There are many Father’s Day activities we can assign our students: from scavenger hunts to fun crafts and even puzzles, the list is endless. But how about writing poems? In this blog post, I’ll mention a poem dedication writing activity that requires your students to write four poems to express their appreciation.

There’s no one universal day reserved for the celebration of Father’s Day. So, if you live in the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. And if you live in the Land Down Under, Australia, it’s celebrated on the first Sunday of September.

But no matter where you live, Father’s Day is a day to acknowledge and appreciate all fathers and father figures.

Father’s Day Activities: Poem Dedication

In these Father’s Day activities, students will write and dedicate four poems to their fathers or father figures.

• a Cinquain
• a Synonym Diamante
• an Acrostic
• a Structured Poem

However, before students start writing their poems, they need to know more about the structure of each poem; how it’s written, the number of lines and the general layout.

A PowerPoint Presentation

To inform students about the four poem types, I show them a PowerPoint Presentation. In this presentation, each poem type is defined and a written example is provided. This way, my students have a clear idea of how that particular poem type is written, so they can have a go themselves.

Poem Display Posters

I find that displaying posters of the four poem types is also a good point of reference for students when they write their own poems.

Father’s Day Activities: A Flipbook of Poems

Now that students have a good idea of how the four poem types are written, the next step is for them to actually write their very own poems. They may either choose to write their poems in an interactive flipbook or on a card.

Presenting a flipbook of poems is one of many fun father’s day activities. This interactive flipbook has five sections. The first is an eye-catching cover that features a father’s day theme visual.

The next four templates have a poem on each sheet.

As you can see, in the image below, the Cinquain sheet has the required number of lines that students need to adhere to when writing.

The same goes for the Synonym Diamante.

The Acrostic.

And finally, the Structured Poem.

These scaffolded templates, no doubt, make it easier for students as they write their poems.

Father’s Day Activities: A Poem Dedication Card

In addition to a flipbook, designing a card is also one of many fun father’s day activities.

Students write out their poems on a card comprising two sheets. Unlike the flipbook, the card has room for three of the four poems to be written.

• A Cinquain
• A Synonym Diamante
• An Acrostic

Like the flipbook, the front of the card features an eye-catching Father’s Day themed visual.

In the inner two sections, students will write a Cinquain and an Acrostic. Once again, there is the right number of lines to scaffold the writing of these poems.

On the back of the card, students will write a Synonym Diamante. Like the inner sections, the number of lines will help them keep on track.

I hope you had an idea of how I got my students to write these four poems to dedicate to their father figures on Father’s Day. To reiterate, the presentation and the posters will inform students of the poem writing process.

The bottom line is no matter what the medium – card or flipbook – the message in these poems will convey the appreciation and love for all fathers and father figures. Needless to say, they will make a precious memento to cherish forever.

Free Father’s Day Activities

So, if you’ve read all the way to the end and you would like to try the Father’s Day Poem Dedication writing activities with your students, then click on the link or the image below.