With the grade two students I worked with, I needed to have them work on writing poetry without having the framework of knowing the students really well. So, I decided to have them write about colour.
I read them samples of poems about colour, and we talked about different colours and what they can mean. I had them brainstorm ideas about the colour they had selected, and then talk about how the colour could make them feel. I had them use their senses when thinking about colour:
How does that colour smell?What does that colour look like?How does that colour feel?How does that colour taste?If you could hear the colour, how would it sound?Here are some samples:What is Blue?
Blue is snow on a cold winters day
And a breeze is on its way
It is the sound of tears on cheeks
Blue is compassion
And help on its way
And a warm sunny day
It is also waves out on the ocean
And fear coming to play
Blue is a dolphin jumping in the sea
And blue is here to comfort you
-Emily grade two
What is Crimson?
Crimson is rubies, and sunsets, and cherries
Crimson is apples and all sorts of berries!
Crimson is the sun on a hot summer day.
Crimson is rage and happy play.
Crimoson is the feather in a royal duke's hat,
and the feeling you feel when you shout "scat"!
Crimson is the blood that falls from your knee,
when you were biking and had fear of a tree, then you fell on your knee.
Crimson is the colour of a balloon when it floats up, up, up to the moon!
Crimson and white are always in sight!
Crimson is the stage of rage in the eyes of a cartoon,
and the sheets of a warrior under the moon.
Crimson is the colour of thousands of things!
-Lila grade two
What is Black?
Black is the colour of the dead of night,
Black is a colour of fright,
Black is the colour of dull rocks,
Black can be a colour of night,
but it can be a colour of light,
Black is the colour of dead of night.
-Alexander grade two
Below, I like this student's original take on a colour poem- looking at colour through the days of the week and months of the year:
Colourful Poem
Monday is yellow
Tuesday is turquoise
Wednesday is brownish orange
Thursday is reddish brown
Friday is orange
Saturday is run-out marker red
Sunday is pink except when you bump your head.
January is light blue
February is light blue
March is emerald green
April is thin with little tiny dots
May is pink
June is orange
July is yellow
August is magenta
September is indigo
October is orange and black
November is light blue plaque
December looks like a light blue chick with snowmen jumping all over it.
-Edden grade two
What is Turquoise?
Turquoise is the sky hours before evening,
It's the colour of the evening calmness and is the opposite of black,
Turquoise houses on the street,
It's coldness; the opposite of bright red heat,
They're wondows, they're brightly coloured books,
Sky reflected rocks in cranny nooks,
Creations, a colour, bright pencil crayons,
A lightly coloured flag,
The United Nations.
-Andrew, grade two
What is Red?
Roses are red, like an apple
Crunch Crunch crunch,
Like fire roar roar
We need some firemen
To set the roar down.
Red is the colour that's
anger and bright,
Red is a bow tie when
It's on at night.
Red is the colour
That sounds like fire.
-Claire, grade two
There were no lessons on punctuation and no expectation of rhyming poems. I gave the students free reign on how they wanted their poems to be, and I enjoyed the diversity of ideas and writing styles.
What is Aquamarine?
Aquamarine is the colour of peace,
It's how someone feels after a release.
It's how the sea looks with crashing waves,
Splashing in places like caves!
Aquamarine is the colour of a summer sky,
It's also the colour of tears when you cry!
Far, far out in the ocean,
The aquamarine seas are in motion!
It's also the colour of glacier lakes,
And it smells like the smell of your mom when she bakes!
Aquamarine is the colour of a summer moon,
It's the colour of the morpho when it comes out of it's cocoon!
It's cousins are blue and green,
Oh how I love aquamarine!
-Natalia, grade two
What is Green?
Gren is the trees that yu see across the lake.
Green is nature that you see in the shade.
Green is the grass that you run through all day.
Green is the alligator that eats its prey.
Green is the outdoors in a kind of way.
Green is a wonderful colour in every way.
-
Alicia grade twoBelow, a student experimented with words and created her own words in her poem:
What is White? White is a curtain, shining so brightWhite is a cloud, it bound in the light.The bright light is shining on the white coloured sky. The white coloured berries we're eating so fast.White is the colour of paper so naper.White is a kite flying in the white sky.White will so fight in the sky which is bright.White is so clight with the sharp white eyes, so flight in the bright light.White is in the night with the cloud in the light.The moon and stars are white with clight.-Ruby, grade twoWhat is Purple?Purple is the sunset so pretty and nice,Purple is dark that everyone likes,Purple is scary like the drooled lagoon,Purple is smart like the brain of an owl.-Shaelyn, grade twoWhat is Blue?Blue is the colour of sadness,Blue is fog,It's the tip of the dragonfly's wings,Blue is for waterfalls and the tip of your cry.Blue is for bluebells which shimmer in the bright sun,Blue is for clouds which sail by in the sky. -Shahana, grade two
What is Lilac?Lilac is lavender,Lilac is my t-shirt,Lilac is the little sign on all Mrs. Wiesinger's books!Lilac is the flower on my favourite mug,Lilac is the capital "A" on my desk name-tag,Lilac is Ms. Moon's beautiful scarf that's brand new,Lilac is the colour of excitedness.We cannot forget that lilac is just kindness.Summer is just full of colour but lilac is my favourite!-Anna, grade two
What is Black?Black is the night and leather shoes andthe cool sweet air on your leather boots.Black is the hair on people's heads,Black is the sheets on people's beds.-Mac, grade two
What is Blue?Blue is the sky,A blue jay flying high,A river flowing, A fish swimming.Blue is cold, The ice on a frozen pond,Blue is a shadow in wintertime,Blue is early in the morning.-Lily, grade two
Thank you grade two's. All the poems were spectacular and I applaud you all on your effort and imagination!
