Poetry Madness Championship

Welcome to the Championship Game!

For the final Poetry Madness game, please write a paragraph defending "Mother to Son" or "Roger the Dog" as the champion. Your response must be at least 3-5 sentences long and include the following:

• Who should win the championship?
• Why you connect to the poem.
• What you like about the poet's craft.

If your response contains grammatical and spelling mistakes, then your response will be DISQUALIFIED.

It takes attention to detail and hard work to be a champion, so your blog post needs to reflect your best writing and thinking. May the best poem win!

Final Four: Game 2

Welcome to the last game of the Final Four! 

You will need to read Roger the Dog  and Do you carrot all for me? 

Your response needs to be a paragraph with at least 3 sentences, but you do not need to summarize the meaning of the poems. Instead, your response should include the following information:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Poet's craft can include repetition, word choice, rhyme, simile/metaphor, etc.

 Make sure your answer is detailed and explains the three bullet points.

Final Four: Game 1

Welcome to the Final Four! 

You will need to read Mother to Son and Life Doesn't Frighten Me.

Your response needs to be a paragraph with at least 3 sentences, but you do not need to summarize the meaning of the poems. Instead, your response should include the following information:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Poet's craft can include repetition, word choice, rhyme, simile/metaphor, etc. You must discuss two types of poet's craft and give examples from the poem.

 Make sure your answer is detailed and explains the three bullet points.

Elite 8: Game 4

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Read the winners of Game 6 and Game 8.

Choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, etc

 Make sure your answer is detailed and explains the three bullet points.

Here is an example of proficient writing:

I chose Choosing Shoes because it is a fun poem. For example,I liked how they were choosing from all different kinds shoes. 

I also liked this poem because I can make a connection.It is hard for me to chose what shoes I like best.

Finally I really liked this poem because it has poet's craft. For example, it had four quatrains and the rhyme scheme for each is AAAB. In each quatrain, the author talks about a different kinds of shoes. This is why I liked Choosing Shoes as the winner.

Elite 8: Game 3

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Read the winners of Game 5 and Game 7.

Choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, quatrain, etc

 Make sure your answer is detailed and explains the three bullet points.

Here is an example of a  proficient comment:

I chose The Falling Star as my favorite poem because I thought it had a deeper meaning. For example, I liked how it was about a special moment and you should not waste it.

I also liked this poem because I can make a connection. I really enjoy watching beautiful stars too.

Finally, I really liked this poem because it had poet's craft. For example, it had a rhyme scheme AABBCC. Also, the author used couplets in the poem. For example, "I saw a star slide down the sky. Blinding the north as it went by." 

This is why I chose The Falling Star as my favorite poem.

Elite 8: Game 2

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Read the winners of Game 2 and Game 4.

Choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, etc

 Make sure your answer is detailed and explains the three bullet points.

Here is an example of advanced/proficient writing:

Mother to Son has a more important meaning to me because it is talking about a

woman who was probably a slave telling her boy that life isn't going to be easy and

I really think that goes close to my heart. And I feel bad for them.

My connection is with the poem, Casey at the Bat. I have been on a softball team before and struck out when my team really needed a hit.  I can imagine how the fans and the player feel when the game is over and they do not win.

I like Mother to Son's poem craft more because it rhymes better and the way it is

written sounds like the mother is from the South.For example, she says, "I'se been a-climbin' on" and "turnin' corners". I also enjoyed that the poem is a metaphor comparing life to a flight of stairs that is hard to climb.  The poet's mother encourages him to never give up but keep trying even though life is hard.

Elite 8: Game 1

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Both classes will read "Mother to Son" and "Casey at the Bat".

In Round 2, you need to choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? 
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, etc.

 Make sure your answer is detailed and explains the three bullet points.

Here is an example of advanced/proficient writing:

Mother to Son has a more important meaning to me because it is talking about a

woman who was probably a slave telling her boy that life isn't going to be easy and

I really think that goes close to my heart. And I feel bad for them.

My connection is with the poem, Casey at the Bat. I have been on a softball team before and struck out when my team really needed a hit.  I can imagine how the fans and the player feel when the game is over and they do not win.

I like Mother to Son's poem craft more because it rhymes better and the way it is

written sounds like the mother is from the South.For example, she says, "I'se been a-climbin' on" and "turnin' corners". I also enjoyed that the poem is a metaphor comparing life to a flight of stairs that is hard to climb.  The poet's mother encourages him to never give up but keep trying even though life is hard.

Poetry Madness: Game 8

Read Game 8 poems. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:
1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY?

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:

The first poem, Do you Carrot all for me?, is about someone expressing their feelings in vegetables.

The second poem, The Castle in the Fire, is about a knight who saves a princess.

I picked The Castle in the Fire because it had more detail, it is a story, and it also has alliteration. For example,the author says, "Then, while we watch in wonder." That's why I chose The Castle in the Fire.

Poetry Madness: Game 7

Read Game 7 poems. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:
1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY?

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:

The first poem, Do you Carrot all for me?, is about someone expressing their feelings in vegetables.

The second poem, The Castle in the Fire, is about a knight who saves a princess.

I picked The Castle in the Fire because it had more detail, it is a story, and it also has alliteration. For example,the author says, "Then, while we watch in wonder." The Castle in the Fire also had great imagery.  I could really picture the dragons guarding the castle and the knight saving the princess. It felt like a storybook to me. That's why I chose The Castle in the Fire.