All posts in Smyser

Performance Poetry!

For our last session at Smyser, we broke into groups to create performance pieces based off our poems! Each poet contributed one poem to the group. Every group had to include the following in […]

Editing as Practice

This week at Smyser, we spent time editing and revising our poems! We talked about how with most things, you have to keep doing it to get better: soccer practice, theater rehearsals, returning to […]

Black Out Poems!

At Smyser Elementary, students explored blackout poems and created their visual poetry through art. Check out what they created! Mrs. Showalter’s ClassHazel P. Valerie S., “Where have all the children gone?” Noah C. Sienna […]

Extended Metaphors! BOOM! WHOOSH! (And Onomatopoeias)

At Smyser Elementary, we learned about extended metaphors and onomatopoeias through Maya Marie Washington’s poem “Alien.” Students were tasked with writing their own extended metaphor poem where they turned into one non-human thing. Check […]

“Believe it!” Power of Repetition

This past week at Smyser Elementary, we learned about the power of repetition with the poem “When to Write” by Sophia Thakur. Students were challenged to write their own poem about a favorite activity […]

Lessons in Joy

Last week at Smyser Elementary, we read Ross Gay’s poem “Sorrow is Not My Name.” Students challenged themselves to write their own poems about joy or a difficult experience utilizing metaphors and similes. Check […]

A poem for those we admire

This week at Smyser Elementary, we learned about performance poetry and watched a poem by Sarah Kay titled “Mrs. Ribeiro.” Students learned about similes and practiced writing our own while thinking about a person […]

Our Favorite Objects

At Smyser Elementary in our 4th grade classrooms, we looked at the poem “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo. Students learned about personification and used word bubbles or word maps to help […]

Memories and Images

Starting off our 2nd week and Smyser Elementary, we explored imagery, the five senses, and writing from our memories! We looked at the poem “When I Was Six” by Aimee Nezhukumatahil. Check out some […]

Paint me…

Starting off our poetry class at Smyser Elementary, we looked at a poem by Delia Garcia titled “Paint Me Like I Am” (workshop adapted by another PIR, Joy Young). These young poets learned about […]

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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