Introduction
Have you ever seen or heard of a poem that is short, fun and talks about a real person all in one? This is the world of Clerihews! In this WebQuest, you yourself will be the Clerihew creator, including learning the rules, exploring examples, and writing your own clever creations
Task
By following this WebQuest, you will
- Know what a Clerihew is.
- Explore examples of Clerihews, both classic and modern.
- Chose a famous or infamous person to write about.
- Write two of your own original Clerihews, a humorous and historical one.
- And present one of your poems by either making a poster, voice recording, video or comic.
Process
Step 1: Learn the Rules
Visit the following pages and jot down 5 key facts about Clerihews
- https://poets.org/glossary/Clerihew#:~:text=Clerihew%20is%20a%20whimsical%2C%20skewed,Read%20more%20from%20this%20collection.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zw3yw6f#zmhtvj6 (for younger audience to better understand)
Some Key Questions To Answer
-
What are the structure and rhyme rules of a Clerihew?
-
Who invented it?
-
What's the tone or typical style of a Clerihew?
Step 2: Read and Analyze Examples
Read at least 4 poems from the link below
Task: Choose one you like and explain
-
Who is the subject?
-
What makes it funny or interesting?
-
How does it follow the Clerihew rules?
Step 3: Choose Your People
Pick two people to write about
- Pick a famous historical person
- Pick a pop culture star or even a fictional character
Step 4: Get To Writing
Write your two rough draft Clerihews
-
4 lines
-
AABB rhyme scheme
-
First line = person's full name
-
Keep it light, fun, or even a little crazy!
Use this template
[Full Name]
[Something silly or insightful about them]
[Something that rhymes with line 2]
[Wrap it up with a twist or fun fact]
Step 5: Time To Get Creative
Choose your favorite of the two poems you wrote and present it in a fun way
- Make a poster
- Make a comic strip
- Make a voice recording
- Make a video
Evaluation
| Category | Excellent (5) | Good (3–4) | Needs Work (1–2) |
|---|
| Follows Clerihew Rules | ✅ | ❓ | ❌ |
| Creativity & Humor | ✅ | ❓ | ❌ |
| Effort & Presentation | ✅ | ❓ | ❌ |
| Understanding Shown | ✅ | ❓ | ❌ |
Conclusion
Now you know how to turn facts into funny, mini poems! You've explored the fun world of Clerihews and created your own. Poetry doesn’t always have to be serious or boring — sometimes, it just has to rhyme and shine!