This week, we started by referring back to the vocabulary list and adding two new words for talking about poetry: imagery and personification. Then we read and discussed Charles Simic‘s poem, “Stone.” I asked if students could find any personification in the poem, and what they thought about a stone being alive and able to think, speak, and feel—would they, also, be “happy to be a stone”? I then asked if hearing the poem read aloud put any pictures into their minds? The stone sinking into the river, “slow, unperturbed,” and “sparks fly[ing] out / When two stones are rubbed” were some particularly vivid images mentioned, evoking mental sounds as well as pictures.
Getting ready to write, the class brainstormed things that are inside other things, and I wrote their responses on the board, which they could choose from or not. Once we had a list with about a dozen ideas, they were off and running! They were also free to use personification in their poems if they wanted.
Ms. Thiel, 2nd Grade
Boiled Egg
Lucas C.
A boiled egg is an egg that’s boiled and I was
the egg in the hot water I said
“jacuzzi” and then I died because someone
ate me and I died.
Talking Hippo Inside a Zoo
Keyondra G.
hippo hippo in a zoo how
are you doing today?
Thoughts
Simon P.
My thoughts are in my head. You can’t
see them but they are there.
They are there when you need
them. A warrior that we can favor.
A warrior that fights bad dreams.
That rips them and pounds them
and fights them to pieces. I take
some and swallow them so that they
are gone.
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Mikhail S.
Round squirrels can
go inside and chew
a tree. Round squirrels
are like a torpedo.
But don’t think they
can’t walk.
My Body
Leila W.
This is my Body. I am the
Heart. I have a job and that
job is to give lots of love and
affection. And I have something
in me 1: I have blood cells 2: I
give love and that’s
feelings.
I have friends in the
Body.
Ms. Ward, 2nd Grade
Happy Thoughts
Arjun A.
happy thoughts
sad thoughts
mad thoughts
weird thoughts
in your head.
Books in a Book Bag
Avni B.
A book in a book bag,
is a little heavy
or,
a little
light,
It can even go
in a bin or a little
baggy
It can go
in anything as
long as it fits.
But it
has
to be
safe.
Something That Goes in Something Else
Matasia C.
Paper goes inside a
folder. Hands on a clock
go inside something.
Pencil goes inside a
pencil box. Cap goes on
markers.
Toys go in a toybox.
Water goes in a cup
or water bottle. Folders
go in your backpack.
Your backpack goes in
your locker.
Food
Monica E.
I
eat food
I love food
I have food inside
& outside now food comes
& goes yum!
Water
Nico F.
Water goes inside a cup a glass a lake
an ocean a water bottle our stomachs even
outside on the sidewalk
in your sink or in your bath tub
it can go in your hair it can go in your mouth
in a pool or hot tub
Bird
Roxane L.
It soars through the sky
can you guess
a bird
A bird in a tree
soars off gracefully
into the mist of the night
down mountain
to find food
hophop
and away
A Frown
Morgan M.
My face has an upsidedown mouth
my teeth slowly speaks my friends
all have happy smiles and loud
teeth and I just stay, like a
lonely sad & scared slop of gum.
Inside Out
Nicolas T.
I went to my house and
got a bar. I got on my bike
and gave out the newspaper.
I went in my car and drove
from Chicago to Indianapolis.
I went to a park in Indianapolis.
I drove back to Chicago and I went
to my house.
All day long I from inside to
out.
Ms. O’Connor, 2nd Grade
A Llama in My Fur
Katy H.
A llama inside its furry, fuzzy fur.
The llamas do many things in their fur,
they might even paint with their
fur! The llamas stay warm, but in the summer
they’re fuming hot! Llamas love to sleep in
trees with their burning hot fur! They also
tattoo with their fur, they stuff their fur
in trees to make trees soft, and they also
grow lice and mice in their fur! That’s what
llama fur is for!
The Egg
Nika M.
Once there was an
egg inside the egg there
was a chick the egg was
like a home to the chick
there was everything she
needed in there but she
really wanted to see the
outside world too so she
pecked and pecked but then
her beak fell off then
she cried she wanted to
see her mom then she started
to watch TV and her
mom was on the show!
The Crab
Darius N.
Once there was a crab
he could not find a shell so
he got mad mad,
he was also
a little sad
he wished he had
a shell in the shape of
a bell
then one day he found
a
shell and it was in
the shape of a bell! so he
said “hurry” and it was a happy day!!
I Was a Baby
Opal P.
at one time of my life
I was a baby
a little tiny baby
I was small I was cute
I was a baby
The Turtle
Paige R.
Some people have pets
and one of them is a turtle.
They hibernate in winter
and fall those two cold seasons.
When they hibernate they go inside
their shell that protects them
from other animals and they use
it for winter. That is all about
turtles.
Seed
Josiah R.
A seed
It doesn’t care if it’s stuffed in the ground
or eaten
Or stuck in an apple
It can become a beautiful tree
or thrown in garbage useless
Names
Shirley R.
Letters are in a name
Like three peas in a pod
The letters are the peas
And the name is the pod
Letters form a name
They join together
Holding hands
Side by side
Chatting about
Which name they’re going to make next
One big
Others are small
But they join together
To make names for all
Some have little dots
Some have special spots
Any way you write it
Bubble, Big, or polka dotted
Your name is special
Any way you spell it
Ms. Rupp, 2nd Grade
Inside
Nia A.
I am a food I go
inside people
My name is
Pizza some people love
exactly love! to
eat me and some
people also put
toppings on me
like pepperoni
and sausage and
veggies and
sometimes I’m
with plain cheese.
People buy me.
I get excited.
They buy me at
lots of stores
like Whole Foods and
Pizza Hut and Blaze I’m a
popular food
Everything You Like
Addison A.
A lead in a pencil,
A pencil in a box.
A box in a bag
and a bag on your back.
You like it.
It’s good.
A flag in your hand,
your hand on your body.
Your body anywhere you want
and anywhere you like.
You like it.
Yeah.
Ahhah.
People in Houses!
Rachel B.
After people go somewhere
where do they go next?
They need shelter.
Hot Dog!
Emiliano B.
I bet a hot dog loves a bun.
It lays in it and rests.
It drinks ketchup and mustard and
draws on the bun with ketchup or
mustard. It must be fun as
a hot dog, except when you
get eaten!
The Breakfast Goes in a Bag
Roy L.
A breakfast goes in a bag
lunch goes in a plate
food goes in your tummy
yes the words are in
your mouth
Pencil Lead
Atia L.
I am a pencil lead
I go inside a pencil
I am used to write
people use me a lot
I get dizzy going
round and round
people use me
a lot everyday
I get sleepy
writing I wish
I could tell people
to give me a break
I could use
one I also like
being a pencil because
I am helpful to people who
like to write and
draw
The Chicken Nugget Bag
Naima R.
I’m cold as ice.
In this freezer
here. The ice is blocking my ear.
Hooray someone’s
coming.
To get me!!!!!
OH,
they’re getting waffles.
Jewels
Clara S.
I am a jewel.
I do not like
being in something.
People
always put me in
things.
I cannot see what they
think but I know.
I like being
put in things
when I am cold. It
is nice being
a jewel.
Ms. Schwartz, 2nd Grade
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Sienna B.
Coin in a wallet
a water in cup
a pencil in pencil case
a marker in box
a phone in bag
Flowers
Christian C.
I poured the water into the flowerpot.
Couple days later it started to grow it
went up up up. It grew! Oh no
I forgot to pour the water. Mom will
be so mad.
Boxes
Morgan H.
A box goes
in a box
like 1 box
goes in another
box and another
box goes in another
box.
2 boxes go into 4 boxes
6 boxes go into 8 boxes
10 boxes go into 12 boxes
14 boxes go into 16 boxes
18 boxes go into 20 boxes
22 boxes go into 24 boxes
26 boxes go into 28 boxes
30 boxes go into 32 boxes
34 boxes go into 36 boxes
Things Go Inside Things
Skyla H.
water goes in
a cup food goes
in your body and
the refrigerator
buckets go in
wells also
water goes
in
buckets
and
water
goes
in
us
blood
goes
inside
you
so
you
can
live!!
Water
Ava J.
Water can go into anything!
Water can go into a wishing well.
Minerals in a Rock
Jacob L.
minerals in rocks
color and color
in mineral minerals in rocks
lots of color
pieces
of rock minerals
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Madeleine S.
I’m in the class. I’m starving
it’s snowing I’m scared to leave I
want to leave I don’t want to go I’m very
cold in my class I have no outside sweater in
my bag how much min…3 more minutes
left of school! Oh wait today I have 5
things after school mom I don’t want
to leave!
