Haiku

I brought in a hodge-podge of haiku examples, from Basho to haiku written by other HOS students in years past. I read Basho's Furuike ya in Japanese and English. The students loved hearing the poem in its original language and really got into clapping out the syllables as we discussed this traditional form. The students then got to work on writing their own Haiku. I told them not to worry about the number of syllables, but to focus on being simple, direct, and creating a single image (like taking a snapshot of a moment). I also asked them to include three things I find common to many Haiku - a when (some indication of time, like the season), a where (an indication of place, like a pond, or the forest), and a what (who or what is doing the action in the poem - like a cricket singing or some other sound). We made lists for each of these questions as a warm up. In many classes, I also had the students use their science textbooks or nature magazines to find images or words that could help them get started - I was very pleased with the results!

Mr. K (Rm. 205)
3rd Grade

In Spring and Summer
Celina S.

In spring at afternoon.
A bird is singing.
A bird is flying.

In summer at night.
A owl is howling.
I see its big owl eyes.

Haiku
Virgen S.

Spring kids wear
only sweaters
sounds like it
is almost summer.

Rocio R.

In fall
all the leaves fall
I don't hear many
birds.

Edgar C.

In the month of May
there are a lot of flowers
Bird, seabird flying up on the sky

Michael D.

A river downhill
the bird on a maple tree
you hear the sound of the bird
underwater

Ms. Sandoval-Johnson (Rm. 001)
3rd Grade

Luis P.

A penguin
sliding on
its tummy catching
fish

Arctic air
penguins
wobbling

Winter all
year long
freezing

Samuel P.

Night the forest looks dark
The forest is so far peaceful
And then fire came fffff the forest got burned

Day the color blue in the sea
The sea so warm
Fish ready to swim

Day animals wake up
In the city
They are singing and swimming

Salvador I.

Christmas Eve
picking a Christmas tree
making a blue spruce into X-Mas
tree


Ms. Marfise (Rm. 002)
3rd Grade

Elizabeth C.

Lives in the Arctic
Looking for fish to eat
White fluffy polar bear

Ricardo V.

Black and white tails
Getting bananas from the tree
Big brown-eyed lemur

David F.

In the spring
of Mexico
I hear crickets chirping in the evening

At evening
in a rainforest
alone in a good place

Mrs. Rodriguez (Rm. 401)
5th Grade

Veronica T.

En otoño
la rana verde
como las hojas

En primavera
los girasoles amarillos
como el sol

En invierno
la nieve blanca
como el cielo nublado

En primavera
el pajarito rojo
como las rosas

Jesus

In ocean
trying to get away
from a great white

In spring
in Africa
running from
a lion

Running from
a wolf
in woods
in winter

Haiku
Cynthia G.

1. In summer
A yellow sun shining
wherever I go.

2. In winter sparkles of flying
snow wherever you
and I meet.

3. In spring a bluebird
chirping whenever
the sun rises.

4. In fall red and yellow
leaves fall whenever
night is close.

Andres M.

In spring
A yellow mushroom wiggles happily
under a tree

In summer
a big waterfall
saves the world

In spring
a little worm lives under a mushroom
sings for happiness

Ms. Breen (Rm. 201)
3rd Grade

Class Poems:

In summer
I get in the pool
and get wet

In winter
it snows
cold and a little soft

A cheetah runs
after a deer
making a rawr sound