Find more Poetry Friday at Merely Day by Day with Cathy.
One of my Poetry Friday poet heroes is Laura Purdie Salas. She is the author of Bookspeak and Water Can Be, both of which I recommend for any classroom. She recently published an e-book What’s Inside: Poems to Explore the Park It’s a great resource for teaching young poets.
There was a solar eclipse happening on Thursday. I decided to combine teaching about this phenomenon with a new poem form, “What’s Inside?” We read a few model Laura Purdie Salas poems and discussed the elements in her poems, rhyme, rhythm, along with factual information. I am posting some student poems and my own. To make comments to the students, click on their name.
What’s inside a solar eclipse?
A moon hatching out of its cocoon
“Now is my time to rule the day”
The sun is secret
Hidden away
Coming back soon
“Once again I will rule over moon”
–-Kielan
Above the cosmos,
The moon still glows.
Blocking the light,
It’s a time of fright.
In the position of the sun,
It’s no fun.
When it goes away,
No more for today.
Like a Clash of Clans war,
It’s done for.
–Nigel
Tobie wrote his poem in three voices: the solar eclipse, the sun, and the moon. (I love how he marked each one.)
The sun will be covered by the moon. <———————Solar Eclipse
I just wish it would come again soon.What's inside this ball of fire? <————————Sun
It's like life, ton of desire.What's inside this big rock? <—————-Moon
Too bad, there's only one in stock.
–Tobie</blockquote>Mrs. Simon tries rhyme once again. I was pleased by the unexpected rhyme of sun and phenomenon.
What’s Inside a Solar Eclipse?
Make a pinprick hole in a paper plate.
Sunset horizon, stop and wait.
A new moon crosses the path of the sun,
eclipsing our vision,
a sky-born phenomenon.
–Margaret Simon
