One poem plus two classrooms plus 50 super smart students equals great discussions this week! We read Mary Cornish's poem "Numbers" and talked about how she found inspiration in something as simple as math, and how she used the numbers to structure her poem. The poet-mathematicians then wrote their own number poems. Enjoy!

Ms. Koerner's Class

Numbers
by Hung P.

Ten is a group that
five and five have made.

Nine can only be multiplied
by number one.

Eight minus eight
is no friends at all.

Seven is the luckiest
for me.

Six is sixth grade
of my life.

Five are five people
in my house.

Four are two adults
and two sisters.

Three is a trio
that fights for freedom.

Two are two people
that are in love.

One is the loneliest,
blasting off.

Zero is nothing,
no way, anywhere, gone.

Untitled
by Hector B.

One busted car window
two running kids
one mad owner
two kids running home
one mad owner
plus two police officers
two angry parents
plus two grounded children
two kids paying busted
window with allowance
subtract one mad owner
with two police officers.

Life is Like Numbers
by Jacky P.

I love
numbers it
makes me
happy.

I love addition.
Dad plus Mom, plus
son is a
family.

Multiplication is good
for me. 1 times 11 equals
me.

Subtraction is loss,
1 friend minus 1 friend is
no friend.

Long division is
like 1 person trapped
in a box and 1 person
is out of the
box.

All the
numbers
equal
me
Numbers bring
back a lot of
memories.

Ms. Askounis's Class

Inequalities
by Michael A.

What is the Pythagorean Theorem?
Is it my brother plus annoying
Because if it is that wouldn't be
Pleasant
That McFlurry is 3.79, and
we don't take
credit cards
Minus taste
Is burned milk
With a set of
Integers
Subtracting is Addition in Portuguese
6-1
Equals 5
When backwards
It Equals
6
That's not equal to 123
It never
is
Even when the slope is positive
This poem is equal
to the sound of my heart
Minus a dozen hot pockets
In a sea of 11 trees
Only one is growing by
itself
Inequalities don't have to make sense.

+++---
by Kiara N.

19 moving & loud students
1 annoyed teacher
1 cool P.E. teacher
2 "very enthusiastic" security guards
equals
a regular Friday in 8th grade

1 obnoxious brother
1 fun baby sister
1 sleeping dad
1 agitated mom
equals
1 day at home

Me
minus
19 classmates
1 P.E. teacher
1 obnoxious brother
1 fun baby sister
1 agitated mom
equals
a daily boring life

Numbers 1,5,7
by Grace R.

One bookbag
One girls walking equals
Grace going to school.

One person minus one
breakfast equals
Grace being hungry
at school

At school everyone not paying
attention plus throwing books
around the air means
A few Fs on your Report Card.

Five tables 4 lenses equals
Jennifer and Rodolfo.

One breakfast sandwich minus 2
breakfast sandwich equals
no breakfast sandwich
for you today and tomorrow

3 heroes fighting
2 heroes - that's not fair they have
1 more person.