Friday, May 04, 2012

Poetry Friday -- Tiger, Tiger

THE TYGER
by William Blake

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?











We can never touch them, 
so we love them from afar; 
they are wild and distant -- 
the Tiger and the star. 

We can never know them; 
they are not what we are: 
fire, fire, burning bright -- 
the tiger and the star. 

by David Elliott


Have I mentioned recently how much I love teaching fourth grade, especially from February on? Well, I am and I do.

Earlier in the year, I shared Blake's "The Tyger" with my students, along with the way-cool video interpretation I first saw at Tabatha's blog, The Opposite of Indifference.

Our focus right now in Reading Workshop is "Reading to Learn." I decided to take a break from conferring and read alongside my students yesterday. I'm reading poetry to learn to be a better poet. I was sitting at a table with some students, reading David Elliott's IN THE WILD, and taking notes in my notebook when I came to his poem, "Tiger." I'm not sure why I never noticed it before, but I was struck by the way his poem made me think again about Blake's. (And I vowed that someday I, too, will write a poem that makes the reader think of a famous poem.)

S., whose favorite animal is the tiger, overheard me talking about the poem with N. (who tried a few dictionary poems with me in early April). He came over and told me about getting chills when he heard Blake's poem for the first time -- the part (and he quoted) "about 'Tyger, Tyger burning bright/in the forests of the night' " and also when he thought about the answer to the question of who made the tiger. 

Well, of course it was then MY turn to get chills. I had no idea that "The Tyger" had made such an impression on S. Even after only one exposure, he could quote parts of it. And he, too, loved how Elliott had made a slantwise reference to Blake in his poem.

Fourth grade at the end of the year -- it doesn't get much better than that.

Elaine has the Poetry Friday roundup today at Wild Rose Reader.

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

How Technology Really Works by Clive Gifford

Cover to Cover sold books at the Literacy Connection event on Saturday. I always love to buy books at this event because there are always a few new books that I haven't seen. One of my new favorites from my purchases on that day was HOW TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY REALLY WORKS by Clive Gifford.  There are so many fascinating topics covered in this book. Topics include information on game controllers, camcorders, and spy tech.



 This is part of a new Scholastic Discover More series that I think I am going to love!




I like the fact that there are books for various age groups. I love the idea of digital companions. I love the topics and the layouts. I am always looking for books with 2 page spreads, especially nonfiction--to use with kids in minilessons. I think this series will be great for independent reading as well as minilesson work.  Can't wait to see the others in the series!

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

On My TBR List

When I found out I was going to be teaching 4th grade next year, I immediately emailed Tony Keefer (@tonykeefer) to recommend some great books that beginning 4th graders (especially boys) might read--books that I would not normally pick up on my own.  I love having Tony as one of my reading friends--we enjoy some of the same books but overall, our tastes are different. So I can always count on Tony to recommend good books I may not have discovered on my own.  Here are three of the books he recommended that I picked up today. They are series that I have dabbled in but I really need to commit to so I'm ready for lots of different 4th grade readers in the fall.


THE RIOT BROTHERS by Mary Amato


A CHET GECKO MYSTERY by Bruce Hale


FRANKIE PICKLE by Eric Wight

Any other suggestions for great books for early 4th graders?

Monday, April 30, 2012

April Mosaics



APRIL MOSAIC

The sky above
a yellow glove

Two observe
mushrooms curve

Long spikey
slow slippery

25 spot
3 cake pops

Bee in the window is dead
Cat in the window turns head

Tree in bloom
Vast amounts of room


River has meanders
Table has treasures


Cake plate view
(coins from 1892)

Sugar bowl twinkles
Cut glass crinkles

Flow Blue plate
Butter dish weight

Carnival glass shimmers
Tools made many dinners

Shot glass -- small
Pitcher -- tall

Pike's Peaking
Hawk's eating

Stack of three
Plate of cheese

Powell winery
Spring's green finery

Birdhouse gourds hang 
April's gone...dang!

© Mary Lee Hahn, 2012




Poem #30, National Poetry Month, 2012

All 30 poems for this month make a mosaic of their own, a different sort of glimpse into my world -- the poetic version of what I was seeing and doing and thinking about. Here is a link to my 2012 NPM Poems. (My April photo mosaic is on Flickr here.)

In March, the Poetry Tournament at Think Kid, Think! was a watershed moment for me as a writer. I changed my identity from "person who sometimes writes poetry" to Poet. I'm excited to see where this new direction in my writing will lead. I have a brand new PINK writer's notebook to start filling...beginning tomorrow!



Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku), Jone at Deo Writer (daily haiku)...and YOU?




Sunday, April 29, 2012

Chalk-ku



Betsy, at Teaching Young Writers, is having a chalk poetry celebration tomorrow to cap off National Poetry Month. Write a poem, chalk it up, take a picture, and send it to Betsy!

Poem #29, National Poetry Month, 2012

Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku), Jone at Deo Writer (daily haiku)...and YOU?

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Attitude Adjustment

Le's Flaming Poo Poo Platter


ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Turns out
I didn't need the Venti Awake Tea
from Starbucks after all.
All I needed
was for Lynne Rossetto Kasper to say

Flaming Poo Poo Platter.

I laughed until I cried.
When I
caught my breath and
mopped my eyes
I no longer had a headache.

© Mary Lee Hahn, 2012



Poem #28, National Poetry Month, 2012

On Saturday afternoons, as we drive here and there running errands and buying groceries, we listen to Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me and The Splendid Table (with Lynne Rossetto Kasper) and Toss the Feathers (a local Celtic music program on our NPR station).

I was in a headache-y funk this afternoon. It's been a hard couple of weeks, topped by running the Keep-A-Balloon-In-The-Air-For-A-Minute game at our school carnival last night from 6:00-8:30 (with one 15 minute break).

I'll be forever grateful to Lynne Rossetto Kasper for saying

Flaming Poo Poo Platter

in the course of her show. The extended belly laugh that resulted turned my mood right around. Now all I have to do is say to myself

Flaming Poo Poo Platter

and I grin.




Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku), Jone at Deo Writer (daily haiku)...and YOU?

Flaming Poo Poo Platter

Friday, April 27, 2012

WISE INVESTMENT


I have never said this to you, but you were one of my inspirations in my life. You invested in me so much in fourth and fifth grade. I used to never talk outside of my house, but today, I want to be a confident person, confident in what I am saying and teaching. So, thank you for your investment.

Investment.
That’s what teaching is.
We invest in the future
and then lose the receipt
when we send students on
to the next grade
or the next level.

We rarely know what our shaping
of each of these lives
will result in.
But we are certain,
absolutely certain,
that each and every one of them
is worth the investment.

© Mary Lee Hahn, 2012




Poem #27, National Poetry Month, 2012




Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku), Jone at Deo Writer (daily haiku)...and YOU?

Thursday, April 26, 2012

POETRY READING



POETRY READING

I am listening
to the poet George Bilgere
and imagining my first poetry reading,
someday in the unknown future.

I, too, will walk right up to people
at the wine and cookies reception.
I will introduce myself
as the guest of honor and ask them
about their interest in poetry.

The first poem I read
will be the one about the lucky day
when I started a new roll of toilet paper
in two different public restrooms.

That was a day that started with
strong tea
and ended with
salty French onion soup and
a perfect
strawberry
tart.

Just before the onion soup on that lucky day,
I listened
to the poet George Bilgere
and imagined my first poetry reading,
someday in the unknown future.


© Mary Lee Hahn, 2012




Poem #26, National Poetry Month, 2012


Art imitates life.







Tabatha has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at The Opposite of Indifference.

Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku), Jone at Deo Writer (daily haiku)...and YOU?

Faith: Five Religions and What They Share




Faith: Five Religions and What They Share
by Dr. Richard Steckel and Michele Steckel
Kids Can Press, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher

I'm always on the lookout for books in which my many-shades-of-whitetanbrown students from the U.S.-Mexico-Bangladesh-Jordan-Iraq-Somalia-China can find themselves.

This is one.

Illustrated lavishly with photographs of children around the world, the topics of faith, religion, the Golden Rule, religious leaders, worship, and prayer are explained with clear and unbiased language. This is a book that teaches about religion. It is not a book that tries to change the religious beliefs of the reader.

The table of contents helps the reader find information efficiently, and there is a glossary, an index, and a note to parents and teachers ("Ideas to promote tolerance and understanding") in the back.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Area, Perimeter, Volume -- a math poem



AREA, PERIMETER, VOLUME

Gardens and fences
and new tile floors,
towers of blocks
and a bulletin board border.

Perimeter says "RIM"
and area is flat,
volume takes space...
I know all of that,

but keeping them straight
in my head is a problem:
square? cubic? units?
perimeter? area? volume?

Some day I'll grow up
and need carpet and tile,
frame art and fill boxes...
THEN this will be worthwhile!

© Mary Lee Hahn, 2012




Poem #25, National Poetry Month, 2012


Area and perimeter are SO hard for fourth graders to keep straight!




Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining me in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem Farm, Linda at TeacherDance, Donna at Mainely Write, Laura at Writing the World for Kids (daily haiku), Liz at Liz in Ink (daily haiku), Sara at Read Write Believe (daily haiku), Jone at Deo Writer (daily haiku)...and YOU?