Poetry Broadsides

For the last two weeks of the residency, students chose their favorite poems that they wrote this year.  Then they revised their work and created a poetry broadside that incorporated images from their own poems.  Finally we went on a "gallery walk" where students could see the amazing poems of their peers.  It was a great 20 weeks at Tarkington!

Check back next fall for new poems.

What We Know

Today we read "Ballade" by Francios Villon. We talked about how we know things--how sometimes we know a whole thing by its parts. Or sometimes what we know reveals what we don't know. The students wrote some great poems. Take a look!


Ms. Mitchell 5th grade


I Know
Flor T.

I know my mom by her cooking.
I know my dad by his talking.
I know spring by kids playing.
I know reading by words.
I know everything but my sister.

I know words by letters.
I know flowers by their smell.
I know my teacher by her talking.
I know talking by reading.
I know myself.
I know everything but my sister.

I know my dad by his hard work.
I know people by their style.
I know my friends by being there.
I know everything but my sister.


I Know
Dylan M.

I know my dad by his hair
I know my mom by her voice
I know my sister with her crying
I know my neighbor by her laughter
I know a great book when I see one
I know I’m good at video games
I know how to milk a cow
I know when my grandma made good food
I know my friends when they talk
I know the weather when I feel it
I know what is ticklish


I Know
Annabel H.

I know my mom by her screaming
I know numbers by clothes
I know the steps of my sister when angry
I know my friend by her talk
I know my dog by her whining
I know the color by the tree
I know my dad by his knock


I Know
Delmar M.

I know the ATA airplanes from
the Southwest airplanes by the way
they fly in the air and how they
take off. I know the pit bull
from a rottweiler by the bark.
I know a truck from a car
by the engine.

I Know
Leslie P.

I know my mom by her food
I know a folder by its pockets
I know a girl by her long hair
I know a pixie by its wings
I know my grandma by her age
I know a mouse is a cat’s prey
I know a school by the kids
I know a park by the games
I know a restaurant by the food
I know they angels in the sky
I know beautiful times
But I don’t know if it would be
the end of the world.



Ms. Kennedy 5th grade


I Know
Shannon B.

I know a teacher by the way she looks
I know a child by the way she acts
I know a mother by the way she walks
I know a cow by the way it moos
I know the weather by the way it looks
I know a ball by its shape
I know an equation by its numbers
I know everything but how many licks
it takes to get to a tootsie roll pop

I know a clock by its tick
I know a chair by its squeak
I know a poet by its rhythm
I know everything I’m supposed
to know.

I Know
Sergio D.

I know the cup
by slurping it.
I know the birds
by their song. I
know the school
by it knowledge.
I know when it rains
the sky turns gray.


I Know
Rogelio J.

I know the sounds of my mom
I know the sound of the church
I know the bell of recess
I know the sound when I shoot
the ball
I know the sound of the rain
I know everything but myself.

I know god’s kindness
I know when my Dad comes
I know the devil’s playground
I know everything but myself.



Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade


I Know
Laura M.

I know dogs in stores
I know animals by their smell
I know Home Runs from high
I know water by the noise
I know the shoes when I see people in them
I know when people are mad
I know who makes paper airplanes
I know everything but myself.

I Know
Dominique B.

I know my mom by her shoe
I know Paris by the Eiffel Tower
I know my dad by his voice
I know my friends by their hair
I know my cousin by her hair
I will know everything but my inside

I know BBQ by the grill
I know fudge by the cake
I know my grandma by her glasses
I know my god-sisters by their size
I will know everything but my inside

I Know
Anareli L.

I know my brother by his English/Spanish accent
I know my friends by their skateboards
I know some of my other friends by their smell
I know Tony by his skateboard
I know fear by its face
I know everything but secrets

I know kids by their faces
I know when people are going to hit me
I know the anime’s name
I know death who devours all
I know everything but secrets

I Know
Guadalupe C.

I know the hand on the clock
I know my mom by her eyes
I know people by their cars
I know the plants by the leaves
I know the teacher by our lessons
I know the poems by the reader
I know the calculator by the numbers
I know all these things but myself.

I know the cup by the designs
I know the book by the words
I know the TV by the buttons
I know the words by the letters
I know the world by the names
I know my desk by the book in it
I know my friends by their shoes
I know all these things but myself.

I Know
Andres G.

I know the clipboard by the color.
I know the women by their voices.
I know sadness by the look
on the eye of fear.
I know everything but my mind.

I Know
Karen L.

I know my mom by her hair
I know the teacher by her voice
I know my brother by his hands
I know my dad by his voice
I know my house by the trees
I know my family by how they smell.

I Know
Jackie P.

I know Mexico by the way it smells
I know school by math
I know red by blood
I know scissors by paper
I know paper by pencils
I know baseball by sports
I know my favorite restaurant by the smell
I know fear by school
but I don’t know why I’m so tall.

Ode to the BambooSnakeFishFly--Part 3

Today we read Pablo Neruda's "The Turtle" and spoke about Odes. We enjoyed Neruda's poem of praise. And, though we liked the turtle, the students became creators of their own new animals. The students then wrote their own odes to their fabulous new creations.

Take a look!

Ms. Schaefer's class: 5th grade


Ode to the ButterBird
Vanessa E.














The butterbird who
flew so long
and saw so much
with
her
purple
eyes.
The butterbird
who ate
leaves
from the beautifulest
tree,
The butterbird who flew
for eight cenuries
and knew
eight
thousand
springtimes,
The butterbird
who slept
in the
golden tree
and wandered
around
she closed her eyes
which defied
and went to sleep.




Ode to the Rhinohornbatwing Man Eater
Derome S.

















Ode to the Rhinohornbatwing Man Eater
Oh how I love how it swoops down to
catch people.
It lives on the top of Mt. Rushmore.
It eats human and tigers and lions.
It can fly, and run faster than a cheetah
and on water.
It brings darkness.


Ode to the Snake-Headed Frog-Legged Turtle!
Devonte C.
















Ode to the Snake-
Headed Frog-
Legged Turtle.
Oh how it loves
to jump and
say seeeeeses.
It lives under
water in a nest.
It eats insects
baby owl and
baby dogs.
It moves 50 miles per hour.
It loves to jump.
It jumps up to 10 feet
in the air. It catches
prey by it's feet like
an owl or eagle some-
times it eats things whole.
When a big animal
tries to eat it, it
either jumps away or
sticks its snake head
in its shell
and feet in its shell!



Ode to the Winged Shell Tiger Fish
Kelvin H.




















Oh how I love my wild beast.
How he lives in rivers.
How he eats the strongest predator.
How he is immortal.
How he is the predator.
How he moves in the air
on land and in water.
Oh how he knows every part of
land, the miraculous beast
who slept in different areas.
How he controls all seasons.
Oh how I love my wild beast.

Ode to the BambooSnakeFishFly--Part 2

Today we read Pablo Neruda's "The Turtle" and spoke about Odes. We enjoyed Neruda's poem of praise. And, though we liked the turtle, the students became creators of their own new animals. The students then wrote their own odes to their fabulous new creations.

Take a look!

Ms. Kennedy's class: 5th grade

Ode to the Snakeatertafishjumper
Eric M.



















Oh how you swim through the ocean, fly
through the foggy clouds, hope through the
forest and crawl in the woods. Oh why
do you eat trout, eat plants,
and why do you eat snakes. Why do
you live in the mountains, woods, and
ocean? Oh how they think you
are ugly.

Ode to the Flying Fishsnake
Carlos T.

Oh flying fishsnake how I love to go
all over the places, he eats a lot of stuff.
He flies, jumps, runs and swims. He is not a friendly animal.

Ode to the Flying Snake Butterfly
Noemi O.

Oh snakebutterly how I love when you

fly in the air and swim in the sea
when you eat chickens when to
go to a farm.

Ode to the Hopper
Kimberly A.

How I love to eat carrots, meat, worms and insects. I live
in the wild. I live in the trees and love to fly in the dark. I run
fast and fly in the bright blue sky. Ode to the hopper
tiger bat bird that likes to run and hop fast.

Ode to the BambooSnakeFishFly

Today we read Pablo Neruda's "The Turtle" and spoke about Odes. We enjoyed Neruda's poem of praise. And, though we liked the turtle, the students became creators of their own new animals. The students then wrote their own odes to their fabulous new creations.

Take a look!

Ms. Mitchell's class: 5th grade


Ode to the Flapper
Ceclia F.




The Flapper who stutters
and fights and picks certain
animals to poke with his horns
so the opponent won't eat
his two-headed fish.
He has the power that Flappers
could use under water. He eats
seals and much more. He lives
under the water and flies too.
The colorful flapper that looks
like a lollipop with a hundred colors.
He is brave and a hard fighter.







Ode to the SnakeFishTale
Leslie P.



The SnakeFishTale who swims around the lakes waddling out on the sidewalks.
How he eats ants and chases little kids around. The Snake Fish Tale with
one pink eye that can be out in the lake or in the
jungle with a horn of rhino and goes around eating their friends and scaring
them by making weird noises that no one on earth had heard
before. The SnakeFishTale that died because it has spent too much time out in earth.

Ode to the BamboojumperLizader
Arniece W.

The BambooumperLizader who eats snakes
covered in chocolate from the jungle named Marc.
And it loves to see its prey hiding
around in tiny tiny places with its eyes
looking at it like a hawk, like it is a fish.

History (in third person)

Today we read Tomaz Salamun's poem "History." We talked about writing in third person to gain some distance and a new perspective. We also talked about how imagining one's own history could be interesting, especially when the poet chooses vivid images. The students wrote great poems of their own imagined histories. Take a look!

Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
Week 15
3/25/08

My History
Cecilia F.

Cecilia is a hero.
She is a blue book being read.
Some people think she’s crazy.
Maybe she is a healthy carrot
or maybe even a parrot that is
blue! She could even be a famous
singer that she would never be.
Cecilia is taking her stubborn
step sister to the store to
buy a Bratz diamonds doll.
Cecilia is a yellow bright
star in the sky.
She could even be a bright
and sweet strawberry, even
though she is a sour lemon.
But people say: oh look
the devil is coming to the baker
to buy a cake for her family.

History
Thalia V.

Thalia is a cat.
Thalia is a bush.
She sits down watching
TV. People and I, we both
look at her amazed. We wish
her well. Maybe she is an image
you can’t describe. But,
next year, she will be at home
in Mexico or Las Vegas.
This is Thalia.
But in Las Vegas, peoples
say: look. But Thalia
just walks away following her mom.

History
Arniece W.

Arniece is a drama queen.
Arniece is a red ruby shining bright.
She’s like a star shining bright
like a celebrity.
She’s like a stubborn girl who sometimes would like to
leave Chicago.
Arniece is like the queen of celebrities, because
she is a beauty and glamorous and has it all.
Next year, she will probably be in college
like a student in Atlanta or New York.

Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 15
03/25/08

History
Michaela C.

Michaela is a princess.
Michaela is a star shining at night.
She sees people saying it is beautiful.
People and I look at her crazy.
They wish she was a real
live person. Maybe she is punished
from the biggest star in the
universe. Maybe she is a spy
in the sky. Next year, she
will probably be on vacation
and relaxing because she
is stressed out. But, she’ll
be okay for the rest of her life.

What is He?
Alan R.

Alan is a ball that bounces.
Alan is a big scary giant.
He lies down in the shade.
People say: He is a bull
running in the street.
I say: Next year he will
be in Mexico at the beach.
People think he is a big snow-
storm. But the next year
he is at school getting his grades.
But he is still planning to
go to Mexico before he dies.
He is a door not letting
anything go in.


History
Noemi O.

Noemi is an angel.
Noemi is a light turning off and on.
She lies in the night.
Swims in the morning.
Noemi is a cheetah chasing
its prey. She is like a spider
waiting for a bug to get
on her web. Next year
she will be in Puerto Rico.

Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 15
03/25/08

History
Tyriona W.

Tyriona is a T-Rex
that is running for meat.
Tyriona is a chandelier
dangling in the air.
She is a sour apple
that makes you shiver.
Next year, she would be
a high mountain that no one
can reach. Maybe she will be
a gummy worm that slithers
on the ground. But,
people say she is going to be
a little, tiny bird.
Next year, she’ll probably be
a big hole. There’s
a possibility that she might be
a dancing leprechaun.
But other people say she will
be a singer and a queen that people
will examine in the future.
But she says that she is going
to be a successful person.

History
Guadalupe C.

Guadalupe is a plant.
Guadalupe is a gummy bear
running up and down.
She goes to the pool and
calls her plant.
People look at her weird.
They wish her will and to not
get sick again.
They will give her energy.
When leaves fall to the floor,
she can only show petals
that should be taken in winter.
She will die.
That is history about Guadalupe.

My History
Vanessa E.

Vanessa is an angel.
She might only be a sad story.
Possibly she should be a Chihuahua.
Next year, she’ll be in Europe. In Paris.
But people will say: look there is
Vanessa walking down the street
drinking some latte.
She will always be someone
to trust and she will always
be nice to people.

Crazy Adorations

Today we read an excerpt of Andre Breton's "Free Union." We talked about the power of metaphor and discussed the strange and surprising way Breton describes his wife. We made a list of unusual parts of the body that might go mostly unexamined, and created a list of unrelated nouns. Then, when asked to think of someone they adore, students came up with many exciting comparisons. Read their work!

Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
Week 14


Poem
Flor T.

My dog’s eyes are like
roses with lots of petals.
My dog is brown like
a chocolate river.
My dog has ears of
a fish.
My dog’s belly is like jelly.
My dog’s head is like a
fountain of glitter.
My dog’s mouth is like
a ring.
My dog’s feet are like
little rabbits feet jumping.
My dog is like
my sister, always doing what
they are not supposed to be
doing.




Poem
Jose M.

Marc’s voice sounds like a
chocolate cookie saying
he doesn’t want to shower,
it sounds like a
skunk trying to
escape from
a predator.
It sounds like
a pop tart with
strawberry. It sounds
like a sad cow that
is going to get a mark
with the thing farmer’s use to make
the mark. He sounds like
a bush baby that can’t get
on the bush. It sounds
like a big thunder
storm trying to let
down rain. He
sounds like
a big
happy panda that just
found its family again.
That’s how Marc sounds.



Poem
Monica R.

My brother’s brain is as small as a peanut.
My brother’s face of steaks.
My brother’s eyes are just like my sisters.
My brother’s belly is an elephant.
My brother’s ears full of monkeys.



Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 14


My Brother
Azalea S.

My brother
has the skin
of a snake.

With the
head of a blown
up balloon.

Hands of a
construction worker.
Heart of a devil’s
brain.

Feet of a jungle
boy. Breath of a
sun on a 150 degree
summer day.

Toenails of a rough
needle. Hair of a
little noodle popping out
and back in.

My brother
of the body
of an ant.

My brother!





My Cousin
Mireya G.

My cousin Daniel has
eyes of a flower, mouth of
a sun, hands of a trouble-
maker, nose of a watermelon and
cheeks of eggs. Legs of snow,
brain of Sponge Bob’s house and
powers like Spiderman.
I love my cousin!




My Friend
Rafael G.

My friend has the lips of French fries,
the brain of beans,
the ribs of sticks,
the eyes of a streelight,
the nose of a button,
and the hair of a bag of popcorn.
The elbow of a water bottle cap,
the fingers of noodles,
the heart of grapes,
the intestines of pipes,
the toes of chicken wings,
and the hair of a monkey.



Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 14


Free, All Free
Ariel T.

My head that’s shaped like a globe.
My ears are little martens.
My shoulders that are red and pink hearts.
My legs are bright lamps.
My fingers are crystals dangling.
My arms are stringy noodles.




My Cousin
Tariq R.

My cousin’s hair is on
fire, but not very much.
His face looks like a clown
from Saw III, oh god
it looks like glass that broke.



My Friend
Jackie P.

My friend with the nose of
a dog and ears of a chipmunk.
My friend with fingers of
a bear and a brain of a pebble. My
friend with a head of socks.
My friends with a femur of
a dog and an eye of crystal.

Personification Emotion Party

This week we read "Shame" by Nancy Casteneda and "Fear" by Tracy Waldman. The students and I discussed personification, and then made a list of some emotions we might want to explore. We talked about how, if the emotion was a person, it would look, act, etc. A few student volunteers had a good time acting this out and entering the room as their emotion. Then, they used their own powers to transform their emotion into a person via words:


Ms. Mitchell 5th grade


Confused
Thalia V.

Confused is a girl with 2 pigtails,
one higher that the other.
She doesn’t know whether to put
milk in the cereal box or cereal
in the milk. She is confused.
She doesn’t know whether to put
her homework on her book bag
or in it. She is a girl who is
confused. She doesn’t know
whether to use her hand to
open the door or use her
mouth. She uses her mouth.
She puts cereal in the milk
carton and pours it into
her book bag. Then she puts her
homework on top of her book bag
and heads to school. But
she doesn’t know whether to
run to school or use the bus.
She runs. She is confused.




Happiness
Cecilia F.

Happiness is a woman who
loves and smiles, eats an
egg, hot dog, and some bacon.
Happiness is a beach getting
a tan. Happiness is a just-
married woman with a white
dress. Happiness is a family
who still sticks together and never
be in a fight or get a divorce.



Livid
Delmar M.

Livid is an old man yelling: you
kids better get off my grass!

Livid is my dad when he
curses.

Livid is a lady chewing
gum out of a garbage
can.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade


Nervous
Berenice T.

Nervous is a girl
who is pretty but doesn’t
speak a lot. She comes
out when you make
abundant mistakes.
She looks like a baby
just born, or a kid
who dropped his lunch.
Be careful, because
you can start being blissful
but end up nervous and shy.



Confused
Cody M.

Confused walks into
the room with a football helmet running
saying: I am going to get you, then runs
into the wall and screams in a circle and
then starts skipping saying: la, la, la, la, laaaaa.

Confused has a dog
in his pocket, and a shoe and a wig.
He smells like half apple, half
wet dog and he has potatoes
in his hair.

Confused punches people for no reason.
He eats a sandwich with cookies, hot dogs
old ice cream and juice.



SAD
Mireya G.

Sad is a boy who’s always
crying. He’s always shaking
because he doesn’t have any
friends. He has no money in his
pocket. He is poor. He eats grass
and drinks water from the
pond. He has a teddy bear. It’s
special to him. It’s his only toy.
He has one pair of sneakers. They
are ripped and black and only
his mother has 1 carrot. He smells
like rotten eggs, because he doesn’t
take baths, because they can’t pay
the water bills. He looks like a sad
kids who loves his family. Boy,
it will be okay!!!!!!




Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade


Nervous
Jeremiah D.

Nervous is scared
the teacher will fall. Nervous
is someone who thinks blue
is purple. Nervous
is: I hope my booger is not
showing. Nervous is: I hope
in the sky. Nervous is someone
who worries too much and has
a great imagination because
he watches too much T.V.



Anger
Cesar C.

Anger is a man who is running
around on fire shouting. His hair
is gone because he ripped it off. For
breakfast he eats a rock. He takes
a bath in a volcano. Now, at 27 he gets
F’s and can’t pass kindergarten. He punches
the walls and rips up paper. He lives
in a junk yard and sleeps
on spikes. He has an alien in his
pocket stabbing him with a nail.
He runs away from the police!
His eyes are red with rage.


Anger
Melissa Z.

Anger is like a man screaming,
like a lion really mad. Or anger is
when people scream and tell people:
get out of my way.

Anger is when people have their face
really red. Or are biting their nails.
Or holding the hand and pushing,
but their hands are red like a tomato.

Sweet Like a ???

Today we read Michael Ondaatje's poem "Sweet Like a Crow." The students really gained an understanding of comparison/simile and were very excited about the surprising and strange associations this poem offered. The students then began to imagine how a voice might sound and came up with comparison's of their own. They had many surprising images!


Ms. Mitchell 5th grade


My Voice
Rafael V.

My voice sounds like some
one baking nice warm bread.
My voice sound like some
one jumping in fifty thousand
dollars. My voice sounds like
nice wood getting burned.



My Voice
Malia C.

My voice sounds like
cash money saying: I’m
rich I’m rich. You’re
broke, you’re broke.
My voice sounds like
some ice cream with three
cherries on top.



Sweet Like a Bat
Thalia V.

Your voice sound like a
huge chocolate bar being crunched
into tiny tiny pieces with
your foot like someone has just
squished your toe, like
wind blowing with flowers
straight behind, a butterfly
turning into a caterpillar and being swept
away. Oh. Oh. Like a kitten
swimming in a Jacuzzi. Oh yeah!



My Voice
Arniece W.

My voice sounds like a pretty red diamond sparkling
and glowing.

Like someone making a chocolate fountain in their mouth
going down like a chocolate river, like a dark
purple and white butterfly flying high.

Like chile cheese fries with cheese, bacon bitties
and others, like a really mean, angry monkey
throwing bananas everywhere and swinging
from tree to tree.

Like my best friend and a squirrel getting in a
fight.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade


My Voice
Michaela C.

My voice sounds like an elephant
hollering for help. And a sound
of waving water. A toaster when
toast comes out of it. A sound of
candles melting, and a brilliant
thunderstorm rattling. A sound
of washing machines when
the clothes are twirling. It sounds
like people chewing on gum really
hard.



Your Voice
Roxana A.

Your voice sounds
like a cat taking a
shower in the toilet.
A rooster being
beat up. Your voice
is like a mirror being
broken by a huge rock.
A monkey doing the
bathroom in the zoo.
You sound like a little
munchkin being followed
by a cheetah.



Her Voice Sounds . . .
Alan R.

Her voice sounds like a
toilet flushing,
like a monkey trapped in a
cage.
Like a fire alarm in your house.
Her voice is like paper crunching
on the floor.
Like a train whistling,
like a bee in your ear.
Her voice is like an airplane
passing by your house.
Like a mom in the hospital
having a baby and screaming.
Like a baby crying for help.




Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade


Your Voice
Vanessa E.

Your voice sounds like a screaming
pig, a ruler falling,
a choking squirrel,
you eating frosted flakes,
like scratching on the chalk board,
the school bell,
the sound of a timer,
maybe your voice sounds like stomping
feet,
a singing chipmunk,
falling pencils,
like a big storm,
but of course, when you go to
sleep, you snore.



Your Voice
Ricardo V.

Your voice sounds like a person jumping off
a cliff, like a man was pushing you
off the cliff, like someone eating corn flakes,
an airplane crashing, like waves, a waterfall,
an old lady screaming, like the sound when I
pick my nose. Your voice sounds like someone
vomiting. Your voice sounds like a hippie person
dancing to the Eighties and your voice sounds
really wonderful.



My Voice
Luis M.

My voice sounds like a train whistle and smooth,
or a cave when you speak and your voice gets
louder then lower and sounds like a fish
making bubbles and it sounds like a bell
from a church and the voice sounds like a squirrel
chirping and sounds like frosted flakes
being smushed by a car.

Paint blot comparisons

To introduce comparison, the students and I read "Fog" by Carl Sandburg. We had a great discussion about how one thing can be/become another thing. Then, I made a few symmetrical paint blots to help the students discover their own "metaphor magic" to transform one thing into another. See their amazing poems:

Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
Week 11
01/22/08


Paint
Dylan M.

It looks like a face with
a rose on its nose. The
black looks like a baby
girl’s t-shirt. The two white
eyes look like eggs. If
you see it upside down,
it looks like a rocket
ship. The top looks like two
great green flowers about
to open. The bottom looks
like a foot ball players. It
looks like an elephant.



Green Paint
Sonia C.

The green paint creates a
fish. A green fish.
It stands still looking around
the ocean, blue and beautiful.
Then, moves on in the ocean.



Paint
Dymon G.

It looks like a lobster
with a trimmed tail.

It sits over looking like it’s
about to snip and snap.

With it’s furious face, saying
you want some, get some, because
I’ll make you wish you never
snapped and hurt me.

Also, with flaky skin, flakier
as you look down her tail.




Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 11
01/22/08



I See
Eric M.

I see a boxing frog.
He got punched back.
He has his fists up
and his eyes closed.
He has blood out of his ears.
He has black feet
and black hands. He
is screaming for help.
He is hungry.
He has a broken leg.
He has red shorts.



Heart Broken
Michaela C.

It looks like two hearts
surrounded by a person who
is in love. But, his heart
is broken because the girl
doesn’t love him.



3 Paintings
Catterin G.

The paint is a little girls with red
hair, and on the edge of the red hair,
I see black hair.

I see a nose, red nose, 4 teeth,
red eyes, a black scale and skin.

I see 2 hearts that look like
claws, and an evil spider with
a green head.



Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 11
01/22/08



The Paint Splash
Dominique B.

It looks like a man doing yoga, or
an alien that’s red and came from Mars
with black armor. In the middle there
looks like a ghost. And it has blood
red hands and arms.



The Paint Splash
Ariel T.

The plain white paper turns
into a mutated man in a
space suit. It turns into a robot.
This plain white piece of paper
turns into a cactus or a man
with green eyes.
My last white piece of paper
is a bat, or a gorilla. Maybe
an airplane that is
red, green, and black put together.



The Paint Splash
Leslie M.

There was one time three little
paint splashes turned into a flower.
The other one turned into a
Christmas tree. The next day,
they turned into a human and
the other one turned into a spider.
The other one turned into an
eagle. Two days later, it was
an airplane.

In My Head

This week, we stepped outside of ourselves to see what kinds of images might be lurking inside of us. We read "A Boy’s Head" by Miroslav Holub, translated from Czech by Ian Milner. The students were amazed at what kinds of things represented knowledge and were excited to explore images of their own. Look at their great work!


Ms. Mitchell 5th grade
Week 8
11/27/07


Dymon’s Head
-Dymon G.

In it there is my mom telling me to wake up
and trying not to think of school too much

And there is a store filled with generous shoes

Thinking of all the wonderful gifts on Christmas
then right after that my birthday

In it is heavenly chocolate chip dough pie
fresh from the oven

There is a memorized birthday list

An entirely new day

The tunes of soulja boy & I-15 going on & on & on

It cannot be cut down



In Neila’s Head
Neila R.

In it there are lots of words
and questions about life.

And there is my cousin saying
chu-chu which means he wants
to watch Thomas the train on T.V.

And there is an entirely new
me, an entirely new house,
and an entirely new school.

There is a river filled with chocolate.

There are equilateral triangles.

There are a lot of gray rainy clouds.

And it cannot stop.
I believe that only my heart can stop
what I think about my life.

There is a lot of promise that not a lot
of people think what I’m thinking.




My Brother’s Head
Rafael V.

In it I see him playing
with car toys.

In it I him
in a 1945 van.

In it I see all kinds
of car toys only him
playing with them.

In his head I see him
making a mess in my room.

All I see is him having
a good day and me having
a bad day.



In my head
Marc B.

In it there is a devil side
and an angel side.

In it there’s a blood fountain
but the angels ice it up.

In it there’s a brave guy
that wants to come out
its in chains because
of the devil side of me.

In it there is a video game
calling my name.





Ms. Kennedy 5th grade
Week 8
11/27/07

In My Head
Alan R.

In it is a penguin flying
that is red and pink

And there is
a boy charging up
a dog that breathes fire

And there is
a puma hunting in the sky
me walking on the sky

There is a
river full of ire

And it just cannot
get out of my head





In My Head
Sergio D.

In it there is me
playing Xbox 360.
There is a game inside.
There is Halo 3 in there.
There is me killing all
the zombies with a
bazooka and a sergeant
killing them with a laser. There
is me driving a Jeep where
it is the end of the
world. I believe I will
never stop playing
my game.





In Oswald’s Head
Oscar L.

In it there is a fling rat
there is a dead dog
there is a hamburger
there is a book
and a math problem
there is a soccer ball
I believe that only
a head could be
trimmed




Ms. Schaeffer 5th grade
Week 8
11/27/07

In Kelvin’s Head
Kelvin H.

There are snow balls.

There is a little puppy.

There are presents just for me.

There is a snowman
shaking hand with Santa Claus.

There are miles of
hot chocolate rivers.

There are chocolate bunnies
with whipped cream
inside.

There are penguins
and husky dogs dancing
to disco music.

There are games for
free at stores.

There are snow white
birds flying to Antarctica.




The Army Life
Tariq R.

There is the army
inside my head
that is green with so much
of a war of fight
with blood and fight
real hard as a legend




In a Girl’s Head
Tyriona W.

In a head there is the F.B.I.
protecting her from villains.

And there is a singer singing on
a stage in the clubs.

There is football, baseball, soccer,
cosmetology jobs.

There is a growing diamond
of love and peace and quiet.

There are movies like Peter Pan
and DVDs like Manda playing inside.

There is a lot of promising for her,
that she lives with no voices.

And she believes she will be
a singer. That’s her goal.




In My Head
Marquis G.

In my head is a jet pack.
In there is me, just me.
In my head is my mom,
and in my head is to become rich.