For our 13th session, Shoesmith 4 graders were waiting to wow me with their understanding of figurative language, which they said is used to “spice up” and “add flavor” to poems and stories. They also shared their impressions of Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion, which they read with Ms. Lehner, recently. Locomotion tells a story through the eyes and poetry of eleven year old, Lonnie Collins. We returned to put added effort into the odes drafted during our previous session.
Ms. Lehner
Group 1 – 4th Grade
Ode to Me
Zahir S.
I sing to myself
I wish I could control
my anger in a way
where, if I hurt someone
I would feel that pain
that I caused
I sing to my anger
stop making me do bad things
to hurt
rather than help
if I could try
but I can’t keep control
so, I question why?
I talk to my growth
I’ve come so far, I’ve learned
a bit and I can keep control
more but at times it escapes
making me do wrong but
I sing a song – stop and I think.
Ode to My Dogs
Naomi O.
I sing the song of my dogs
Cookie, the one that died
Ice, that lives with my Grandma
only Cocoa lives with me now
I sing the song of my dogs
Because they are kind and fluffy
Cute and loving
Shalom B.
I sing the song of my eyes
so important because they help
me to see, to notice
Like noticing animals in nature
Dogs, cats, birds soaring in a blue sky.
Hayden H.
I sing the song of Jesus
because He is very special to all of us
He came to earth to help
people need help to survive
He makes me feel safe, like I have a shield over my heart
I pray to Him every night.
Group 2 – 4th Grade
Ode to Swimming
Leah S.
I am a swimmer!
I love swimming
because I learn more skills about it!
And get better at the same time
I want to swim like a dolphin
The water feels wet and refreshing
like when you get your
hair washed. It feels like
when you are in Colorado
and when you run through
the sprinklers at night
feels like rain coming down
on your head, you just love
it when something coming
down from the sky could be fun!
Ode to Earth
Minahil A.
My earth is wet and dirty but is still
unique. Other planets might not have family
but Mother Earth has her sister
Venus and my earth gives us homes
like a mother
My earth is a resident of the galaxy
My earth is wet and dirty but I
don’t care because earth is my home
My earth is wondrous. So many
places to see. Treat this earth
nicely because this is our home.
Ode to being a daughter
Akira S.
I sing to the peace of being a daughter
and when my mom takes me to a
concert and how she will take me to
the store and how when it’s just
me and her we make jokes about
all the funny things our neighbors do
and how my brother throws things
out the window and falls on purpose
and how he yells when my mom sings
I sing to the way my mom takes me
to the movies and we do dances
I sing to the way me and my
mom go to the store and get mad
at how they tell us they are out and
we have to go online and how when
we go to the park and my mom
tries her best to push us on the
swings and how my mom and me
say boo because the people on
American Idol and how me
and my mom do each other’s nails
and have parties and get
in trouble with my Nana and
how me and my mom try to sneak out
Ode to My Family
Jahlil W.
I love my mom
and my grandma
I love my mom’s pasta
when I go to get seconds
it’s gone
I’m mad and sad
I love my grandma’s chocolate cake
I eat all of it before
I eat dinner
I love my brother
he helps me with my homework
when we are home alone
he makes me pizza
he is technically my dad
He feels like a dad
to me
