Monday, May 23, 2016

Language, Rhythm, and Rhyme: Poetry Time!

This spring, we've been exploring rhythm and rhyme and various poetic tricks and techniques. We've been using figurative language: words that take us beyond everyday, phrases that make the ordinary extra-ordinary, language that makes a poem more interesting, more dramatic, downright brilliant... just fantastic!


Bubbling with Poetic Enthusiasm: Bettina, Kylie, Olivia, and Catalina give us Trouble Bubble Gum by Douglas Florian:


Squeaky Clean: Miranda and Ali perform Crowded Tub by one of Lafayette’s favorite poets, Shel Silverstein:



A poem can capture and share a special moment in time. Here's a Lafayette Original that creates a vivid word picture:


Birthday by Ryan Hallerman



Whoosh!
The wick
ignites
A red and orange glow
emerges from
the tip
It unites with the
multicolored wax
then flickers

Just like a flower
on a sunny day
Still only moving
with
the sudden push of
wind
Then the
flickering stops
The room goes dark

And a new
age starts

There's Poetic Emotion... and Poetry in Motion! Take a look at Shel Silverstein’s Body Language, performed by Margaret and Reese, read by Arianna:



More Poetry on the Move: Manaal and Laura get in a rhyming groove, sharing Running in a Circle by Jack Prelutsky:



Figurative Language... Go Figure: We like to use metaphor and simile, assonance, hyperbole... a few cliches, alliteration... idioms, personification. And don't forget onomatopoeia... if you want to be a... Poetry Parader!

Monday, May 16, 2016

Spring Stroll: Nature Takes Its Course, of Course

It’s a Spring Thing: bees are buzzing, trees are greening, birds are singing… a sunny scene-ing! The arrival of spring means it’s time for great rhymes and renewed appreciation for the great outdoors. Without a doubt, Lafayette School has been bitten by the Poetry Bug! Here, Poetry Puppeteers perform Five Little Insects by Eve Merriam:

Check out a spring bouquet of good-natured poems about good nature, Lafayette Originals composed and shared by students:

Spring Is Coming by Theodore S.


Spring is coming.
It's approaching very fast.
The grass begins to grow
While we sense winter's last.

Birds sing and glide,
Children play outside.
There is a rising temperature.
Spring is here for sure.

The trees are filled with birds' nests
As there baby birds quietly rest.
People on vacation depart
When fun activities start.

Vegetation starts to appear
As winter sheds its last snowy tear.
Busy is every bird and bee.
Spring is here.
Can't you see?

Guardian by Laurel H.


A tree
Standing tall
Casting its shadow 
Across the grass
Its pristine leaves
Protect
The nests of the meadowlarks
When the eggs hatch
The tree
Will be content
With the meadowlark's song
Wafting 
through the air.

Ocean by Kate H.


My friend the sea,
you shimmer and shine,
bringing happiness every time.
The sand between my toes,
the wind in my face,
you are my friend the sea,
the beautiful shining sea.

Sunset by Molly E.


It's setting over the west
It's gleaming over the grassy hills
It's falling down
Down
Down
Down

You can see the reflection in the sky blue ocean
The sunset is in your hands
It's falling once again
Down
Down
Down
The sunset fades and
The sky is midnight black

The sun is gone
But it will come back
I just know it

Poetry invites us to create, to share, to wonder about the world, and to wander through nature. Where will poetry take us next? Stay tuned, Poetry Paraders!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Creepy Creatures and Curious Cuisine... Gulp!

Today, Poetry on Parade celebrates the creepiest of creatures and the most curious of cuisine. 
Our parade is sss-snaking along 
with creative concepts, wonderful words, 
rowdy rhythms, and rollicking rhymes!

Our first poem features a sss-superb creature who makes its home in sss-sweltering tropical climates, hunts-sss for its dinner in the dark of night, and sss-swallows its prey whole. Gulp! Mama Boa may give birth to sss-sixty sss-small sss-social boa babies at a time; however, adult boas prefer sss-solitude and are sss-sizeable, sss-sometimes weighing more than one hundred pounds and sss-stretching to a length of thirteen sss-stealthy, sss-slinky feet! Take a look at Julia (poetry narrator), Casey (unsuspecting reader), and Ana (homemade boa) performing Boa Constrictor by Shel Silverstein:


It’s the stuff of legend: dragons, serpents, and multi-armed beasts! Nautical folklore is full of slimy, scaly, slipper sea monsters, creatures who threaten storm-tossed ships, spout jets of water, and make all manner of maritime mischief. Kevin, Stella, and Brian entertain us with Slithery Dee by Alvin Schwartz:



Our final poem for the day transports us from the depths of the deep blue sea to the depths of our domestic Frigidaire! Peyton, Casey, and Mr. Cleary present Deep in Our Refrigerator by Jack Prelutsky:



The milk may be soured and the quiche may be congealed; the casserole may be curdled and the macaroni salad may be spoiled. There may be too many cooks in the kitchen... but there are never too many poetry enthusiasts in the LMC, and a good poem is never past its sell-by date!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Celebrating Spring with Poet-Tree in the LMC!

April is National Poetry Month! Spring is springing all around us, and Lafayette is celebrating the season with a hand-clapping, foot-stomping, rhythm-jamming, rhyme-slamming Parade of Poetry. We are reading poems, writing poems, performing poems, and sharing poetry with family and friends:

Poetry on Parade is all about creative thought, wonderful words, and getting everyone involved in the poetic experience. Take a look at One, Two... written by one of Lafayette's favorite poets, Shel Silverstein, and performed by Mr. Cleary and Kyra:


Check out this Poetry on Parade Exclusive: 
An Interview with Shel Silverstein
featuring Julie Cif and Mike E.


It’s springtime in the LMC!
The air is filled with poetry.
With books in bloom,
a happy scene-ing:
bees are buzzing,
grass is greening. 
As for us,
we’ll spend some time
with words that sing
and lines that rhyme.
It’s springtime in the LMC!
And Look!  
We’ve grown a Poet-Tree!