Love That Poetry on Twitter

Reading and writing poetry was made into an adventure by following Jack and his teacher Mrs. Strechberry. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech guided us through the sharing of many famous poems and poets. While Jack struggled with his understanding and writing of poetry, our class wrote and shared using Twitter, class partners and even created our own yellow "Love That Poetry" booklets.

The highlight of this activity was our interaction with Sharon Creech and other classrooms around the world via Twitter. You can see all of our tweets by visiting us @OMS6th on Twitter.
Below are some actual tweets from our classroom and replies we celebrated:

OMS6th @ciaobellacreech starting "Love That Dog" celebration Thursday-will last a week or so :D Follow our tweets

OMS6th I think Love That Dog is going to be a great book!!!!

OMS6thWe have to write about what we would say if we were the teacher. I wrote about how you have to at least try to write.

ciaobellacreech @OMS6th Happy LTD celebration!

ciaobellacreech@OMS6th Hi! Thanks for your notes. . .I'm glad you're enjoying LTD and think it's cool you're making your own booklets. . .

OMS6thSo much depends upon A big warm bed Covered with warm blankets Beside my white wall

Gill_Villeans @OMS6th We want to add one! So much depends upon apps working properly, typing in small spaces, and seeing small words. Can you guess?

ChocolateAir @ciaobellacreech @OMS6th So much depends upon a bloodsucking leech stuck to my ankle from the dark green lake.

ChocolateAir @ciaobellacreech @OMS6th Winning Shot...So much depends upon a basketball dribbling in my hands with thirty seconds left.

OMS6thI am reading a book during study hall/ the story takes me to a different world/I would like to stay and play/ you come too

OMS6thI'm going out to get the mail/all the way down the road/ I'll say hello to the toad/ I'll not be gone long you come too.

ciaobellacreech @OMS6th I'm going out to get some chocolate / in the storefront window / I won't be gone long / You come, too . . .

ciaobellacreech@OMS6th ohmygosh, I love these 'you come too' poems!

Gill_Villeans @OMS6th We like reading your patterned tweets! Can you tell? :)

Gill_Villeans@OMS6th We're learning about Newfoundland. We'll present our findings to other classes. We're going on a learning journey. You come too! :

OMS6thLove using Twitter/Like a bat loves a ball/Love using Twitter/Like a bat loves a ball/Love 2share w/the world/Using it daily/Learning it all

ciaobellacreech @OMS6th Love the ongoing tweets--the 'love that. . .' ones. Love those tweets /love that class . . .

OMS6th@ciaobellacreech Thanks for all your tweets while we "Loved Your Book" We will follow Jack through his next year during our own reading time

Effigy Mounds and Outdoor Day Memories

Two favorite activities in the fall find us outside enjoying the sunshine!
This year the 6th graders had many opportunities to share the sunshine with others.
Outdoor Day was celebrated right in our back/side yard. Prairie plant identification, Introduction to archery, BB gun safety, Haiku poetry writing, and Environmental games brought the students and adults together under a windy blue sky.
Hiking at Effigy Mounds is always an adventure. This year the students could see and hear many birds and chipmunks as they walked along the trails and mounds in this spectacular park.

"Poetry Speaks Who I Am"

April is National Poetry Month! Middle school students this year have Poetry Speaks: Who I Am, an anthology of poetry chosen for the middle school student to enjoy. This book has contemporary and traditional poetry side by side sharing the struggles and successes that tweens & teens live every day.
This book hasn't been on my school desk long enough for me to read all the way through the powerful pages. Students are checking it out faster than I canrecord. The CD is a great compliment to a book that shares a common voice with the listener and their lives.

This is a book that should be available to all middle school students!

Poetry Speaks: Who I Am edited by Elise Paschen