I have been using Laura Purdie Salas’s blog site in my classroom. Last week we joined in her weekly photo challenge “15 Words or Less.” She posts a new photo each Thursday and invites poets to quick-write a poem.
Yesterday, I used Laura’s new series, What’s Inside, to inspire short poems for Chalkabration. I even tried my own What’s Inside poem. I am not usually a rhyme writer. It’s hard. I wanted to rhyme like Laura, so with the help of RhymeZone, I found the word quill to rhyme with still. That made me think more deeply about the way sugarcane looks. Could it be a quill? Yes, in my imagination. Don’t you love it when words work out like that? It was a high-five moment. (Teachers need them, too.)
Following the lead of Betsy Hubbard and Stacey Shubitz, two of the six teachers who write for Two Writing Teachers, I used Emaze to show off some of our poems. I am encouraging my students to try this new format for their upcoming book talks, so I wanted to experiment myself. Click on the link below to watch our chalkabration celebration.
http://app.emaze.com/825079/september-chalkabration?autoplay
LOVE these, Margaret. And, yes, rhyme IS hard! Fun to play with, though:>) Very cool Chalk-a-bration. Haven’t seen that before…
So fun! I’ve wanted to start the Chalk -a- bration but hadn’t found inspiration . Thank you for the Laura Purdie Salas and the emaze app. I think this might just get me going!
You amaze me with your creative energy and commitment to writing in all its forms, Margaret.
I loved the emaze presentation you created with your students chalk poems. (So much prettier than the one I shared on TWT!) Love their inspirations too.
WOW – you inspire me…..this is wonderful.