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.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Wishes

For the kindergardeners, the first lesson with me is really their first introduction to poetry that is not nursery rhymes. I use Kenneth Koch's Wish lesson to give the children an idea of how far poetry will let them go. Often new to school, too, the spend their new days learning concrete things and I wanted them to understand poetry is about whatever they can imagine.



For the writing, I ask that they start each line with "I wish" so they understand poetry has a different form to stories.


Jericho A
K

I wish for two wishes
I wish for a pet rabbit
I wish I could go to the park

Zahria S
K

I wish I was
Elephant
Butterfly
Ant

Taylor C
K

I wish I was
Flying on
A butterfly


Taylor S
1st

I wish I was a queen
I wish I could do
Whatever I want
I wish Myles
Was king
I wish I had a star
I wish I had
2100 candies
Do you?

Sentwali N
1st

I wish I had a motorcycle
I wish I had a bingo tiger
I wish I had a lot of balls
I wish I had a lot of games
I wish I had gymshoes

Taylor C
1st

I wish that I had
A pretty pony
I wish it was
A girl
It would be good!
Her name is
Jewelanna Patrice Princess
I wish I was a princess

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