my son in 4th grade has to write a poem using stanza form and must use his mentor text. What is mentor text?
I'd never heard the word either. However, a Google search taught me that a mentor text is a book chosen by the teacher to help students. I would assume that your son has a book that he has been reading. Perhaps he's to write a poem about that book??
Check this site for more information.
http://www.interactivereadalouds.com/overview.aspx
I'm not sure either, but I think it is words that is made up by your mind.
A mentor text refers to a piece of writing that serves as an example or model for students to learn from. It can be a published work, a passage from a book, a poem, or any other form of writing that showcases specific techniques, styles, or elements of good writing.
In the case of your son's assignment, his mentor text is likely a poem that his teacher has provided as a model for writing his own poem using stanza form. The mentor text will demonstrate the structure, rhythm, and other characteristics of a poem written in stanza form. Your son should carefully read and analyze the mentor text to understand how it is structured and how stanzas are used to convey ideas and create a flow in the poem.
Encourage your son to identify and take note of the elements and techniques used in the mentor text, such as the number of lines in each stanza, the rhyme scheme (if any), the rhythm or meter, and any other poetic devices used. By studying the mentor text, your son will gain a better understanding of how to compose his own poem in stanza form while incorporating his own creativity and ideas.