I have amazing students who have bared their souls this year as writers and have become more introspective and empathetic because of their sharing. I believe writing is therapeutic and my students have grown personally because of their work.
These urban seventh grade students come from varied backgrounds and their stories make me feel honored to be their teacher.This year they have composed mostly essays and shared many of these personal stories, encouraged one another and as a result the class that began as a "class" is now a family.
They are now embarking on a poetry unit and I want them to experience the joy of working with watercolors to add to their writing.
My Project
Poetry is most appropriate for teens. My students write poetry throughout the year. Initially, for most, it is a scary experience, expressing ideas they often have forgotten until they come to the table with a pencil and are instructed to write about anything.
They keep the poems in their folders in class until April when they create their own anthology and illustrate each poem as a culminating activity.
It serves as a memory book and they celebrate by sharing at our "Poetry Cafe" open to parents in May as well as sharing among themselves.
Watercolors lend themselves to poetry, allowing them to enhance their words by using art.
Because the books go home with them to keep and serve as a chronology of their year and thoughts I have no example to post. The assignment however is to write 13 original poems and 2 borrowed favorites and to organize them into a book. We make the books from whatever materials I find.
At the end of the year I write a message to them while grading them and when I return them they leave a few pages blank and have classmates sign them. This serves as a little treasure book that they hopefully will keep.
I've done this assignment for years and kids tell me they still have their books and that they loved making them.
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