‘Esto libro es mi vida’: The ‘A’ List

This lesson circulated around the concept of lists. Through Albert Goldbarth’s  List Poem, Library (truncated for our purposes here), we  began class by making lists of nouns that described memories. The nouns were written from left to right on the page with a period separating each. For instance, if you had a memory about a beloved childhood pet and the first day of school, students were asked to simply write: ‘The dog. The school.’ and so on. They were prompted to reach back as far as they could in their minds up until the point they were sitting in class at that very moment. Anything was game. We then took some time to reflect and ask questions about these lists and create our own List Poem.

Lesson Note:  This particular list making practice was used by author, Ray Bradbury,  to mine his memory for writing gold and is used by many writers to this day. “The lists were the provocations,”  he writes, “that caused my better stuff to surface. I was feeling my way toward something, honest, hidden under the trapdoor on the top of my skull.”

Mrs. Nazimek, 8th Grade
Group Two

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Paulina S.

My first grade year was terrible. I was so stressed out. It was too
hard for me!! My second grade year was okay, I guess. At first it was very
difficult for me to understand the work. It got easy after three weeks.
My fourth grade year didn’t go so well either. I’m guessing so far
my year’s been bad! My fifth grade year was the best!! They let us
do whatever we wanted. We had so much freedom. Great!! So now
sixth grade is here, that’s when all the drama went down! This book
was the worst year of all! I wish I hadn’t of gone to sixth
grade! This book starts off with a new grade which is seventh. It was
fun to be in the seventh. This book was very fun only b/c of the teacher we
had. This books ends off with our last year of elementary school
which is eighth grade. This book hopefully lets us have the
best year of our lives. this book gave us the good education b/c
we are almost graduating! This book wishes everyone their best luck!

Untitled
Juan M.

This book is ZZZZZZZZ
This book is great
This book never ends
This book is just a dust collector
This book can be good 0 % of the time
This book is good if you are dead inside
This book calls to be
the book fell on my foot
This book never gets interesting
This book looks cool (but isn’t)
This book should be burned
This book is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay to long
This book is all hype
This book had no potential

Untitled
Christian G.

This book was once on fire
This book was used as a weapon
This book’s cover is made out of
my old hat
This book is rainbow colored
This book makes noise when you open it
This book has pom-poms on the cover
This book was never touch…not any more
This book is dirty
This book smells..is that Sock!?!?
This book has instructions on how
to read it
This book has a paperclip wedged in it
This book has seen death
This book I threw across a field
This book was once cut in half
This book smells like watermelon
This book is going to end the world

Mrs. Nazimek, 8th Grade
Group One

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Jennifer L.

Este libro es me vida
Este libro es lo que quieres en tus suenos
Este libro es la llave de como resolver tus
problemas
Est libro tiene much drama.
Este libro es triste
Este llibro es la verdad de como vivir
Este libro teiene casas panicos
Este libro no lo requerso
Este lbiro ex largo
Este libro me hace fliz
Este libro por afuera es triste
Este libra por dentro es muy interesante.

This Book
Jacob A.

This book made me laugh
This book will scare you to death
This book brought friends closer
together
This book gave me nightmares
This book makes me whole
This book can control you
This book keeps me calm
This book could help me and you
This book will let you know
what’s right and wrong
This book will help
This book will save something
This book makes me the hero
of today
This book makes you think
This book will help everyone
in this world
This book will last forever and
never die out.

King
Angel H.

This book pulled me in
This book started the car
This book made me read it
This book is worth a million
This book is the best
This book can stop a car
This book saved me
This book reminds me of my friends
This book is about life
This book reminds me a little of me
This book is crazy
This book is long
This book is from South Side
This book is based on a lot of people’s life
This book is going to save people.

Mrs. Nazimek, 8th Grade
Group Three

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Isabelle M.

This video is fake
This video is click bait
This video has me dying of laughter
This video is full of cuteness
This video is disrespectful
This video helped me develop some skills
even though they made it look super
easy when it wasn’t
This video is full of punny jokes
This video made me cry
This video helped change peoples perspectives
This video made me smile even when
I had a frown
This video made me take my mind off of
things
this video made everyone smile.

Untitled
Erik Z.

This team has the best QB
This team won a Super Bowl
This team beat the Panthers
This team has the hardest division
This team is the best
This team are the Who Dat Nation
This team got the best picks out of the
draft
This team reps gold and black
this team deserves to win
another Super Bowl.

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TESTIMONIALS

“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
-Oscar S.

“Writing poetry makes me feel free.”
-Buenda D.

“Writing poetry is like your best friend.”
-Jessica M.