To Do: Write Poem ...
Submitted by Larry Dean on April 1, 2009 - 4:41pm.
Some of the most interesting poems are nothing more than lists of things. In a list poem, the writer is telling you something—pointing something out—saying, "Look at this," or, "Think about that." This week, for our last classes, we read Things That Go Away & Come Back Again by Anne Waldman. I asked if every item on Waldman's list fit the title, and if students disagreed, why? We then thought about how items related to each other on the list, how the poet varied certain ones to keep the list interesting, and considered which items could be touched, as opposed to those that could only be felt? Students had to admit that Waldman's choices made for a very fun and thought-provoking poem.
With the help of teachers, we came up with distinct ideas pertinent to recent discussions in each classroom. Students wrote for five minutes, compiling personal lists in response to each idea. Every student then gave their favorite choice to create a class-wide list poem. Here they are:
Ms. Ortiz, 5th Grade
Outer Space
astronauts
aliens
Earth
Big Bang Theory
Jupiter
stars
black hole
Saturn
black dwarf
weightless
Star Wars
galaxies
Milky Way
space ships
life on Mars
the orbit
Betelgeuse
sun
comets
whirlpool galaxies
white dwarf
Crab Nebula
the moon
Ms. Fialkowski, 5th Grade
Exploring
animals
planets
insects
people
plants
the future
the world
Atlantis
flying cars
magnifying glass
jungle
solar system
lands
South America
Curious George
afterlife
Dora the Explorer
Teletubbyland
haunted houses
pyramids
ghosts
monkeys
Pluto
camping
soccer players
the Internet
Ms. Rodriguez, 5th Grade
Autobiography
toys
soccer
LEGOs
Six Flags
ice cream
birthday
Rolling Stones
baseball
Jannelly
volleyball
12 Rounds with John Cena
ice skating
dude!
purple and black
yellow, green, and red
pizza
Star Wars
Fast and Furious
vacations
water park
best friend
wrestling
Chivas
Mrs. Maxwell, 5th Grade
Poetry
rhymes
cool
stanzas
rap
simile
TV
funny
joyful
video games
figure of speech
bed
Wisconsin Dells
relaxing
pie
I don't know
writing
thoughts
animals
poets
mountains
emotions
people
colors
baseball
dog
imagination
friends
words
thinking
Mr. Heredia, 5th Grade
Native Americans
plains
animals
names
battles
Lakota Sioux
buffalo
teepees
hunt
spears
soldiers
workful
knives
horses
Sitting Bull
fish
customs
brave people
weapons
herd
war
enemies
tribes
Ms. Montoya, 5th Grade
Spring Break
dark clouds
rain
grass
McDonald's
ice cream
biking with my friends
beach
money
free
park
no school
vacation
puddles
soccer
TV
football
sleeping late
no teachers
April Fool's
fun in the sun
no homework
April showers
strawberries
blue skies
H²O
work
laziness
Ms. Hughesdon, 5th Grade
Presidents
political party
scientific advance
Republican
money
Vice President
long hats
limousines
flag
bodyguards
strange hair
old
First Lady
soldiers
home state
Gettysburg Address
vision for the future
the oath
Executive Branch
speech
elections
power
inauguration
live in the White House
forty-fourth President
Governor
the law
United States
Attorney General
Secretary of the Treasury
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