Poetry Friday: Students + Writing = Poems

It’s Friday and that means Poetry Friday. Thank you to Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge for hosting.

I was very excited to get this SNOWMAN – COLD = PUDDLE . In fact, I was so excited for the book I accidentally bought two. So guess what, I will be selecting a lucky person for my extra copy. Just comment below.

Last week, I had the opportunity to sub at my former school. The teachers were gracious enough to make space in the day for me to teach Equation Poems based
Laura Purdie Salas’s new title.

It’s never enough time to fully polish and revise the poems. After reading the book and talking about the idea on a one line poem, the students dove in. I worked with second and third graders. Some second graders were able to create the illustrations.

One second grader took the paper home to finish.

Here are more examples:

The above are my second graders who had more time to work.

Process: We read the book. Made a few group ones. I created a list of possibilities for the sum or difference. (=family, =heaven, = honesty {one of their life skills they are working on} )I had a sheet with the format and asked the students to write three. They then selected their favorite to illustrate.

Here are some that were written but not illustrated:

Blanket + Cat = Nap

~Liana, 2nd grade

Winter + Waves = Storm

~Elisha, 2nd grade

Horses + Saddle = Heaven

~Beatrix, 3rd Grade

Me + Family = Love

~ Vicka, 3rd grade

Me + Sick = Chicken Noodle Soup

~ Jayden, 3rd grade

Me + Homework = No, No, No

~ Daniel, 3rd grade

Sad + Cry = Puddle

~ Ricky, 3rd grade

Person + Forever Sleep = Heaven

~Naomi, 3rd grade

Triangle + Ingredients = Pizza

Moon + Stick = Lollipop

Stick + Stone = Hammer of Thor

~John W, 3rd grade

Max + Daniel = Honesty

~ Elvira, 3rd grade

Sister + Doom = Sadness

~ Malachi, 2nd grade

Book + Learning = Smart

~Samantha, 2nd grade

Have a poetic week. Over at Deowriter, I’m remembering Paul Janeczko.

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Poetry Friday: Welcome to the CYBILS Award Party

Welcome, welcome to Poetry Friday.  I’m so glad you’re stopping by and sharing poetry.

On Valentine’s Day, the CYBILS Awards were announced.  I am thrilled to announce the winner of these FANTASTIC SEVEN.

This was one of the most outstanding group of finalists for poetry. 

Such. Good. Reads!

It’s always a challenge to select between a verse novel and an anthology or collection.  Someone has said it’s like comparing apples and oranges. I couldn’t agree more. But we did it! We selected…..drum roll…..

LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds.

Here’s the blurb from the committee:


LONG WAY DOWN is a tour de force work of poetry. The entire novel in verse takes place on an elevator ride as a young man whose brother has been shot and killed descends to avenge his murder. Along the way, he is visited by the ghosts of those he has lost, the elevator filling with smoke as each enters to question, chide, taunt, and harangue him. This masterful narrative structure and the claustrophobic setting in that metal box filled with smoke, ghosts, and words create a gripping tension and kinetic energy that make LONG WAY DOWN nearly impossible to put down. Jason Reynolds’s spare, lyrical language and gorgeous, mesmerizing imagery stay with you and compel re-reading and discussion. This novel in verse makes maximum use of the format, using the poem placement, the background art, and the free verse poems themselves all working in harmony. Reynolds varies his approach to the poems to keep the tension high, repeating references, using anthropomorphism, and incorporating anagrams that startle, like a pause for a breath. His use of poetic language is vivid and powerful including:  “how do you hug what’s haunting you?”, “another piece of me, an extra vertebra, some more backbone”, “headlock that felt like a hug”, and “pushing the pistol under my pillow like a lost tooth.” The questions this book raises about the cycle of violence and the responses it evokes also make LONG WAY DOWN a natural for discussion with young readers themselves.  

Congratulations to all the finalists. In the coming weeks I’ll highlight some of the other finalists.

What is your good poetry for the week. Sign up here.

 

Poetry Friday: A Poem From a Former Student

There’s a lot of poetry goodness happening today. It can be found at Writing the World for Kids. Thank you, Laura.

Last week, I heard from a mom how her daughter missed Poetry Rocks and was still writing poems. I sent a post card to the daughter and asked about her poems. Last night this appeared on my Facebook page.

Puppies Are So Cute

They are cuddly, too.

They like to play a lot

They like to run a lot too.

They are also a good pet

and sometimes they get a little
sleepy and they go to bed

And then in the morning they play,

play all day long.

©Rylee, 2nd grade

I love how much she knows about puppies. I believe she has a puppy at home.

She has an idea about line breaks. And the word sleepy and the repetition of play, play so fun.

Thank you, Rylee!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hope to see you all next week. The post will be available early. I will be revealing the CYBILS Poetry Winner for 2018. I’ve been working with some fabulous judges to decide. The finalists are giving us a run for our money.

In Honor of Super Bowl Sunday

Are you ready for Super Bowl Sunday?  Are you a Patriots or a Rams fan or maybe a kitty bowl or puppy bowl fan? (I confess, I’m rooting for the RAMs from my home state.)

I have just the poem to celebrate this unofficial holiday thanks to the fantastic duo, Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. Its part of THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY for CELEBRATIONS, published in 2015.

May you eat lots of pizz and chili today and jump up and down.