5th Grade poetry

This was a one day lesson that combined looking at photography with poetry (thank you to New City Arts for the idea!!) Each fifth grader spent 3 minutes with one photograph. They carefully observed the content of the picture as well as the elements of design. They wrote 5 descriptive words of what they saw or felt, and then folded the paper over and passed the image and paper to the person next to them. By the end of the rotation, each image had 20 descriptive words attached to it.

Once their original picture came back to them, each student turned those words into a poem. The rules were to use at least 5 of the words from the paper. This turned out to be a great way to practice interpreting photographs and giving words to what we see!

Multiple water towers standing

alone in the plans.

Dirt and rust

stuck on them.

Tall and bare 

is where they stand.

------

9 old water towers

Ladders up the side

Dark sky like a tide

out in the middle of nowhere

9 old water towers hide

9 old water towers in the night sky.
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Why me?

Paperboys

Dirty,

Alone in the street.

Unwanted and sad.

Coats too big,

and

news to deliver.

Why me?

Paper, flying, flying, paper

Soar, sky, joy, color

Happy paper takes flight

Paper, beautiful

Soar like a dancing crane-bird

Dreams of flying high.

----------------

On that grassy green hill, the paper falling

Colorful strands of light.

Powerfully giving happiness to

all around, even the darkest night.

Three dogs

wearing coats.

Dressed as a family.

Mom, Dad, Kid.

That's strange.

A rush of population,

flooding on a train.

People running in and out

like a river all about.

----

A small city

with too many people.

They stand waiting for the rusty train

No one can move.

They wait in the small,

dark,

tunnel.