Students took an opportunity to look at themselves in a different way. One, by writing lines of poetry and the other, by creating silhouettes of themselves. Both of these exercises allowed them a view of themselves that they don’t normally see.
Writing poetry is often a great way to gain understanding of who we are inside. Teachers asked 5th graders to take that dive to see what these poetry starter phrases might reveal. Students also created a bit of self art by shining a light on the wall where a friend traced their profile onto black construction paper, creating amazingly accurate silhouettes.
Here are some lines from their poetry: I wonder how big the universe is. I pretend to like tiramisu. I am a soccer player. I hope we can overcome global warming, so we don’t all die. I am strong. I am funny. I want no gun violence. I wonder if the turtles are OK. I see homeless pets. I cry about climate change. I am me. I dream about peace. I worry about global warming. I cry about violence. I am myself. I am confident and smart. I pretend to like guacamole. I understand friends. I try to be kind. I hope for good things. I am wonderful.
If you’d like to see where poetry can take you, follow their lead in completing these phrases.
- I am…
- I wonder…
- I hear…
- I see…
- I want…
- I am…
————-
- I pretend…
- I feel…
- I touch…
- I worry…
- I cry…
- I am…
———-
- I understand…
- I say…
- I dream…
- I try…
- I hope…
- I am…