Poem+Activity-+Olson


 * 7th Grade Poem Activity (as part of Themed Poetry Slam Unit)**

Model Poem: maggie and milly and molly and may by E.E. Cummings

// maggie and milly and molly and may // // went down to the beach(to play one day) //

// and maggie discovered a shell that sang // // so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and //

// milly befriended a stranded star // // whose rays five languid fingers were; //

// and molly was chased by a horrible thing // // which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and //

// may came home with a smooth round stone // // as small as a world and as large as alone. //

// For whatever we lose(like a you or a me) // // it's always ourselves we find in the sea //

__**Poem Activity:**__

Students will choose one of the six stanzas from the original poem, and start their own poem with that stanza with their own name. Then, they will write 5 other stanzas modeled after the original, and using 3 friends/and or family members instead of maggie, milly, molly, and may. Students will be instructed to write their poem based off a trip that they've taken, whether it be the beach like in the original poem or somewhere else. Of course, students will be allowed to make something up as well. Creativity is to be encouraged. At the end of the lesson, students will be paired and asked to share their poems with partners. The teacher will then go around and ask all the different places/adventures that students wrote about, and will write these on the board for students to see and understand all the different experiences that individuals bring.

Mr. Olson's created poem:

//ronnie and jessie and emily and jesse// //went up to space (to explore one day)//

//and ronnie discovered a star that smiled// //so warmly he couldn't remember his name, and//

//jessie visited a lonesome planet// //whose rings danced in the darkness;//

//and emily played tag with a comet// //which zig-zagged around while laughing, and//

//jesse came home with a bright colorful nebula// //as big as the world and as long as forever.//

//For wherever we go (like a room or a place)// //it's always ourselves we find in deep space//