Character Building and Poetry

When you focus on a character, you need to think about a couple of things:
FEELINGS
ATTITUDE
MOOD
1.Thinking about these 3 things will help you select words and phrases for writing.
2.Write down your thoughts
3.Look at your poetry rules
4.Think about what rules you want to use
5.Change your thoughts and create a poem

Then...
MASK your poem-
think about the opposite feelings, attitudes, moods
Write your thoughts down
Look at your poetry rules
Change your thoughts and create a poem

Life Doesn't Frighten Me At All

Fast cars on the road, being alone, wasps and bees, death, the unknown, illnesses, dark nights

Fast...fast...fast...cars
wasps
bees
(the really big ones!)
When I'm alone
facing the unknown
Illness strikes
(creates dark nights)
DEATH...
Nope! Life Doesn't Frighten Me At All

MASKING OUR POEM
smiles, hugs, love, babies, birthdays, weddings, anniversary, holidays, summers at the lake, chocolate, golf, cricket, gardening, flowers, good food

Choc-choc-chocolate (except the one with raisins)
good food
I'm not scared
hits-hits-hits- in cricket
seeds are planted
I'm not scared
then they bloom
fall in love
I'm not scared
weddings
enjoying anniversaries
I'm not scared
celebrating summers at lakeside cottages
with family, friends and babies
I'm not scared
hugs,
smiles,
LIFE DOESN'T FRIGHTEN ME AT ALL
(inspired by Maya Angelou)

इ जुस्त लीर्नेद हाउ टू राइट थिस ब्लॉग इन हिन्दी! इ कैन'ते बेलिएवे हाउ अमजिंग थिस इस!
I just learned how to write in Hindi! I can't believe how amazing this is!

Voting Polls are open

Just an announcement to let you know that I have changed the dates for the voting polls...they are now open...Please remember to vote when you sign in.
Thank you

"Mask" your poem

Today in class we discovered how poems reveal a certain attitude and it's up to you as the reader to uncover this attitude.
In reading the book, I Will Make Miracles by Susie Morgenstern, we discussed the character's positive attitude. When looking at Ms. Papoff's poem about erasing AIDS in Africa we discussed the positive attitude.
She writes...
ERASE DISASTER

war, corruption, sickness, LIES

MAKE MIRACLES

trade shoes

walk in

HER FOOTSTEPS

HIS FOOTSTEPS

(try that on

for size!)

Then we discovered a new term..."Masking" a poem. When you mask a poem, you use tracing paper to write a poem in the opposite attitude of the original poem. You keep the same idea in mind when writing but you change the attitude. Ms. Papoff's poem, when masked takes on a very negative feeling...
CREATE DISASTER
ERASE miracles
Let sickness
SOAR
DESTROY
HOPE
DESTROY
LIFE

Masking a Poem...Revealing the opposite attitude and emotion...
Keep this in mind as we begin to REALLY dive into this unit!

Our contract

Some students are learning to create their own educational blogs. We want you to keep in mind the contract that you and your parent had to sign. It is found below:

Internet and BLOG Contract
Computer Etiquette
I, __________________________, will follow the following expectations with my TEL e-mail account and BLOGSPOT comments on-line:
I will use my initials to identify myself only. No full names.
I will not share personal information about myself online: address, name, birthday, email address etc.
I will post comments with polite words and mutual respect to my classmates and online community.
I will not create my own BLOG as part of BLOGSPOT at this time, I am not at the appropriate age.
I will use my account for school purposes only. No personal or social emails for this unit.
I will follow the Toronto District School Board on-line Code of Conduct at all times.
Signed, __________________________ Date:__________________________
Teacher: ____________________ Teacher-Librarian: _________________________

Also, if you do create your own blog, remember that there will be an amendment to the original contract that you will have to sign.

Love that Boy by Walter Dean Myers

Here's the poem that we read today in class:

Love that boy,
like a rabbit loves to run
I said I love that boy
like a rabbit loves to run
Love to call him in the morning
love to call him
"Hey there, son!"

If you would like to read more about Walter Dean Myers, you can visit his website at:http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/index.html
I wonder what Jack's poem is going to look like if it was inspired by this poem.
What does your poem look like with this inspiration? Your poem can also be called Love that____...think about it...