You guessed it! I broke down and added a fun CRAFTIVITY to my new Plants Expository Writing Unit. This plants unit has marked a shift in my product focus. Therefore, I hope you enjoy the free preview.
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Well, I have been churning out a lot more poetry than expository lately, but it is good for my soul. In my personal life this week, there is much heartache. I would like to think that something wonderful will come out of it all that I don't yet understand. Encourage students to use poetry to let go of troubling thoughts just as much as positive thoughts. They need to reflect on and understand the experiences they have at their own level.
I invite you to enjoy you to read and download my informal poetry terms presentation here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Has-Sprung-Spring-Poetry-Writing-Unit-1140382 This is a preview file for my Spring Has Sprung Poetry Writing Unit! Here is another one I found online: http://www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/cms/lib5/NC01000308/Centricity/Domain/297/intropoetry1.ppt If I Were a Butterfly
+For Kevin If I were a butterfly I would spread my wings I would soar on a spring breeze and Observe Earth's most precious things And when I touched down I would thank Heaven I was safe and sound. Butterflies are essential to life in spring They spread pollen from flower to flower Helping them regenerate and grow And adorn Earth with their beauty If I were a butterfly, I'd celebrate life in the air! Life is wonderful with a view from up there! Butterflies are colorful
If I were a butterfly, I would fly away on a breeze I would have no allergies making me sneeze If I were a butterfly, I would land on plants I love Scented by the pleasant smells of fragrant flowers below and above I would touch down on the most familiar plants Inhale their scents and remember how they make me feel Smells are connected to pleasant memories for all time Then I would fly away to discover unknown plants Taking with me the familiar scents of well-known plants Everywhere I fly I would be surrounded by immense beauty I would long for beautiful days when spring had passed I would feel more connected to the universe I would spread my wings and fly as far as they could take me I would sleep at night knowing what it means To open your eyes and see the world anew The smell of green grass and a crisp breeze would remind me Only the day has changed But a fresh perspective has shed the light of hope Where it was so recently missing. Old plants and new plants would give me comfort And I would do my part by spreading their sweet pollen. Family holidays like Easter remind me of the importance of holding loved ones close. I'm amazed how special people are always coming and going from my life, keeping it interesting and stimulating over time. These people fill in the gaps where loved ones who are far away cannot be due to the constraints of time and space. I connect with them in my heart. I send them love through the universe.
Here is a poem I'm adding to my new Spring Has Sprung Poetry Unit. Spring is Full of Hope By Angela Baca (c) 2014 Spring is full of hope The blossoming of animals and plants rejuvenate my soul The resurgence of life takes my breath away I lie awake at night And wonder what tomorrow will be like The cadence of insects remind me I am not alone We are all connected and united by love! We have hope and support no matter what we face On the other side of loneliness and suffering is joy We can find joy every day By daring to change our perspective I am joyful and blessed because Spring is overflowing with hope! Here is another lesson plan for elementary poetry I found online that you can add to your own poetry unit or to my "Spring Has Sprung" unit.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/02-1/lesson018.shtml If I Were a Worm
(c) 2014 Angela Baca I live inside a tunnel-shaped body That looks the same no matter which way I turn People seem to look right through me Only seeing a creature that likes to squirm I yearn for the sunlight But I must keep to the moist soil below I do a decomposing job and I help plants grow If you want to know more about worms I hope you will ask me I live in a very dark and nutrient-rich world Where garbage and other discarded materials Are fruits for enjoyment I long to b free above the soil But I cannot escape too long Or the warm air will dry me out and kill me. I am a proud worm inside my deep, earthy existence I am full of hope for the lasting effects of my excretions What passes through me becomes part of the soil forever Or just helps new plants to grow anew Won't you join me in looking for the potential in cast-off things? I promise to look for the wonderful aspects of you! Positive energies come in to me And I try to make positive energies flow out. I am proud to be alive And to see the world as both full and empty from within and from without! While I am a decomposer with a questionable job Of digesting life's garbage I have a powerful impact Try viewing Earth from the perspective of a bottom-feeder Who eats garbage for a living You'll see the view is beautiful from down here under the soil Where life ends and begins in the same, earthy, regenerating, amazing place. P.S. It is fun to teach creative writing and expository writing using information students already know or are curious to know! Check out my new "A Wormy Spring" unit and help your students to become better writers. Writing is an essential skill for life! Check out my new and improved Worms Unit, perfect for Earth Day or any time of year! (c) 2014 Angela Baca
I love hot spring days When the air is hot Worms burrow down into the soil If I were a worm I would tunnel through the soil And come up to face the sun I would look at the blue skies And the warm breezes And be glad for the cool earth Where I can escape. If it rains, I would come up to avoid the water I love hot spring days When the sky is clear The sun beats down And I feel alive because winter is behind me. There are times when we doubt ourselves.
We wonder if we push ourselves harder Will it all be for naught? And every once in a while, we take a chance We muster up our courage Summon our strength Say to ourselves - I can do this, I got this And we do it and succeed And find new strength of purpose Because we have achieved something. Strength is something that can wear you down And prop you up You have to choose how to look at the proverbial cup Is it half empty or half full? Since we all have blessings but can become better versions of ourselves It's always a matter of perspective. The power of positive thinking can take you Around the world and back again. Are you prepared to enjoy the ride? We are knee-deep into my new Worms unit, adapted for my age group. Here are two free units I found online about teaching worms with detailed lesson plans: http://www.ipm.uconn.edu/pa_curriculum/4-5/lessons/4_2.pdf http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/fact-fiction-learning-about-778.html To start off teaching new science units, I usually rely on National Geographic Kids to help introduce science content. I recommend this link: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm/ I also stumbled upon this amazing video below. It hasn't gotten too many hits on YouTube yet, but it does a good job of explaining how worms digest garbage. |