My students and I have been participating in the annual Write Out sponsored by the National Writing Project and the National Parks Service. Each day this week we’ve watched a video from a park ranger and followed a writing prompt. We made special #WriteOut notebooks following Sheri Edwards’ model found here.
We’ve gone outside to observe the trees and written a script of two trees talking to each other.
We’ve drawn from observing architecture and written about the significance of the building.
We’ve imagined the day in the life of a bird as it interacts with human environments.
Each day there is a new surprise. I hope I can find a way to continue this enthusiasm for writing after the two weeks of Write Out are over.
The Write Out prompt I chose on Thursday included a Rita Dove poem. We discussed the poem and collected words to use later in a poem of our own. Today I am sharing two student poems written after Rita Dove.
A stranger in a cool breeze,
the moonlight,
animals with odd habits
this is what nature is.
A singing wren
while almost sun-rise,
become a statuary figure roaming
in the night.
Relax
and you’ll see
how happy you can be.
by Avalyn, 3rd grade
Reflections on the Teche 
[…] Margaret Simon’s class has been participating in the National Writing Project and National Parks Service’s Write Out, and shares a couple of her students poems at Reflections on the Teche. […]
Great efforts from your students! They’re obviously learning quite a bit from you!
Oh, I love both of these! Thank you so much for sharing, and please congratulate Avalyn and Adelyn on creating word that evoked emotion! I love how both of them closed their poems especially. Well done! Happy Poetry Friday!
The poems are wonderful, beautiful, evocative.
Kevin
Wonderful, Margaret! You are giving such a gift to your students, the joy of words & “seeing” what others miss! Love “how happy you can be” & the birds’ advice!
These are wonderful! I always enjoy seeing how you’ve created opportunities for your students to be inspired. Well done, Avalyn and Adelyn!
Margaret, a new writing lesson on making a DIY journal and a poem to fill a page. Both of your students wrote poems that are noteworthy. I am impressed with their word choices also.
The endings of both girls’ poems feel like messages send from the Universe directly to me. Thank you girls! Thank you Universe!
My goodness…what beautiful poems from these students. What an amazing learning experience for you all this school year. I need to go click on that notebook link. I do love making a new style of notebook! Thanks for this post.
It’s so easy. You will love it. We used card stock and copy paper.
I love that you are taking your students outside to write. They each have a lyrical gift, and at such a young, impressionable age! Thank you!
Oh, lovely! They really let Rita speak to and through them. I watched the notebook video and I’m excited to use this technique sometime soon! I couldn’t figure out where your contribution to the WriteOut prompts is filed, but I’m inspired to participate next year…
Thanks, Heidi. I contributed a Zine video on the notebooks page and various writing prompts that the rangers could choose from for their videos.
“Remember the light of the sign will warm you… beautiful.
Oh, Margaret, these are absolutely delightful. I love poetry written by children. ❤️