Last week I was reading through some education blogs and came across Mary Lee Hahn’s Book Spine Poem. I liked it so much that I was inspired to “write” one of my own. Here it is:
Stacey’s Book Spine Poem
Hey World, Here I Am!
Walk Two Moons
On Solid Ground
42 Miles
A Revolutionary Field Trip
Sharing the Seasons
Take Joy
You hear me?
My Garden
Going, Going, Gone!
But that’s another story
Ask your students if they’ve come across something in the blogosphere that’s inspired them to write. If they haven’t, encourage them to find something that inspires them, as a writer, from the online world. See what they come up with.
Speaking about inspiration, what’s inspired you to write recently?
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I’m going to write these with my 7th grade class next week. I decided to write an example for them using books in our school’s library. The theme is my first year teaching (this year!).
“SCHOOLED: THE FIRE AND THE GLORY”
Miss Spitfire-
Mightiest of the Mortals-
Flying Solo,
My Face to the Wind,
Among the Brave.
Engaging the Adolescent Mind,
The Legendary Wild West.
What Could Go Wrong
Alone in the Wilderness?
One False Step,
Flight Into Danger
Wrecked!
Flight or Fight?
How the Teen Brain Works:
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall,
not the end of the world.
Witness
Absolutely Normal Chaos,
twists and turns,
Changes in the Wind.
Now You See Them, Now You Don’t.
Little Women
Little Men
for one more day.
Wanted:
Cultural Atlas For Young People!
All the Lovely Bad Ones,
Scared Stiff
To the Brink of Extinction,
Making Strides.
(When Will I Stop Hurting?)
Afraid to Ask
What Successful Teachers Do?
The Innocent,
In the Middle,
Managing Unmanageable Students,
Defusing Explosive Devices–
One Eye Laughing, The Other Weeping.
Changing Careers for Dummies?
Not For a Billion Gazillion Dollars.
Heroes Don’t Run.
Losing is Not an Option.
Wanted:
The Fire and the Glory.
The Trail of Tears
Burning up
Into Thin Air.
No time to cry,
A Time for Courage.
So be it.
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Love this idea! I can definitely used it in my classroom and on my blog! Love it!!!
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Sweet. I love Yolen’s Take Joy — have you read much of it?
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You guys are an inspirational. If you don’t mind, I am trying to write poems for children, just for fun, nothing serious or profound. Let’s call it introduction to poems for little kids.
If you don’t mind, please check out my blog at http://amiesfriends.blogspot.com/.
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I love this! Last year I took pictures of my 6th graders with one of their favorite books from the year. The book covered most of their faces and then I used it to decorate my bulletin board for the start of this year. I am thinking that I will take have them create poems like this and decorate my room with them for the start of next year. I look forward to seeing how they turn out.
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Excellent idea. We’re doing a poetry unit at the moment and this will be a great way to further engage the students.
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What a great way to write a list poem. I think I will try this idea with the first grade class I help with for writing. I will keep you posted.
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I am going to use this idea with my sophomores next week. Another English teacher introduced this idea to our school librarian and there are now stacks of books everywhere–It’s a great way to play with words and books! Thanks for sharing.
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