Teaching Haiku Using the Fall Season

Once the clock strikes midnight on August 31st, all things fall begin. For some, that means racing to Starbucks the second PSL is offered. For others, it can mean procuring an obscene amount of fall scented anything! Pumpkin scented candles, apple-scented hand wash….yes, please! Now that I have hopefully instilled some thoughts into your mind, imagine describing fall to someone who has never witnessed it in all it’s leaf and pumpkin glory!

Living in Arizona sometimes made it difficult for students to write about fall since unless we drive a few hours north, we don’t really get the full experience. Several years ago I decided to teach my students about haiku. We had learned about the basics of poetry and I thought fall would be the perfect time to learn about what a haiku is. This way they could imagine fall and learn how to use their senses when writing.

Teaching Haiku Using the Fall Season

We first learned what a haiku is. While rhyming may be a fun aspect for some, learning that haiku DON’T have to rhyme was a treat for some kids.

Next we practiced counting syllables because the syllable count is what makes a haiku a haiku! A  haiku is three lines and follows the format 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and then 5 syllables again.

After practicing counting syllables we then reviewed what is an adjective is. While not necessary, adjectives that use the senses make a great haiku! We brainstormed keywords that we thought of when thinking about fall and wrote them on the board.

After editing rough drafts, students wrote their haiku using their best handwriting on a pumpkin template. Another year they drew pictures using oil pastels to go with their haiku. Side note: laminating oil pastel drawings creates a cool effect, but try it first before accidentally melting all your student’s artwork.

My Fall Haiku Pack comes with everything you need to teach haiku and comes with 18 different fall-themed templates for students to display their writing! Create an amazing bulletin board display for the fall season!