Use vacation pictures and original poems to create a family scrapbook!

Summertime is here again, bringing with it lots of fun-filled family trips and activities. But in the midst of all that fun, parents and caregivers will still hear the most dreaded words in the English language, “I’m bored!” Banish the ennui by making a vacation poetry scrapbook. This activity is a creative learning experience and a guaranteed boredom buster rolled into one!

Materials

• Photographs
• Scrapbook and paper
• Writing utensils
• Scissors
• Scrapbook/photo glue
• Stickers and other decorations

Procedure

1. Organize your photos into logical groupings and place each group in a separate pile.
2. Starting with the first chronological group spread the photos out on a clean surface.
3. Decide which type of poem would best suit the grouping.
4. Brainstorm, write, revise, edit and develop the final version of the poem.
5. Choose paper for the scrapbook pages.
6. Lay out the photos and poem on the paper, cutting and trimming where necessary and glue to the page.
7. Decorate the pages with stickers, paper cutouts, and ribbon.
8. Continue the process until all the groupings of pictures are displayed.
9. Title your album and list poetry and photography credits.
10. Proudly share your creation with friends and family!

Poems to use

ABC poems, acrostics, adjective poems, alliteration, cinquains, concrete/shape poems, diamantes, free verse poems, haikus, limericks, quatrains, rhyming couplets

Examples and Samples

• Adjective Poem- A form poem with an adjective as the title. Synonyms for the title are used throughout the rest of the poem.

I’m talking hot!

I’m talking fiery!

I’m talking burning, scorching, boiling, sizzling!

I’m talking flaming, searing, sweltering, blazing!

I’m talking torrid, steamy, smoldering, roasting!

I’m talking red-hot!

I’m talking glowing!

I’m talking flaming!

I’m talking hot!

• Limerick- A five line poem that is usually humorous. The rhyme pattern for the poem is AABBA; the first, second and fifth lines rhyme and are longer and the third and fourth lines rhyme and are shorter.

There was a nice family who went to the shore.

They went out to eat, but still wanted more.

The cupboard was bare,

There was nothing but air!

So, that nice family had to visit the store!

• Rhyming couplet- Two lines of similar length that end with rhyming words.

We went to Disneyworld to see Mickey Mouse.

He lives in a castle instead of a house!

The ways poetry scrapbooks can be used are unending! Teachers can create them with their classes to catalogue and document learning activities throughout the school year. Children at birthday parties can create one and then donate their scrapbook to a local children’s hospital to be read by the patients. Guests can create poetry scrapbook pages for the bride and groom as part of an interactive guestbook. The options and uses for poetry scrapbooks can only be limited by your imagination. Fire up your minds, kick those cameras into gear and have fun this summer while keeping boredom at bay!