National Poetry Month: Part 2

The first part of this project, students wrote their poems. For the second part I wanted to somehow incorporate Poem in Your Pocket Day. I've always loved the idea of this day and sharing poetry with students. Poem in Your Pocket Day began in 2002 in New York City and was adopted by the American Academy of Poets in 2008 as a national event. Throughout the day, you carry a poem in your pocket to share with others.

To celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day at West, students took the poems they had typed the previous week and illustrated them. The students were encouraged to think like an illustrator and be creative!

Kindergarten illustrated by drawing their favorite thing about school. 

We asked "what makes West best?"

Before illustrating, the soccer ball shape was difficult to see.

After students finished illustrating, they created a pocket for their poem. Kindergarten and first graders used an envelope glued to a sheet that stated what National Poem in Your Pocket day was. BIG THANKS to my Tutors, Inc. students for gluing 200 envelopes to paper for me! Students also illustrated thier pocket to match their poem.

After the students were done, they folded their poem and placed it in their pocket. While students were working I asked them think of someone they would share their poem with and tell their table friends. 

Students in second through sixth grades folded a paper in half to creat their pocket for their poem. Fifth and sixth graders asked to hang their pocket poems on their lockers to share with friends.

I absolutely *LOVED* this student's creativity with his poem! All of his classmates asked to read his and talked about how cool it was on his locker! 

Second through fourth grade students took their poem home. Some fourth graders did display their poems around their classroom for a few days to share with each other. Next year, I will make arrangements with their teachers for students to display their work in the hallway. I don't have a bulletin board or much wall space to display student work. 

Several sixth grade students asked to rework their poems before they illustrated because they thought of "better" words to describe their object.

Overall, this project was a success, and the students really enjoyed being able to illustrate...which is our fancy word for "color" around here. We like to illustrate!