This Lesson's Title:

Poems of Apology

"this is just to say" that I hope you forgive me

This original writing lesson was created by NNWP Teacher Consultant Todd Herman.

This on-line writing prompt is based on the poetry of William Carlos Williams. Before writing to this assignment, students should hear and discuss the poetry of this great poet.

Click here to learn more about this poet.

If you are a Washoe County teacher, click here to search for a collection of works by this poet that you can check out from the county library.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

After comparing several of Joyce Sidman’s poems from This is Just to Say with the original poem written W.C. Williams, students will plan an apology poem that asks for forgiveness, even if the asker doesn't really seek forgiveness . Students will list five things they wish they could be forgiven for, or they can make a list of five people for whom they might owe an apology to. Then, inspired by the original poem or the poems in This is Just to Say, students will create an original poem of forgiveness. Teachers: click here to read the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait in this writing assignment is sentence fluency; fitting original words into an original poem's rhythm scheme is a great way to experiment with sentences that flow.  The support trait in this assignment is idea development; encourage your students to choose interesting words to rhyme with as they compose their apology poems explore the topics they choose uniquely and interestingly.