Teaching Made Practical is having its first ever limerick writing contest!
It's easy...have your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students write their own original limerick, and submit it for it a chance for them to win! 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will all receive a prize - and their teacher will win a prize as well!
Limerick Contest Rules
- Entrants must be in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade
- Only one entry per student
- Entrants must write and submit their original limerick by April 30th
- Entrants must submit their limerick via a document or photo
- A parent or teacher email address must be provided with each entry (so Teaching Made Practical can contact winners through an adult)
And as an added bonus, the TEACHERS of all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will also receive a prize: $50 worth of books to add to their classroom library (an assortment of these recommended books for upper elementary classroom libraries.)
The parent of teacher of winners will be notified by May 5th and chosen by Kalena Baker from Teaching Made Practical based on creativity, word choice, humor, and thoughtfulness. Winners will need parental permission in order to get their poem published on the website.
Tips for Teaching Students How to Write Limericks
For students and teachers that are unfamiliar with poetry, learning how to read and write limericks is a great place start!
Since limericks are only 5 lines long and have a clear structure, this form of poetry can be much less overwhelming than others.
Start by reading engaging limericks to your students. You can find plenty of Edward Lear limericks with a quick google search. Then, introduce your students to the "rules" of limericks. The most important ones are:
- 5 lines
- AABBA rhyme scheme
- usually uses humor
- follows a specific rhythm
You might also like this no prep limerick unit. It includes no prep worksheets and activities to help students learn the rules of a limerick, read and comprehend limerick poems, illustrate limericks, read about the history of a limerick, write their own own limericks, and answer test questions about limericks.
Purchasing this is not at all necessary to participation in the contest - it just might make your life easier if you are teaching a limerick or poetry unit!
Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!
Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!