The Blizzard in a Rollercoaster!

This week, after a couple of weeks off, the student poets at Trumbull dove headlong back into poetry with a look at traditional Odes. Odes are poems that elevate the subject to a high place of honor. They writer speaks directly to the subject of the poem, describing and comparing it in as many amazing ways as possible. The students at Trumbull did a great job getting back into the swing of writing with this fun form. Enjoy their efforts!

3rd Grade

Oh Sun
by Celene H.

Oh sun, do you squirt light on the people?
Oh sun, you are a king.
Oh sun, do you rule the world?
Oh sun, do you have a kiss?
Oh sun, do you have a bunch of lemons inside you?

Ode to Windy
by Daniel Y.

Windy blows people because
people go outside. Windy
moves people back to work.
No people go outside. No
more people go outside because
scared of Windy.

The Tornado
by Almir N.

Tornado is like a bunch of wind.
A tornado smells like dust.
Tornado, you are like a wind
monster throwing cars.
Tornado, you are destroying
anything you see.
Tornado, you are spinning
around so fast.
You remind me of a
game called Crash because
you spin around.

O Ocean
by Andrea F.

O beautiful ocean
you are my hero in the
hot summer day in July.
You know what they say,
you are the body that is
filled with sea creatures that
we love to see.

You are a mountain
with rocks falling
off like waves.

You are the on
who saves us
from painful thirst.
But at first, you were
just for drinking
but now we are clean
because with your
water we take baths.

The Snow Day
by David G.

Oh beautiful snow, you are
as soft as a blanket and
your cold is as big as an ice cube.
You are everywhere on top
of the roof and close to my
door. You also are in my snowsuit.
You travel in the air and you
are so dangerous. The sun is
about to come out. The
snow melts and we will say
bye-bye to you snow.


2nd Grade

The Blizzard in a Rollercoaster!
by Faith H.

O tornado, you make
people throw up by spinning
around and around. You
keep spinning and I
can’t stop you. You
keep on spinning and my
eyes pop out. You look
like a huge flower.

The Green Poem
by Giovanni F.

O beautiful green,
you are the color of the grass.
You are a sweater.
Green, you taste like blueberries
and smell like cherries.
You are leaves on a tree
or a turtle in the water.

Shark
by Roberto D.

O red, you are
like a shark.
You taste like
whipped cream and are
dark like a crayon.
You are sweet
like a strawberry.
You are like a house
or like a letter.

The Shiny Yellow
by Rosalyn P.

O yellow, there’s a sun in the sky
and there is a whale jumping in the
water. Your shiny yellow is shining.


4th Grade

Ode to a Diamond
by Jennifer B.

O beautiful diamond,
I love how shiny you
are. When I look at
you, I can see my
reflection and a lot
of my faces in the
squares or triangles
you have. I love when
you turn, you look like
a turning disco ball.
I love how you are
triangles, and you are
so pointy like a needle
or a knife. You are my
dream of shinyness.

Ode to Lemon
by Alexis C.

O beautiful lemon
you look like
a ball. You are tasty
and juicy. You look
like a sun, round
as a hole. You float
on water, we play catch
with you. You are round
as my eyeball.

Ode to Snow
by Allan F.

Snow, you are
beautiful. You are
more awesome than
white pearls.

You are better
than diamonds.

Ode to a Strawberry
by Tanayra B.

You, strawberry, are so
sweet. So juicy. Sister
to a lady bug. Dipped in
red syrup. Splashed with little
dark chocolates. Star of all
food. Your strawberry inside is
a pool of goodness. Strawberry
you are so much better than
an apple. You feel so funny
in my hand, in my mouth.
You are wonderful. You
have a pretty leaf on top
to complete your perfection.

True Confessions!

Happy New Year!

To start off the 2008 and get us back into poetry, this week we looked at This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams. This poem uses short lines and specific language to beautiful effect to create a bouncy rhythm when the poem is read out loud. We talked about what poems are built of (lines and stanzas), and what a short line will do to the rhythm of a poem. Modeled after Mr. Williams's poem, the students were asked to write their own true confession, and include an apology. I asked them to decide if they really meant their apologies, or if sometimes, do something bad actually feels pretty good. Enjoy their great poems!

3rd Grade

Time to Wrestle
by Aztlan G.

I fought my
cousin and his
brother and
I won I did
the Walls of
Jericho to my
cousin’s brother
and I did the
Angel Rock then
his grandma came
in them my cousin
tapped out and I did
the spear to both
of them. Their mom
came in and she
got mad.

Just to Say
by Prue M.

I’m so
sorry
that I stayed
up really
late for
watching TV
and playing too
much Nintendo Wii.

I tried to stop
but I couldn’t.

I was trying to
beat my level in
Atlantis Squarepantis.

I know I was supposed
to read but the game
you got me was cool.

Again, so SORRY!

Love
by David F.

I told a
friend I
love her.
3 days
later I
apologized.
I shouldn’t
say that
and we’re
friends again.


2nd Grade

The Erased Megaman Game
by Giovanni F.

I erased my brother’s
Megaman game. When
he found out, he was
so mad, he erased
my Megaman game.
I said I’m sorry,
and we started
to play over again.

Sorry Poem
by Nelvin P.

I broke my brother’s video game
called Sonic Heroes. It was
in my Game Cube to hide it
from him. He just looked
and found it. Forgive me
brother, I will fix it up.

List of Confessions
by Erica N.

Locking out Daniela and
playing on the gameboy that night,
but I’m sorry for doing that.
Please forgive me.

Not cleaning the room
when it was my turn but
I’m sorry, please forgive me.

I broke the plate and
I’m sorry, please forgive me.

I scratched my sister’s DVD
but I’m sorry, please forgive me,
I’ll buy you a new one.


4th Grade

The Outdoors
by Wenny L.

Me and my
cousin were
playing in
my house
my mom said
we should not
go outside
but we did
anyway and my
mom saw us
and we got
in so much
trouble and
we said sorry
but it was
fun when we
played jump rope

Trouble in Wrestling
by Brandon R.

I have wrestled
with my
cousins even when
I wasn’t
supposed to.

I made both
of them
cry then they
told on me
and I

have gotten into
a lot
of trouble.

Sorry
by Jellisa A.

One time when
my brother
was taking
a shower
I opened the door
and I put a lot
of toilet paper
in the toilet
and I blamed him
but when I
saw my mom
screaming at him
I felt sad
then I told
my mom that
I did it
and I told
my brother
I am sorry

Dreaming without Buying

This week, in my last visit with the Trumbull students before the new year, we read In Praise of Dreams by Wislawa Szymborska, a famous Polish poet. In the poem, she writes about all of the things that she can do and see in her dreams that she can't in her waking life. The poem is written in couplets , so we also learned what that word means, and how to create them in their own poems. The students wrote their own Dreams poems, with the rule included that they could not BUY anything in their written dreams. Enjoy the results!

4th Grade
I Am Dreaming
by Ismael P.

In my dreams
I’m a wrestler, fighting in the WWE.

I go to Antarctica
and I control all of the snow in the world.

I am a sky scraper
touching the sky.

I am a dog
running away from another dog.

I am a cat
running because someone wants my fur.

I am
the President of the entire world.

Dreams
by Steven M.

I can eat
a million pieces of candy in one minute.

I beat John Cena
in RAW and Ray Mysterioso.

I am bored when
today is yesterday and yesterday is today.

In My Dreams
by Daniel M.

In my dream
I am a famous soccer player.

I am the President
of the United States.

Some aliens
take me to their ship.

I can control
fire, wind, water, and land.

I am a superhero
controlling everything up in space.


2nd Grade
Dreams
by Roberto D.

I am a spider
eating a cookie.

I am a rock star
playing with a guitar.

I am a football
flying up to the moon.

I am Santa
at the North Pole.

I am a pencil
writing in a book.

I am a car driving
on the road.

I am a dog
seeing a bone.

In My Dreams
by Felix A.

I can eat a cookie
without using my mouth.

I can open a box
without using my hands

I can make the rain stop
when I clap.

I can pet
an alligator.

The Amazing Dreams
by Nathan P.

I can eat
through metal bars.

I can jump
to the sun that is blue.

I can change animals
different colors with my finger.

I can make the sky
fall to the ground.


3rd Grade
Dreams
by Santiago D.

I am a toy that
takes electricity.

I am trucks formed
as Super Saiyn.

I am glue and a
rock with paper.

I am a bear
being eaten.

I have 300 shirts
that say D-Generation-X.

I am a clock
ticking.

Dreaming in Your Sleep
by Edwin T.

I am dreaming
about a football player making an interception.

I am dreaming
a rhino fighting a pig.

I am dreaming about getting mad
and going to Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Perkins
telling us to get along and we did.

My Dreams
by Amanda P.

In my dreams I
have a house made out of money.

I speak with lions
in a jungle.

I see a beautiful
waterfall and a rainbow.

I see a wonderful, colorful
garden house.

I fly on a cloud
over the seventh heavens.

I run with horses
of all different colors and sizes.

I swim with dolphins
in the Pacific Ocean.

Going Inside

In the first week of December, the student Poets at Trumbull read Stone by Charles Simic. The poem describes what a stone goes through in its life, and what it might be like if one could go inside it. The young writers chose their own objects to go inside. The results were beautiful! Enjoy!

4th Grade
Pearl
by Lorenzo A.

Go inside a pearl.
Let somebody else
become a diamond
or a ruby. The outside
is smooth, and two huge
things stare at me.
On the inside,
it’s so fun!

Inside the Diamond
by Nicole B.

Go inside a diamond. Let someone else
be the polisher. On the outside, there is
a glass shield to protect the crystal
palace. It rains crystals
of red and pink on the inside.
There is a crystal queen,
and around her, there are
bracelets, necklaces, rings, and lots
more. And the diamond
shines like the moon.

The Disc World
by Ataib S.

Go inside a disc.
Let somebody else become
a scientist or seller.
It is a flat ball
rolling in a DVD player.
A plate of Venus.
Inside it, glaciers, crystals,
and a big lightening storm.


2nd Grade
Inside a Marble
by Nicolas L.

Going inside a marble is a
powerful color. Touch it, something
will happen to you. Run, and the
marble will move. The outside
is a maze with people trying to get
out. Someone shoots it
with colorful words.

Going Inside a Snowflake
by Areli H.

It is small. It is white.
A tiny fairy lives in it.
she has a closet with a lot
of food. It is very cold.
A small bed. A small bathroom.
It is cool there.


3rd Grade
Going Inside a Quarter
by Brandon R.

I am a quarter. Let another person
by dust. I have been spent on soda. Now
a candy bar. On the outside, it is like I’m not
there. What is inside is weird. I don’t have
what humans have inside their bodies. The only thing
I have is just metal. I am worth 25 cents.
I am spent a lot. I am gray. I am
the biggest cent that you can spend.

Grape
by Shirley L.

Go inside a grape. Let someone else go in a little stone. From the outside, the grape is a tiny purple bug. On the inside, it is mushy and sweet. The color of the grape is half blue and half yellow. Inside, I can see a big and beautiful palace. I also see a place where I can lie down. I can hear birds chirping, and children playing in the park. Inside, the palace is a ball. I see lots of people dancing. I also see a river. The water is cold. I see a stream. Inside the stream, I see three salmons. The salmons are hunting for food. This grape is very special.

Falling
by Charles B.

Go inside a raindrop. Let some
one else be a little gumball.
The outside is smooth hair
waiting to come off. The inside
is little soldiers fighting for
super powers. Suddenly, the raindrop
flies, looking for clouds. Also the
inside is papers filled with love
letters. The outside is poets thinking
extremely hard to get an idea for writing.
Also inside there are 2 humungous polar bears.

Questioning the Secret Nature of the World

This week, my students dove off the deep end of making sense! We looked at a small portion of Pablo Neruda's Book of Questions, and talked about what secrets of the world he was trying to reveal. I encouraged the student writers to ask a question that was both descriptive AND revealed something about their subject that only they knew (thus, essentially, making stuff up!). This was a tough poem to write, and my amazing young poets rose to the challenge admirably!

4th Grade
The Space of Questions
by Henry L.

Tell me, Falcon, where did you get
your wings that sparkle in the sunlight?

Tell me, does a tiger get its
stripes in the upside down castle?

Tell me, does the rooster travel
in time by using the farmer’s pants?

Tell me, does the snake go every night
in the dark to the depths of space?

Tell me, are the spider’s legs made from
the hair on the back of a hairy man?

It’s a Secret
by Aven D.

Does the raccoon have black glasses
to hide its identity?

How can a bird just fly in the sky
and then disappear?

When trees grow apples, do they talk
to humans so they won’t get picked?

Tell me, does a chicken talk to other
chickens so they can defend themselves
from being eaten?

The Pillow
by Martitha A.

Tell me, does a cloud get its looks from a pillow?

Does the snow man get his color
from a white and soft pillow in the sky?

Why does snow turn into water?
Because it is made of ice?

Tell me, are you a piece of cotton candy?

Tell me, did you get dark eyes from
a mean rain cloud?


3rd Grade
4 Questions
by Noemi R.

Why does the shark swim
instead of crawling in the world?
Why does hail turn to solid?
Does it like to hear a clinking
noise when it hits the ground?
Tell me, why is the ficus so skinny
and small? Why can’t it be big and fat?
Why do radios put music on
instead of me singing the songs?

The Weird Questions
by Matthew P.

Does the jaguar have an engine?
Did the bright sun come from heaven?
Did the cactus get arrows shot into it?
Does the Playstation get electrocuted?

Questions About Animals
by Andrea F.

How did the French Poodle get his curly hair?
From the Groomers?
How is the wind created?
From the giant blowing air in the sky?
How is the violet plant created?
From the color violet?
Where does snow come from?
The birds?


2nd Grade
Rose
by Areli H.

Rose, did you get your red
from an apple bitten by a worm?
Pony, did you get your brown
from a squirrel running up a tree?
Winter, did you get your cold
from a snowman standing in the snow?

Lightening
by Jalyssa M.

Did you know lightening can shake you?
How did a panda learn to climb?
Did you know the sunflower got
its yellow from the sun? Tell me,
did the thunder get its sound from
the bowling alley? Tell me, did the
panda get its color from a dog?
Did you know that thunderstorms
started in a war?

What They Loved

This week, before Thanksgiving, the student poets at Trumbull looked at a beautiful but strange poem by Lisa Jarnot called They Loved Paperclips. The poem is a list of all the things that "they" loved. We talked about third person, lists, what kinds of things in the world we love, and also rhyme and play with words in poetry, which Ms. Jarnot does in her poem. The students were asked to write their own poems using "they loved", picturing themselves and their families as the "they" in question. The student poets rose to the challenge, and created beautiful poems. Enjoy!

4th Grade
They Loved Nature
by Ataib S.

They loved planes and trains, they
loved cars and the stars, they loved
juice and fried rice, they loved all
types of games and the sky’s name,
they loved states and mates, they loved
trees and vegetables, they loved chicken
in the land of Lincoln, they loved
forests and me, they loved mountains
and beaches, and they loved the world
with nature, and the things that
people make, the kind and friendly people.

They Loved Clocks
by Elizabeth C.

They loved the zoo. They loved
cookies with milk. They loved
oranges and door hinges too. They
loved winter and spring and they
even loved to sing.

They loved the color blue. They
loved apples, bananas, strawberries too.
They loved stars that are white and
shine very bright. They loved the
words that rhyme: pain and gain.

They loved parrots and their cousin
Harriet. They loved their good looks.
They loved, loved the clouds
way high up in the sky. They didn’t love
donuts, no one knows why. They dreamed
of flowers that had super powers
and were not very shy.

They Love?
by Omar F.

They loved dogs that bark!
They loved nachos with meat.
They loved the thank in Thanksgiving.
They loved Turkey.
They loved straight A’s.
They loved Spongebob with Patrick.
They loved pizza.
They loved college.
They loved McDonald’s.
They loved Angels.
They loved cellphones.
They loved poetry.
They loved Drama.
They loved Folktales.
They loved non-fiction.

They Loved Food and Things
by Alexis C.

They loved corn, they loved
turkey. They loved mashed potatoes.
They loved smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
They loved TV shows. They loved
ugly houses. They loved 100 dollars.
They loved wrestling toys and new clothes.
They loved teachers and books. They loved
pencils. They loved soccer, air, and computers.
They loved water, they loved ice cream.
They loved money, cookies, football
and Christmas. They loved flowers and children.
They loved to read, and they loved lunch.
They loved projects, poetry, and color.
They loved non fiction and all kinds of words.


2nd Grade
They Loved
by Sammy S.

They loved the sky.
They loved roses.
They loved the lake.
they loved Playstations.
They loved books.
They loved the rain.
They loved cookies.
They loved igloos.
they loved dogs.
They loved the sun.
They loved God.
They loved peace.
They loved puppets.

The Love Poem
by Martiza S.

They loved the sky, sunlight,
rain, and the trees. They loved
the apples, bananas, dolphins, and
spiders. They loved reindeers, Chihuahuas.
They loved foxes and tigers. They loved
kangaroos. They loved frogs, books, and dogs.

They Loved
by Ammy O.

They loved elephants, dolphins, and frogs.
They loved pigs, the color pink and the park.
They loved game boys, pokemon movies, and sports.
They loved art, scary movies, and video games.
They loved Barbies, cycling, and tacos.
They loved butterflies, makeup, and going to work.
They loved swimming, cycling, and sports.


3rd Grade
They Loved
by Emily M.

They loved trees, clouds, seashells
and the sound of the sea at night.
They loved Italian food and
spaghetti. They loved cats, books,
plants, and wood. They loved paper,
crayons, chalk, and words.

Loving
by Charles B.

They loved Stone Cold Steve Austin,
Triple H Shawn Michaels, and the rest
of the WWE. They loved watches that
said DX. They loved the wind bursting
in your face. They loved jumping
off tall buildings. They loved playing
golf off a gigantic tower. They
loved dogs guarding the White House.

They Loved WWE
by Cyrus M.

The loved WWE, Mom, books
and Dad. They loved John Cena.
They loved the sky, rain, the wind,
Mick Faley, and the sun. They loved
Dr. Stero, Dr. Seuss, and DX.
They loved Undertaker and shells.

They Loved
by Celene H.

They loved Zac Effron, puppies, horses,
Mom, Dad, and school. They loved lions,
books, baby cheetahs. They loved
the sky, the zoo, and dogs in hats. They loved
elephants, stars, and they loved today.

Animal Origins

This week in Poetry, the young writers at Trumbull Elementary read The Tyger by William Blake. We discussed how Blake is asking the Tyger where he comes from, who made him, and where he took the different parts of himself from. I asked the students to choose their own animals, and describe them using this questioning method. Below, a sample of their amazing poems!

3rd Grade
Ode to a Komodo Dragon
by Coleen Q.

O Komodo Dragon, where did
you get your spikes? Did you
get them from a rose, or somebody’s
hair? O Komodo Dragon, where
did you get your sharp teeth?
Was it from a shark or snake?
O Komodo Dragon, where do
you live? Do you live under
a rock or under a tree?
O Komodo Dragon, your tail,
your long tail, where is it from?
Did you steal it from a monkey,
or a snake? O Komodo Dragon,
you make me wonder.

The Squirrel
by Alesandra P.

Squirrel, you are very pretty.
How did you learn to
climb trees? Where did you get
your colors from? Where did
you come from? I bet you
want nuts. Who is your mom?
Is your name Fluffy?
Is the tree your home?
Do you have a pet?

The Crab’s Origins
by Anahi M.

Crabs! Crabs! You are so nice but when
people touch you, you bite them with your
claws. Did you steal your claws from
a bad tiger and a bad lion too?
You are the color red like a human’s
heart. Why do your eyes look mean?
Why do you live in the ocean?
Why do you like to have sharp claws?
Why do you like red to be in your body?


2nd Grade (group poems)
Anaconda

Anaconda, covered with scales,
did you get your dinner from a human body?
You’re as long as a rope.
Did you get your length from a tall tree’s log?
Anaconda, where did you get your green color?
Did you get it form a leaf?
Anaconda, slivering in the water,
how are you such a good swimmer?
You are so dangerous.
Where did you get your sharp teeth?
Did a dentist give them to you?
Anaconda, you strangle your prey.
Did you get your strength from a shark’s mouth?
We are afraid of you, harmful Anaconda.

Cheetah
by Sammy, Jalyssa, Robert, Erica, Giovanni, Nathan, Felix, and Faith

Cheetah, you are so big.
Did you borrow your size from an elephant
or a rhino? Cheetah, you are so energetic.
Did you get it from the summer air,
or did you steal if from flowing water?
Cheetah, your yellow fur is beautiful.
Did it come from spring sun grass?
Where did you get your claws?
Did you take them from Wolverine,
or from a swampy alligator?
Did you get your pink paws
from the nose of a bear?
Where did you get your eyes?
Did you take the light from the sun?
Cheetah, did you get your long, wiggly tail
from a monkey? Where did you get your
amazing speed? From a Hummer?
Oh Cheetah, you blend in with your
grassy surroundings like a sneaky spy.


4th Grade
Turtle
by Romario L.

Turtle, where did you get
your feet? Did you get them
from a stick, or a little rock?
Turtle, where did you get your
body? From a rock, or from
a helmet? Turtle, where did you get
your noises from, a little bug?

The Zebra
by Wenny

Zebra! Zebra! running in the cave,
how did you get your pretty legs?
Did you get them from a horse?
Zebra! your fur is very soft. Did
you get it from a bunny? Zebra!
Zebra! your fur is black and white.
Did you get your white from
the clouds, your black from
a moon bear?

Elephant
by Rene V.

Oh Elephant, Elephant, where did you get your
horns? Did you steal them from a bull?

Where did you get that trunk?
Did you take it from the mammoth
when it went extinct?

How did you get so big?
Did you steal it from the sky or the clouds?

Where did you get that common noise?
Did you get it from thunder roaring?

How did you get that skin?
Did you take it from a rhino?

Where id you get the shape
of your feet? Was it from a dino?

Where did you get that skinny tail?
Is it from a pencil?

Oh Elephant, you are the best.