All posts in Haines

‘Lilac/ Dreams’: Making Poems from a Game!

Students made the old-school paper game 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 for a […]

A Cut Above: Cut-Up & Collage Poems

Students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meaning.  Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru Julia Cameron says the part of us who creates art is about […]

Fade to Black: Blackout Poems

Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually a black marker) to already established text, like that from a newspaper, and starts redacting words until a poem or […]

‘Endless mirror’: Star Poems

Students read a student poem that used personification to talk to a star before trying their hands at their own poems addressing something… bigger than themselves, while using words from legendary poet/teacher Kim Addonizio’s […]

‘I can’t. Take it. ANYMORE!!!’: Repetition Poems

We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work. Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen- repeat a word or […]

‘Memories left in a bind:” Elegies

Students wrote elegies on lost people, places, things, and feelings. Lesson Note: “…research reveals the role of elegy writing in acknowledging and nurturing ongoing bonds with lost loved ones.” – The Literature of Loss: […]

‘jellyfish, sharks, and sea anemone’: Aimee Nezhukumatahil Imitation Poems

What were our favorite TV shows when we were young? What did they teach us? What makes a hero (both real and imagined), and how can we learn from them (even the villains) and […]

‘It felt like a trip I wanted/ to go back to:’ Meditaiton Poems

Students participated in a short meditation and breathing exercise. I read them. I Close My Eyes by David Ignatow. After the meditation, they were asked to write whatever came to mind. Classwork was conducted […]

‘A family is…’: Abecedarians

Students wrote “Abecedarian” poems that use the entire alphabet as the lefthand spine of the poem. Lesson Note: Abecedarian poetry offers a structured framework to explore complex ideas. It allows the poet to navigate […]

‘Something on my mind…” Simile Poems

Students read Mike Taylor’s poem, ‘Thinking About You,’ and experimented with rhyming, exploring their daydreams and creating similes. Lesson Note: “I learned that the only way to get a thing done is to start […]

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I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET