All posts in chicago poetry center

‘Coming Home’: A Lesson in Metaphor & Values

Students read Sylvia Plath’s poem ‘Metaphors’ and then wrote their own metaphor-based poems. They also did some free writing around the topic of Values that you will see here. Lesson Note: Mrs. McClain, 7th […]

‘A big scissor staircase and big scissor nails. ‘: Experimental Forms of Poetry

Students created Jorge Enrique Adoum imitations via his poem, ‘Development, ‘ that ‘sets the stage,’ much like the initial phases of a story or play. The poem uses descriptive language and imagination to create […]

‘lilac color skies cover my glass roof’: Experimental Poems

Students made the old school paper game, called a ‘Cootie Catcher’ which is a form of origami used in children’s games. As you may recall, parts of the ‘catcher’ are labeled with words that […]

‘we go in rows/ do as told’: Gwendolyn Brooks Imitations

Students read Gwendolyn Brooks’ classic poem, ‘We Real Cool’ before crafting their own ‘cool’ poems using their own words and ideas for what is cool, rhyme repetition, and the short form. We Real Cool […]

Dreaming Rooms

The students made stanzas as rooms within which to fill their dreaming selves and wishes. Mr. Charmelo, 7th grade, 1st period The Wisher by Alexis V. I wish to the intelligence like Albert Einstein. […]

Gender and Montage

Students montaged their experience of their gender using rich imagery informed by the senses. Ms. Hernandez, 7th grade, 1st period Sweet Girl by Kimberly G. Girl looks sparkling like shimmer. Girl feels cold as […]

Getting Surprise into the Equation

Students worked on comparisons, capturing resemblances both inside and outside the classroom and drew how they felt about object relationships. Ms. Hernandez, 7th grade 1st Period Randomly? by Enrique P. A Chromebook is great […]

‘The Brain Game’ and ‘My thoughts are a sea they wave’: Poems About Our Thoughts & Feelings

Students read the poem, ‘Thought Machine’ by Laura Mucha from the book Being Me; they then wrote about their thoughts using metaphors and similes. Lesson Note: “I learned that the only way to get […]

‘but we unsure whether we’re cool or not’: Gwendolyn Brooks Imitations

Students read Gwendolyn Brooks’ classic poem, ‘We Real Cool’ before crafting their own ‘cool’ poems using their own words and ideas for what is cool, rhyme repetition, and the short form. We Real Cool […]

”I’m such a fool to not see life is cool”: Gwendolyn Brooks-Inspired Poems

Students read Gwendolyn Brooks’ classic poem, ‘We Real Cool’ before crafting their own ‘cool’ poems using their own words and ideas for what is cool, rhyme, repetition, and the short form. We Real Cool […]

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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