American Poetry 2011

Today, we enjoyed one of my favorite lessons to teach: American Poetry!

We began as always with Welcome & Check-in time.  The question for today was "what did you do last weekend?"  Some sample answers:

• I watched the movie Saw
• I watched the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie
• I slept for 12 hours
• I got a haircut

After Welcome and Check-In, students read and listened to three American poems:

Billy Collins

"The Crocodile's Toothache" by Shel Silverstein (read that here, watch it here) 

"The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe (read an e-book here, watch the Simpsons version there, read about Poe in Korean here)

"The Country" by Billy Collins (watch and listen to the animated poetry here)

Then, each student worked with a partner to write a couplet.  Examples will be posted on this blog!

Couplets 2011

Here are some couplets written by class 1-3 today:

    Seven Heaven
by Jane & Daniel
The boy was only seven,
Then he went to heaven.

     Free Sea
by 김현수 (Jason) & 권수연 (Alisa)
At the time I saw the sea
I felt to be free

     Small Ball
by 이녕우 (Alexander) & Chae Hyunsu
I popped the ball
It is now small

     Long Song
by Finn & Danielle
Keven sings a terrible song
That is terribly long

      Cat Fat
by Eric & Henry
If I eat a cat
Then I will be fat.

      Big Pig
by Bill "Tall Bill" Hwang & Kevin
If you are big
I call you pig

   Bed Head
by Bill "Just Bill" Oh & Diana
lying on the bed
Still complicated in my head.

   White Light
by 최재호 (Jason) & 이설의 (Mary)
Your hair is white
Your body is light

Simile Poetry (Class 1-1)

Here is a sample of some students' work, created and presented last Friday.

That day, we were honored to have a very special guest in class, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alina L. Romanowski.

Students worked very hard, and wrote some very creative and funny simile poems!

Here are 3 of my favorites:

Naju Pears:

Naju pears' size is like the full moon--

They are very big.

Naju pears taste like lemonade

Naju pears are as hard as Charlie's head.

Obama

Obama's power is like a volcano--

They are strong and wide.

Obama smiles like a diamond

Obama is as important as the air.

Starcraft II

Starcraft II is like an Orchestra.

They are super massive, harmonic

It's units fights like fire

The battle scene of it is as real as a reality.

Poetry

Today, students learned about poetry, specifically about American poetry.

One definition of poetry is "The art of rhythmic literature, written or spoken."

We read and listened to three American poems:

"The Crocodile's Toothache" by Shel Silverstein (read that here, watch it here)

"The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe (read an e-book here, watch the Simpsons version there, read about Poe in Korean here)

"The Country" by Billy Collins (watch & listen to the animated poetry here)

Then students worked with a partner to create a rhyming couplet using two rhyming words.

Examples will be posted below!

Poetry Examples

Couplets from Class 1-1

Small Ball

by John & Alexander

His hand is too small,

to grip a soccer ball.

No Snow

by Jacob & Christopher

When I said "No"

Her heart was filled snow

Dress Yes

by Eileen & James

he asked "Do you like this dress?"

I said "I like this dress, yes"

Fat Cat

by Jason & Johnny

If you eat this cat,

you will be fat

Bed Head

by Sarah & Grace

If an ant invade to your head,

You should get rest in your bed.

Free Sea

by Brian & Yes

1. If I'm free,

I will go to sea

2. When I look at the sea

I feel free

Big Pig

by Kevin & David

Our farm is very big

And there is a pig

House Mouse

by Chris & Rebecca

If you don't clean your house,

There will be a mouse!

Long Song

by Justin & Charlie

I feel days are long

So I just sing a song

Poetry Examples

Couplets by Class 1-3

Voldemort & Brian:

"When I see a shore of sea

I think of my dreams and feel being free"

Ryan & Chris:

"If there is a pretty girl with Long hair

I will sing softly a love Song there"

Sirius & Arthur:

"I went to my bed,

I saw a ghost's head."

Joshua & Harry:

"The boy is very small,

And he looks like a ball.

That is all, please give him a call (010-2424-4442)"

Rika & Patrick:

"Give a fish to a Cat

If you wish him to be fat"

Arbiter, Danielle, & Katie:

"Let's wear a dress

And if you say "Yes,"

We will be in success"

Snape & Michael:

1. "I like my house

But there is a mouse"

2. "If there is a food in your house

There will be a mouse"

Eric & Hagrid:

"If you say "No"

It will be snow.

Poetry Examples

Couplets by Class 1-2

Jack & Jane:

"There are small poles

Put the balls into the holes"

Nicholas & Frank:

"I had sickness on my head,

So I went to my bed."

Michael & David:

"I went to the sea

I feel free"

Xander & Jacob:

"When I eat more and more fat,

I'm feeling that I be a cat"

Brandon & Ashuely:

"If I see a mouse,

Then I will sell the House"

Layton & Shay:

"If you say yes, I will give you a dress

Yes, I know your address,

So I deliver the dress"

Joel & Richard:

"There is a Pig

It is Big"

Special Visitor

Class 1-1 with DAS Romanowski, me (first row, center)  and first-grade English teacher 이춘우 (2nd row, far right)

Yesterday, we had a very special visitor in class. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alina Romanowski came to observe class 1-1 as they wrote poetry on different topics using similes.  Here are some pictures from her visit!

DAS Romanowski makes the girls laugh

DAS Romanowski talks to Chris about international education

Students study the definition of "metaphor"