Blackout poetry – Best KS2 ideas to try in lessons
Inspire creative word choice and build thematic understanding through artistic blackout poetry…
At our school, we’re always looking for new ways to integrate creativity into the curriculum. One of the projects we keep coming back to is blackout poetry.
Blackout poetry is a fantastic method to engage children in creative writing. It encourages them to explore language and meaning in a unique manner.
This blackout poetry activity also prompts children to think carefully about word choices. They need to focus on the themes or moods they wish to convey; perfect practice for longer pieces of writing.
Using recycled book pages, they produce meaningful poetry, transforming ordinary text into works of art that are completely their own.
Blackout poetry project
Begin by printing or photocopying pages from books. You can also cut out pages from old or pre-loved titles to recycle them. This adds an element of sustainability to the lesson.
Ensure each child has a selection of texts to work with, providing a range of themes and styles. This not only engages their creativity but also gives them a unique foundation for their blackout poetry. You could also include pages from class reads.
Instruct the children to use a pencil to lightly circle the words or phrases they want to include in their poem.
Prompt them to think about the themes or emotions they wish to convey. Ask them to consider how the selected words interact with each other, to create new meaning.
To scaffold, you could model your own version on the interactive whiteboard or via a visualiser.
Once the children have circled their words, ask them to use a whiteboard pen or marker to draw a bold box around their chosen words, reminding them to be careful not to cover them up.
This helps to emphasise the selected words and makes them stand out in their final blackout poetry piece. To add an extra layer, ask pupils to talk to a partner about why they’ve chosen particular words, perhaps tying in previous learning on adjectives, verbs and nouns.
Taking it further
Encourage the children to take their creativity further by drawing simple outlines of patterns or illustrations around the boxed words.
This is an opportunity for them to be inventive and enhance their blackout poetry visually. Prompt them to consider how these designs relate to the themes or emotions of their poem, and if any of the words they’ve chosen have definitions that could inspire a picture or pattern.
Finally, instruct pupils to use bold colours to fill in everything except the boxed words. Leaving the chosen words untouched allows them to stand out and creates a striking contrast, making the final blackout poetry easier to read.
Remind them to consider how the colours they use might reflect the mood or theme of their blackout poetry. This final touch will transform their work into a unique piece of art.
Hannah Kavanagh is a Year 5 teacher and English lead at Fourfields Community Primary School in Yaxley.
