Here is my ppt and worksheet for this lesson. I'm going to cover the textbook pages 126-128, then I'll show the students the ppt on how to make a Diamante poem, then give them the worksheets. After they've written their poems, it's presentation time!

Here is my ppt with cards. Forgive my technological ineptness.

"Mr. Hass and the gang have outdone themselves this time, crafting what may be the least interesting chapter in their seminal work 'Middle School English 3: The One With The Zebra On The Front.' Many thought that the astounding effort that went into making children quite bored in Chapter three with their treatise on the distance between things could not be out done. Some said Hass and the crew were a flash in the pan team, incapable of brewing the heady feeling of a youth wasted in four hundred middle school students again.

Chapter 8 must surely silence all critics.

Hass and co. push forward boldly with a topic guaranteed to disconnect 94 to 98 and a half percent of students: English poetry. The efficiency is staggering. It’s like teaching past tense with a periodic table, an incredible knock out. Expertly paired with an ‘encouragement dialogue’ that even the students cannot repeat without sounding pedantic, this chapter is a fine wine paired with a rare fish that puts you in a deep sleep five minutes after you eat it. Hass and his team must be getting a look for the coveted Drooled-on Notebook at the next Sleeping Student Awards.”

Waygook Magazine, August 2011

This is the worst lesson in this textbook!!!! Out of 40 of my middle school boys, 37 were asleep and only ONE wrote the diamante poem!!!!!!! They didn't even listen to the text book parts! Teaching 3rd grade middle school is always a struggle in the second semester. They are tired and studying for many tests and exams, but this is just crazy!!!

Yesterday I had a better class with a higher English level and about half the class participated and about 5 wrote the poem...

WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually had really good luck with my power point surprisingly.  It kept the students involved and my co-teacher and the other teacher who uses this seem to like it too.  I just go really slowly explaining the grammar points that go with the dialogues and they get it really well.  Good luck to all of you on the chapter.  I'm looking for a game if any of you can suggest something or come up with something great for the conversation tasks. I can't do the poetry in my classes. Thanks in advance!

Here is a poem format I have adapted for this lesson.  The format is "I am".  I think students will be more interested in poetry that applies to them directly.

Here is a power point game on this chapter. It reviews the key expressions taught on pg 127. A big thanks to the original creator of the BOMB game template.

i didnt attach my lesson.

Hey guys

I'm teaching this lesson for my open day class. Any suggestions what worked well and what didn't. It will be my 2nd class for this lesson.  Maybe a game/ recap that worked well?
I agree, this lesson is kinda boring as my students have done a few lessons already on giving advice.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Ok... so I've kinda ignored everything in the book apart from what it's actually trying to teach.

I've made this Prezi aiming to concisely get the point across. It's not the most exciting/interesting of Prezi's but it's not that long either, and it hopefully gets the job done.

http://prezi.com/njxls1zjnfnw/help-and-advice/

Hope it helps :)