Shoesmith 5th & 6th graders became time travelers for their 3rd week of poetry. We explored how to use our five senses (touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight) to recall memories. Week 3’s theme about memories was inspired by the lesson from poetry resident Caroline Stevens. We discussed things that we use to do like when we were younger, but we grew out of. Some students no longer play with certain games and toys, while others stopped watching cartoon’s they consider too childish and immature. Although I admitted that I still watch Sponge Bob Square Pants.
Together we read the poem “When I Was Six,” by Aimee Nezhukumatahil. In her poem Nezukumatahil uses sensory details to describe how earliest memories from when she was six years old. My mother waters the tomato & pepper plants/I steal drinks from the penny-taste of the garden hose/ I am six and I am laughing with a mouth full of cashews/ I am six, my sister is five & we hide inside the clothing racks at the store. Students enjoyed the poem and remembered doing some of the same things when they were younger, especially the line about hiding in the clothing racks.
Students jumped in the poetry time machine and wrote poems about what their lives were like when they were younger.
Ms. Hassberger 5th grade
Group 1
Six Years Old
By Lailah A.
When I was six years old, every time
my mom took me to a store, I would
always ask to go to see the toys to look
but really I took.
I used to love the sweet, sweet taste
of Icee Freeze Pops in the summer,
after my mom took my sister and I
to the water park.
the smell of cinnamon pretzels
from Auntie Annie’s at the mall.
The sound of my sister and I
doing fake concerts with our
stuff animals.
Looking up at everyone because I was
I was too short to see anything.
I miss being six,
it all was a mix
But now I must move on,
as I throw a rock in the pond.
Make everyone a good person,
make everyone a good person God.
Forgive me for my selfishness.
God, God I believe in you.
You’re the one and only.
When I was Three Years Old
By Khadijah D.
When I was three years old,
my preschool in Senegal was
called A Pouti Fouta and I
was crawling around the floor.
The floor was super soft.
I could hear the preschool song l
loudly, they were basically screaming.
My favorite food was Porridge,
it was soupy and farm.
But I could never finish it because
my mom made so much.
MY MOM MAKE’S the best Jolof rice
in the world! I can smell it from
a whole mile away.
It smells spicy, like brown rice.
When my mom was changing
the diapers, they were sooooo
far away that I could reach for
them near the toilet.
My mom could never
see them.
When I Was 7 Years Old
By Misti
I was 7 years old, touching my mom’s perfume,
while I was on the bed in her room.
I was tasting baked chicken for the first time.
Next, I was smelling my mom’s candle.
I heard my dog barking loudly.
I was rubbing my dog and maybe
took my first step=Don’t Ask Why?!
But why was I 7 years old, don’t mind you
when I was 7 years old I tried some chicken right?
But my dog had ate chicken before plus my
dog wore a white diaper as a baby dog!
Cute! But my mom showed me a picture,
it was cute as raining baby cats! But things
turned out great! But I was crying randomly.
Why me!? My dog is now 14 years old.
14 x 6= 84 years old! Dang! How old my
dog is now, is really sick!
Ms. Hassberger 5th grade
Group 2
When I Was 4
By Katherine J.
When I was 4, I always use to
go wake my mom up cause
I was up.
When I was 4, when my mom
made cakes. I sued to get the
leftover cake batter. (I still do)
When I was 4, I woke up to
the smell of cooking eggs
and butter milk pancakes.
When I was 4, I heard lightening
and thunder. I always rain to my
mom and dad’s room.
When I was 4, I had my own room.
It was bright and colorful,
when I was 4.
When I Was 5 years Old
By Kiyan M.
When I was 5,
I felt the sticky glue
on my hands from slime.
When I was 5,
I smelled the animal
crackers coming out
the jar.
When I was 5,
I had seen me hiding
in my cubby from
Ms. Hobson.
When I was 5,
I heard the sound
of the Go Noodle
playing.
When I was 5,
I had taste the treats
we earned from
working.
When I Was 9
By Jordan S.
When I was nine, I felt my
sparkly blue goggles.
When I was nine,
I tasted the chocolate pancakes
with syrup running down
my mouth.
When I was nine I was on
the cruise ship and the
first thing I saw was the
amazing food court.
When I was nine,
I got on the cruise ship
that was honking loud,
I asked like my ears
were gone.
When I was nine,
I was surprised that
the cruise ship was
bigger than me.
Ms. Henry 6th grade
Group 1
Cuando Yo Era 9/ When I was 9
By Angel
Leire el balan ami hermano.
Me comi un delicioso hotdog.
Oli flores de gardenia.
Yo escucho a Xavi.
Veria los fuegos
Artificiales explofando
I throw the football to my brother.
I taste a delicious hotdog.
I smell the gardenia flower.
I listen to Xavi .
I watch the fireworks explode
in the night sky.
When I Was Five
By Noah
When I was five, I had touched a dandelion.
It felt like a straw.
When I was five, I ate a dandelion,
It tasted like feathers,
I could have eaten better.
When I was five, I smelled fresh
BBQ on the grill.
I wish I paid a dollar bill.
The sound of Bouby Bus on the TV,
as if it could see me.
When I was five, looking at the sky,
it made me want to cry.
When I Was 11
By Harmony H.
I touched all the pencils
and homework paper
and dusted off the eraser
pieces.
I remember the taste of the
school lunch chicken and
nasty school milk.
When I was 11, I loved
the smell of my old
perfume.
I remember the sound
of my teacher screaming
about math in class.
I remember my reading
teacher’s tan.
When I was 11, I remember
everyone crying on the last
day of school.
Ms. Henry 6th grade
Group 2
The Birthday Party of 2017
By Melanie C.
having trouble climbing up the slippery
waterslide steps.
Then feeling the water push me down
into the pool of water.
Tasting the delicious nachos and watching
the cheese sliding off the crunchy Dorito.
After our tummies were full of delicious
food.
I smelled the mud that the kids were
playing in right by the beaches.
Hearing my aunt yell at me and my
cousin not to jump over the 5 ft gate.
When I Was 4
By Zoe G.
Coming back from Myrtle Beach,
rubbing my stomach cause of how sick I felt.
Sitting on the plane,
drinking a small cup of ginger ale,
thinking of how it wasn’t making me
feel better.
All I see is black now
and all I hear is my mom and the doctor.
She has a bad case of the flu and an ear infection
*gasp*
She has to be moved to a different hospital.
I open my eyes wide.
They are moving me into an ambulance.
I am crying and screaming.
All I wanted was my mom.
Now, I’m looking at cartoons.,
looking at the food I never ate.
These few days were miserable.
When I Was 5
By Zahir S.H.
When I was 5, I remember standing up to touch
the top of my mom’s car roof.
It was so satisfying, and I loved the tingle
I got in my fingers after.
When I was 5, minute made was my favorite
drink, especially peach.
Still my favorite to this day.
When I was 5, I remember waking up
at my grandma’s and I smelt bacon on the
George Forman, along with the smell of
fresh batter about to go in the waffle maker.
This told me it would be an amazing day.
When I was 5, I remember the sound of
my dad’s tan Mercedes starting up, along
with the constant beep of the car.
When I was 5, I remember going
to Great Wolf Lodge for the first time.
All the fun games and water parks,
mainly the pizza.
I even remember staying out of the
pool after eating because,
I thought I would throw up
I if I didn’t.
