Put Something In

It's been back to school this week after two weeks of break.  Before the break I was thinking about where to head next with my students in Writer's Workshop and I was reading this awesome free book which inspired me to tackle poetry for only about the third time in my teaching career.  I have a fascination with it but I'm intimidated by it at the same time.

Since the First Graders join my Second Grade Class for Writer's Workshop, I decided that we needed to begin with exposure. So we spent the first day reading and exploring all kinds of poetry books.  Then we came together at the end of Writer's Workshop and made a chart recording what we had discovered about poems - some rhyme, some don't, they are short and usually have capitals at the beginning of each line, etc.  Some of the students chose a poem they really liked and shared it with the class.

On day two we read the poem Skimble-Scamble (from R is for Rhyme) and Put Something In (from A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein) and we talked about how poets have permission to play with words - to enjoy the way they sound and maybe even make new words up.  I had covered the tables, desks and walls with paper and I invited them to spend the time reading again but this time to collect words that intrigued or inspired them, words that sounded serious or made them laugh.  They loved this!

The next day I used the poems Pencil Sharpener and Ceiling both by Zoey Ryder White to talk about how poets try to look at everyday objects in new ways.  Then I sent the kids off for the first time to try their hands at writing poetry.  It was great!  Some kids tried using the words they had collected the day before.  One student wanted to write about the fan but he said he couldn't hear it very well so I turned it on high and then he went to town and wrote this poem.

Thursday night, I decided to get in on the action.  The shoe picture I posted inspired me and I wrote this:



I shared my poem on Friday and then I let my poets go outside if they so desired.  The trees and rabbits directly outside our classroom inspired these two little gems.

Leaves

I think when

The wind blows

The leavs run

Away from the

Trees runing dashing

Till the wind stops

Usually I leave spelling alone but this poem is so great I'm fixing it for ease of understanding.

The Runt Rabbit

Little runt rabbit!

Little runt rabbit!

Little runt rabbit

Hungry little runt rabbit!

Runt rabbit, stop eating

I am hungry too

I'm a runt like you!

I love the way these ones are exploring.  I hope that in one way or another all of my little writers will be able to experience the joy of putting something in...

Put Something In

By: Shel Silverstein

Draw a crazy picture,

Write a nutty poem,

Sing a mumble-gumble song,

Whistle through your comb.

Do a loony-goony dance

'Cross the kitchen floor,

Put something silly into the world

That ain't been there before.