For their 4th week at Shoesmith students explored ideas about nature. Students were asked, Does nature have a voice? How does it communicate with us? Students came up with wonderful responses. We discussed the Percy Jackson book series where the Greek gods and goddesses such as Zues (Thunder), Persephone (spring), and Demeter (agriculture) represented aspects of nature. Students discussed how humans often harm the earth, and its animals and plants through pollution, and nature fights back with unseasonal weather, such as negative freezing temps or brutal heat, along terrible hurricanes and lack of crops.
Together students read the poem “Some Effects of Global Warming in Lackawanna County,” by Jay Parini. In the poem all the seasons mixed up and out of sync. The poet observes how these changes in the weather have affected the wildlife near an elementary school. Parini uses personification, giving human qualities to the animals and plants. The maples sweat now, out of season/Birds who didn’t check their clocks or calendars are looking for seeds in the frost, roots and tubers sob, as a groggy bear wakes up too early from his hibernation. By mistreating nature, humans are actually harming themselves. Without plants and animals, we wouldn’t have food, medicine, or clean air to breathe.
Inspired by Parini, students wrote their own poems, sharing their own observations and experiences with nature.
Ms. Hassberger 5th Grade
Group 1
How Nature Sees Me
By Gbemi I.
The sun watches me creepily,
when I’m driving to school.
Little petals fly on the street.
The rain is trying to punch
the block.
The rain is covering its face.
And leaves are falling out of the tree.
The Loving Nature
By Asia M.
Flowers smile at the bees.
The wind slaps the flowers.
The sun looks at the flowers
and smiles.
Worms are working to
come up.
They are fighting with the ants
because they are at war.
The cat is in the pool swimming
and the trees are jumping
and yelling.
The dirt is not happy because
of the trees, the dirt is trying
o sleep.
The trees get loud and louder now.
The flowers are mad.
Future Nature
By Caiden W.
The trees are shaking like jelly.
The clouds were so soft,
like a pillow.
The pencil was flying around
the room like a bird.
The grass was so stiff
like a statue.
The rain was falling
so hard, like cats
and dogs.
God’s Glory
By Ms. V.
Glory, Glory, Glory
I see God’s Glory every day.
The sunlight dances on me
and makes me smile.
The trees sing praises t the father.
The songs of every bird make my
heart leap.
The clouds wave at me to remind me.
The morning dew tickles my toes.
Glory, Glory, Glory
I see God’s Glory every day.
Ms. Hassberger’s 5th Grade
Group 2
Crazy Nature
By Mayson C.
Trees barking, Ants fighting.
Sky smiling, Air saying Hi.
Grass yelling, Concert kicking.
Trees flying, Pen’s running.
Students dashing, Cats at the park.
Dogs yelling, Squirrels talking
Ras writing, Oceans sings
Kids playing, Birds making food.
Nature Personification
By Daniela C.
Ayer el cielo se puso triste.
El mar está tan enojado.
Los árboles se mueven.
El sol levanta a las personas
Todos los días el aire me abraza.
Yesterday the sky turned sad.
The sea is so angry.
Trees move.
The sun lifts people up
Every day the air embraces me.
What Happens in Global Warming
By Nathaniel W.
As the sun rises it starts to sweat
as the wind tickles, the trees laughs.
While the ice walks away from each other,
the polar bears start swimming somewhere
more cold.
The sky starts crying and the
grass begins to play.
The sun comes up and says,
Time to dry off.
The chalkboard becomes dizzy
and lightheaded but after all
this they don’t want to
say goodbye.
Ms. Henry’s 6th Grade
Group 1
I Am Nature
By Salom B.
I have to sleep all day like my cat.
I grow like roses.
I am sharp like a cactus
My tears fall like the rain.
My mood changes like the seasons.
I am nature.
Nature Camping (This is true and a bit fictional)
By Leah S.
When I was camping,
the bear was chasing
my brother’s friend.
and told us he wanted
some food.
The trees talking to us
and laughing at us in
the night.
The wind hitting the cabins
and howling, bringing the
cool air upon us.
The river is really quiet
with the fish swimming
with us in the water.
Nature
By Laniya W.
The sun smiling as
the birds sing.
The flowers dancing
to the sound of bees
humming.
The clouds playing
around the sky.
Grass tickling
dogs as they
roll in it.
Ms. Henry’s 6th Grade
Group 2
Nature’s Tears
By Madison H.
The earth overflowing its streets with tears.
The wind knocks on my window.
The trees dance in the strong powerful wind.
The sun tries to peak around the corner,
it quickly hides.
The lightening stabs the trees.
The trees scream and bleed.
It’s dark and sad, like a kid
after their parent says no.
Colors End
By Mason F.
The sky is gray like it’s going blind.
The air is dry like a mouthful of sand.
Color falling away like its hiding
from our eyes.
Water trying to camouflage with the sky.
Animals hibernate but have an early wake
from an early alarm.
The perfect blend of colors of life.
No white and gray like the end.
The sun can’t shine a happy smile.
The earth is fading
like a shadow in the dark.
We need to give it back its spark.
The Waves of Nature
By A’Niyah
The waves are crashing,
making songs.
As they sing,
they dance along.
Whiles singing their song,
the wind gets the rhythm.
Wind starts to sing.
They waves start growing bigger.
The winds start dancing harder.
They both enjoy the music.
I Hear Her Calling Me
By Sage
I hear her voice.
Its’s sharper than a two
edge sword.
I hear her breath, it’s like
water, calm and peaceful.
I hear her heart,
its beating louder than drums.
I feel her presence, spirit
within me, flowing in my
soul.
I hear her calling me,
to answer.
