
By Morgan Stair, Middle School Language Arts Teacher
The rain splashes down
Spreading drops on freshly green leaves
The dirt turns a dark brown
Petals are rinsed into sheaves
The falling rain creates a soft music
Different surface
Different acoustics
Birds peek out, curious
As the sounds slow
The leaves lift
The rain goes.
-Sadie L.
In December, Heilicher seventh-grade students read and wrote a variety of poems ranging from traditional to contemporary genres, including Shakespearean sonnets, free verse, spoken-word poetry, and more.
The unit culminated in a STEAM-based project where students published their poems on self-created websites. Students selected pictures to symbolize each of their poems, and they uploaded a video of their spoken-word poem. Some students went above and beyond playing with and exploring the technology and design formats available to them.
Here are a few examples of the wonderful creativity and self-expression of our seventh graders. Enjoy!
The Flower The shadow from the yellow flower Has been heightening up for hours The gray and lonely sky has been showering Anyone who dared to go outside and the Following eyes of the planter were watching As the flower spontaneously towered over And as he walked inside, he noticed That he left the lawn mower on and to his surprise, the flower was falling. It was dropping from the rain and on the ground now He didn’t know what to do, did he give it too much water? When he rushed inside, he then realized his entire garden was gone now. The rain had stopped, his clothes drip-dropped, Outside there were no more shadows.
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The leaves were blowing, Storm was growing The snow was going, Going to come. Clouds darkened. Frigid Blasts whirled around. The sound, The sound of snow swirling around, What to do What to do It was cold, very very cold Storm hasn’t come yet. Not Yet.
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Come out of the shadows they say. But is it really that easy? I feel the dark blue waves wash over me. And the little foam bubbles just washing away my soul. The waves come over me and once there over it’s not that bad, but you always know, that it will be coming back again. Once you finally end a big haul, you always think its over, just when it comes back, unexpectedly. So much weight on your shoulders, just to know that it will come back. But what happens if you jump over the waves, or float under them? Does all this disappear like when someone passes, and you remember them, but you know one day, no one will. Or will it be the opposite, fun and enjoyable. When you're swimming next to the turtles and fish and all the sea creatures ever imagined. Or will it be the same. Just the waves coming, and you eventually learn, that there is no way to escape them.
-Abby M. |
Listening is a great part of our lives, Among the Chaotic mess of trying to be calm, Shhhh. Stop and listen for the good things in life.
-Sol L. |
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- Language Arts
- Poetry
- STEAM integration
- Technology