This lesson circulated around the concept of lists. Through Albert Goldbarth’ s long form list poem, ‘Library’ (truncated for our purposes ) we took time to create our own list poems.
Lesson Note: A list making practice was even used by author, Ray Bradbury, to mine his memory for writing gold and is used by many writers to this day. “The lists were the provocations,” he writes, “that caused my better stuff to surface. I was feeling my way toward something, honest, hidden under the trapdoor on the top of my skull.”
Ms. Munoz, 8th Grade
1st Period
Skyline
Sara J.
This building is tall
This building is black and red
This building is where I once got 50 bug bites
This building is connected to another building
This building is where I draw
This building is where I nearly fell out a
window and died
This building is wet.
This building is made with pillows and blankets
This building is taller
This building is rough and sticky
This building has a tree growing inside
a street
Jacob C.
This building sells negative donuts
This building-no one knows where it
came from ro why it’s here?
A cat saw this building once.
This building isn’t where you live.
This building can do a backflip but
it doesn’t want to.
This building is made entirely of
vanilla pudding. Do not touch it.
This building is avaible in MP3
and FLAC formats
There is nothing where you can see this
building.
This building is actually not sentient.
Why would you say that? Weirdo.
it is impossible to refer to me, a building,
in the third person.
A dog saw this building once.
This building does not actually conform
to any conceivable style or architecture.
No one has ever kicked this building.
This was probably John Lennon’s favorite
building. It was only constructed 5 years
after his death.
This building contains nothing but
edible pink boxes. No one knows why.
Book in my Room
Alex. B.
This book is old, my grandfather
gave it to me, it was his.
This book my brother took
This book I stayed up late to finish.
This book I woke up early to read
This book was a gift
This book I bought
This book my dog at the cover off.
This book I can ready really quick.
This book is quite long.
This book I spilled water on…three times.
This book I read on the place.
This book I read in a car.
This book is from the library…
shoot it was due last year.
This book I was assigned for school,
ti turned out to be good.
This book was a let down.
This book is stained
This book is ripped
This book has a cracked spine
This book is mine.
Ms. Munoz, 8th Grade
3rd Period
List Longform Metaphor Humor
Elena H.
This place is welcoming
This place is harmful
This place smells nice
This place is beautiful
This place is blue
This place is weird
This place is wet
This place is ugly
This place is now
This place is old
This place is good for my health
This place is tiring
This place is my passion
This place saved my life
This place is my home
This place has nature
This place is where I grew up
This place is special
This place is horrible
This pace hurts me
The place breaks me
This place is serious
This place is where I will live
This place is yummy
This place is sickening
This lace is exciting
This place is my family
This place is my enemy
This place is my nightmare and comfort
Netflix
Natalee B.
This movie has a deeper meaning.
This movie features pirates nd wizards oh my!
This movie is a terrible joke.
This movie is based on a best seller
This movie made me fall out of my seat and die of laughter
This movie ruined the original
This movie should get rated harsher
Watch out kids.
This movie crushed my soul.
This movie is in Spanish.
Oh wait, its only for the first five minutes.
Por que?
This movie is trash.
This movie made me cry every type of tear you
can think of.
This movie is too complex.
This movie should not exist.
This movie killed my dog.
He got so scared of the Fourth of July scene.
Poor pup!
This movie features a strange cat
With a striped hat.
Twelve striped to be exact.
This movie made me feel joy, sadness, fear
and disgust.
These movies are my source of joy.
Untitled
Sara S.
This gym changed the way I view the world
This gym smells like chalk.
This gym is very strange.
This gym has holes in it.
This gym is falling apart.
This gym broke my leg.
This gym held the best day ever.
This gym smelt of sweat.
This gym put many in tears.
This gym is the one I train in today.
This gym turned into an Olympic stadium.
This gym taught me a lot.
This gym raised Olympians.
This guy is my second home.
Kindergarten Class of 2011
Tristan R.
This child will one day be me
This child paints with her finders and does not wash her hands
This child runs with no shoes on
This child makes fun of me to no end
This child has curly unkempt hair
This child is crying and screaming and kicking
If you look a this child eh will run and hide
This child HATES everything!
This child says everything like it’s a question?
This child cannot sit down
This child is madly in love with that child
This child has already read Shakespeare
I used to sit with this child at snack time
Sometimes this child would drool over the teacher
This child’s favorite color are blue and green
One day this child will cross the street by himself
This child will feverishly tick you (Even during graduation)
This child is one I do not remember
This child connects his freckles with Sharpie markers
Perspectives
Jack D.
I am a son
I am a brother
I am no different from you
I am special
I am a child
I am original
I am a friend, I hope
I am a classmate
I am a mysterious face
I am an unknown name
I am a past team mate
I am a student
I am a grandson
I am a favorite
child is what I like to think
Yo soy yo!
The Shoe Store
Alejandro S.
This shoe is my shield.
This shoe hides my identity
This shoe is smelly because
this book is filled with sweat
This shoe is running a million miles per hour
This shoe is important
And this shoe already has a partner
When I don’t even get a date
This shoe travels all over the world
This shoe is speedy, or slow
This shoe is good at walking
with a friend
This shoe is unfortunately walked over every day
This shoe likes the foot
This shoe is loved
This shoe is important because
This show is a shoe.
The End
Ms. Munoz, 8th Grade
6th Period
Untitled
Hailey S.
This book hit my friend in the face.
This book smells like honey.
This book almost killed me.
This book was ten out of ten.
This book isn’t lit.
This book is pretty lit.
This book is different from the author.
This book is terrible.
This book was amazing
This book was in the garbage.
This book was recycled.
This book killed someone.
This book hit me.
This book was found in a church.
This book is emotional.
This book is very punny.
This book I drooled on.
This book is really old.
This book is really new.
This book made me cry
This book is a movie
This book has small doodles of some
characters.
This book I created on my spare
time
This book was made by Lee
This book is dead
This book is a collaboration that
me and my friend made
This book is second to last book
And sadly this book is my last
Untitled
Brian P.
This book is mine.
This book is my favorite.
This book is something that can be yours.
This book has a weird taste.
This book needs time.
This book takes place in a place to rest
where you can read the book in peace.
This book is special to earth.
Untitled
Casey Z.
This book blocked a chipmunk from hitting my ( a stuffed one)
This book smells like mashed potatoes, maybe honey mustard.
This book made me almost fall down the stairs, falling into my
brother, and possibly breaking some bones, but that didn’t happen.
This book allowed me to escape my sister.
Untitled
Thomas S.
This book whispered to me in the night
This book played with my heart in cruel and wicked ways
This box took my brain and threw it on the floor
with a splat
This book took my eyes and rung them until they were dry
This book makes me think
This book made me feel nothing
And even so, I am collect all m memories, for my
hunger will never be sated.
Ms. Munoz, 8th Grade
7th Period
Poem
Ian R.
This book was made by my mom.
This book is amazing
This book I smacked my brother on the beach
with two weeks ago.
This book was the first I read
This book is by someone who stole my dog.
This book smells like breakfast.
This book is about bacon.
This book is called: ‘The Da Vinci Code”.
This book became a documentary.
This book starred on a TV show two years
ago.
This book is mystical. It takes you on
a magical adventure with rainbows and marshmallows
and Huhuuhaas.
This book survived a bombing from World
War II
This book I ate a bit on purpose because I
was hungry.
This book gave me hope.
This book inspired me.
This book seems to be older than the world
This book isn’t finished yet
This book is the reason my sister is alive.
This book challenged me to a bird contest.
but tu-can play at this game.
This book stole my soul for a month.
This book allowed me to fly.
This book brought me success.
This book- i don’t wanna say.
This book was burned by a flamethrower.
This book taught me a math concept.
This book means everything to me.
Playlist
Ariana C.
This song gets my energy running
This song reminds me of my family–I miss them
This song is so long!
This song makes me want to go to sleep.
This song—why am I evening listening to this?!?
This song was good when my mom was a kid!
This song brings back memories.
This song I don’t know the words to
This song was written my someone who I dumped
two years ago
This song is one I have memorized
This song is form one of those Disney shows
This song makes me feel powerful
This song gives me life
This song reminds me of who I am
Kiawah
Lucy C.
This place is the best
This place smells good.
This place has alligators.
This place has sand.
This place is hot.
This place has food.
This place gives out free sunburn.
This place has grass.
This place has palm trees.
This place is far.
This
Ms. Munoz, 8th Grade
8th Period
Library
Dehne S.
This book is colorful
This book brings out the good in me
This book makes me think of happiness
This book has a smell of candy
This book has a taste of strawberries.
This book is the ocean waves crashing
into the sandy beach
This book changes to dark
This book kills people’s joy
This book only likes the darkness of
night
This book is racist and sexist
this book is the new world.
Line Poem
Simon O.
This book is fictional
This book is non-fictional
This book is about math
This book is about science
This book is educational
This book teaches kids how to count
This book teaches kids how to read…ironic
and pointless, right?
This book will definitely make you cry
This book will definitely make you laugh
This book will make you wish you didn’t
come here today
This book will make you question your very
existence
This book will make you question every
decision yo ever made.
This book will make you sneeze
This book consists entirely of pictures…
maybe that would teach kids to read.
This book is so good, but it’s goo long,
you may end up getting bored of it, and
you may put it down forever.
This book is so boring to begin with, it would
make you want to drive a knife right
through you…just please, please don’t read this.
This book will make you become more peaceful.
This poem will make you think that everything
I said before is reversed.
This book will give you hope to your
life.
This book will rewrite your life.
Library In My Mind
Charlotte B.
This thought is mine to keep
This thought is utopia
This thought is my dad in the distance
telling me I’m a good kid
This thought is a future of cotton candy
This thought is full of lies
This thought I clutch close to my heart
This thought smiles back at me
This thought is a dream I cant quite capture
This thought is sprinkled through my life
This thought is a secret
This thought is frightfully alive
This thought is about food, along with so many others
This thought makes me cry
This thought is old and rusty
This thought is small but overused
This is the thought of wisdom
A thought used very little
This thought I vaguely
remember
Untitled
Natalia C.
This book made me laugh so hard that I
fell out of my chair and got a concussion
and had to go to the doctor and my
parents didn’t let me go to school for 3
days, not that I wanted to, but I
offered so I could seem like a better
student and my parents would be proud.
This book is annoying
This book is strange
This book is one I never read
This book is one that I don’t like
This book connects to me
This book made me less ignorant
This book made me smile
This book gave me homework answers
This book is a book
This book ended world hunger
This book wishes it was this other book
This book inspired me
This book made me mad
This book is…wait, I’m back where
I started. END OF TOUR
