All posts in Shoesmith

The Objects We Cherish @ Shoesmith 5th & 6th Grade

For their fourth virtual poetry residency Shoesmith Elementary’ s 5th and 6th grade students explored significant objects in their lives. Students were asked, “What is one object that you cherish?” and “Why is it […]

Poetry On the Menu @ Shoesmith 5th & 6th Grade

For their third virtual poetry residency Shoesmith Elementary’ s 5th and 6th grade students explored the relationship between food and memories. We discussed how food is not just for filling our stomachs but allows […]

Rain, Snow, and Other Weather @ Shoesmith 5th & 6th Grade

For their second virtual poetry residency Shoesmith Elementary’ s 5th and 6th grade students explored ideas about weather. They were asked the question “What type of weather describes your own personalities? A personality is […]

“You Can Dream:” Just Ask Shoesmith 4th Graders!

During our 4th session together, 4th graders at Shoesmith Elementary poured their hearts and minds into expressing their fantastic daydreams, their fearsome nightmares, and their dreams for themselves and our future. The title of […]

Brainstorming Comparisons: 4th Graders Get Busy!

4th graders at Shoesmith sharpened their observation skills and donned their thinking caps to make creative comparisons between things in our world. During the brainstorm part of our lesson, Keira said the “the sky […]

Words Are Birds @ Shoesmith 5th & 6th Grade

To kick off their virtual poetry residency Shoesmith Elementary’ s 5th and 6th grade students explored the power of words. They were asked the question: How are words essential to creating Poetry? Most students […]

4th Graders Gather Sound!

Have you ever stopped to notice how much sound is going on in the world, all at once? 4th Graders at Shoesmith contemplated thoughtfully the sounds of our world. We talked about favorite sounds […]

4th Grade Wish Poems!

4th Graders at Shoesmith were energized and ready to get down to poetry when I joined them in Ms. Lehner’s remote-learning classroom. They told me that poetry was about rhyme and feelings, free verse, […]

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