Younger students wrote food-inspired poems after reading a Nikki Giovanni poem about food! Nikki Giovanni is a well-known African-American poet who used to spend summers with her grandparents in Knoxville, Tennessee, when she was a little girl, doing a lot of the same things you like to do during the summer. Her happy memories of those summers inspired her to write a poem called ”Knoxville, Tennessee.”
I always like summer
best
you can eat fresh corn
from daddy’s garden
and okra
and greens
and cabbage
and lots of
barbecue
and buttermilk and homemade ice-cream
at the church picnic
and listen to
gospel music
outside
at the church
homecoming
and go to the mountains with
your grandmother
and go barefooted
and be warm
all the time
not only when you go to bed
and sleep
…and older students watched a poetry slam-style teen group performance before crafting their voice-inspired performance poems!
Lesson Note: “I respect anyone who’s pulled an idea out of their brain and fully brought it to life. That is spiritual. To know that it started as a thought and you brought it to fruition is crazy. Shout out to the ones who see it all the way through. Keep creating.”
– CeeLo Green, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor.
Ms. Williams, 5th Grade
My Voice
by Kennedy J.
My voice is like a microwave because its loud at night
My voice is like a lion’s roar because it stands out
My voice is a firetruck because it saves people
My voice is like police sirens
My voice is like a packed store because it stands out in places.
My Voice
by Jia B.
My voice is powerful like a hurricane
but instead of destroying things I build things up
My voice is like a police siren. You will stop and listen to it.
My voice is strong, like elastic, because it won’t break.
My voice is structured. It builds people up, and it
tears certain things down.
Mr. Peachey, 7th Grade
My Voice
by Tryon M.
My voice is like a crystal that shines brightly
My voice is water-, like in an ocean
My voice is dirt to sand
My voice is rain to the sky
My voice is glowing like the sun.
My Voice
by Jada M.
My voice is like a black sheep, it stands out.
My voice is like calm, it’s quiet.
My voice is like a drum, it’s very loud.
My voice is like a mouse, it is not heard.
My voice is like a bomb, it moves people!
My Voice
by Isiah M.
My voice is like a choir, lifting people up
My voice is like a rubber duck because it quacks
My voice is like a boat ’cause I stay afloat
My voice is energetic like a cheetah, always keeps moving
My voice is like a pet, I am here to comfort.
My Voice
by Nicholas R.
My voice is like a rubber duck, it loves to comfort
My voice is like a bus, it carries many and is made of metal
My voice is like wings
My Voice
by K’Von D.
My voice is like a dog, it is loud
My voice is like a boss/ it stands out in the world.
My voice is like a rubber duck, it is heard.
Ms. Turner, 6th Grade
My Voice
by Christopher T.
My voice is a tiger
My voice is a cheetah
My voice is a spider
My voice is a bug
My Voice
by Christopher D.
My voice is like a spider, quiet and shy
My voice is like a lion, it’s loud sharp
My voice is like a street and goes straight down
My voice is like a cat, loud and shy
My voice is like a building, cloudy and high
My Voice
by Aniyah A.
My voice is like a fire truck, it’s loud
My voice is like a feather falling on the ground around people
My voice is like a flower, it’s sweet
My voice is like a swan, graceful and pretty
My voice is like a bar, bold and strong.
My Voice
by Tyrone Y.
My voice is like a timer going off
My voice is like the sun, beautiful and shiny
My voice is like a tornado, loud and strong
My voice is powerful like an earthquake
My Voice
by Arielle D.
My voice is like a book, it tells stories
My voice is like a cake, its sweet
My voice is like a tiger, loud and strong
My voice is like lip gloss, its strong
My voice is my voice!
END
Ms. Swinehart, 3rd Grade
Candy
by Amani A.
Blue candy
Blue candy
Blue candy
I taste all the sugar
I hear the sound of candy
Seafood
by Halley H.
I can taste the seafood
with everything in it
I can hear the seafood bubbling
McDonald’s
by Journey M.
I smell barbecue wings
I see the hot popcorn
I feel the sausage pizza
I hear the popcorn sizzling
Ms. Williams, 5th Grade
My Voice
Nakeem H.
My voice is like a robot, intelligent but stiff
My voice is very loud and stiff
My voice is like a movie at the theater
My voice is also very generous like a nice person
My voice is talented like someone who is doing a speech
My Voice
by Vaniyah R.
My voice is like a robot, intelligent but stiff
My voice is very soft
My voice is soft like a cat walking on a cloud.
My voice is so soft and generous.
My voice is so soft and calm like a calm and chill
person.
My Voice
by Nevaeh W.
My voice is cute
My voice is like normal
My voice is loud
My voice is like a teacher
My voice is like my mom
My Voice
by Jacob Walker
My voice is like an ice cream truck, it gains followers and never stops going
My voice is like a tree, it never stops flowing
My voice is like a train, it stops when
it feels like it.
