I Am Poems {A fun end of the year activity}

I don't know where you stand, but for me, I only have 9 more teaching days left! This happens to be a bittersweet moment for me. I LOVE teaching, since I was 5 I have dreamed to be a teacher. However, I am taking a break from teaching for awhile to raise my family. While I can't wait for summer, my heart is breaking as I pack up my class :( Change can be so hard! The final days before summer break are always the hardest for me to plan. The end of the year testing is over (thank heavens!), but the kids are ready to be done, and frankly, so am I :). But it is important to keep the kids engaged and working or the last few days can feel like an eternity. One of my favorite lessons to do near the end of the school year is I Am poems. The general outline for these poems is the same, in fact, here is a freebie template I created for students to fill in for their poem:

First I take my class outside and let them choose a location around the school for a picture. This picture will be the background of their poem. Next I have students fill in the template. Depending on time, I will correct for spelling errors, or I will just let the computer do that when they type it :). When we get to the computer lab, I actually have students type in PowerPoint. Make sure they change the orientation of the slide to "portrait" and the dimensions to 8.5 x 11 so it matches the size of paper they will print their poem on. To do this, click on the design tab. In the lower left corner, the icons "slide orientation" and "page setup" will allow you to do this. Next, I have my students insert their picture as a background so they can change transparency, and so the picture fills the entire slide. Underneath the design tab in PowerPoint, on the right-hand side, there is a button called "background styles". Students click there and then click "format background". Once in the formatting, they choose "picture or texture fill," and choose a picture from "file". I like to make a folder that all my students can access through our school drop-box so they can easily retrieve and insert their picture. Once their picture is formatted as the background of their PowerPoint, they can change the transparency. I like to make it at least 50% so the writing will show up over their picture. Last, students type their poem. They can choose a fun and readable font, as well as change the color of the writing as desired. A finished poem will look like this:

Have fun and good luck with your last few days of teaching! This project is included in my {Autobiographies and Biographies, Writing by the Month} product. Available for 4th, 5th and 6th grades!