Find more Poetry Friday at Keri Recommends.
A few weeks into fall Carol Varsalona put out a call for submissions to her Finding Fall Gallery. I wanted my students to try some fall poetry writing. I pulled up an image gallery from NBC news. I think images make for richer, image-filled poetry. Many of the images were striking, and we had a hard time choosing just one to write to. So I allowed some students to keep their favorite frozen on the Promethean while others found the gallery on other computers. Kielan captured a list poem from different images and made a poem movie on Animoto. Emily remains the Zeno master with her Fall Zeno.
Sergei Grits / AP
yellow,orange,peach,red,and brown
leaves are falling
this fall
bound
rainy weather
scares the
ground
because it melts
in fear
drowned
–Emily
Reflections on the Teche 
Very, very, nice!
because it melts/in fear/drowned those few words struck me, such a lovely image of fall. I’ve never experienced fall, but it does seem like the kind of season to inspire poetry.
Iphigene, you’ve got my curiosity going. Where do you live that you’ve never experienced fall? I live in the desert and we even experience our own version of fall–the weather is finally under 100 degrees, and the citrus trees are getting ready to be picked.
I live in the Philippines. So in a tropical country like ours we only get rain and sun, nothing quite like fall. 🙂
Great job with the poem movie and I enjoyed Emily’s zeno!
I enjoy following your posts, Margaret! You might want to include my book, LEAF JUMPERS, in poems about fall. It’s an oldie but still in print; recently picked up by Scholastic for its school book fairs; it was this year selected as an “Ohio Reads” book. Most libraries have it. You can read about it on my web site, http://www.carolegerber.com
I love the freedom you give your students, Margaret, and these gems they produce! All wonderful. I’m particularly smitten with the images of lily pads walking on water, and fall “hiding” in the mist! Congrats to all these creators.
How lovely. I second Robyn’s admiration – you give your kids so much creative freedom, and they always rise to the occasion.
The kids must totally adore time spent with you!
Wow, amazing creativity all around. =)
Love how much poetry your students are doing, Margaret. These are wonderful.
Sigh (of happiness). I went through that whole glorious gallery. How could you not want to write as beautifully as those images?!?! And your students did.
Margaret and Emily, thank you for the wonderful gift of a student poem for the Finding Fall Gallery.
Kielan’s Animoto video is very creative using photos captured from research. This can be added to the Finding Fall Gallery if permission is granted when you return back to school and you can send it via YouTube.