Primary 6 – English: Haiku and Tanka
Poetry is anticipated by students in Primary Six. Even though they agreed poetry is challenging, they could unleash their creativity, especially in making Haiku and Tanka which originated from Japan. Haiku and Tanka are considered short poems since they only have three lines and five lines consecutively.
What is special about Haiku and Tanka? Haiku and Tanka traditionally focus on nature. Each line in both kinds of poetry contains imagery and is written by paying attention to the number of syllables. Students found Haiku and Tanka interesting since they can express their creativity freely as long as they follow the syllable rule.
Working in pairs, students tapped on their creative thinking by observing nature around them. They wrote about animals, ponds, and mountains and they highlighted the lively imagery from the theme they had chosen. ***
