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An elfchen is a poem of eleven words. "Elf" in German means "eleven" or "elf," so "elfchen" means "little elf" or "little eleven."

Materials:

Scrap paper

Copy paper cut into 5 1/2" x 8 1/2' halves

Pens or pencils

Glue sticks

Markers, stickers, other small art supplies for decorating the final product

 

The poem consists of five lines; thereis one word in the first line, two words in the second, three words in the third, four words in the fourth, and one word in the fifth. There are different forms of the poem with different requirements for each line, but these are the ones we have used with elementary school students.

 

Line 1: One word: Your name

Line 2: Two words: What you're doing right now (this can be literal, or it can refer to what they're thinking, dreaming, wishing, etc.)

Line 3: Three words: Where you are (again, this can be "in the classroom," or it can be more creative, like "on the Earth.")

Line 4: Four words: A list, phrase, or sentence that describes you (here's where you can work with them on choosing interesting and unusual adjectives, the basis of descriptive writing)

Line 5: One word: A very cool word that makes a statement about you (a great adjective, an interjection, or a descriptive noun)

 

To begin the activity, have students make a list of at least 10 words that describe them. Nouns are okay - names of sports or instruments, types of pets, anything they feel would express who they are to a reader.

Have students read some of their words out loud. Workshop these with the class - can anyone think of a more descriptive adjective than "nice" or "fun"? Stress innovative, unusual, specific adjectives and let them have fun coming up with them.

Lead the students through creating the poem line by line. Give them a few minutes to come up with each line, then share them aloud and workshop them again - let the class brainstorm more and more creative ways to express themselves. We're building vocabulary and original thought here!

When they're done, invite volunteers up to the front of the room to read their poems to the class. We use this opportunity to talk about good public speaking habits - holding their paper at waist height, look ing up at the audience from time to time, speaking loudly, clearly, and slowly. We also talk about the skill of listening well - if poetry is "the best words in the best order," we have to listen to each word to really appreciate the work our classmates have put into their poems.

Finally, have the students copy their poems neatly onto 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" white paper - half a sheet of standard copy paper. Have them glue these onto a backing of colored paper and decorate the border with markers, stickers, etc. Don't forget to have them sign their poems! Arrange them on a bulletin board, and you have a creative, artistic statement from each child about themselves.

 

Click Here for a pdf of this lesson plan

Click Here for a student worksheet