All posts in Moos

Fish, You’re Dancing A Lullaby

This week I had to distinct pleasure of writing poems to music with the Moos Elementary 4th, 5th, & 6th Graders. As part of the Poetry Center’s Collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, our […]

Are you big like the Sears Tower? Or small like a little doctor?

For our third week together, the Moos 4th & 6th graders read Blake’s “Tyger” and then wrote a poem to a mysterious animal. For their poem, they could ask the animal any questions they […]

Strange Company! The Halloween Creatures at Moos Elementary

Week Two and its Halloween! The students and I read two poems: October, by Bobbi Katz, and Theme In Yellow, by Carl Sandburg. We discussed persona and voice, and how you might transform into […]

This book tastes like tamales on Christmas night: The secret libraries of Moos Elementary

What a busy week! The very first of our residency is always jam packed: we’ve got to get to know each other, talk about what to expect, pass out poetry folders, and then get […]

What Do You Believe?

Moos – Week 12 This week we were looking at out-going poet laureate Natasha Trethewey’s “Southern Fires.” This poem is about keeping silent when you know something wrong is happening, so I asked the […]

Bam-Woosh-Meow

Moos – Week 11 I wanted the young poets to write about sounds this week, and so what better model poem than Li-Young Lee’s “Falling: The Code”? There is no better poem. Well maybe. […]

Insect Petting Zoo, Too…

Moos – Week 10 My second workshop with the University of Illinois Extension’s Master Gardener Insect Petting Zoo went just as good as the first one. The younger kids reacted similarly, though actually less […]

Insecurity System

Moos – Week 9 This class looked at Audre Lorde’s “Hanging Fire.” I like it because of the equal value it gives ashy skin to death, and the mysterious repetition of her (supposed) uncaring […]

Concrete Abstracts

Moos – Week 8 This week was met with a small challenge – I love the poem “On Kindness” by Aracelis Girmay, and I usually teach it to High School students. In the workshop […]

Sorry/Soory/I’m not sorry

Moos – Week 7 The students this week took a look at Martin Espada’s poem “I Apologize for Giving You Poison Ivy by Smacking You in the Eye with the Crayfish at the End […]

Donate

Support our student poets today!

CONNECT WITH US!

Twitter Facebook-f Instagram

STUDENT POETRY

Click on a school name below to browse student poems from current school partners.

POETRY ARCHIVE

Click on a school name below to browse student poems from our archive.

RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS

TESTIMONIALS

“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
-Oscar S.

“Writing poetry makes me feel free.”
-Buenda D.

“Writing poetry is like your best friend.”
-Jessica M.

Search

CONTACT US

General Inquiries
info@poetrycenter.org

Programs (School & Organizational)
programs@poetrycenter.org

Reading Series and Events:
curator@poetrycenter.org

The Chicago Poetry Center is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
FEIN: 23-7400515

SEND US A POSTCARD

Chicago Poetry Center
1448 E. 52nd St, #256
Chicago, IL 60615

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