9781936328093-cov...“My Book” by Ally Moore City Neighbors Charter School Baltimore City...
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Transcript of 9781936328093-cov...“My Book” by Ally Moore City Neighbors Charter School Baltimore City...
Exercises and Poems from the
Maryland State Arts Council
Artist-in-Residence Program
Baltimore, Maryland
Voices Fly
Edited by Poets-in-Residence
Virginia Crawford and Laura Shovan
© 2012, Maryland State Arts Council
and CityLit Project
All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-1-936328-09-3
CityLit Project is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
Federal Tax ID Number: 20-0639118
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
or any information storage and retrieval system,
without prior permission from the publisher
(except by reviewers who may quote brief passages).
Printed in the United States of America, First Edition
c/o CityLit Project
120 S. Curley Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
410.274.5691
www.CityLitProject.org
CityLit Project’s offices are located in the School of Communications Design
at the University of Baltimore. For information about UB’s MFA in Creative
Writing and Publishing Arts, named one of the country’s most distinctive
programs by Poets & Writers magazine, please visit www.ubalt.edu.
A MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY
Dear Friends:
I am pleased to share this anthology of poetry and offer congratulations to Maryland’s students for contributing their creativity to this book.
Voices Fly, a collaboration of students, teachers, and the dedicated poets of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Artist-in-Residence Program, reminds us that beyond its intrinsic value, the arts are a powerful tool for education.
For four years in a row, Maryland’s public schools have been named #1 and we know that in order to continue creating jobs and expanding opportunity, we must continue to invest in our students. Learning through the arts teaches young people to use many different mediums to communicate ideas. Students who can express concepts through poetry, dance, drawing, or song have a competitive edge in the creative economy of our future and help enrich our communities.
Voices Fly highlights the extraordinary imagination of our State’s youth, and the spirited teaching under which it thrives. Please enjoy the diverse perspectives of Maryland’s young poets and thank you for supporting Maryland’s artists.
Sincerely,
Governor
The Maryland State Arts Council wishes to thank the participating teachers for their continued support of poetry residencies in Maryland schools, the poets for
their passion and dedication, and the students for their inspiring and beautiful words.
Acknowledgments
Maryland State Arts Council
With a celebrated record of commitment to innovation, collaboration, and leadership in the arts reaching back four decades, the Arts Council was founded to encourage and invest in the arts for all Marylanders. With a strong record of support for artists, arts programs, and organizations, MSAC continues its work to build an even stronger creative community.
MSAC is heartened by national recognition and statewide support. Our elected leaders understand the power of the arts and consistently invest public resources to serve all Marylanders. We are encouraged by the power of partnerships forged with industry innovators such as Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) Alliance, Maryland Citizens for the Arts, and other service organizations to promote the advancement of the arts and arts education in our state.
An agency of the Department of Business & Economic DevelopmentDivision of Tourism, Film and the Arts
Martin O’Malley, Governor Anthony G. Brown, Lieutenant GovernorChristian S. Johansson, Secretary
Maryland State Arts Council175 West Ostend Street, Suite EBaltimore, Maryland 21230www.msac.org | Telephone: 410-767-6555MD Relay TTY : 1-800-735-2258Email: [email protected] If you need assistance using this publication,please contact the MSAC office.Telephone: 410-767-6555 orTTY : 1-800-735-2258 or 711 for individuals who aredeaf or hard-of-hearing. Individuals who do not use conventional printmay contact the Maryland State Arts Council officeto obtain this publication in an alternate format.
Table of Contents
XVII / ForewordStanley Plumly, Maryland Poet Laureate
1 / IntroductionVirginia Crawford and Laura Shovan, Editors
7 / Chapter 1WORD POND: FILL A WORD POND WITH IMAGES, THEN GO FISH— MIMI ZANNINOLaurel Woods Elementary SchoolHoward County“Summer Word Pond” by Nicholas Colindres“Winter Word Pond” by Desha Hamilton“Voice of Butterfly” by Josias D. Bordon-Alvarez“Voice of a Butterfly” by Za’Daiya Harrod“Can You Guess?” by Faith Small“Voice of a Butterfly” by Thiago Alexandre C. Adao“Voice of a Butterfly” by Melody Akindele
19 / Chapter 2ANIMAL TALK: PERSONIFICATION WITH VISUAL, MOVEMENT, RECITING, AND WRITING— ROSANNE SINGERSherwood Elementary School
Montgomery County“Fish Talk” by Lorenzo Ianniciello“Cat Talk” by Maddie HawkinsBaden Elementary SchoolPrince George’s County“Cow Talk” by Samantha Cook“Don’t Hurt Dogs” by Jeyvon HarveyCedar Grove Elementary SchoolMontgomery County“Arctic Fox Chat” by Madison Cassella“I Need Cheese” by Danielle Singleton“Fish Talk” by Evelyn Colette “Doggy Wishes” by Jaclyn Obendorfer “Elephant Talk” by Bryce Morse 33 / CHAPTER 3LIST POEMS— VIRGINIA CRAWFORDSnow Hill Elementary SchoolWicomico County“My World” by William Michael WiseWarren Elemetary SchoolBaltimore County“When I Dream” by Marie Cheng“Daydreaming” by Camaira Walker “Snow” by Isaac Munyiri“Myself” by Jocelyn Goldberg“I Am Me!” by Benjamin SturialeLutherville Laboratory SchoolBaltimore County“Me, Myself and Time” by Philip Chiaan R. Guasa
“Only Time” by Emma Corona“My Book” by Ally MooreCity Neighbors Charter SchoolBaltimore City“Thinking” by Lucia Schmidt
47 / CHAPTER 4OUR MAGICAL THIRD EARS— CAROL FAULKNER PECKSligo Creek Elementary SchoolMontgomery County“Third Ear” by Elijah Schulman“Third Ear” by Mercedes Horn“Third Ear” by Romain FouilladeBurning Tree Elementary SchoolMontgomery County“Third Ear” by Callia Chuang
53 / CHAPTER 5ENCOUNTERS: WRITING POETRY OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE— ELISAVIETTA RITCHIEBowie Montessori Children’s House Upper ElementaryPrince George’s County“Fracking” by Nishant Carr“Beaver Adventure” by Eric Winsom“Another Harvest” by Gabriel Graham“The Deer” by Aleksandr Kuzmenchuk“An Endless Argument: A Narrative Poem” by Elizabeth I. Gabel“House Hold Pet” by Rees Jackson
“Untitled Honey” by Joseph Hoke
67 / CHAPTER 6SIMPLE ODES— LAURA SHOVANFort Garrison Elementary SchoolBaltimore County“Dear Shoes” by Gwenyth Brummet“Untitled” by Joseph TarantinNorthfield Elementary SchoolHoward County“Ode to Peyton’s Shoe” by Peyton LeineweberHarford Hills Elementary SchoolBaltimore County“Untitled” by Mygel HaliliLisbon Elementary SchoolHoward County“My Ode to Converse Shoes” by Morgan Kemp“Dear Shoes” by Landon Wells-GreenSt. Jane Frances SchoolAnne Arundel County“Ode to the Orange” by Sara Perumattam“Ode to Scribble” by Ryan Clarke“Ode to Watermelon” by Victoria Mercier 81 / CHAPTER 7EKPHRASTIC POETRY “HAPPENING”— ADELE STEINER BROWNThe Country SchoolTalbot County“Untitled” by Juliette Neil
Bayside Elementary SchoolQueen Anne’s County“Untitled” by Connor Abplanalp“Blue” by Olivia Bazzell“Fireflies” by Kyleigh HessianBradley Hills Elementary SchoolMontgomery County“Untitled” by George Schlesinger“An Upside Down World” by Jasmeen Gauri“Clean Vs. Dirty” by Emily Schweitzer“The Darkness of a Hole in White” by Ryan Gaines“The Mighty Wolf” by Cameron Young“Café Terrace at Night” by Julia Levine
95 / CHAPTER 8PORTRAITS OF EMOTIONS— LIZ REESRidgeville Middle SchoolMontgomery County“Jealousy” by Velycia Antoni“Loneliness” by Vanessa Cordova“Frustration” by Chris Gaumond“Happiness” by Sarah Gutch“Terrified” by Gabby Kase“Fear” by Joe Mansfield“Determination” by Elijah Maynard“Love” by Emily McGowan“Happiness” by Keren Molina
105 / RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS
109 / ANTHOLOGY EDITORS
111 / MSAC POETS-IN-RESIDENCE
115 / MSAC ARTS-IN-EDUCATION PROGRAM
xvii
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What was once called “Poetry in the Schools”—whether the school was a “junior” college in
Wyoming or an elementary or high school in central New York State—was a cornerstone mission for the original National Endowment for the Arts. Poets would go into such schools, read their own poems, and talk poetry in general. They might even offer the students a chance to write something of their own. That was the sixties and seventies. Over time—thank goodness—the celebrity aspect of what remains of this now fine state government program is an emphasis on the students’ creative writing.
The State of Maryland has been a leader in these dynamic changes, especially in the range of public and private schools participating. The present anthology of student work is an outstanding representation of what good mentoring and learning are about. The poetry contributions make up a wonderful spread of talent at almost every age level, from primary through secondary education, and from an impressive list of Maryland counties, including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Wicomico.
The creative impulse starts, of course, within the minds and hearts of the students, but the facilitators
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are their teachers, whose assignments are themselves emblems and acts of originality. The assignments here not only initiate first-rate student writing, they help inspire the young poets behind the writing to outdo themselves. The assignments, across the board, amount to a textbook of prompts and possibilities.
I am particularly struck by the imaginative clarity and sense of discovery in the poems. They consistently demonstrate a rich feeling-life without a trace of indulgence. And in addition to a well-realized visual skill, they offer the reader wit, fun, and a depth that shows real thought behind the language. “A street lost in time/looks at the night sky./Stars, little lights…” (from a painting by Van Gogh; written by Julia Levine, 4th Grader). “When I want to be calm,/I become a Monarch butterfly./I flutter my orange and black and/white wings./I dip my straw into a/milkweed blossom./I dance around a Zinnia./I lay eggs under a tulip leaf./I bask on grass under/the sunshine.” (“Voice of a Butterfly,” Za’Daiya Harrod, 2nd Grader.) “Jealousy wears tacky clothes that make her look funny. But she thinks they’re ‘in style.’” (“Jealousy,” Velycia Antoni, 8th Grader.)—Just a hint of the variety and quality here.
— Stanley PlumlyMaryland Poet Laureate
1
Introduction
F irst, the arts significantly boost student achievement, reduce discipline problems, and
increase the odds that students will go on to graduate from college. Second, arts education is essential to stimulating the creativity and innovation that will prove critical to young Americans competing in a global economy. And last, but not least, the arts are valuable for their own sake, and they empower students to create and appreciate aesthetic works.
— Arne DuncanU.S. Secretary of Education
In arts education, the focus is often on the end result. Parents are invited to an art show, musical performance or reading of student work. Less tangible than the product—whether it is a sculpture, song, poem or other art form—is the creative process that takes students from initial idea to final celebration.
This book of poetry showcases the talent of Maryland students, but it also reveals how children learn when an experienced teaching artist joins in their creative process. Eight Maryland State Arts Council poets-in-residence share some of their favorite poetry exercises, and discuss how they develop and draw talent out of their students. Poems written in response
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to these lessons, by children from kindergarten through grade twelve, accompany each chapter.
Sharing poetry as an Artist-in-Residence (AiR) is an experience we both value as educators. From the first poem we read aloud in a residency, our approach is to foster dialogue with students and teachers. A conversation about how we read, discuss, and write poems develops over the course of the residency, as the students come to know and trust the resident poet.
Often, usually with a note of surprise in their voices, classroom teachers tell us how well their “non-writers” did during AiR poetry workshops. One of the benefits of inviting a visiting artist to the classroom is that we arrive free of preconceptions about the children. We have not seen test scores, know nothing of family situations, or how hard they have struggled with previous writing assignments. We come with the same expectations for each child. That fact alone is significant. It gives the student freedom and openness in their interactions with the poet. It also means the visiting poet treats each student the same, asking questions of, and opinions from, everyone in the room, not just those who are known to have the “right” answers.
By asking open questions such as, “What did you like about that line?” the poet demonstrates that the children’s opinions are valued. To this end, acknowledging multiple possibilities of meaning in a poem is important. There is no correct way to respond to a poem—although a visiting poet may say, when a comment seems off-track, “Let’s stick to what we
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see in the poem”—instead, there may be several good possibilities. The concept that we can never fully know a poem, that we notice different things each time we read or listen to it, helps students understand that their views matter now, but will also develop over time.
The practice of valuing students’ points of view transfers from class discussions of model poems to the writing of first drafts. Even a structured writing exercise, such as MiMi Zannino’s “Word Pond” (Chapter 1), produces a wide variety of student responses. It is exciting when students hear one another’s raw poems for the first time. Each piece reflects the voice and interests of the individual child.
What initially appears to be a closed topic for writing, such as the animal persona poems Rosanne Singer shares in “Animal Talk” (Chapter 2), provides structure. Having some boundaries when writing poetry is similar to wearing a harness for rock climbing. Students are more willing to take creative risks—to imagine themselves taking on the voice of an animal—when there is no chance of “free fall.”
During the writing process, students access the visual, imaginative right side of the brain for ideas, but also apply analytical and language skills of the brain’s left hemisphere. Poetry writing prompts such as Virginia Crawford’s “List Poems” (Chapter 3) are an example of this “full brain” activity. The students are free to be anything, real or imaginary, but must put their ideas into a clear, patterned form that requires repetition and creativity. The right brain might generate a visual image of a rose opening or a
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basketball swishing through a net. The left brain must organize that image appropriately within the structure of the poem.
Carol Faulkner Peck’s “Our Magical Third Ears” (Chapter 4), guides students through a wildly imaginative process toward producing a poem. She asks her young poets to “create” a third ear that hears what real ears cannot, such as people in the future, or the sounds that inaudible objects might make. Giving fantastic ideas a structure and logic is an important step because it mimics “thinking outside the box,” a trait valued in problem solvers of all ages.
Whether students are writing about the fantastic or their own real concerns and emotions, they are making self-discoveries. Those of us who lead AiR workshops have seen children unexpectedly open up in a poem, writing powerfully about who they are and what they value. Elisavietta Ritchie encourages her students to speak out about the societal issues that concern them in her workshop, “Encounters: Writing Poetry of an Environmental Nature” (Chapter 5). When students are invited to write about their personal beliefs and experiences, working with a visiting poet can be a transformative experience.
Poetry residencies provide more than opportunities for self-expression, however. Schools apply for AiR grants year after year because arts residencies support the general curriculum. The literary vocabulary poets use for discussion and writing, words such as “tone,” “simile,” and “hyperbole,” often appear on the reading and language portions of standardized tests.
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What a teaching poet can do is show students how to put such words into action. This affords a deeper kind of learning than memorizing vocabulary. Laura Shovan focuses on the use of tone in a poem in her workshop “Simple Odes” (Chapter 6). In their odes, students integrate use of hyperbole, simile, and sensory language in order to praise an everyday object.
Poets-in-residence share a variety of activities during the typical weeklong residency. In this way, we reach students with different learning styles, but we also invite them to have fun with their writing. In Adele Steiner Brown’s Ekphrastic Poetry “Happening,” (Chapter 7), for example, students investigate a work of visual art and respond to it through a poem. This is deeply engaging for visual learners, but encourages all students to connect visual form and color with written detail, playing with art and language. Even though it is fun, the process involves analysis. In order to write an ekphrastic poem, students must make connections beyond looking at a piece of art.
Poetry is also a safe place to analyze one’s emotions, both negative and positive. In this way, the visiting poet acts as an advocate for students. We emphasize to teachers and parents the notion that poems express a full range of feelings and ideas. Often children feel safer writing about their private thoughts in a poem than they would in conversation. In “Portraits of Emotions” (Chapter 8), Liz Rees guides high schoolers through this process. By personifying strong feelings such as jealousy and love, teen poets have the opportunity to step outside their own emotions. They gain an
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important perspective through the act of creating a character.
These poetry workshops are a means for children to form a personal relationship with writing. Their joy at having written a poem is quite palpable, especially for students for whom writing does not usually come easily. This is one of the most important outcomes of a residency—something like discovering a secret cave. Every child deserves to know writing can be their secret cave, a safe place to explore ideas. Beyond a residency, students may continue to read poetry, keep writing in secret journals, or go on to publish their own books. Right now, they are learning that poetry is available for them to explore.
All of us in the AiR program are grateful to our host schools. Applying for a residency requires setting aside time and money for arts education. Children learn from this experience that the arts, specifically poetry, are a valued and valuable part of their school community and their education.
We hope this book will expand access to poetry among families and classrooms across the state. We invite you to plunge in and explore these lessons and poems, share them with the children in your life, and adapt them for your particular needs. Exploring poetry is an adventure, and we wish you a wonderful journey!
— Virginia Crawford and Laura ShovanEditors and Poets-in-Residence
Maryland State Arts Council
7
Chapter 1: Word Pond
Fill a Word Pond with Images, Then Go Fish— MiMi ZanninoEarly Elementary and Developing Writers
This lesson creates a whole class Word Poem and provides a Word Pond from which children can
“fish” while writing an independent poem.First, I ask students, “What is the difference between
a word and an image?” An image creates a picture in your mind and it awakens your senses. We review the five senses, then discuss whether the word “the” is an image or the word “sunrise” is an image?
Younger students are challenged rather than overwhelmed when I use guided questions to generate poems.
1. Write your favorite season of the year: winter, spring, summer, or fall. (Spell the choices on the board or use other visual tools.)
2. Close your eyes and watch your season come to life, then write the first word or image that comes to your mind on the next line of your paper.
3. Now, close your eyes again and see an image of the last word you wrote—what picture comes to your mind?—write it on the next line.
(Repeat steps two and three about five more times,
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then guide students to specific images by asking the next set of questions.)
4. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite bird: visualize its colors, feathers, beak, talons. Now write the name of the bird on the next line.
5. Watch the action of the bird and write down one or more verbs or action words that describe the way the bird is moving.
6. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite sea creature. Write it.
7. Watch the action of your sea creature and write a word that describes the way it moves underwater.
8. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite body of water: pond, lake, stream, ocean. Write it.
9. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite time of day: sunrise, noon, sunset, dusk, midnight, twilight, moonlight.
10. Close your eyes and write the name of someone who is with you in the poem: grandma, uncle, cousin, pet.
(Add other “image” prompts appropriate to the grade level, ability level, and connections to curriculum.)
This writing exercise helps children track their thoughts and link one image to the next. It is also helpful for students who are challenged with attention deficit disorder or other issues that interrupt a child’s ability to form a thought, write it on paper, and create a flow of ideas before they evaporate.
The Word Pond workshop can be connected to a specific part of the school curriculum, such as a science
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unit on butterfly life cycles. I direct students to images from the content they learned in science, which we list in their word pond: butterfly species, action verbs to describe their motion, plants that butterflies eat and on which they lay eggs, butterfly habitats, colors that describe their wings, and other images in nature that share the colors of a butterfly.
WORD PONDMonarchTiger SwallowtailBuckeyeflutterdipbaskzinniamilk weedcloversunrisesunset
Students can write these poems in the “voice” of the butterfly. With some groups, I focus the students’ attention on the mood butterflies conjure in our minds. Students will usually include “a calm mood” among others and can use an opening line such as, “When I want to be calm.” Other groups write their butterfly poems as a guessing game.
If your students are learning “personification” this is an opportunity to discuss its use. You can create diversity within a common theme—such as butterflies—
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by focusing the students’ attention on emotions as they use personification.
Younger students often need a handout that guides writing and keeps them on track. This visual aid can be used for all students, or just those who are not yet able to write independently.
Can You Guess? (couplets)
I have two antennae that point _______________. (choose: east and west OR right and left).
I have four wings the color of ________________ ____________________________________.
I have six legs as thin as ___________________ ____________________________________ (choose a simile).
I drink nectar from a _______________ blossom.
I _______________ and _________________ (write two action verbs) over the ______________ ______________________ (write a habitat).
I whisper to the world: ____________________ (write your message to the world).
I am a _________________________ butterfly. (Write your butterfly species).
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Summer Word Pond
beachfishingsnorkelingboatingcruisingvacationmother of pearl4th of Julybirthdayoceansfamily
Nicholas Colindres, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Maria Pisca2011
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Winter Word Pond
Christmaspresentsexcitedplayingawesometouchingtoysplayfulfunhot cocoajoy
Desha Hamilton, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Maria Pisca2011
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Voice of Butterfly
I am a Silver-spotted Skipper butterflyfluttering beautifully around sunflowers.I bask on a rock in the afternoon.At dusk, I close my eyes and rest.
Josias D. Bordon-Alvarez, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Maria Pisca2011
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Voice of a Butterfly
When I want to be calm,I become a Monarch butterfly.I flutter my orange and black and white wings.I dip my straw into a milkweed blossom.I dance around a zinnia.I lay eggs under a tulip leaf.I bask on grass under the sunshine.
Za’Daiya Harrod, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: April Williams2011
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Can You Guess?
I have two antennaethat point right and left.
I have four wingsthe color of an orange sunrise.
I have six legsas thin as tooth picks.
I drink nectar froma marigold blossom.
I spin and danceover the pond.
I whisper to the world:We should get along.
I am a Monarch butterfly.
Faith Small, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Laura Fine2011
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Voice of a Butterfly
Kindness is aBaltimore Checker Spotbutterflyfluttering abovebee balmdipping itsproboscis intoa blue blossomwith petalssoft as a cotton ball
Thiago Alexandre C. Adao, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Assunta Vitiello2011
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Voice of a Butterfly
Joyfulness is aPainted Lady butterflygliding abovepink zinniasdipping itsproboscisinto a pink sweetsyrupy blossomwith petalssoft as violets
Melody Akindele, Grade 2Laurel Woods Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Assunta Vitiello2011
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Chapter 2: Animal Talk
Personification with Visual, Movement, Reciting, and Writing— Rosanne SingerElementary Writers
This is a lesson I’ve used with students fourth grade and younger, although it would be fun for older
students as well. We begin with looking at a photograph of a monkey poised on leafy rainforest branches and looking directly at the photographer. It would work to use an expressive photo of any animal. We talk about the expression on the monkey’s face, what he might be thinking, what he would say if he could.
We then move to an African folk poem, “Dance of the Animals,” from the book Let’s Do a Poem! by Nancy Larrick. In the poem, three animals come to life—a fish, a bird, and a monkey. We glide through the water, we twist and leap as the fish. As the bird we fly, mount, hover, and drop down. When we move as the monkey we run, leap, and jump from bough to bough. Before we begin to move, though, the students and I talk about a refrain that repeats three times in the poem: “Everything lives, everything dances, everything sings.” The students come up with a gesture or movement for each part of that refrain—one gesture for “Everything
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lives,” a different gesture for “everything dances,” and a third movement for “everything sings”—each movement without words. We are gradually coming to the idea of personification, and the human qualities and behavior attributed to these animals.
Next, we look at two animal poems I wrote, one of them, “Cricket’s Plea,” inspired by the persona poems in the collection Dirty Laundry Pile. For the first two lines of the poem, I divide the class into two sections, one to recite “I creep,” the other to responded, “You stare.” We do the same thing for the second line, with half the class saying, “I leap,” the other half calling out, “You scream.” We then read the rest of the poem in unison. I ask the students what the cricket thinks and wants. I then read “Guinea Pig Dream,” and ask the class what the guinea pig is dreaming about and why she might have that dream.
I ask students if there is an animal they might speak for. First, we talk about pets that some of the students have, but we also think about other animals we’re familiar with. Sometimes in third grade, students do a research project on a particular animal, and this is a poem where they might use that information. Each poet decides which animal he or she will speak for, and we brainstorm some ideas about the dreams, fears, likes, and lives of those different creatures.
We’re now ready to write, and I remind everyone that the “I” in the poem is not them but the animal. We each have a copy of the page with the two model animal poems on it to remind us about short lines, poetic form, and not writing in paragraphs. Students might ask if
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the poem needs to rhyme, and I stress that it doesn’t need to.
We write for about 10-15 minutes and then share some of the poems we’re working on. I encourage readers to let the personality of the animal come out as they share aloud.
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Cricket’s Plea
I creep you stareI leap you screamI don’t understandI’m not at all meanI just loveYour basementIt’s dark and it’s coolSo don’t stompDon’t catch meOh, please don’t be cruel.
Guinea Pig Dream
Guinea pig dreamt she was a rat,her pear-shaped bottom a sleek tail. She balanced on fence posts, sprang at walls,the air buoyant beneath her. Alonein the night she savored shrieks as someonespied her, nibbled trash when she thought of it. No one noticed her fur lose its sheen.For hours she kept silent, tookher pleasure without a purr or grunt.Finding holes big enough to hide inshe collapsed into sleep long and deep,no ear cocked, not one eye open.
— Rosanne Singer
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Fish Talk
Pleasedon’t
remindme, I know
that you are there.I am trapped in a tank, and can’t go anywhere!
So, try not to mention thatI don’t stare,
Because it hurts my earsIt’s stronger than air.
I don’t need you toHarass,
So pleaseDON’T TAP ON THE GLASS!
Lorenzo Ianniciello, Grade 3Sherwood Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Lisa-Helen Rotter2011
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Cat Talk
I am a cat, I want to sleep.That girl, hmmmph,She puts me in a carriage and pretends that I’m a baby!She gives me baths.Ugh, I really don’t like baths!She calls me “BABY!”My name is Princess!I really don’t like that girl!I just want to take a NAP!
Maddie Hawkins, Grade 3Sherwood Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Lisa-Helen Rotter2011
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Cow Talk
I moo. I run.I want to be free.I love to be myself.I love to eat.I love my pen.I eat corn.I am a cowWith my herd.
Samantha Cook, Grade 3Baden Elementary School, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Robin Droter2010
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Don’t Hurt Dogs
Please don’t hurt meI’m harmless.I’m so cute and adorable and cuddly,I want to be a lion.I could be King of the JungleWith a loud roar.People will not hurt me,Although I’m a dog.
Jeyvon Harvey, Grade 3Baden Elementary School, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Robin Droter2010
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Arctic Fox Chat
I’m tired of always getting the leftoversfrom my polar bear friend.
I want to be justlike my polar friend,
big and strong, also with big pawsthat can hold on to the snow.
I’m also tiredof being the one behind,
so I want to belike a cheetah,
fast so I can get the food firstand eat it.
My polar bear friend willhave to eat the leftovers.
I also want more fur like a grizzly bearand be able to climb hills of snow
like a grizzlybear. I wish
I could live on land that doesn’t have snowand there’s lots of food like where a
giraffe lives.I’m also sick of just a little yip as
my sound,so I want to be like a wolf
that can howl like he is brave and fierce.
Madison Cassella, Grade 4Cedar Grove Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Pam Cromwell2011
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I Need Cheese
Today must be my day!Here I go!I’m five human feet away from theFridge!I’m two human feet away from theFridge!Oh no!Here she comes!“Ah!”This is just great!She did it.Here they come with the broom.Now they’re calling the exterminator!And now they’re chasing me with a broom!I made it out alive!I am in my mouse hole.With no cheese,Not even a bite!
Danielle Singleton, Grade 4Cedar Grove Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Pam Cromwell2011
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Fish Talk
I wish I had a little castleI’d be the king. Who’d be the queen?
I wish I had a partner to talk to.Instead I’m all alone
I wish my owner would clean my tank more often.I swim around all month, day and night, wandering
around this dirty bowl.I wish my tank were bigger, I’d swim here freely
non-stop.
Evelyn Colette, Grade 4Cedar Grove Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Pam Cromwell2011
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Doggy Wishes
Here she comesDown the drivewayI wish she would justPlay with meI run up then she yellsGO AWAY!!Maybe just one dayShe will come and playI keep on wondering and wishingEvery timeAm I too big?Am I too ugly?I wish I got herTo like me one dayAt least one dayI wish she wouldLove me and hold meAt least care for me!
Jaclyn Obendorfer, Grade 4Cedar Grove Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Pam Cromwell2011
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Elephant Talk
I am tired of being FAT and SLOWI am tired of being in the ZOO, I want to beout in the open free away from people.I don’t want to be watched every second andeverything I do!I want to be a cheetah, they are fast, strongand skinny, not fat like me.They barely get caught and put in the zoo.They don’t get fed that junk like we get,fed that elephant food. They catch whateverthey want, like meat.
Bryce Morse, Grade 4Cedar Grove Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Pam Cromwell2011
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Chapter 3: List Poems
List Poems— Virginia CrawfordElementary Writers
The final lesson of my residency is my favorite. It engages students on the deepest level of all
the poems we write together, and it is often their best work. While it may appear simple, a list poem provides a wonderful opportunity to review and use most of what I’ve taught throughout the residency. In addition, it offers what seems to be a (more and more) rare experience: a chance for students to express themselves creatively through writing.
I tell students we are going to make a list of “ingredients” to use in our List Poems. The first ingredient that we are going to write is “About Ourselves.” Then we read two model poems. I ask the students to make observations about the poems. The first model is Eloise Greenfield’s poem “When I’m by Myself,” from her book Honey, I Love (Scholastic). We identify examples of the following things then add them as ingredients to our list: details, repetition, beginning and ending, rhyme. I always tell them
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rhyme is an option. They don’t have to rhyme.The next model is a poem that I wrote
specifically for this exercise. From that we identify and add to our list of ingredients: simile (again, optional), one idea per line (because that’s how our samples are written), and imagination. We notice my poem also uses most of the elements we identified in the previous poem.
We discuss other possible ways to start and end a list poem by making a separate list for students to use later if they choose to:
When I day dream I am... but then my mom calls me for dinner and I’m myself again.
When I read a book I am... then I come to the last page and the magic fades as I close the cover.
We discuss the use of imagination and the need for detail. For example, I ask:
In a poem like this could you be a rocket blasting off to Mars? Yes.
Could you be the smell of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies? Yes.
Could you be the first rose opening in spring? Yes.
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Could you be a dog? NO! Why not? Because it doesn’t have any detail!
Could you be a dog leaping to catch a Frisbee? Yes!
Could you be a shaggy brown dog digging in the yard? Yes!
The children then write their own List Poems describing themselves.
Some students have trouble moving from the real world into the imaginary one. For example, they may write that they want to be famous sports stars or actors. In such cases, I encourage them to consider the imaginary elements of those real possibilities. They could be the football spinning through the air about to be caught for the winning touchdown. They could be a film resting in its canister before it’s shown. They could be the beam of light dancing through the film towards the screen.
It’s exceedingly important not to tell them simply, “No, start over.” There may be situations where that’s necessary, but try to use what they’ve put out there, show them how to stretch from those real dreams into their imaginations. The movement from being the Oscar-winning actor or the Super Bowl-winning football star to light passing through film or a flying, twirling
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ball is like opening a locked door to many of them. You will be both validating their ideas and giving them a new lens to look through. Some may resist still, saying it’s just silly to imagine being a football. And I agree with them. This lesson is silly. We all have permission to imagine and write silly things. But overwhelmingly, as you will see in the sample poems below, what they write is not silly. What they write is tender, detailed, and beautiful, and—okay—sometimes very silly.
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My World
I’m in my own little world,When something gets a swirl.My world has no chores.My world has open shores.My world has my friends.My world has a name called Gwen.My world has cloudy days.My world has sunset bays.When I come back,The world is in my backpack.
William Michael Wise, Grade 4Snow Hill Elementary School, Wicomico CountyTeacher: Christy Kozlowski2011
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When I Dream
I close my eyesI’m in a new placeI’m a strip of white laceI’m a big wheelI’m a delicious mealI’m a rocket in spaceI’m a fragile vaseI’m a shooting starI’m an ice cream barI’m what I want to beI’m what I seeI open my eyesAnd I’m still me
Marie Cheng, Grade 3Warren Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Heather O’Leary2011
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Daydreaming
When I daydreamI sometimes imagineI’m a kitten purring softlyI’m an ocean at low tideI’m a field full of wheatI’m a book softly closingI’m a hill with beautiful blooming flowersI’m a dog heavily pantingI’m a cute newborn babyWhen I wake upI’m not what I imagined
Camaira Walker, Grade 3Warren Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Heather O’Leary2011
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Snow
When I am daydreamingoutside on a snowy day I close my eyes and
I dream I am a white smooth snowmanI dream I am a small delicate snowflakeI dream I am a snow leopard dashing through the snowI dream I am a pile of snow in a fortress wallI dream I am a snowball flying at peopleI dream I am a snow fox hiding in my denI dream I am a polar bear dancing in the snow
PLOP goes the snowright on my head
Isaac Munyiri, Grade 3Warren Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Meg Zerhusen2011
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Myself
When I dreamI’m a baby ladybugI’m a jolly little elfI’m a puppy playing wildI’m a dream carrying loveI’m a fast writing pencilI’m a folder waiting to be filledI’m a great songI’m a wandering mindI’m a somewhat straight lineWhen I wake up I’m a me
Jocelyn Goldberg, Grade 3Warren Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Susan Little2011
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I Am Me!
When I’m daydreamingI’m a pig eating gunky food.I’m a baby with an attitude.I’m a cookie packed in a container.I’m a mouth with a rainbow retainer.I’m a boat speeding across a lake.I’m a big and long slithering snake.I’m a dragon attacking a small brave knight.I’m an army guy in a tank ready to fight.But when I’m being what I want to be,I remember I can always be me.
Benjamin Sturiale, Grade 3Warren Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Susan Little2011
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Me, Myself, and Time
I am not always meWhen I dreamI am very roundI am a small little soundI am the wind’s chillI am a small hillI am a big waveI am a rocky caveI am a pinch of sweetnessI am a cup of joyI am a normal boyBut when I wake upI am meAnd always will be.
Philip Chiaan R. Guasa, Grade 4Lutherville Laboratory, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Amy Feltman2011
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Only Me
As I’m swingingon the swing, I get into a dazeand I imagine...
I’m a cute black and white dog.I’m a tall rough tree.I’m a fast flying Frisbee.I’m a dusty old picnic basket.I’m a beautiful, blooming flower.I’m the soft, cool breeze.I’m a yummy chocolate chip cookie.I’m a soft, light feather.
But as a thunder storm hits,I get off the swing thinkingthe only person I want to beis me.
Emma Corona, Grade 4Lutherville Laboratory School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Amy Feltman2011
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My Book
When I read a bookI sometimes imagine.I am a beautiful horse.I am a handsome prince.I am a humongous castle.I am a hollering princess.I am the thin green grass.I am the book.Not anymore.My dad calls me to dinner.Good night, book.
Ally Moore, Grade 4Lutherville Laboratory School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Amy Feltman2011
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Thinking
When I sit down to thinkby myself,I imagine I’m a cherry blossom tree,I’m a blue whale blowing water from my spout,I’m a sea turtle swimming in the ocean,I’m the setting sun glowing as I slowly sink,I’m the full orange moon glistening like a cat’s eye,I’m a tree towering over people who walk over my roots,I’m a polar bear rolling in the snow,I’m a seal teaching my pup to swim,I’m a joey finally emerging from my pouch,I see the lights of fireflies out my windowand go out to get them.
Lucia Schmidt, Grade 3City Neighbors Charter School, Baltimore CityTeacher: Amanda Shorter2010
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Chapter 4: Our Magical Third Ears
Our Magical Third Ears— Carol Faulkner PeckUpper Elementary and Older
In the early years of the Poets-in-the-Schools program (1970s), a popular writing project
was the “Third Eye.” Students pretended to have a third eye in the middle of the forehead that could see everything their other two eyes could not. They could see into the future, into the past, even the invisible. Because my students enjoyed using their imaginations in this way, I decided to use the same idea for a different part of the head.
I say, “Put your hand on the back of your head . . . press hard . . . and feel something start to press back.” (Pause a bit.) “Feel it?” They nod. “That is your Third Ear growing! And it is magical. It can hear only the things that your other two ears cannot hear: things in the past, like the Titanic sinking; things in the future, like the sound of your children’s voices; things normally inaudible, like purple singing to pink.”
I ask students to write a poem about all the things their third ear can hear, creating an image
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for each thing (to avoid the “shopping list” effect). I stress that variety is important—not all things in the past, or all things in the future, or all things inaudible. The example poems on the teaching sheet I distribute contain a variety of images, and I point out how that variety gives the poems their vitality, their energy, and keeps the reader interested—and reading.
I always ask students to put their best/strongest line at the end of the poem, and they designate that by putting a * at the beginning of what should be the last line, so I will type that one at the end. (I always type up and duplicate all the poems the students write, so we can start the next session with a reading.)
This project has been highly successful with students from Second Grade right on through high school. On occasion, a student has expanded the idea and has written about such things as a magical third leg, which can travel anywhere; a third hand, which writes only poems; or a second tongue, which can speak any language.
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Third Ear
My third ear can hear the schoolsleeping at night,And a flag waving in the air.It can hear energy flowingthrough me.My third ear can hear a tree fallingin a lonesome forest, far, far away.It can hear emotions, silently creepingup from behind.It listens to the call of the wind,silent and sad.It hears books whispering their storiesto the blackness.
Elijah Schulman, Grade 5Sligo Creek Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Cecilia Dickson2010
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Third Ear
My third ear can hear the silence,The slightly cold air,The clouds promising rain,The browns, greens of the forest,The silent creatures scurrying,The moon glowing,The wet tree that I’m climbing,The bird’s nest being abandoned,The eggshells I find there,The hunter chasing its prey,The wet, dead leavesmaking my feet itchy,Cold water enveloping my bare feet,What mischief I should do,Where the good fish are,How I should chase them,The voices of silent nature teachers.
Mercedes Horn, Grade 5Sligo Creek Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Cecilia Dickson2010
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Third Ear
My third ear can hear aliens startingan invasion on earth.It can hear technology taking overthe world.My third ear can hear what Santawill give me for Christmas.It can hear what all peopleare thinking.It can hear cave man’s animal clothessaying, “Please get me back to life.”My third ear can hear an eaglefighting a stealth fighter.It can hear worksheets crying out loud,the answers to the question I am on.
Romain Fouillade, Grade 4Burning Tree Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Amanda Driscoll2011
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Third Ear
My third ear can hear the dinosaursroaring as they throw a tantrum.The chess pieces, exasperated, tryingto tell you your next move.It hears the dreams ofa newborn baby.My third ear can hear the sunfalling asleep as it disappearsbehind the ocean.The fish swimming throughthe brook.It hears the step of the first astronautlanding on Mars.My third ear can hear the soundof a medieval joust.The books whisperingon the library shelf.It hears the electric car,zooming down the highway.My third ear can hear the heartbeatof the earth, and the energyof the universe.
Callia Chuang, Grade 4Burning Tree Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Amanda Driscoll2011
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Chapter 5: Encounters
Writing Poetry of an Environmental Nature— Elisavietta RitchieElementary and Middle Schoolers
In some schools, poetry is intimidating. Early in a residency, I relate my Arctic adventure to
distract any who think they dislike poetry. This entails bringing down the globe and leading a geography lesson, as well as a discussion of the Arctic peoples, ecology, and animal behavior. My story: while in the Far North to interview a village of Native Canadians, I went off alone to walk in the snowy forest and encountered a large creature. I show the students my ensuing poems in response to this experience.
My original version resembles interlinked haiku:
Beyond the North Woods— Beyond Little Black River, Manitoba
Snow crusts each birch and pine,branch and log and stump.The path is gone.
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Suddenly a shakeof winter-thickened fur —a timber wolf.
I freeze as still.We watch each other.Snowflakes catch on eyelashes.
Do we both weigh our lives,a final meal,a fragile future of pursuit?
A tree cracks like a shot —crashes —avalanches snow —
In a flashwe separatetoward different woods.
He will not losehis way,or point out mine.
[Originally entitled “Beyond Little Black River, Manitoba,” first published in The Christian Science Monitor, 1995. This version “The Arc of the Storm,” Signal Books, 1998.]
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We discuss similes, metaphors, and other poetic terms. Students understand that these are tools. More important is inspired, intelligent content. We also debate rhymed versus unrhymed, identify rhyme schemes, and discuss exact rhymes versus slant rhymes. We raise environmental matters such as predator versus prey, endangered wildlife, pros-and-cons of zoos and aquariums. I also present a component on endangered sea creatures, the condition and restoration of our oceans, bays, and waterways versus “development.”
After reading a few more poems in this vein, the children write their own poems about confronting a strange creature (animal or human). Of course, they may just write about animals, and/or in the voice of the animal. Sometimes their “animal” voice says more than if they were speaking in their own voice. We often consult several nature books about animal habits and habitats. Some students choose to write about other encounters with nature. The children have a sense of their place in whatever great scheme they are writing about.
I often show students my erased and written-over drafts, and I explain that I even revise my work in print to encourage them to revise.
Students create an anthology for their poems, rhymed and unrhymed, some set to music (see “The Deer”). Some kids have fun spinning out silly poems on the spot, such as “Untitled
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Honey” and “The Day of Madness.”The following, however, shows they can
organize thoughts, handle complex rhyme schemes, important ideas, knowledge, and above all, feel concern for the earth.
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Fracking
Eight hundred and sometypes of chemicals in a well,shipped in by the truckloadthousands of gallons or more. Oh, swell!
Then it’s Fracked, cracking the shale,crude natural gas uncovered.Slabs of rock, from Philly to Texas,unhappily tremble.
The eight hundred and sometypes of chemicals are “disposed” of.Dumped across the land, pumped into rivers.They seep into ground water, contaminate drinking water.
The workers happily carry out their task,little knowing what they handle.Meanwhile the gasgets trucked off by the ton.Halliburton, money coming your way!
Next early morning,stick a match to your running faucet.Fomp! You have yourself a firelarge enough to roast a tire.
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What about the animals?Their hair falls off in patches,skin irritations, loss of senses.And the people?
Nishant Carr, Grade 6Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Upper Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Mary Beth Lowery2011
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Beaver Adventure
There was a stream runningBehind my houseI went to see it onceWhat a happy sight I sawA beaver gnawing at a tree
He finished his workSwift and quickThe tree falls andHe drags it away through the thicketI wonder what he’d use it forTo fix his dam orFeed himself
I decided to turn awayI walked back slowly to my homeIt was a wonderful sight to see for some
Eric Winsom, Grade 5Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Upper Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Mary Beth Lowery2011
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Another Harvest
Apples hanging from the trees.Leaves dancing in the breeze.Now I need to cough and sneeze.
One lone boy kneels,There is no more fruit the trees yield—It’s a barren field.
Gabriel Graham, Grade 5Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Upper Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Mary Beth Lowery2011
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The Deer
Just now I saw a deer-eer-eerThe color of beer-eer-eer.He looked right at me-ee-ee—His gaze stung like a bee-ee-ee.Then he moved his ear-ear-ear.You could see the fear-ear-ear.Then he raced to the pier-ier-ier.When he got near-ear-earHe got a drink-drink-drink.Then he looked so queer-eer-eer.Then he ran away-way-way.Then I looked for him-him-himFor [a] night and day-day-day.When I said goodbye-bye-byeI was not shy-shy-shy.But I had to say goodbye-bye-bye.So bye-bye-bye.
Aleksandr Kuzmenchuk, Grade 3Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Lower Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Jameela Alter2011
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An Endless Argument: A Narrative Poem
1. “A house I must build, in this land that is uncivilized. My family forever cannot live in tents. This forest has plenty materials to build with. With so many animals, this forest can spare some for my plate. That is why when I cut enough wood for a decent lodge I will come back with a gun. Meat of such priority, I have not had for many years!”
2. “Good sir,” said a deer nearby, “please do not build your lodge! If you do you will surely destroy my forest! This forest is all I have for a home! Another forest would be too dangerous for me, I wouldn’t know my way around the forest! I wouldn’t know where good food [is], or how to hide from hunters like you! I wouldn’t know where the human dwellings are!” said the deer, with every word sounding more fearful. “I will at most live one day! Since I cannot lose my home, can’t you go to your old home?” The deer sounded hopeful.
3. “If I go home, my family will starve! There is nothing for us there! My parents, my sister, and my brother all died in the hurricane that destroyed my home!” The man was red in the face with anger.
4. “My family died when men like you destroyed a huge part of the forest!” the deer said, eerily calm. “I am all that is left of my family. Perhaps we could find a compromise.”
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5. The man thought this over and as he did, he calmed down. “Since this is an endless argument,” he said slowly, “we may as well. But if this backfires you will pay!” the man finished with a ominous tone.
Elizabeth I. Gabel, Grade 6Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Upper Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Mary Beth Lowery2011
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House Hold Pet
In an old cottagesits a spotted catwho waits for the dayof a miraculous escape.
But this spotted cathas another thought,“What would I do without them?”he thought to himself.
One day, he really had a chance to choosebetween a life of wallsand one of trees and canopy.
He left the life he used to liveand chose to start again.
Rees Jackson, Grade 5Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Upper Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: Mary Beth Lowery2011
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Untitled Honey
The bear smells my honey,Is following its scent right now.
It came upon my picnic,and my milk from a cow.
It gobbled it up without a care,despite the fact that I was there.
It wandered away, that mean old bear,And left me to search for my own fare.
Joseph Hoke, Grade 5Bowie Montessori Children’s House, Upper Elementary, Prince George’s CountyTeacher: MaryBeth Lowery2011
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Chapter 6: Simple Odes
Simple Odes— Laura ShovanUpper Elementary through High School
T one is an elusive concept, yet it crosses over two areas that educators are often required to
teach as part of their writing curricula–voice and word choice.
When I began doing school workshops on simple odes, my focus was on use of simile, hyperbole, and sensory detail. In working with students, I saw that they also understood the concept of tone as it works in a simple ode.
I start with a brief overview of the grand history of the form. There are odes to ancient Olympic athletes, buildings made of limestone, and famous urns. Then, we talk about Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. He asked, “Why can’t I write an ode to something simple? What about this delicious tomato, the one I am slicing for my lunch?” We might read one of Neruda’s odes as a model.
I like to pick up something random in the classroom. It might be a blackboard eraser, a paperclip, or a tissue. Together, the class
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brainstorms all of the things we can do with that object. We exaggerate–a good time to introduce hyperbole–in order to highlight the object’s value. With the eraser, all of our mistakes can disappear. The paperclip is like a secretary for our school work, keeping it organized and making us efficient. The tissue comforts us when we are sick, dries our tears when we are sad.
At this point, we read and discuss Gary Soto’s “Ode to Pablo’s Tennis Shoes.” We look for similes, hyperbole, and description.
Then, students are ready to write. Elementary children need the structure of a specific prompt, so we all write odes to our shoes. In order to write with detail, everyone in the room takes off one shoe and scrutinizes it, looking for grass picked up from a ball game, a tag that says, “Made in Vietnam,” or a pattern of arrows on the sole. These observations might be useful in our poems.
Middle schoolers still need to have something on hand to write about but are ready for more freedom. My students have written odes to their desks, binders, a bookmark, even the EXIT sign over the door.
The key in an ode, as the children quickly pick up, is that we are making a persuasive argument. The words, similes, and descriptions we use – the tone of the poem – need to convince the reader that these sneakers are the best sneakers in the universe. This EXIT sign could one day
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save all of our lives. Through tone, simple odes remind readers to stop and pay attention to everyday objects that deserve praise.
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Dear Shoes
Worn from running, dancing, and playing,crinkled, ripped, torn and worn, yet still my favorite shoes.Without you, my feet would be in EXTREME pain.Helped me through Gym classes.P.S. DYK, you = Awesome.Helped me run, jog, and walk through life.You carry me through school.May be worn, but I still love you.I wear you and I feel great Abilities rise in me.I CAN Dance!!THANK you, Shoes.
Gwenyth Brummet, Grade 3Fort Garrison Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Rob Bledsoe2010
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Untitled
Shoes, oh shoes, you keep mewarm and happy. You help me wingames. You make people faint byyour smell. You make me run asfast as light. You are a GreatBlack Xylophone that makes youloud. You make me triumphant andVictorious. You go 3,000,000,000,000 milesper second.
Joseph Tarantin, Grade 3Fort Garrison Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Rob Bledsoe2010
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Ode to Peyton’s Shoe
My shoe looks likeA green grape ready to be eaten.Caves waiting to be filled withPeople. Rocks that go in curvy paths.Mazes you can never get out of.Holes the size of the moon. Words thatMean crazy things. Smells like rotten cheese.They protect my feetFrom everything. I love my shoes.
Peyton Leineweber, Grade 3Northfield Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Karen Hoge2009
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Untitled
It looksLike waves on the bottom.My shoes are toughas a bull.When I play footballMy shoes make me tough.When I take my shoesOff, I feel weakAnd weary like aSloth. I loveYou shoes. I Hope you don’tBreak or be lost.So please don’tBREAK.
Mygel Halili, Grade 4Harford Hills Elementary School, Baltimore CountyTeacher: Angela Watts2009
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My Ode to Converse Shoes
Diamonds on the bottomSnakes wrapping round the sidesLaces so long they measure to a mileSqueaks more than a brand new baby birdBig and Purple All Star shoesLike a Ravens Bird Flying as IWin a raceDo cartwheels on the grassWith my dance friendsSmells that could almost killTasting just like spinachBut the best shoes on my feetDancing along with me
Morgan Kemp, Grade 5Lisbon Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Pam Benya2011
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Dear Shoes
You are as blue as the skyAnd as light as a featherFast as a sharkFights through all weatherTo bring me to my destinationStrong as waves crashingWith grip like duct tapeFlying like a plane touchingDown with ease
Landon Wells-Green, Grade 5Lisbon Elementary School, Howard CountyTeacher: Pam Benya2011
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Ode to the Orange
The small sphere of sunshineis revealed as the knifeslices into the golden fleshof the orange halves.
Juice swells from the orange,ready to burstas it d
rips
d o w nfrom the knife,like the color ofprecious honey.The golden tiles of the orangepiece together,like glass forming a mosaic.
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As the fragranceof the orange rises,the divine aroma gathers around me,tempting me to take a bite.I can’t resist and sink my teeth in,getting a sneak peek of heaven.
Sarah Perumattam, Grade 7St. Jane Frances School, Anne Arundel CountyTeacher: Pat Habicht2011
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Ode to Scribble
You zig,you zag.You twist,you turn.You scratch,you scrawl.You entertain me throughout the day.I grip my pen tight,glaring at the paper,concentrating immensely,waiting for you, scribble, to take hold of me.Involuntarily, my hand begins to move.My pen cascadesaround the pagein little, ever-so shrinkingcircles.What am I writing?Is it a beautiful poem?Is it an accurate memoir?Of course not!It’s a wonderfully entertaining scribble.How else would Iget through the day?
Ryan Clarke, Grade 8St. Jane Frances School, Anne Arundel CountyTeacher: Pat Habicht2011
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Ode to Watermelon
Your bottom’s greencrescent shaperests, cradledin my palms.I wet my lips,hungry for my firstbite.As you move slowly,coming towards my face,I can smell summer.You kiss my lips,and sweet, cool juicesdribble down my chin.I sink my teethinto your bright red tip.I can taste it:the hot airresting on my shoulders,the scent of the pool,and smell of wet towelsleft in the scorching sunto dry.I remember the feelingof the orange balloonhitting my back, soaking me.I know the relief of the soft breezeblowing my hair as my friends and Ilie in the shade, laughing.I place your smooth black seeds
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on a white paper plate for laterand throw away your green bottom,reaching for another pieceto taste summer again.
Victoria Mercier, Grade 8St. Jane Frances School, Anne Arundel CountyTeacher: Pat Habicht2011
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Ekphrastic Poetry “Happening”— Adele Steiner BrownUpper Elementary through High School
The balancing act between the unconscious and conscious are crucial to the creative
process. This art response workshop highlights the importance of balancing conscious thought and imagination in writing poetry.
During the spring of 2011, students in different Maryland elementary schools wrote in response to visual works of art, a type of writing known as ekphrastic poetry. The students chose a mandala, painting, or photograph from a variety of prints that I brought into the classroom and then wrote lists of words that came to mind as a result of spending some time with and observing the art form that they chose. Later they used the words from their lists and their imaginations to help them write some very creative poems.
“Mandala” is a Sanskrit word meaning circle. Hindu and Buddhist religious art often takes this form. One way mandalas were used was as
Chapter 7: Ekphrastic Poetry
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a teaching tool for acquiring quiet, sacred space for meditation. As a result I find them a perfect art form to aid accessing the unconscious or imagination for writing poetry. The prints I use with students come from a collection designed for young people to work with, Coloring Mandalas for Insight, Healing, and Self-Expression by Susanne F. Fincher. Impressionist and modern art can achieve the same effect. What’s important is that students choose an image that resonates for them.
Seventh grader Juliette wrote an ekphrastic poem for a print depicting two interlocking gears, one larger and one smaller, “Machine Turn Quickly,” by Francis Picabia. She focused on the masculine and the feminine notations on the gears and wrote the poem that follows, creating a true “poetry happening.”
The “happening” occurred when Juliette read her poem in front of the workshop participants. Her teacher asked her how she had spelled “tocking” and “tock” in the poem. She wondered whether her student meant “talking” and “talk.” Juliette was thrilled and delighted that her imagination had given her a word with two potential meanings, both of which worked in the poem. She couldn’t believe she had done this without realizing it.
This was a perfect example of the workings of the creative process involved in writing poetry. Even better, the event unfolded in real time
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(no pun intended) and in a classroom setting. Juliette’s classmates were amazed that she had accomplished her feat completely unaware. As an instructor, I couldn’t have asked for a better learning experience for everyone involved. Kudos to Juliette for a wonderful poem and for revealing the importance of wordplay and the imagination.
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UntitledAfter Machine Turn Quickly, Francis Picabia, 1916-1918
Numbers ‘n’ clocksTicking and twirling and tockingJoining the two shapesIn geometric space
The wheels of lifeSmall womanBig manThe clocks go onJust for themTicking and tockingThe time away
When they click togetherIt all becomes a blurBut aloneThey’re as clear as the numbers on a clockAnd still they tickAnd still they tock
Juliette Neil, Grade 7The Country School, Talbot CountyTeachers: Catherine Steg and John Melton2011
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UntitledAfter Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV, Georgia O’Keefe, 1930
I am a wizardwho likes fire,but I am careful,so I will not burn myself,but I like it on my fingers and toes.It gives me scringers,so I can switch fingersand make the light glow.
Connor Abplanalp, Grade 5Bayside Elementary School, Queen Anne’s CountyTeachers: Luke Ensor2011
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BlueAfter Mandala Print, Susanne F. Fincher
The whole earth is silent.The waves are calm.The moon is still.
Doors open around the world,and people hold hands with strangers.They hold hands with familiar faces too.
Stars shine brighter than ever before,their yellow color lighting up the sky.
If you were to look over the Earth,You would see a large circle.
Hand in hand,people stand together.
Peace, quiet, and stillnessall over the Earth.
Olivia Bazzell, Grade 5Bayside Elementary School, Queen Anne’s CountyTeachers: Jacklyn Kline2011
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FirefliesAfter Photo-Respiration, Tokihiro Sato, Photo#323
Fireflies on the waterFlying in the nightTired pieces sinking to the bottomOf the deep, deep oceanWith waves so rippledLooking for far ships coming in
Kyleigh Hessian, Grade 5Bayside Elementary School, Queen Anne’s CountyTeachers: Amy Mollman2011
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UntitledAfter Mandala Print, Susanne F. Fincher
Bang! The ball gets kicked, andThe World Cup begins with a zip.
Swoosh, the ball hits the net.Click Flash as the camera almostdefeats voices with all the flash.
Goal! The home team, South Africa,scores the first goal of the world cup in 2010.
Yay! Voices fly through the air.The stadium goes into an uproar.
Tweet! The whistle blows tellingthe players the game is over.
South Africa wins 1-0. The whole nationis left singing until the next game begins.
A plane flies overhead, so colorfulwith its yellow and green like a roaring dragon,
and its tail says that South Africa wontheir first stage of the game!
George Schlesinger, Grade 4Bradley Hills Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeachers: Stacey Shiffman2011
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An Upside Down WorldAfter Beth Chaf, Morris Louis, 1959
The orange, like a big bustling hurricane whirlingaround, picks up trees and bushes.
The green is the eye of the storm,a peaceful color, one long strip or
a beanstalk, so tall, but so thick,ten leaves and no beansmake a cloudy gray surrounding.
Big dents and caves make a potholein a big, black road,
with a big mix of warm, fiery colors.But there’s a big, green, splashy mud puddleright smack in the middle—a train of ideas.
Jasmeen Gauri, Grade 4Bradley Hills Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeachers: Ann Kim2011
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Clean vs. DirtyAfter Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), Jackson Pollock
SidewalkDark, Brown
Run, Stomp, JumpDirty, Messy, Black, Pristine
Riding, Driving, BikingClean, Perfect
Road
Emily Schweitzer, Grade 4Bradley Hills Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeachers: Cynthia Dembnicki2011
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The Darkness of a Hole in WhiteAfter Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV, Georgia O’Keefe, 1930
I see a black holesoaking up a stream of color,a stream of white, blue, greenpurple and gray.
In the background,there’s a black and greenman’s head, a finger,smoke, a turning leaf,and waves of color.
Ryan Gaines, Grade 5Bradley Hills Elementary School, Montgomery County Teacher: Ann Mollman2011
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The Mighty WolfAfter Mandala Print, Susanne F. Fincher
The mighty wolf is big and fearsome.That we cannot doubt.But there are some things the wolf can doThat we can live without:
The wolf shows no mercy,And is ready for the kill. Then he will eat you aliveTill it’s had its fill.
It will growl, and it will howl.Then it hunts for deer.It will fill up our mindsWith a dreadful thing called fear.
Yes, the mighty wolf’s big and fearsome,That we cannot doubt.But there are some things the wolf can do.That we can live without.
Cameron Young, Grade 4Bradley Hills Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Ann Kim2011
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Café Terrace at NightAfter Café Terrace at Night, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888
A street lost in timelooks at the night sky.Stars, little lights,only shine in the painting,beautiful but trappedin different worlds.The colors were never seen before.They’re a once in a lifetime experience—silent strokes,a hand with colorwishing to be free.
Julia Levine, Grade 4Bradley Hills Elementary School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Cynthia Dembnicki2011
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Portraits of Emotions — Liz ReesUpper Elementary through High School
E arly on in my residency, I devote a day to focusing on emotion, and how central it is
to poetry. I call it “the glue” that holds a poem together. Distinguishing physical feelings from emotions, I ask students to help me brainstorm as many different emotions as possible. I list these on the board in noun form—for example, “rage,” “confusion,” “serenity.”
Next, I introduce students to the hybrid form of poetry called prose poetry—poems that are written in sentences and paragraphs, but which still rely on poetic elements, such as figurative language. Looking at two model prose poems, “Anger” and “Excitement,” from J. Ruth Gendler’s book, The Book of Qualities, I lead the class in a discussion of Gendler’s use of personification.
Students then choose one of the emotions on the board to personify and write a prose poem that describes the emotion they’ve chosen as a character. The results are often perceptive and moving.
Chapter 8: Portraits of Emotions
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Jealousy
Jealousy wears tacky clothes that make her look funny. But she thinks they’re “in style.” Jealousy practically has no friends. She’s always talking about how other people are better than her. She must get it from her parents, Confidence and Insecurity. Her parents always seem to fight since they’re so opposite. The person Jealousy hates the most would probably be Love. Always pondering, spreading her little magical pixie dust of love….Sure, Jealousy is trying to be friends with others (even though she gets jealous really easily) but watch out, you might spot Jealousy around town somewhere, strutting in her “finest clothes.”
Velycia Antoni, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Loneliness
Loneliness walks around with his head held down, facing the ground, making no eye contact or talking to others. Loneliness lives in a small house far away in the middle of nowhere. They say Loneliness was once married to Curiosity. But then Curiosity got into trouble and left. Nobody likes to be around Loneliness. They say he brings a chill. Nobody really knows what Loneliness does for work since they’re never really around him. But with no family or friends, Loneliness is there alone, with nothing to do and no one around.
Vanessa Cordova, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Frustration
Frustration is an irascible old man who stacks matches on a table in the corner, waiting for an opportunity to light them. Anger admires Frustration and follows him wherever he goes. Frustration only tries once, if at all, before handing things over to Anger. Frustration has a narrow view of the world, and little tolerance for it when it does not conform to his expectations. If you spend a fair amount of time with Frustration, you may meet one or more of his siblings, Self-righteousness, Self-pity, Blaming, Judgment, and Impatience. If you allow Frustration to stay in your company, you may find that you never succeed. For Frustration thrives on failure. He does not get along with Acceptance and Perspective. Frustration enjoys spending time with Boredom, who taps his foot endlessly, rolling his eyes, sighing occasionally, and often visiting with Impatience. When you see Boredom, it’s best not to ignore him. Otherwise, his cousin Frustration may pay a visit to liven things up. Engage him in a conversation and he’ll leave at the first excuse.
Chris Gaumond, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Happiness
Happiness likes to hang out with her friends, Joy and Excitement, from sleepovers and movies, to putting Reese’s in the freezer. It’s always a blast with them. She loves to laugh, so it’s no surprise that Joy and Excitement are her friends. Happiness likes to wear her favorite shoes: blue, green, and purplish plaid. She thinks ordinary is boring so she usually wears two different socks, and sometimes a very bright yellow sweatshirt. She likes to stay active, so she plays soccer almost every day. She loves the feeling of the sun on her face and that feeling in her stomach when she does something amazing. Happiness finds Determination on the sidelines of her games, always making comments.
Sarah Gutch, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Terrified
Terrified is scared of every little thing or noise. Terrified is up all night because of her fear of the dark. She is the one who jumps when hearing every creak or crack when walking around in her house. Terrified checks behind every door, wall, even the shower curtain for her brother, Horror, who is just waiting to scare her.
Terrified has a fear of almost anything you can think of. Her best friend, Worries, is always worried for her because of all of her fears. Terrified is never not scared. She always has scary thoughts on her mind, even when she is in the happiest of places. Everybody who knows Terrified has never seen her not scared.
Gabby Kase, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Fear
Fear creeps around silently in the shadows. He has no friends. If he notices that you have seen him, he quietly disappears. He trusts nobody. He only approaches people that do not see him coming. Once he has you in his clutches he stands and laughs. He tries to make life as awful as possible for everybody. He whispers in your ear that anything you might do can and will harm you. He establishes that he is the master before you look at him. He crushes you before you recognize him and the fact that he is not big enough to personally harm you.
Several people follow Fear around. Some of his best fans are Misery and Regret. Wherever he goes, Misery generally shows up. Misery finds that it is easier for her to accomplish her task after people have spent some time with Fear. Regret is not generally on the scene with Fear, but is never far behind. He comes because people wish that they had not let Fear stop them. Fear is perhaps the most dangerous, but he is not the only threat.
Joe Mansfield, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Determination
Determination drives the soul and puts up a fight. Determination looks Fear in the eyes and doesn’t back down. Determination arrives at all of my basketball games and gives my team speeches before the games, telling us we should go out there and be determined to win and have courage. Determination tells me that I can face any obstacle, fearless about what the outcome may be.
Elijah Maynard, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Love
Love is kind and open hearted. Love never thinks of only herself. Love enjoys long walks on the beach, picnics in the park, and romance movies. Love’s favorite place to travel is Paris. Her favorite food is chocolate. She is friends with everyone, except for Hatred. She tries to be kind and gentle, but Hatred never wants to go to the park or go shopping at the mall. Love is “in a relationship” with Affection, and her best friend is Compassion. She doodles hearts on her paper and writes everything in pink. Her favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day. Love is fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian. Love is always around and she is often poking her nose here and there. She is a part of everyone and she loves to be shared.
Emily McGowan, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Happiness
Happiness goes outside and enjoys the weather. She also chases the rainbow until she gets to the other end. Happiness enjoys life and lives it. She fluffs the soft cotton clouds and also decorates the beautiful wings of a butterfly. She wears a bright colored dress and has her hair down, letting the breeze run through her hair. She smells like tulips and roses, and a sweet smell of honey. She is like Mother Nature, beautiful as can be. Her room has surprises like music and colors of nature. She doesn’t have the skills Sadness does, but she is good at smiling, dancing, and singing. She knows that it is important to enjoy life with a smile. That is Happiness.
Keren Molina, Grade 8Ridgeview Middle School, Montgomery CountyTeacher: Katherine LaBanca2011
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Resources for Teachers and Parents
Chapter 1 / Word Pond
Stepanek, Mattie J.T. Heartsongs. New York: Hyperion, 2002.
Stepanek, Mattie J.T. Just Peace: A Message of Hope. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2006.
Zannino, MiMi. Butterfly Surprise. Baltimore: Memory Lane Press, 2009.
Chapter 2 / Animal Talk
Gensler, Kinereth and Nina Nyhart, ed., The Poetry Connection. New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1978.
Janeczko, Paul B., ed., A KICK IN THE HEAD: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2005.
Janeczko, Paul B., ed., Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2001.
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Larrick, Nancy. LET’S DO A POEM! New York: Delacorte Press, 1991.
Chapter 3 / List Poems
Greenfield, Eloise. Honey, I Love and Other Poems. New York: HarperCollins, 1986.
Chapter 4 / Our Magical Third Ears
Teachers & Writers Magazine. New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative. www.twc.org.
Chapter 5 / Encounters
Ritchie, Elisavietta. The Arc of the Storm. Chapel Hill: Signal Books, 1998.
Ritchie, Elisavietta, ed., The Dolphin’s Arc: Poems on Endangered Creatures of the Sea. College Park: SCOP Publications, Inc., 1989.
Chapter 6 / Simple Odes
Hirsch, Robin. FEG: Ridiculous Poems for Intelligent Children. New York: Little, Brown Young Readers, 2002.
Padgett, Ron, ed., Handbook of Poetic Forms. New York: Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1987.
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Paschen, Elise. Poetry Speaks Who I Am. Melrose Park, IL: Sourcebooks, 2010.
Poetry 180: A Poem a Day for American High Schools. http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/.
Paschen, Elise and Dominque Raccah, eds., Poetry Speaks to Children. Melrose Park, IL: Sourcebooks, 2005.
Chapter 7 / Ekphrastic Poetry
Drury, John. The Poetry Dictionary. Cincinnati: F+W Media, Inc., 2005.
Hindley, Meredith. Picturing America. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Humanities, 2008.
Koch, Kenneth and Kate Farrell. Talking to the Sun: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems for Young People. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1985.
Rowden, Justine. Paint Me a Poem: Poems Inspired by Masterpieces of Art. Homesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2005.
Shange, Ntozake. I Live in Music. Singapore: Stewart, Tabor, & Chang, 1994.
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Chapter 8 / Portraits of Emotions Gendler, J. Ruth, The Book of Qualities. New York: William Morrow Paperbacks, 1988.
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Anthology Editors
Virginia Crawford has been a poet-in-residence with the Maryland State Arts Council for more than a decade. Her first collection of poems, Touch, appeared March 2011, from Finishing Line Press and was featured on WYPR’s “Maryland Morning.” Her poems have appeared in Gargoyle, Baltimore Review, Mas Tequila Review, The Potomac: A Journal of Poetry and Politics and others. Ms. Crawford is a graduate of Emerson College, Boston, and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. She is co-editor of Poetry Baltimore, poems about a city.
Laura Shovan is editor of the art and literary journal Little Patuxent Review. Her chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone (CityLit Press, 2010), won the inaugural Clarinda Harriss Poetry Prize. She edited Life in Me Like Grass on Fire: Love Poems (MWA Books, 2011), featuring 50 Maryland poets. An honors graduate of NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program, she has won three Honorable Mentions in the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards.
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Adele Steiner Brown is a poet, writer, and teacher. She received her B.A. and M.F.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Maryland. She is currently a professor at Montgomery College, a poet-in-residence with the Maryland State Arts Council, an instructor for The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and a veteran artist-in-residence at Georgetown University Hospital. She is currently the host of the Café Muse Poetry Reading Series in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and she has read and participated in numerous panel discussions in the Washington, DC area. Her poetry has won awards from The Maryland Poetry Review and Promise Magazine. She has been published in Gargoyle, So To Speak, Wordwrights, Smartish Pace, Innisfree, The Black Buzzard Review, Scribble, The Lucid Stone, anthologies from The Wising Up Press and the Maryland Writers’ Association, Refracted Love (a chapbook), Freshwater Pearls and The Moon Lighting (two full-length books of poetry) and a book of poetry writing workshops for young people, Look Ma, “Hands” on Poetry.
Carol F. Peck taught at the University of Maryland for over 25 years, was Writer/Composer-in-Residence at Sidwell Friends School, and has conducted poetry
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workshops in schools since 1971. She also works with at-risk teens, hospice patients, and prison inmates. Her publications include From Deep Within: Poetry Workshops in Nursing Homes, two children’s musicals, and several articles and poems in Christian Science Monitor, Michigan Quarterly Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, South Coast Journal, Teachers & Writers, Little Patuxent Review, and other journals. Awards include an Avery Hopwood Award in poetry, an Excellence in Educational Journalism Award, and a Distinguished Teaching Award from the University.
Elizabeth Rees has been a poet-in-residence for the past 17 years. She has also taught at Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the U.S. Naval Academy, among other universities. In addition to teaching children, she also teaches adults at The Writer’s Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Her latest chapbook of poems, Tilting Gravity, won the Codhill Press’ contest in 2009.
Elisavietta Ritchie has been a poet-in-residence since the 1970s. Her books and chapbooks include: Cormorant Beyond the Compost, Real Toads, Awaiting Permission to Land, Spirit of the Walrus, Arc of the Storm, Elegy for the Other Woman, Tightening The Circle Over Eel Country (Great Lakes Colleges Association’s “New Writer’s Award”). Flying Time: Stories & Half-Stories, Raking the Snow and In Haste I Write You This Note: Stories & Half-Stories were selected as Washington Writers’ Publishing House
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winners. She created the anthology The Dolphin’s Arc: Endangered Creatures of the Sea, among others. She leads a workshop called “Re-Write Your Life: Creative Memoir Writing” at the Calvert Library.
Rosanne Singer has been a Maryland State Arts Council teaching artist since 1991. During the summers she is poet-in-residence with the Maryland Artist Teacher Institute (MATI) at the University of Maryland. Since 2005, Rosanne has been a Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator and recently joined the roster of Studio G artists at Georgetown University Hospital. She is also part of a team of artists working with soldiers and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Rosanne has given poetry readings throughout the Baltimore/Washington, DC area. She was awarded an Individual Artist Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, as well as a fellowship in literary, language, and linguistics from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
MiMi Zannino, poet-in-residence with the Maryland State Arts Council since 1989, inspires budding writers of all ages through workshops in schools, hospitals, colleges, and seminars. A teaching artist, author, and photographer, MiMi also brings to life the 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson through her one-woman historical portrayal. Her books for children include Butterfly Surprise, The Day Sara’s Sneakers Sneaked Away, and Keeping Memories Alive, which is a grief-assistance keepsake and activity book.
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MSAC Arts-in-Education Program
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) established a program known as Artists in Schools
in 1966 to promote a partnership of schools, artists, and communities. It brought artists-in-residence to schools to share their skills and expertise with students and teachers. The initiative evolved over the years into the present federal Arts in Education Program (AiE). State arts agencies created similar programs in every state and territory of the United States. In Maryland, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) administers the AiE Program. Funds for the AiE Program are provided by the MSAC’s budget and a federal grant from the NEA. Schools and other sponsoring organizations provide additional funding according to a matching formula that varies depending on the type of project and art form.
Arts Education in Maryland Schools
Maryland school systems have recognized the value of arts experiences in schooling for many years. In 1985, a comprehensive state plan for arts education was developed cooperatively by the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland Alliance for Arts Education, and the Maryland State Arts Council. This
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plan articulated goals in three areas that continue to provide direction for program development and implementation. These goals are to:
• Strengthen discipline-based arts instruction through the development of sequential curricula and staffing by qualified teacher-specialists;• Relate learning in all subjects by integrating the arts across the curriculum;• Effectively use quality arts resources available outside of school systems to promote, strengthen, and enhance school-based programs.
Current initiatives in arts education reflect a concern for providing every student in Maryland an opportunity to learn in and through the arts. These skills and knowledge will reinforce 21st Century Learning needs. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a creative think tank composed of top business leaders and educators, states that certain skills are essential for the workplace of the 21st Century. Those skills include creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration, global awareness, and media management. All of these skills are reinforced by the arts, thus making the arts an essential element to any curriculum.
The MSAC’s AiE Program is designed to promote, strengthen, and enhance the arts and arts education in Maryland’s elementary and secondary schools and other community settings. To accomplish its mission, the AiE Program:
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• Identifies and provides access to educational arts resources available outside the school system;• Offers financial and technical support for artist residencies in schools and co-funds performances and other arts projects for the benefit of students, teachers, and communities;• Assists in the professional development of artists for in-school programs;• Stimulates support for integrating the arts as a vital and effective element in the curriculum.
The AiE Artists-in-Residence Program provides opportunities for hands-on intensive workshops involving a small core group of students and teachers over a number of days or weeks. A larger group benefits from additional activities including artists’ lectures and demonstrations, and projects developed by classroom teachers with the artist’s assistance. Names of artists selected by the advisory panel to participate in the Artists-in-Residence Program are listed on the Artists-in-Residence Roster. Artists are selected for inclusion in the Artists-in-Residence Program on the basis of artistic achievement and ability to work with students and faculty in a school environment. Residencies are available in:
• Performing Arts: dance, multi-discipline, music, puppetry, and theater• Playwriting• Poetry
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• Visual Arts: architecture, ceramics, dollmaking/puppetmaking, fiber arts, glass, handmade paper/books/artist books, media, mixed media, murals, photography, sculpture, site specific installation, and two dimensional art.
For more information contact AiE Program Director Chris Stewart at [email protected]. To download the current artist-in-residence guidelines and application: www.msac.org/aie_ar.
CityLit Press’s mission is to provide a venue for writers who might otherwise be overlooked by larger publishers due to the literary nature or regional focus of their projects. It is the imprint of nonprofit CityLit Project, founded in Baltimore in 2004.
CityLit Project builds enthusiasm for the literary arts in the Baltimore metropolitan area and across Maryland for the benefit of readers, writers, and diverse audiences of all ages. It presents public festivals, author events, writers workshops, and programs for youth and seniors. It launched the CityLit Press imprint in 2010.
Thank you to major supporters: the National Endowment for the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts, and the Baltimore Community Foundation. More information and documentation is available at www.guidestar.org.
CityLit is a member of Maryland Citizens for the Arts, the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and the Writers’ Conferences and Centers division of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP).
CityLit Project’s offices are located in the School of Communications Design at the University of Baltimore.
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