PULASKI POETRY CELEBRATION
(May 21, 2015) Poetry Jam / Writing Celebration on Thursday, May 21st, in the Pulaksi Street portables.
The 6th grade students in Ms. Myrden's, Ms. Ivins' and Ms. Martin's classes rotated through two room’s in the portables. Mrs. Ivins’ room hosted a gallery display of the students' poetry. The students read their peers' poems and left them some feedback. Ms. Ivins stated, "I think our students' greatest challenge, as in any writing, was going back to edit. I constantly challenged them to try more descriptive language and always to use words that could bring more impact and emotion into their poems." Meanwhile, in Mrs. Myrden’s room students performed their poems in the Poetry Cafe as part of a Poetry Jam! (See Video.) |
Poetry Cafe from Sandra Kolbo on Vimeo. |
An overview of the Poetry Unit that concluded with a Celebration of Poetry --
· Students spent about five weeks exploring the reading and writing of poetry.
· Unit began with a random group of 19 words and students had to try to organize them into some form of poetry; they shared the writing and began to understand that everyone’s interpretation will be different.
· Some styles of poetry the students explored included:
o Ode poems; limericks; diamante; haikus; free verse; rhyme; concrete; acrostic; two word poems; picture reflection; definition poems; object poems; apology poem; “What to do In..”.; picture poems; autobiographical poem, blackout poems, book spine poetry, “I Don’t Understand..”…
· Each day the students would read mentor poems as an example for the correct rhythm, rhyme or format that the poem required; then they began to free write on their own.
· As a culminating project, they had to create anthologies that included their best work.
· The anthology included a Table of Contents page, an “About the Author” page and illustrations. They also had “Personal Choice” which was to include one poem by another author. Students did a written response of why this poem personally connected with them.
· Students spent about five weeks exploring the reading and writing of poetry.
· Unit began with a random group of 19 words and students had to try to organize them into some form of poetry; they shared the writing and began to understand that everyone’s interpretation will be different.
· Some styles of poetry the students explored included:
o Ode poems; limericks; diamante; haikus; free verse; rhyme; concrete; acrostic; two word poems; picture reflection; definition poems; object poems; apology poem; “What to do In..”.; picture poems; autobiographical poem, blackout poems, book spine poetry, “I Don’t Understand..”…
· Each day the students would read mentor poems as an example for the correct rhythm, rhyme or format that the poem required; then they began to free write on their own.
· As a culminating project, they had to create anthologies that included their best work.
· The anthology included a Table of Contents page, an “About the Author” page and illustrations. They also had “Personal Choice” which was to include one poem by another author. Students did a written response of why this poem personally connected with them.
Pulaski teacher Linda Myrden writes,
“We love teaching this Unit of Study because each and every time there is always such a positive response to this genre. The language and sound seem to entice and engage them. Students who are reluctant readers or writers become voracious readers/writers of poetry. They would come to me each day and say: 'Look what I wrote last night.' They were so proud of what they created." Ms. Myrden continued, "I was proud that they were writing and was amazed at the creativity and voice in that writing. The analysis of poems, studying structure and craft, was a jumping off board for developing their own anthologies, which they were so delighted to eventually share." The students took charge of transforming the classroom into a café, which they named “The Blue Waves Poetry Café”, with tablecloth, lighting, and even berets to wear. This was their project and they were so excited to perform with their peers from Mrs. Ivins and Mrs. Martin’s rooms. Poems are meant to be read aloud and having the venue to do so made the experience rewarding and memorable for these students. (Read their responses to the Poetry Cafe -- right.) |
Didier Robles: “What I liked about our Poetry Café is that we had fun listening to other people’s poetry. You also got to experience something from the past where people would gather to share their work and be heard and we too were doing the same thing! One thing I learned and like about poetry is that it does not have to always rhyme to make it feel the way you want.”
Makayla D’Albano: “ The poetry slam brought me closer to my friends, sharing the same experience and hearing so many great poems. My favorite type of poetry was the two-word poem because it says a lot in just a minimum amount of words.” Dana Slattery: “What a blast we had! I love poetry because it expresses feelings in different ways. Our Poetry Café was outstanding, not only because of the decorations and atmosphere, but because we got to hear what other poets had to say. My favorite is the limerick because when you read them they have a catchy rhythm.” Ava Nohe: “ I really liked our Poetry Café. It was a great experience for me because I have stage fright and it helped me get use to talking in front of a crowd. I liked how everybody was considerate of each other and supported each other; it made it easier and fun to share our poems. I enjoyed listening to emotions that were in people’s voices as they presented their own work. I am glad we did it.” Harrison Crowley - “I liked learning about poetry because we learned different types of poems and that figurative language in poems gave them more interest.” Josh Carey - “The Poetry Café was cool because it allowed me to express my poems with feeling. It was also a great way to have a good time with your friends. I enjoyed learning poetry because it allows you to write about anything in a fun and great way." |