About Hands on Stanzas

Hands on Stanzas, the educational outreach program of the Poetry Center of Chicago places professional, teaching Poets in residence at Chicago Public Schools across the city. Poets teach the reading, discussion, and writing of poetry to 3 classes over the course of 20 classroom visits, typically from October through April. Students improve their reading, writing, and public speaking skills, and participating teachers report improved motivation and academic confidence. You can contact Cassie Sparkman, Director of the Hands on Stanzas program, by phone: 312.629.1665 or by email: csparkman(at)poetrycenter.org for more information.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

In this moment...

Okay, in most cases I haven't included the prewriting/freewriting we did in preparation for the haiku writing, but I wanted to post these examples, both to show what we draw the haiku poems from, and also because these three just had some really super-tough imagery that I wanted to make sure to highlight.


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Ms. Vazzana, Rm. 104, 3rd grade



In this moment (freewrite)
Jhoan B.


In this moment I have chapped hands and the season is changing weather and it is cold. The leaves are changing color and the trees are throwing the leaves and all the trees are losing leaves. And we have to wear coats jackets and the leaves are not growing. People do not go out and play. In this moment people are talking in their houses and I can’t hear it. In the world the earth moves but you cannot feel it because it is moving too slowly. You cannot see the stars because they are too far far far far far away. The president is living in a big house and you’re not. And leaves are yellow and it is raining a lot and leaves are not growing. And it is cold. People do not go out again because it is cold and my teacher is wearing a red shirt and my teacher is writing in a paper and I am writing a lot and my best friend is Miguel. And my teacher is sitting with me. And I am at school working in my classroom. 104 3rd grade November 14, 2007. Jhoan B. is making this story and Omar is funny and I am too.


In this moment (freewrite)…
Kevin C.


In this moment leaves are falling and they’re changing clothes and they’re falling like a parachute each day and they’re living trees bold and cold wind is flying in air. Pencil writing in paper and paper smashing in the ground and people talking heart beating. In this moment I see the color green and the color white and the color purple and the color orange.


Things outsides
Hazael G.


In this moment the trees are dying.

In this moment all the flowers are crying.

The cars are cool.

In this moment the storms are giving thunder.

In this moment the firefighters’ alarm is ringing.

Everyone has purple folders

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