Poetry Friday: Food Poems Inspired by A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED AND MORE by Janet Wong

Thanks to Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche for gathering all the Poetry Friday goodness this week.

Have you read this book?

If not, you need to buy it now or find it at your local library. It’s a great mentor text for getting students to think about their cultural background. Janet Wong published this book twenty-three years ago and just recently added back stories to the poems. More about that next week when Janet shares the answers to some questions I recently asked her.

I was back in the library this week. I had the opportunity to work with fourth and fifth graders. This book provided excellent food poems as mentors. I decided given the time allotment of thirty minutes over class, the SKINNY poem would be a good form for students to use to write a poem about a food for which they had strong emotions (good or bad).

When I take poetry workshops from Paulann Petersen, she often has words lists available for participants. I decided that given the 30 minute time linit, having a word list for describing food would be helpful. I provided this for students:

Today I have poems from fifth graders. I’m sharing poems all next week until our next Poetry Friday.

Arroz con Leche

By Jackeline C.

Mi favorito (my favorite)

Arroz con leche

Caliente (hot)

Sagroso (yummy)

Frio (cold)

Arroz con leche

Blanco (white)

Vapor (vape, steam)

Asucar (sugar)

Arroz con leche

Mi favorito

(I just love that she asked to write it in Spanish)

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

Sushi

By Viktoria O

Fresh sushi on the table, yes! Tempting.

Spicy

Fresh

Delightful

Bite

Spicy

Scrumptious

Treat

Meal

Spicy

I’m eating the sushi on the table. Tempting.

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

Quesadillas

By Gabriela A

Nice and hot

Quesadillas

Delicious

Cheesy

Goodness

Quesadillas

Soft

Tasty

Meal

Quesadillas

Nice and hot

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

Sushi

By Hunter J.

Sushi, we bite into the rice

Sushi

Savory

Delicious

Tender

Sushi

Salty

Tasty

Fresh

Sushi

We bite into the rice

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

Chicken Wings

By Angel F.

Chicken wings are fiery

Chicken!!

Spicy

Hot

Delicious

Chicken!!

Mouth-watering

Burning

Rich

Chicken!!

Chicken wings are fiery

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

Pizza

By Osiris D.

Pizza is good

Pizza

Chewy

Delicious

Divine

Pizza

Dip

Soft

Cheesy

Pizza

Pizza is good

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

Caramel

By Dominik

Out of the package

Caramel

Oh

So

Good

Want

Some

More

Caramel

Out of the package

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

Watermelon

By Sophie E

I wait for my mom to slice it up

Watermelon

Savory

Sweet

Bite

Watermelon

Yum

Drip

Juicy

Watermelon

I wait for my mom to slice it up

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

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Poetry Friday: Student Poetry Randomly Shared With Me

Thanks to Margaret at Reflections on the Teche for hosting Poetry Friday this week.

Earlier this week, I got a noticed that a fifth grader, Jamison, had shared poetry with me.  We have been done with poetry for awhile in the library but fifth graders may have been working on poetry in class.

When I had Jamison in class on Wednesday, I asked him if meant to share his poetry with me. He said yes. Jamison is one of those students that I wouldn’t expect to do this.   He’s active, speaks out, and sometimes you wonder if he’s listening.  I asked if I could share on the blog today and he said that’s why he shared them with me.

I am skilled with games
I wonder if I am going crazy
I hear rustles in the basement
I see morning stars on the roof
I want to have the earth’s core in my hand
I am skilled with games
I pretend there’s no sound
I feel bad presence
I touch a shadow
I worry that something is going to jump at me
I cry about my grandma
I am skilled with games
I understand my mom
I say the world is ending
I dream everything is ok
I try to convince people
I hope I last long

–Jamison, 5th grade

I am a casual ghastly
Nobody wants me though I am alone
All by myself an alleyway
Asking if I can be someone’s partner
It’s been 3 days without anything
I’m behind a trashcan hiding
I have a visitor and he has a nice home
I guess I’m not so lonely after all

–Jamison, 5th grade

Such thought provoking images. this always makes me happy to receive unasked for poetry from students.  Thank you, Jamison, for sharing with me.

Digital Literacy Sunday: NCCE Reflection

It’s Digital Literacy Sunday.  Margaret links all the posts HERE.

This is a meme that I want to be more regular in participating.  My job is in the midst of morphing into more digital literacy.  This is a great place to reflect on how my job is changing.

This past week I attended the Northwest Council of Computer Education conference in Portland, Oregon.  For five years, they have had a Teacher-Librarian Summit,  I have attended two.  It made my head spin.  Here’s my take-aways:

Twitter: About 90 minutes was about creating a Twitter account and using it.  Maybe it’s because I use it, I kept wondering how this would improve my day to day teaching.  I totally find it useful to find articles and such but I wanted more about the operations in the new brave world of being a Library Information Technology Teacher. (LITT).

Finding Your Voice:  Nikki D. Robertson presentation on Finding Your Voice had some meaningful things to consider. Most importantly is creating a MakerSpace for the library, a place to have kids be creative. Dang, I wish I hadn’t rid myself of all the Legos I had in the library. I can do this and I found some great post conference resources: Library Voice and All the Reasons Why.

One Note:  I plan exploring this as a way to keep my lessons in a digital binder.  Richard Snyder raved about it.

Infographics:  I need to learn how to use these with fifth graders.

Google Classroom:  Our district is exploring a LMS and Goggle Classroom is one that is being piloted.  The presentation on GC was one of the best I heard for this reason:  Technology needs to be in the background and the content is the foreground.  Technology needs to be simple to use.   Thanks to Jason for this presentation.

I think chewing on these five concepts will give me lots to consider.