Learn how to hold your thoughts with a hadron, or is it how to a hadron with words? Anyways, learn about the hadron poetic form inspired by that elemental hadron, and in the NaPoWriMo prompt, tipping my hat off to Robert Hillyer inspired by his poem Fog.

Poetry, prompts, and possibilities—that’s what this post brings! You’ll find a lesson plan built around a poetic form, a response to the NaPoWriMo prompt, and maybe something unexpected.

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How to Hold a Hadron With Words?

⚛️ Lesson Plan: Words Make the Whole Hadron

Grade Level: 3rd–5th
Time: 45–60 minutes
Subjects: ELA, Science

🎯 Objective

Students will learn about the Hadron poem structure and create their own poems. Optionally, connect to a science unit to learn more about elementary particles.

🔗 Connections

• Learning Connection (Science): Protons and neutrons are different but work together inside atoms — like stanzas in the Hadron poetic form.
  • Elementary Particles
• Poetry Connection: The Hadron form uses two stanzas of complementary or parallel images to create poetic harmony.
• Book Connections:
  • Science Verse by Jon Scieszka playfully connects science with poetic forms.
  • Opposites, more opposites, and a few differences by Wilbur, Richard. You can read this one here on the internet archive
  • The Poetry of Science: The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science for Kids by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong 

📚 Materials Needed

• Optional: Colored pencils or crayons for illustrations
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers
• A book (see suggestions above!)
• Paper & pencils
• Printed examples of hadron poems and/or a printable template

⚛️ Building the Hadron: One Quark-y Word at a Time! 🌀

📝 Introduction (10 – 15 minutes)

What is a Hadron? ⚛️

In science, a hadron is a tiny particle made up of even smaller parts called quarks. Hadrons are found inside atoms, and they help make up everything in the universe! Two common hadrons are protons and neutrons, which live in the center of atoms.

This tiny particle inspired Walt Wojtanik to create the hadron poetic form. Just like the small quarks make up the hadron, and the two complementary hadrons (protons and neutrons) make up atoms, the hadron is made up of two stanzas of three lines each, where each stanza creates an image or feeling. Together, they complement or echo each other — like two puzzle pieces (or like the proton and neutron!)

Explain:

• A Hadron poem is untitled
• It has six lines, in two stanzas of three lines each
• It uses only 12 words — written using the below structure
  • Line 1: Start with two words that tell what your poem is about.
  • Line 2: Add three words that tell more about the subject in line 1.
  • Line 3: Use two more words to finish the idea and describe it
  • Line 4: Write two rhyming describing words to connect the lines above and below.
  • Line 5: Use one action word to show what’s happening.
  • Line 6: Use three words to finish what the action is doing.

Hadron Examples

Show a Hadron example. Ask: “What’s going on here?” “What two ideas do you see?”

Bright star 🌟
Shiny, small, high
Twinkles gently
Far, star
Glows
in the dark

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Big ball 🏀
Bouncy, orange, round
Flies fast
Swish, wish
Shoots
into net

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Tall tree 🌳
Green, leafy, strong
Stands still
Breezy, easy
Sways
with the wind 💨

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Blue sky
Bright, puffy, wide
Holds clouds ⛅
Dark, spark
Shifts
to stars 🌟

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Brainstorming and Writing (20 minutes)

• As a class, brainstorm potential subjects for Hadron poems
  • Can be opposing ideas – like day/night (like the sky one above); still/move (tree example above)
  • Or complementary – like with the basketball and star poems above
• Have students choose a subject and write their own Hadron poem based on the structure.
• Encourage them to use a rhyming dictionary if needed.

🧠 Reflection (10-15 minutes)

Ask students:

• How did your two ideas “fit” together?
• How is writing a Hadron like building an atom?
• What was challenging or fun about only using 12 words?

🎤 Share the Hadron(5–10 min)

• Have a few students share their hadrons.
• Optional: Display poems on a chart with the structure of an atom, where student poems are placed on different orbits!

🖼 Extensions and Adaptations

• Younger Grades (K–2): Do shared writing of a class Hadron poem with teacher guidance. Use visuals.
• Older Grades (6+): Integrate deeper science concepts or require use of figurative language.
• Cross-Curricular Extension: Combine with a science unit on elementary particles
• Art Integration: Have students illustrate their Hadron poem or create a digital slide with images and text.

Hats Off to Hillyer!

Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt challenges us to try writing a poem that uses rhyme, but without adhering to specific line lengths. For extra credit, reference a very specific sound, like the buoy in Robert Hillyer’s poem, Fog.

I tried to include reference to today’s art resource as well (bolded and linked in my poem). I actually saw one of those blue trees exhibits in a neighboring city (Palo Alto). My photo of those trees:

My Attempt

Happiness Hues
Memories of color-stained little fingers
spilled over into dreams
Mixing up with hopes for a multi-hued canvas
everything I love staring right at me
and a delight of details hovering beyond,
bursting at the seams—
like those blue trees
I caught a glimpse of once upon a time
clamoring for color in the quiet hush of a summer day,
like the slurp of the rosogolla swiped from the kitchen tray
caught in a snapshot – hazy and unhurried
the sweetness lingering, also the cold,
as this world danced in sepia – warm and bold.
And right there, on the trunk of that tree –
can you see
those tiny fingerprints
left behind, just for me!
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, what do you think of the hadron poetic form? Do share your poem when you write it! And which book would you pick to read first – from all the ones listed today?

I am linking up to A-Z, Blogchatter, UBC, NaPoWriMo.

And you can find all my A-Z posts (this year and previous years’ as well) here:

A to Z Challenge Posts