I began this poetry lesson with a pile of picture books on my lap. I selected a view to read to the kids. We are never too old for a good picture book! As I read through the books, I asked the students to listen for words that “strike the soul.” These are words that…

…make a picture in  your mind.

…are an unusual or surprising way of expressing something.

…give a strong feeling.

…evoke (remind you of) a memory.

Students wrote some of these words down in their poetry notebooks as I read. After sharing some of their findings, each student was given a picture book to search for more powerful words. These will be saved for later poetry session as inspiration.