Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY: “Versions of Verse”

Part A

Get into groups of two or three and consider the following questions:

1. What did you enjoy about reading a novel-in-verse? What was challenging?

2. What parts of Clap When You Land painted the clearest imagery?

3. What helped you understand the story that wasn’t explicitly stated? Think about form: Where do the lines break? How do certain passages sound when you read them out loud?

Assign one person to be the scribe but keep your own notes as well. After 10 minutes, return to the larger group and share your group’s answers.

Part B

Return to your answers and think about how you would write a short story in verse. Use the following questions as guides:

1. What story do you want to tell?

2. From what perspective (first, second, or third person) do you want to tell the story? Who are the main characters?

3. What elements that Acevedo used might you want to incorporate? What ones do you want to avoid?

Begin by writing the story as if you were telling it to a friend. Write as much as you can in 5-10 minutes.