Clair
Gifted K-4 Teacher
Norwin School District
A Review Of A Curriculum Unit- The Haiku Moment: Seeing The World In A Grain Of Sand
Appropriate for K-6
I reviewed The Haiku Moment: Seeing The World In A Grain Of Sand. The 5 lesson unit walks a child through the ins and outs of a haiku. The five lessons include- Reading Haikus, Characteristics of Haikus, Visualizing Haikus, Writing Haikus, and Optional Activities. The first lesson, Reading Haikus, encourages students to relate their own experiences to experiences described in a haiku. Haikus originated in Japan and were popular in the 17 and 18th centuries. Haikus continue to remain popular among students and adults alike. They often describe nature or human experiences. Within the second lesson, Characteristics of Haiku, it examines four examples written by second graders. The lesson plans for students to look at syllable patterns and compares the four poems. The students will realize the poems do not need to rhyme and form complete sentences. Visualizing Haikus is the third lesson which examines six slides. The students learn how to visualize the illustrations and show examples. Next, Writing Haikus allow student to write their own poems and students observe the challenges and pleasures of writing. The students may also experiment with wording and word choice. Finally, Optional Activities lists six extensions to the unit including creating a bulletin board, fieldtrips to a Japanese garden or park to provide inspiration, or compiling a class book.
I believe this curriculum unit would be a valuable instructional tool. Students, grades K-6, could benefit from the unit. When introducing haiku poems, students from various age groups and intelligence levels can create haikus. I would use this unit in conjunction with other lessons on various types of poems, including onomatopoeias, similes, and metaphors.