This week we read excerpts from “I Remember” by Joe Brainard and talked about using descriptive, sensory language to create images. Students shared their favorite lines and identified which sense was being activated in each line. They responded to prompts on an I Remember Questionnaire to write their poems.
Ms. Wesson
5th Grade
Group 1
I Remember
Cole B.
I remember in second grade when I ate cereal in class.
I remember when I got a Pokemon toy from McDonald’s.
I remember on my birthday my dad poured ice on me.
I remember when I was younger I had a toy block.
I remember I watched YouTube with my best friend.
I remember when I was younger I made a horse noise with my mouth.
I remember when I was younger I smelled a fruity smell like apples, bananas and blueberries mixed.
I remember in the summer when I played football with my dad.
I remember when my dad said, “Can’t is not a word in my family.”
I remember when me and my family went to Sky Zone.
I remember when I always hid in my parent’s room under their covers.
I remember when I found my lost teddy bear.
I remember my mom took me to her a job and it was magical. She had a nurse job.
I remember when I always collected marbles a lot.
I remember when I listened to my mom sing a song.
I Remember
Karen G.
I remember two birds, but one died.
I remember my doll with long soft hair.
I remember seeing my family on Dia la Muerte.
I remember my brown bear with the red bow tie.
I remember holding hands because we were scared.
I remember my mom singing the ABCs.
I remember arroz con leche sweet from sugar.
I remember the warm pool in the summer.
I remember, “My princess.”
I remember my little auntie and how we pillow fight.
I remember hiding under the basement.
I remember happiness when my mom lost her phone.
I remember the fun, bright store.
I remember drawing my dolls, which made me happy.
I remember my first friend.
I Remember
Nasir M.
I remember having a crush on a girl named Sarah.
I remember my trainset.
I remember Thanksgiving dinner, eating good food with family and friends.
I remember always having to have my soft medium-size Sponge Bob.
I remember playing tag with my friend.
I remember the smell of food being prepared by my mom.
I remember playing in the soft, cold, white snow making snowballs and a snowman.
I remember my mom saying “I love you.”
I remember loving my mom.
I remember hiding in a tent inside my living room.
I remember I found some really great spinner toys.
I remember going for a very long ride with the wind blowing to my grandmother’s house.
I remember playing my games trying to beat my high score every time.
I remember having only two teeth and eating an entire pizza by myself.
I Remember
Skylar R.
I remember in 2nd grade Mrs. Kinne had a bunk-bed and a library with beanbag chairs.
I remember I had a play kitchen.
I remember Thanksgiving when I had my first blueberry pie.
I remember money and my best friend Zoey.
I remember Zoey. I went to her house since we were 2.
I remember snow when you step in it.
I remember the smell of cake.
I remember in summer I rolled down the hill and in winter I jumped in the snow.
I remember my mom fussing at my dad.
I remember in the kitchen cooking with my family.
I remember hiding in my mom’s closet.
I remember my grandpa. I lost him forever.
Ms. Wesson
5th Grade
Group 2
I Remember
Miley C.-B.
I remember being the teacher for the day.
I remember bringing my Doc McStuffin doll everywhere.
I remember on Halloween being the only small person at this party.
I remember being a toddler I always had my Minnie doll.
I remember us always going to each other’s house almost every week.
I remember popping noises from popcorn.
I remember the smell of the salty butter popcorn.
I remember in the winter me and my family went outside and threw snowballs.
I remember “Be you and not somebody they want you to be.”
I remember me and my family doing an indoor camping trip.
I remember my secret hiding spot was an empty room in my closet.
I remember me losing my friend’s dad who I knew my whole life. He was like my uncle.
I remember visiting Wisconsin.
I remember I used to love art and I still do.
I Remember
Ngone D.
I remember the teacher letting us play outside during free time.
I remember playing in Barbie’s pink mansion.
I remember coming home at 3AM from a New Year’s party so tired yet so hyper.
I remember always having Bobo the Bunny with me.
I remember sitting at my house with my best friend watching “Mean Girls” while eating candy.
I remember construction all over our neighborhood.
I remember skiing in Switzerland with my family.
I remember my sister saying, “Your room is always a mess!” constantly.
I remember taking swimming lessons and my sister would always try to drown me.
I remember losing my favorite book that was under the bed.
I remember going to Disney Land parks at least two times.
I remember always playing tennis.
I remember going to the museum when I was 3 years old.
I Remember
Lena L.
I remember the first person I talked to in 2nd grade.
I remember on Christmas when my little cousin came to surprise me.
I remember when I always had my polar bear stuffed animal before we left the house.
I remember when my first best friend and I raced across the field.
I remember when I was little and my mom and dad put a big shirt on me and everyone started laughing.
I remember when soccer was one of my hobbies.
Ms. Henry
6th Grade
Group 1
I Remember
Sarah A.
I remember the bright, glistening candles and the red afro of my aunt’s husband.
I remember the burning hot sidewalks, and the cool, salty ocean water.
I remember the homemade Thanksgiving meals, and the cat under my chair.
I remember “Good things come to those who wait.”
I remember Baba’s famous chocolate cake, the smell so sweet and inviting.
I Remember
Quian K.-S.
I remember in 2nd grade stomping my feet when my teacher turned off the lights with my light up shoes.
I remember all my action figures I had of WWE wrestling to basketball players.
I remember on Thanksgiving my parents, cousins, brother, grandparents and friends—we had food, games and watched the basketball game Cavs vs. Timberwolves.
I remember the toy I always had to have was an Elmo puppet and Big Bird I took everywhere.
I remember my first best friend was Brice and we would go in the woods and climb trees and sleep in tents and play Subway Surfer.
I remember the sound of Beyonce on the radio and other music my dad used to listen to.
I remember the smell of my mom and grandma cooking while me and my dad and grandpa was watching TV.
I remember going to an outside woods camp where I was taught how to shoot a gun and a bow.
I Remember
Aramis W.
I remember when I would play with Plushies with my best friend.
I remember when I heard hot dogs sizzle on the grill.
I remember always smelling baked goods and oatmeal.
I remember when I used to hide in the dryer.
I remember when I would sit on my bed watching TV and drawing in my notepad.
I remember when I scraped my knee so badly that I almost fainted.
I remember I had a slingshot always with me in 1 pocket and the other I had pebbles.
I remember being told to mind my own business.
I remember sitting on the couch watching TV with caramel popcorn.
I remember having a leap frog always in hand.
I remember eating lava cake and pretending to eat lava on my birthday.
I Remember
Nykshavyah Y.
I remember going to my favorite park with my big cousin Alonzo and meeting a new friend.
I remember being told by my mom, “You used to play with angels.”
I remember always carrying around my teddy bear given to me by my brother.
I remember listening to Hebrew music.
I remember losing my grandma to cancer.
I remember the house smelling so fresh and fragrant on Friday evening.
I remember hating the bitter taste of horseradish on Passover night.
I remember hiding in the cabinet under the island when I wanted to be in an enclosed space.
I remember going to my first family reunion and eating watermelon.
I remember having butterflies in my stomach when I approached my new school in second grade.
I remember always reading a fun book before going to sleep.
I remember standing on a paint can watching Harry Potter on a Saturday night.
Ms. Henry
6th Grade
Group 2
I Remember
Jefferson D.
I remember doing surgery on my teddy bear Mr. Stuffykens.
I remember doing flips with my best friend Jacques at Sky Zone.
I remember my sister dropping a glass of orange juice on the kitchen floor.
I remember the smell of my mom burning popcorn in the microwave.
I remember having a snowball fight with my older sisters.
I remember my favorite wrestler saying “My real name is Joe and I’ve been living with leukemia for 11 years.
I remember my mom telling me my grandma passed away.
I remember hiding in the closet all day long.
I remember finding my cousin’s iPhone.
I remember going to Nickelodeon Studios for my sister’s birthday.
I Remember
Derricka M.
I remember when I would sing gospel songs to my mom and dad and try to mimic the pastor singing.
I remember when my aunt bought me a doll and I called her Emily.
I remember I always used to bring my doll Emily everywhere—the store, to school and home.
I remember when it was summer and my brother Face Timed me so that I could see my beautiful baby niece.
I remember me and my BFF went to Jake’s Warehouse. We would go to the arcade and play some video games and then we would eat pizza.
I Remember
Jason S.
I remember reading Minecraft on the bottom bunk.
I remember the one-armed Sponge Bob figure.
I remember the Christmas when nothing worked right.
I remember always listening to alphabet music in kindergarten with Ronald.
I remember the green machine in my crib with animals on it that played soothing music.
I remember the distinct chemical smell of the bathroom and kitchen after being cleaned.
I remember driving downtown Chicago in the summertime, taking in all of the people and buildings.
I remember the birthday party with the Angry Birds cake and everyone was gathered in the living room.
I remember the Halloween I found the teddy bear that was holding the orange and white candy corn.
I remember the bright sunshine of Florida.
I remember getting paid to sweep the white tiled kitchen floor.
I Remember
Lena T.
I remember in 2nd grade Mr. P had a little sea turtle named Sylvia.
I remember when I was little I had a little monkey Plushy named Coconut and he was green.
I remember for Halloween my sister had a blue princess dress on with a black wig on. When we were walking down the street her wig flew off.
I remember I went over my best friend’s house and I would always hide at the end because I didn’t want to go home.
I remember the sound of my mom and dad fighting in the kitchen when me and my siblings were sleeping.
I remember the smell of home-baked chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen.
I remember every summer my sister, brother, and I would go to the beach and meet someone new.
