All posts in Joy Young

What’s In My Toolbox?

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students explored the idea of using “tools” to fix social issues. Tools are objects that aid us in completing certain tasks, such as building a house […]

How I Persevered

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students explored poetry about perseverance, overcoming obstacles to reach achievement. Together students read “Harlem Hopscotch,” by Maya Angelou. In her poem Angelou uses the game of […]

Mi Bandera, My Flag

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students explored the symbolism of flags in our society. Students were shown different images of flags, such as the American flag that stands for pride and […]

Good Advice

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students explored what it means to give and listen to good advice. Advice is an opinion that is supposed to be helpful and offer guidance. Students […]

One Day It Could Be You

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students explored the issue of homelessness in our society. Students discussed how natural disasters, illnesses, low wages, and job loss can lead to homelessness. To find […]

Hunger is the sun with no shine

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students discussed the impact of hunger on low income communities. Students were introduced to the term “food desert” which is an area where it is difficult […]

Can you see the pride in our community?

MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students continue to explore social issues this week by looking at the poetry of the late rapper Tupac Shakur. Throughout his career Shakur wrote songs and poems […]

Who I am

This summer 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at MLK Academy will be exploring and writing poetry about social issues affecting their communities. For our first poetry lesson we read and discussed “I Am […]

Blackout at Shoesmith

Shoesmith students finished up the school year with a virtual lesson on blackout poetry. Blackout poetry is when poets use text from books, newspapers, or magazines to create visual art and poetry. Students experimented […]

Pow! Zap! Kaboom! Sound Effects in Poetry

For their third virtual poetry lesson Shoesmith students experimented with sound effects in poetry. Together we read Gwendolyn Brooks poem, “Cynthia in the Snow,” where a young girl is using her sense of hearing […]

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I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET