Over the last month, we've been reading and writing lots and lots of poems. We've explored poetry by different authors such as Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Douglas Florian, Julie Folgiano, and many others and we've taken note of their style of writing, the meanings and feelings behind their poems, and the unique ways in which they tell their stories through their poems. We've been inspired by and even adapted a few of their poems, and explored many other methods of writing poetry. We went on nature walks, told small moment stories, researched different places, and talked about what we've loved and lost, and looked to each other to fuel our poetic energy. Last week, we each chose two of our favorite poems that we then edited and illustrated as well as a poem we wrote for each other to create our Second Annual Riley Book of Giraffe Poetry :)
On Tuesday Morning, we each got our own copy of our poetry book, which we explored and autographed for one another
That afternoon, our friends and family joined us for our Sidewalk Shelebration! We went outside to write one of our poems in sidewalk chalk (luckily the rain had subsided just in time for us to head outside!) right beside our new school garden, and afterwards, we came in to read one of our poems aloud as well as to recite some Shel Silverstein poems.
Many of us dressed in black and white to look like Shel's (our our!) illustrations, and many of us also brought in props to go with the poems we had selected.
If were not able to join us for our Shelebration, you an listen to the poems we chose to recite here:
We had so much fun sharing and shelebrating our poetry with our families! And a special thank-you to one of our giraffe families for supplying us with a sweet treat to enjoy after we shared our poems :)
Where The Sidewalk Ends
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
for the children, they mark, and the children, they know,
the place where the sidewalk ends.
-Shel Silverstein
