Poetry Friday: Poem Postcard, Anyone?

I am getting finished poem postcards from students.  If you would like to receive one, please contact me via email: jmaccull at egreen d0t wednet dot edu.

The students have been having fun with these. From a first grader, who did this as “homework”:

Flip Flop, Hop Frog

Flippity flop
Did the frog hop?
Hop, hop the frog
did a big hop.
He hopped over a
frog.  He played leap
frog all day long.
–Brooklyn, 1st grade

Tricia at Miss Rumphius Effect is rounding up Poetry Friday today.

White is Wednesday Full of Poems

I discovered upon reading Elaine’s post at Wild Rose Reader that color poems were the exploration of the week at The Miss Rumphius Effect . This was the perfect idea for my third graders today.  Here are a few from Mr. Johnson’s and Ms Padden’s class:

Blue is the color of
Light blue sky all up above
Up, up it goes to the sky
Eight little white puffy clouds
Bright and happy
Eight white clouds with the sky
Reading a story of the sun
Reading about the clouds
Yellow so bright for the sun
–Bailey, 3rd grade

Brown is for bear
Even browner than ever
Are you afriad or are you not?
Run, run little bear
–Sierra, 3rd grade

Red, shiny bumper
At lightning speed
Cameras flash all over the stadium
Extreme crashing
Racing cars ZOOM
–Devon, 3rd grade

Yellow is the color of
the sun shining up high
a sunflower bending in the wind
a lemon, so sour
a star shining in the sky
the shine of the school bell
–Emily, 3rd grade

Red is the color of the sunset
Everybody can do anything
Anybody can win
Dreaming of darkness at night
–Forrest, 3rd grade

Blue is the color of my team
At bat, working hard
Shooting balls out of the park
Eating hot dogs at the game
Blowing hot-dogs
All of them cheer me
Losing by one
Last inning home run
–Tanner, 3rd grade

You are my sunshine
Entering my house with a bright light
Letting me see through the shadows of the dark
Luring me into the kitchen for some tea
Out to the porch I go with my tea
Wonderful, wonderful sun.
–Maya, 3rd grade

Happy Wednesday. Happy Reading.

MsMac

A Poem Regarding My Absence at a Book Challenge Hearing

There was a book challenge hearing last night in  my district.  The book, Feed by MT Anderson, was the challenged book.  I read the book last year on the recommendation of a workshop presenter.  Not my cup of tea but I can see how the book could resonate with teenagers, especially boys.  The book had been at all but one middle school library as well as the high school libraries.  The challenge came from a middle school parent.  I did not go to the hearing.  I am now sorry that I did not attend.  I do not know that it would have changed the outcome.  I was told that I would not be able to testify because I was elementary and the book was not in the elementary level.  But I should have been there supporting a colleague and I was not.

In the spirit of National Poetry Month:

This is Just to Say

I did not attend
the book challenge meeting
which you probably
were wanting the support
from colleagues
and which the
audience was void.
It would have been great
people present
who understand
the need
to have books
available
that engage
readers in higher level
thinking skills
despite
the language
which can be heard
via a variety
of media formats;
despite the notion
that we may come
to live in a dystopia
one day
instead of a
utopia

Forgive me
I promise
the next time
(and hopefully there
will not be a next time)
you will look out into the
audience
and
I will be there.

Read. Read it all.
MsMac

Poetry Friday: Valentine’s Day Fun

I knew that my Poetry Thursday group would be over the moon about today being Valentine’s Day. In fact, several wanted to know if we were still meeting today because it was Valentine’s Day. So I decided for fun and taking a suggestion from last week, we did not write in our journals today.

I gave students a couple of those candy conversation hearts.  They had to come up with a sentence that included the words on the hearts.  They could work together with their friends.  When the sentence was created, it was added to the list:

A Valentine Poem 

New love
You want me to do good
Love me, don’t let us kiss
New heart as well as you know me
It’s true
Have a wonderful day, Valentine
You are all mine
We dream up cloud nine, it is love
I hope for real love
I smile on Valentine’s Day
Hearts and love the symbol
I can be your Valentine friend
Dear one, let’s sweet talk
I am dreaming a beautiful read heart
Be good. Love me. Please do, love bird.
You are too good, my sunshine
Today is a day of love
Hearts all day
A day of thought
Always love.     

   –by the Poetry Thursday Poets

  Sometimes a day to be silly and have fun is needed.

Preparing for April: National Poetry Month.

Would you like to be part of a  postcard poem exchange during the month of April? Please let me know.  Our project for National Poetry Month Project will be to send poems on postcards.  I am hoping that those who get a postcard would send a postcard in return with a favorite poem on it or an orginal poem.  I need to start gathering interested participants.  So if you are interested, please let me know.  I will be addressing the postcards so students will not have access to addresses.

The Poetry Friday Round-up is at Hip Mama Writer.

Happy Reading.

MsMac