Students in grades 3 and 4 at Lubec Consolidated School created this wonderful quilt of cinquains inspired by Extreme Survivors: Animals That Time Forgot.
Writing cinquains is a fun way to integrate science and writing. A pattern for this five-line poem is one noun (the subject), two adjectives describing it, three verbs, a phrase that describes the subject in more detail, and a synonym.
I love what Lubec teacher Debbie Bousquet and her students did with Extreme Survivors. Each student did a bit of research on their favorite animal in the book and wrote and illustrated a cinquain, which Debbie then made into this cool and informative quilt! Check out this cinquain on the goblin shark!
The students presented me with their creation when I visited their school with Island Readers and Writers. Their gift touched me so much I almost wept. The quilt now hangs in my study, where it inspires me every day.
Readwritethink.org offers a detailed lesson plan on cinquains, and including Common Core Standards.
For more ideas on using Extreme Survivors in your classroom, you can download my Readers Guide and these great activity sheets from Island Readers and Writers.
photos courtesy of Island Readers and Writers