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