Effigy Acrostics

Strand:

Writing

Grade Level:

4 - 6

Duration:

1 45 minute class period

Location:

post-visit classroom activity

Objective:

Students will write an acrostics poem about the Effigy Mounds National Monument that relates to its people, their culture, and/or environment.

Materials:

paper
pencil

Vocabulary:

acrostic

Procedure:

Give the students an example of an acrostic verse

Born in an egg
In a nest until hatched
Relies on his mother for food
Develops own survival skills
Point out that the first letter of each line makes a word and each of the lines in the poem is related to that word

Have the students do one together using the word RAIN. Beginning words of the sentence should start with R, A, I, and N. Brainstorm these words with the students. Some examples are listed below:

R
relaxing, rumbling, residue, real, really wet, retreat, rubber boots, rainbow

A
always, anger, a little, a lot, awake, above, although, acoustics, all, able

I
interesting, interfering, inside, indoors, inclement, ill-timed, increasing, island

N
never ending, nasty, nourishes, noisily, natural, need, nearly, north

Be sure that all sentences are about the topic RAIN.

Students may now do one on their own about the Effigy Mounds National Monument. Some examples:

Eastern Woodland
Felt for Mother Earth
Feared waste of natural resources
In mounds buried treasures and
Gifts along with remains
Young is left to carry on traditions

Enclosed in mounds
Fifteen marching bears
Facing the Yellow River
In the South Unit
Going Southwest
Yearning for sunlight

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Effigy Mounds National Monument