A cinquain (SING-kayn) is a five-line poem.  Cinquain poems use nouns,  adjectives, and verbs to describe a topic.  The layout is as follows:

Line 1:  one noun (topic)

Line 2:  two adjectives that describe the topic

Line 3:  three action verbs that end in -ing

Line 4:  a phrase comprised of four words that describes the topic

Line 5:  one more noun that tells about the topic

Here is an example you can show your students–then brainstorm ideas for them to write about…

Spring

thunder, flowers

raining, lightning, storming

a rebirth of sorts

life

Students enjoy illustrating their poems, as well.  If you are looking for spring bulletin board ideas, these look really nice with a bright spring background color as well things from nature such as the sun, clouds, rain, flowers, birds, etc.