Check It Out

Third graders have been writing some color poems for the last two weeks. These are from some of the boys in Ms SIms class:

White is the color of snow
It smells like fresh snow
It tastes like ice cubes
It feels like cotton candy
Ti sounds like powder from flower
It looks white and fresh
White is the color of snow.
–Camrin, 3rd grade

Green is the color of a tree in the summer time
Green smells like an apple in the tree, yum, yum.
It tastes like an apple in an apple tree.
It feels like my green blanket that puts me to sleep at night.
It sounds like wind going through my hair
It looks like a flower that a bee will attack
Green is the color of my shirt.
–Robby, 3rd grade

Blue is the color of my dreams
It smells like the wind blowing through my hair
It tastes like blueberry minty milkshakes
It feels like being in the warm air
It sounds like the waves in the ocean
It looks like the blue world
Blue is the color of my dreams.
–Jaden, 3rd grade

Red is the color of angry eyes that are mad
It smells like love and peace in the air
It tastes like cherries, apples, and a juicy watermelon
It feels like silk and leather that were just made
It sounds like birds chirping, kittens meowing, and dogs barking
It looks like the hot, burning sun in the summer sunny sky
Red is the color of angry eyes that are mad
–Josiah, 3rd grade

White is the color of the clouds that are fluffy
It smells like a white fur coat
It tastes like cotton candy that’s crunchy
It feels like a marshmallow melted
It sounds like something crashing and exploding
It looks like fire burning wood
White is the color of the clouds that are fluffy.
–Quobe, 3rd grade

 Please visit the Bridget Zinn Auction blog (we are not auctioning off Bridget but some rather terrific things to help with her medical expenses)

Poetry FRiday round-up is at Allegro. Thanks, Maya!

Happy Reading.

MsMac

This marks my 251 post on the blog! Hooray!

Today my morning begins with a meeting at the district office to discuss the library budget for the coming year. It will not be pretty, The one thing I know now is that the majority of the building administrators are supportive of the need for libraries to be funded. The majority are not interested in using the library money for anything but library books and materials.

Been writing poetry as examples for students.  Last week it was to write list poem about school.  Here is mine:

library books
sit on shelves
speak to
one another
when kids, staff leave
at day’s end
“She dog eared my pages! can you believe that?”
“He cried at the end.”
“I have not been checked out in a long, long, while.”
“I heard that if you sit on the shelf too long, you get discarded.”
“Is it true? Did Charlie really get stolen?”
library books
gossipers in the
night.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

In honor of National Poetry Month and the fabulous Fibonacci form, introduced by Greg, here are Fibonacci poems by a kindergarten class.  The teacher saw the instructions in the library and decided to try it.  These poems use words rather than syllaybles.  But how great that the kinders are playing with the form.

Chihuahua
Play
In backyard
She likes treats
I like to walk her.
She likes to sit on my lap a lot.

By Toatai, K

Dog
Listens
Plays catch
To on walks
Likes to sleep with me
Likes to go in the car with us.

By Michael, K

I
Like
Candy because
It tastes good.
Cherry suckers are my favorite
I would eat candy everyday if I could.

By Savannah, K

Rainbows
Red
Orange yellow
Green, blue, purple
Rainbows are fun to see
I like them because they are very pretty.

By Brooklyn, K

 Polar
Bears
Dig in
The snow to
Find food, they eat fish
Polar bears go in the water to bathe.

By Robert, K

Me
And
Dad are
At Amos’ riding
Our quads on dirt ramps.
One time oil was leaking from the quad.

By Joseph, K

I
Saw
A zebra,
Tiger, mountain goat
At the zoo one time
With my mom, dad, sisters and my brothers.

By Tasha, K

Roxy
Likes
To play
With my mom
She is a little Chihuahua
She has to sleep in the garage alone.

By Breanna, K

Bears
They
Sleep in
The snow sometimes
They sleep in the winter
They eat meat and fish, but not people.

By Kelsey, K

 I mailed ten poem postcards this week.  More will go out next week.  Becky at Becky’s Book Review is rounding up the poetry.

 Happy Reading.

MsMac

We are back in the swing of things after spring break.   Fifth Grade worked on some poems styled after the William Carlos Williams’ poem “This is Just to Say”

This  is just
to say
I have eaten the
box of pizza
that was in
the refrigerator today
And which you were
probably saving for
my sister’s birthday
Forgive me…
can we get another one another day?
–Courtney, 5th grade

This is just
to say
I am sorry
I ran into some
trouble at school
One day I
couldn’t forget it.
It was like a bubble
pushing and pulling me
some way
I guess  I will take my
punishment
Oh brother,
what can I say?
–Kimberly, 5th grade

This is Just to Say
I have eaten all
the maple bars

and which you
were probably saving
for dessert

Forgive me, they
were irresistibly
delicious and warm
–Marcus, 5th grade

This is Just to Say
I have picked your pencil up
from the ground
I sharpened it
and chewed it
just like I do any
other pencil
I knew it was yours because
in bold letters your
name was written on the side.
I really shouldn’t of
used it
said not to you probably
wanted to use it
without teethmarks and slobber
Forgive me.
But is was so pretty with the blue polka dots
On yellow cover with a
few green stripes.
It had an “A” on it
my name starts with “A”
I might of thought it was mine
I will give it back
If you REALLY want it.
–Alyssa, 5th grade

Head over to Carol’s Corner for more great poetry. Do you want a poem postcard by a student? Contact me to participate in “Poem Postcard Project”.

Happy Reading.
MsMac

City I Love by Lee Bennett Hopkins is a delightful collection of poems about city life.  A great read as I prepare to start my spring break next week.  San Francisco, London, Rio, Tokyo and Cairo are all featured.  A hydrant, taxi, hot dog vendor, and the zoo, everyday things one might see in the city, and Hopkins has a poem for each.

What I like is how the poems are shaped on the page.  One of my favorites is the poem about the subway. Amazing placement of text.  This is a great mentor text to show students how to shape their poems. And Marcellus Hall’s  illustrations are colorful and playful  in brush and ink and water color.  The traveling dog with backpack is an added whimsical kick. (He looks like my Rusty dog)

Here is a taste:
Sparrow
Lucky to be born
on this balcony, sparrow
awaits city flights.

 Bridge
Even
the strongest
men
in the world

cannot
hoild
as much
steel
as you
can
at
one
time.

Each poem is chock full of words that create strong sensory images for the reader.  Poems that students can enjoy and relate to as they read.  Be sure to put City I Love on your must have list.Title: City I Love
Author: Lee Bennett Hopkins
Date Published: 2009
Pages: unpaged
Reading Level:  All ages
Publisher: Abrams Books
ISBN: 978-0-8109-8327-4
Source of Book: Sent by publisher.

Next week is spring break for me. Are you ready for National Poetry Month?   Students will be immersed in poetry for the month.  My goal: 30 poems in 30 days.  Students will be invited to “Write a Poem Send a Postcard”  Do you want to have a poem postcard delivered in your mailbox?  Let me know.

Poetry Friday is rounded up at The Drift Record by Julie Larios.  It is her first time to host.  I have an original haiku and pantuom at Deowriter this week as well.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

National Poetry Month is a week away. Here’s a sneak peak at what I will be doing as well as some great happenings in the kidlit world for National Poetry Month.

April is our state testing month so it is a great time for me to immerse students in poetry.  I will be sharing a variety of poems throughout the month, encouraging students to carry a poem in their pocket, and having them write, write, write.

Last year I tried a “Poetry Postcard Project“. Lots of fun.  I am holding the second annual “Write a Poem-Send a Postcard” event with my students.  Students will send off an original poem to people who would like to receive a poem. And we may just drop random poems around the school.  If you wish to receive a poetry postcard, contact me. 

I am committed to “30 Days=30 Poems”  This is my third year of setting this goal for myself.

Other Poetry News:

Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect has planned a poetry extravaganza. I hope I can keep up.  She is interview thirty plus poets over the month. Incredible!

Greg at Gotta Book is posting a previously unpublished poem from a variety of poets during the month.

Anastasia has created a blog for student poems about school.  You can find that at Pencil Talk.  Hopefully some of my students will write a poem about school so I can share it with Anastasia.

Sylvia at Poetry for Children will be talking up lots of poetry books throughout April.

It is going to be a grand month!

Happy Reading.

MsMac