All posts in Timothy David Rey

‘In the lilac field it started’: Experimental Forms of Poetry

Students made the old-school paper in-class pass time called a ‘Cootie Catcher,’ which is a form of origami used in children’s games. Parts of the catcher are labeled with words that serve as options […]

‘be like DJ Khaled…hang out with Tupac’: Poems & Thoughts on Community and Fame

Students read Gwendolyn Brook’s poem about superstar singer and activist, ‘Paul Robeson’ and then wrote about community and fame from their viewpoint. Paul Robeson by Gwendolyn Brooks That timewe all heard it,cool and clear,cutting […]

‘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 […]

‘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 […]

‘people calm as an empty hospital’: Simile Poems

Students talked about similes before reading Mike Taylor’s poem filled with the same! Here is some of the writing that resulted from that exercise! Lesson Note: “Writers don’t need tricks or gimmicks or even […]

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