Instructions: Grow up to be troublemaker with hair as gold as wheat

For our lucky 13th poetry session with Waters 6th graders, we talked about instructions – why does one give them? What makes for good ones? We opened with an activity where a few students were tasked with giving instructions on drawing to another student. Then we read William Holden’s “How to Throw Apples.” Funnily enough, this is an activity a few students were already familiar with 🙂 Enjoy the how-to poems they wrote below!

Ms. Hooper Class

Instructions Cy C.

Get mats in map
Place the walls diagonal like on a canvas
Place the ramp, then run up
Place the floor freely, then repeat
Until you are as high as the birds

how to wash the dishes Lily J.

1st: unload. this is the only step that’s easy 🙂
2nd: load. watch out for expired milk, I wouldn’t be
surprised if you see it.
3rd: have a mental break down. Realize you hate chores
and start crying.
4: QUIT. just quit.
5th: disappear. you were never there…

How To Be Goldilocks Sophia D.

Grow up to be a troublemaker with hair as
gold as wheat. Escape from home into a
dark forest, running and out of breath. Barge
and Blast into a bear-decorated cottage, lead
by the smell of bread and wheat soup.
Eat all and explore the cottage. Fall asleep.
RUN AWAY! While the bears wake you up with a
snarling growl.

Ms. Collins Class

Instructions Liam C.

set the blade
on the cucumber, peel the skin
and now cut into
its flesh and eat it

How to Catch a Football Easton S.

Set your feet
make your hands into a diamond
move to the ball
and wait for the ball even if
it takes 150 years

How to Sleep Roberto M.

laying in bed
can’t sleep
counting sheep
the world blurs

still can’t
change position
uncomfortable feeling
flipping over and over

I close my eyes
the world disappears