From T.S. Eliot to Chicago

We read T.S. Eliot's first section of the "Preludes" to get a sense of setting in poetry. Eliot gives concrete and vivid details of a particular place at a particular time. We discussed the way he described a winter evening in the city at 6'clock. The students found it to be an interesting assignment to write about their own neighborhoods at an exact time in a specific season. Look at their work:




Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
Week 6


7 O’clock A.M.
Dylan M.

The sun rises from
the ground. You see an airplane
fly by. The squirrels
are picking their food up.
The tree branches are falling.
You see red bright birds
trying to catch worms
under some old
and wet logs.




5 O’clock P.M.
Arniece W.

5 o’clock dark quiet light flashing
cold as if a snowman can stand for
the whole winter. People walking past
talking to one another laughing. The smell
of homemade chocolate cookies just going
in the oven from the fantastic factory Nabisco.
Kids walking home to their house
with their parents just coming from the store.
Standing on the front of your house
looking at everyone’s flashing glowing lights.
Listening to the laud and noisy disturbing
train behind all the old bushes.



Splash!
Jaylah C.

In the sunny afternoon people were splashing
in swimming pools with the smell of pools
that are filled with Clorox to keep them clean,
to make the pools clean and now people are swimming
in the water splashing everywhere. People
are filled with cool water and the water goes
up and down on broken swimming
suits and at the corner filled
with Clorox and the Clorox is
going away.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 6


At Marquette Park: 7 O’clock
Noemi O.

It is the fall evening with birds
and squirrels gathering food getting
ready for the winter people talking
on phones walking at seven o’clock
getting ready to go home.

When I walk around the
road I smell chorizo getting
cooked from a house with a
window cracked half way open.

Then I hear cars
driving by with balloons
to go to a party maybe
or a wedding then I walk
home because the street
lights are already on
so then I go home and say
Home Sweet Home!
and get ready to go to sleep.





Summer Evening 3:15
Azalea S.

The summer evening settles
down with smells of
candy and juice.
3:15.
The burnt-out ends
of Nabisco cookies
of withered kids
coming from a long
day of school just want to
go home and get in the pool of the last day of school
on broken fire hydrants
with water bursting out kids jumping in
and the corner of
the street kids and parents
getting ready to cross to the
other side and then they’re finally
home. Their home sweet home.





12:00 AM
Judy D.

At midnight walking by
the airport, waiting to see
and airplane pass by. I walk &
see people walking, driving, on
buses. I see people there seeing
if I might get a ride home &
seeing people on bikes waiting
to see if I would like to have
one. One of these days I
would drive & have a big 3
wheel bike like by grandmother.
Having a big black bike with
a comfortable seat. Waiting
to be home and go to bed and
wake up the next day & start
all over.




My Home
Kiara S.

The sun’s bright lights
shining down the smell of
cookies in the afternoon.
3:15 when all kind’s be
around walled we walk home
where joyful all around.
The school is edgy by 4:00
where leaves crunching under my
feet. By 4:20 it gets broke
when winter breezes blowing under
the start. The street lights
our dime like if the light
were on all night. Where I go to bed
and when the street lights go off
its time to wake up.




Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 6


Neighborhood
Vanessa E.

Christiana is a neighborhood where I
can go to play at 4 p.m. I go outside
walk through the neighborhood. I can
smell the cookies it makes me hungry.

The birds chirp.
I run and play.
I can hide behind a tree.
In my neighborhood I have a tree a
secret tree I play there when I go
outside.
When I go outside I see people
playing.
In my neighborhood I lay down
in the grass and watch the sky
In my neighborhood at 5 pm it gets
dark. My mom comes outside and says
it’s time for dinner.
Well, that is how my neighborhood goes.




Millard
6:00
Ricky V.

It’s 6 o’clock
in the street of
Millard the neighborhood
birds have turned silent
the dogs are barking.
What a surprise that
they are barking. I turn
my head to try to go to
sleep. The smell of Nabisco
cookies are cooking, the
cars turn on. The smell
of fresh air in the
street of Millard. The train
passes by, so I know
that it is six o’clock in
the street of Millard.





12:30
Guadalupe C.

A sunny day at 12:30 at Tarkington
School in Marquette Park that
has a garden so kids play
their sport and where students
learn in school, the smell of the
cookie factory 2 blocks away
and the smell of cookies cooking.

Miss Rosie

We read "Miss Rosie" by Lucille Clifton. This lesson focused on mood and concrete details that give us cues about mood. The students were very close readers noticing how Lucille Clifton changes the mood midway through the poem from sad to victorious. The students wrote really interesting poems.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 5


My Cousin
Carlos T.

When I watch you
in the park
playing with
your red bike

surrounded by
big balloons
and a cake

or

when I watch you with your
new bike and that
I want to ride
in the park

waiting for your mind
like next week
with a new thing.




Bird
Rogelio J.

When I watch you
I see you coming to the cables
you got electricity
between the cables
you crash to the garage.

Surrounded by bees all over the place.

When I watch you, you have broken one wing.

Waiting for the bird to not die in time.

I say why did you die.




Happiness
Mineya G.

When I watch you I see you on the playground
going up and down, up and down having
a swing by your mother.

Surrounded by butterflies, birds, flowers and people
and balloons in the sky. A huge bundle of roses
sitting there waiting for somebody to get them.

When I watch you in your dream I see running around
asking for a drink and drinking it, then having the energy
to shout and play.

Waiting for my mom’s favorite food with is mine too.

I say I love my life
as a wonderful wind blowing in my face.
I love it. I love it a lot.




Ms. Shaeffer 5th grade
Week 5


Little Miss Sandra
Devonte C.

When I watch you wrapped up like a boa constricter
sitting
surrounded by stinking garbage cans smelling
like rotten eggs
or
when I watch you in your old shirt you had 6 years
ago with your collar missing
waiting for you to try to get help, get food, get a house but
you have no money
I say to myself I wish you were not like that I wish I could give
up my life and take yours



The Kid
Anareli L.

When I watch you
in the playground
surrounded by
bullies
or
people that you don’t know
when I watch you in your
house
crying
waiting for
your dad or mom
I say
believe in yourself
be brave



My Dad
Juan A.

When I watch you
play soccer
I have fun
surrounded by
all of my
games
or
when I watch you in your
nice house
the way you painted it
because you’re a
cool/nice dad
waiting for
you get home from work
I say
I am
so excited
to see
you because
you’re the
best/awesome
dad

Best Brother
Brandon W.

When I watch you
play football
I want to play
football

surrounded by
all your friends
and teammates

or

when I watch you in your
Morgan Park football
uniform playing in
a lot of dirt

waiting for
your games to start
on kickoff I love
to see

I say
I would love
to be you

Little Room

We read Max Jacob's poem "Little Room." The students and I discusssed concrete details and how they create setting. We had a really great discussion about the way the speaker remembered and imagined his childhood room. Then, the students were asked to remember a place they knew and to focus on setting while they wrote. There were many favorite places revisited.



Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
Week 3
10/23/07


Mom’s Garden
-Lesli P.

I remember my mom’s garden.
I would always go there when mad.
There are a lot of roses in a circle and
a circle in the middle. All the trees around
the yard, green and purple leaves. All flowers
red and white with a nice smell. There is a pattern.
the red rose goes first, the n the white flowers
or you could step on the big green grass.



Poem
-Annabel H.

I remember in my room with my nephews
imagining that we could walk on the ceiling
and jump over the door. There are fans
on the ceiling, so we had to take
another path in the house. And then we notice
that if we were in the ceiling, what if the stuff
from the floor becomes the ceiling
like the beds and couch.



Poem
-Jose R.

I remember the time I was in my own
basement jumping on my own king size
bed where I jump and play and I
wrestle with my little seven-year-old
brother.

Me and my brother and my little
sister Julianna R. and my sister
Katy R. jumping and playing in my big
bed.

Playing and imagining that we are
heroes. That we are transformers fighting.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 3
10/23/07

The Hour Glass Short Poem
-Rafael G.

I remember me
on my back lawn
laying down and
imagining me flying
meeting birds and
even new birds
bluejays, greenjays
fruitjays, blackbird
woodpeckers, yakkers
swallow, and even
hawks. And I can
imagine I am a
big bird with gray
and blue stripes
and my wings are
1 foot wide and 3 feet tall.



Poem
-Oswald O.

I remember my house. There was
a big space in my living room. There was
a guitar. It talked and it told me play me.
And I did. So now I am a good guitarist.



Poem
-Anais N.

I remember my mom’s room.
I see make-up everywhere. Bam!!
Bam!! I jump on the bed. Click.
Click. I am a super model. Cheese.
Cheese. Whoa. Whoa. Bam! I fell
on the floor. I forgot I was imagining.
Next time I will become a singer.




Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 3
10/23/07

Poem
-Jackie P.

I remember my old garage
with its old rusty ladders and rakes
and its shallow walls with spider webs
everywhere with spiders crawling.
And the voice of the old lady
that used to live there echoing
and bouncing off the dusty old walls
with its gasoline smell and oily floors
and gardening knives and tools.
But now my garage has
been remodeled.




Poem
-Karen L.

I remember the room I had as a child.
It was very nice. Blue and white, many flowers.
When I look the top of it transforms into a dragon
with one princess. His head was yellow, its eyes
blue. She was on the sky and it was like one
fantastic place with many colors, flowers, dragons,
unicorns, animals, people, stars and many letters
that transformed into people. It smelled like
strawberries. It was like a book. Very beautiful.



I Remember
-Jerrett C.

I remember basketball rims, bleachers, an office, gym equipment,
rolling pads, basketballs, skid marks, volleyballs,
people around me talking to each other.
Goofing off. Just being a kid.

Double, Double Toil and Trouble

To get in the spirit of Halloween, we read a segment of Act 4 from Macbeth. We had a discussion about mood, and how moods can actually be set by the inclusion of specific concrete details. The students were then asked to create a mood by designing their own brew. As expected, the brews got pretty scary.

Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
10/30/07
Week 4


Girl’s Devil Brew
-Natalia C.

In my brew I will include
a soldier’s guts and a
witch’s broom a
horn of a devil and
an eyelash too, an
eye of a vampire and
the fangs will do.




Half, Half Creepy Not
-Cecilia F.

Boil bubble, double trouble
cauldron bubbles throw in
a baby owl your future
is candy twix, pixie dust and
a small pinch of cinnamon.
A giant snail is in, candy out.
A devil’s horn and a poison
frog. In goes a fairy’s leg
and out come the bubbles
your future is half
and half devil horn and
halo stick. That’s what my
brew can do. Half
and half to you on
halo devil day.




My Halloween Brew
-Monica R.

Double, double toil and trouble,
eat a snake and take a bubble.
Eye of dog and fur of rat,
baseball mitt and baseball bat.
A broken car and a set of lights
a big box filled with fright.
No truck, no luck, nothing but talk
can’t even see, can’t even walk.
I should have told myself I knew
I shouldn’t add this to my brew.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 4
10/30/07

Devil’s Brew
-Alberto E.

In my brew I will include
eye of a cobra
toe of a lion, hair of a demon’s
soul. Tongue of an alligator.
for a charm of powerful trouble I
will add a devil’s horn. Here
is what my brew can do. It
gives you power exchange for your soul.





A Nasty Brew
Catterin G.

Double, double toil and trouble,
fire burn and cauldron bubble.
In my brew I will include a goldfish tail
and eye of rat, a toe of cheetah.
Hair of a lion, tongue of buffalo.
For a charm of powerful trouble
I will also include a leg of pig,
and his leg is black and pink.
Here is what my brew can do. It is
a magical medicine and is like
juice. You can sleep and ask
for witches double, double toil trouble
fire burn and cauldron bubble.




Mix It Up Brew
Jeremiah B.

In my brew I will include a wing
of owl, eye of a frog, toe of a mouse,
hair of an armpit, tongue of a human.
For a charm of powerful trouble
I will add a shell and slime of a snail.
And something else too, a tail
of a lion. Here is what my brew
can do, make me ruler of the world
and control minds too.





Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 4
10/30/07

The Evilest Brew
Laura M.

In my brew I will include
a old shoe. Eye
of a tiger, toe of a wolf,
hair of a cat
tongue of a bluebird.
For a charm of trouble
I will add a tail of a devil.
Here is what my brew can do,
it can send you to a black hole.





The Animal Brew
Jose G.

In my brew I will include
a tooth of shark,
wing of a bee,
blood of a dragon,
wolf’s nose
and an ear of a rabbit
and the eye of the tiger.

And for a powerful charm
of trouble, I will add a shark’s tongue.

Here is what my brew
can do. It will make you
transform into any animal you want.





The Nasty Brew
Luis M.

In my evil brew I will include
a human’s arm
eye of snake
toe of a skeleton
a brain of a human.

for a powerful charm of trouble
I will add a dragon’s scale.

Here is what my brew can do.
It can raise the dead.

Go Inside

We read Charles Simic's "The Stone." The students and I had a good time imagining getting very tiny and having the ability to go inside of something. Using their senses and concrete images, here are some of their ideas.

Ms. Mitchell 5th grade

Rock
--Joshua A.

Going inside of the rock
and what is inside.

It must look like the moon.

I feel like going into
the rock.

But what is real inside
of the rock. Is it like a moon
or an ocean? The rock
would look like this.

Stone
-Ricardo D.

Go inside a stone.

From the outside
it looks like an oreo.

Yet within it looks
like an egg in an egg
in an egg.

Go Inside a Flower
--Thalia V.

Go inside a flower.
From the outside the flower
is a water fountain for a bird.
Yet within, it’s dry and hot.
I have seen my brother circle around
it yelling flower you’re mine!
I have seen people tear it up. Leaving
some petals behind. I have seen
flowers torn apart inch to inch.
Inside a flower it is dark. There
is enough room to fit the cars tower.
It feels lumpy soft and hard.
That is what a flower is.


Ms. Kennedy 5th grade


Go Inside a Book
--Michaela C.

Go inside a book
that would be my way.
Let somebody else become a river,
or a whale with hard teeth.
I am happy to be a book.

from the outside the book is a whale.
No one knows how to become it.
Yet within it is hard and thick
even though it is dirty and big.
the book smells funny outside.

I have seen it break
with different shapes. Perhaps it is full
with different stuff. It is behind a bush
on the fresh green grass.

Poem
-Shannon B.

Go inside a mean hard dirt viper
that has been in a bag.
Let somebody else be a teacher.
From the outside the viper is cool, evil
and terrible. The viper is like a rock that’s dirty
and hard. Yet within, it must be nice, smooth
and clean, not mean. I have seen
a viper but it was cool, hard, evil and mean.

Poem
-Eric M.

Go inside a can of Coca-Cola that is not open.
Let someone else be a rat or shiny cat tooth.
From the outside the coca-cola is sharp and wet,
it is pointy like a sharp knife that is little.
Yet within it is tasty and very small and damp.
I have seen this can in a very hot volcano.

Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade

Poem
-Kelvin H.

I go inside a tiger.
Let someone else be a cheetah.

From the outside I feel
smooth and furry skin.

Yet within
I have the eye of the tiger.

I have seen me
fighting crime. I fly and run
super fast.

Computer
--Cesar C.

I go inside a computer.
Let someone else search the web.
From the outside sick people
feel my head is empty.

Yet within, I’m full of knowledge.

I have seen a little arrow
inside me. Other people have touched
me, felt I was cold and heard all of the sounds
I make, all the clicks.

Sometimes you can smell me,
when you use me too much or leave me
on. You can see me in libraries.

Poem
-Ariel T.

I go inside the concrete ground.
Let somebody else sink through the cement.
From the outside the ground is being walked on.
Yet within, it must be hard, cool & quiet.
I have seen foot prints that lead away to the sky.
So, perhaps the concrete is a shade of gray, strange
writings on the side.

Magic

On our first day, we read the poem "Magic" by Dahlia Ravikovitch. I asked the students to think about some things they might want to be:

Ms. Mitchell, 5th grade

My Heart Leads Me
Flor T.

Today I’m a unicorn.
Last night I dreamt I was
a big red letter.
In the morning I’ll be a butterfly flying
away from home.
Today I’m a pencil writing.
Yesterday I was a heart bumping.
Tomorrow I’ll be me and just me.


Magic
Neila Noemi R.

Today I am a pink dog.
Last night I was an alien exploring earth.
In the morning I’ll be Patrick Star
looking for Sponge Bob.
Today I am a bicycle riding to school.
Yesterday I was a backpack thrown
on the floor.
Tomorrow I’ll be a white yellowed
flowered dress denied to be worn.

Magic
Jose M.

Today I’m a tiger,
tomorrow a wild dog
always wandering like a puma
always running to attack my prey.

Last night I dreamt a fox
looking for food.

In the morning I listened
and put my breakfast in a bowl.

Today I’m a watch,
tomorrow a shorty.

Yesterday soft clothing,
today a pink eraser.
Tomorrow
I’ll be today.

Ms. Kennedy 5th grade

Today, Last Night, In the Morning and Tomorrow
Andre W.

Today I am coffee
covered in marshmallows
so hot and brown.

Last night I dreamt I was
a cheetah running fast
as wind.

In the morning
I was a waterfall so sparkly, so
bright.

Today I am a god making
world peace, making paradise.

Yesterday I was a coach
teaching things back and forth.

Tomorrow I’m just
a normal kid like
everyone else.

Magic
Berenice T.

Today I’m a tornado
in Chicago.

Last night I was
a book with 1,000 pages.

In the morning I was
a shark with very sharp teeth.

Today I am the world
with water.

Yesterday I was
a tree that the humans
turned into paper.

Tomorrow I’ll be
Ms. Kennedy teaching everybody
my class.



I Will Be
Alan R.

Today I’m a tree
that is made into maple syrup.

Last night I dreamt I was
an alien with a human head with eyes
in the back of my head.

In the morning I was
a new car that does not pollute the earth.

Today I was a planet that
was made of rocks and fire.

Yesterday I was a TV with people
watching wrestling.

Tomorrow I will be myself
and go do chores.


Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade

Imagine That
Dominique B.

Today I am a forest
with a lot of trees.

Tomorrow I will be a new plant
wandering in space.

Last night I dreamt
I was a stream.

In the morning
I was a lake.

Yesterday I was fish
just about to be caught by a fisher.

Today I am a book
just waiting to be read.

Tomorrow I will be a star
twinkling in the sky.

Magic
Jeremiah D.

Today I am a burger
that is all types of colors.

Last night I dreamt about being
a big fat whale that was
polka-dot all over its body.

In the morning I was
a bomb that had exploded on Iraq.

Yesterday I was playing football.

Today I am Mrs. Blackman

Tomorrow I will be the sun.

My Dream
Andres G.

Today I am a dolphin swimming.

Tomorrow I will be a toy
almost worn out.

Last night I dreamt
I was a tortoise living
in my shell.

In the morning I was
a tornado on the roof
of my house.

Yesterday I was a knight
fighting with a dragon to save a princess.

Today I will be the sun
that shines in the sky.

Tomorrow I will be a grown person.