Teaching Haiku

The British Haiku Society promotes the appreciation and writing of haiku. In this section of the website we offer materials and support for teaching haiku, an ongoing project.

stuffy lecture hall –
through an open window
wind chimes call
— Ron Woollard

From BHS: Haiku Teaching Kit

A teaching pack that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum KEY STAGE TWO.
These tasks should be achievable by children ages 5 – 7 and 7 – 11.

8 free PDF Downloads as follows:

1. Contents coversheet
2. Introduction and Lesson Plan Key Stage 2
3. Background for teachers: What exactly is haiku? Samples of classic and contemporary haiku
4. Starter Session, Task One – Familiarisation, Task Two – Writing
5. Task Three – More Advanced Writing; Tasks Four & Five – The Haiku Walk, Haiku Seasons; Task Six – Going Deeper
6. Helping Creativity, Plenary, Resources – books, journals, internet links
7. Worksheets – A Haiku Sequence, Haiku Writing Machine, Pick Your Own Haiku
8. Visual Aids – 9 Haiku A4 posters

All material can be photocopied freely.

Please note: though designed for junior school children, the tasks, worksheets and resources in this kit are suitable for beginners and learners of all ages in any teaching situation and in creative writing workshops. We hope soon to provide materials suitable for National Curriculum KEY STAGE THREE.

From other sources:

Essays on “How to Haiku” by Kala Ramesh, links to nine essays, including resonance, kireji, kigo, syllables.