Classes & Workshops
Poetry Workshop
This workshop was developed
through arts residencies in the
Chicago Public Schools in
conjunction with the Poetry
Center of Chicago. It has been
taught to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,
7th, and 8th grade students, in
both typical and bilingual
classrooms. The purpose of this
workshop is to increase literacy
while teaching students active
listening skills, public speaking
skills, self-esteem and analytical
skills through the writing of
poetry. In every one-hour session,
the students are introduced to a
new poem. They learn about the
poem’s vocabulary, theme, and
historical context, and also learn
tools to use in their own poems
such as meter, rhyme, metaphor,
simile, narrative, dialogue, and
character development. This is
an interdisciplinary workshop
that includes music, physical
movement, and visual art as
poetic fodder. In every class,
each student writes an original
poem and most students read
their original poems out loud for
others. As a cumulative
assignment, students have
participated in poetry readings,
written and recorded original
songs, and published their work
in literary journals.
This workshop was developed
through arts residencies in the
Chicago Public Schools in
conjunction with the Poetry
Center of Chicago. It has been
taught to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,
7th, and 8th grade students, in
both typical and bilingual
classrooms. The purpose of this
workshop is to increase literacy
while teaching students active
listening skills, public speaking
skills, self-esteem and analytical
skills through the writing of
poetry. In every one-hour session,
the students are introduced to a
new poem. They learn about the
poem’s vocabulary, theme, and
historical context, and also learn
tools to use in their own poems
such as meter, rhyme, metaphor,
simile, narrative, dialogue, and
character development. This is
an interdisciplinary workshop
that includes music, physical
movement, and visual art as
poetic fodder. In every class,
each student writes an original
poem and most students read
their original poems out loud for
others. As a cumulative
assignment, students have
participated in poetry readings,
written and recorded original
songs, and published their work
in literary journals.
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Una Astronauta
Feliz, silencio. Feliz porque es tan
brillante. Feliz porque
no caminas en sus espacios.
Hay mucha paz porque
la luna se ve bonita y cerca.
Y también se puede tomar fotos.
Se siente como una paloma
volando y también como un pajarito.
Las nubes se ven bonitas
como unos pescados.
An Astronaut
Happy, silence. Happy, because it is so
brilliant. Happy because
we cannot walk in its spaces.
There is peace because
the moon looks so beautiful and close.
And also we can take pictures.
It feels like a dove flying and also
like a little bird.
The clouds are so beautiful, like fish.
©2004 Jessica Hernandez
Third grade, Jordan Community School
Feliz, silencio. Feliz porque es tan
brillante. Feliz porque
no caminas en sus espacios.
Hay mucha paz porque
la luna se ve bonita y cerca.
Y también se puede tomar fotos.
Se siente como una paloma
volando y también como un pajarito.
Las nubes se ven bonitas
como unos pescados.
An Astronaut
Happy, silence. Happy, because it is so
brilliant. Happy because
we cannot walk in its spaces.
There is peace because
the moon looks so beautiful and close.
And also we can take pictures.
It feels like a dove flying and also
like a little bird.
The clouds are so beautiful, like fish.
©2004 Jessica Hernandez
Third grade, Jordan Community School
| For more information or to schedule a poetry workshop in your school, please contact vanessa@vanessacurto.com. |