Welcome to Poetry Friday. I am so glad you’re here. This week was Valentine’s Day and there was so much love, poetry love in the air.
First off, Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell sent copies of HERE WE GO, the latest Poetry Friday Power Pack.
Just this week, our Family Engagement Committee discussed how we can best help our students during the world today. How can we raise the level of social justice and make them feel safe? This is the perfect book to help students make some sense of the world.
There are many ways to approach this book; read the thirty-six poems like a story or use the poems as a springboard for writing. The end of the book is chock full of resources for both students and adult. One the resources, Poetry Performance Tips, will be used with my Poetry Rocks group, grades 1 through 3.
Poetry Rocks worked on some “What If” poems after school today in groups. We wrote as a quick write after reading Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Blue Bucket and Janet Wong’s response poems by Jenna and Ameera.
What if our teachers were gingerbread
instead of people
What if blueberries could talk
instead of regular blueberries
What if our bodies could talk
instead of our mouths talking
What if trees were sweet tarts
instead of regular trees
What if our homes were gingerbread
instead of normal homes
Then everything would be weird.
By Nevaeh, Amiah, Lauren
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What if we were ghosts
instead of people
What if we could join our friends on their journey
instead just reading them
What if we could go to a land of magic
instead of going to school
What if school was fun and exciting
instead of being boring
What if our homes were made of gingerbread
instead of wood
Then life would be cooler.
By Haylie, Macy, Ricky, Taylor
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What if I could change the laws
instead of going to school
What if I could eat cookies all day
instead of celery
What if chocolate
instead of tomatoes being food
What if everything was made of chocolate
instead of trees
What if there was no play
instead of school
Then I would be very sad.
By Bentley, Jazzlynn, Taryn, Charlie
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What if I could play on my PS 4
instead of dad saying no
What if school was one hundred miles away
instead of a shortcut to home
What if there dragons
instead of moose
What if you could just float in the world
instead of outer space
What if I lived in Texas without electricity
instead of Washington
By William
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What if I could teleport
instead of walk
What if there was no school
instead of school
What if school had only recess
instead of learning
What if the sea was filled with hot chocolate
instead of salt water
What if there was no light
instead of light
That would be bad.
By Marcella, Ella, Gabe, Italy
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What if we had no homework
instead of homework
What if babies ruled the world
instead of crawling
What if humans were dogs
instead of humans
What if the world was made out of candy
instead of not being candy
Then that would be weird.
By Angel, Jazlyn, Eliza, Dakota
Next week due to the holiday and conference, we won’t have Poetry Rocks but I have challenged them to write their own “What If”poems. We’ll see what they write. I wrote my own “What If” poem which is posted at Deowriter.
I am going purchase some copies for our library I have a fourth grade class fired up about social justice. Can’t wait to share. Do you want your own copy? I have five copies to give away.
MORE POETRY LOVE!!
Congratulations to Laura Shovan for winning the CYBILS Poetry Award.
Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.
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