The Northfield Elementary poets have been working hard on their list poems. Today, our lists of juicy words take us inside a desk and a pencil box, explore a beautiful garden, and dig down into the earth.

The mentor text for my list poem workshop is Naomi Shihab Nye’s “Words in My Pillow” from the anthology Falling Down the Page. You can read my initial plan for this lesson at Today’s Little Ditty.

As I mentioned last week,  I encouraged the students to stick as close to Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem as they wanted to. We did this by writing a “cross-out” poem. Using a print-out of “Words in My Pillow,” the poets strike-through any words they want to replace with their own ideas. You can see what this looks like in last week’s post.

Poet: Diego

Words in My Desk

I hide words
in my desk.
I hide words
that help me grow.

NOTEBOOK
FOLDER
PENCIL

I have feelings
in my desk.
I can feel—

SMART
SATISFIED
HAPPY

I hide words
that like learning.

USEFUL
HELPFUL
SMARTER

When summer comes
I leave my desk,
but my words
stay put.
***

Poet: Austin

Words in My Pencil Box

I hide words inside my pencil box.
Words that feel good.

GLUE.
HELPFUL.
CUTTING.

People can see them,
and I find them waiting for me
like the creativity hiding inside my brain.
But I know what’s in there—

SCISSORS.
FUN.
SPACE.
CONSUMING.
PASTING.
CALMING.
CRAYONS.

PENCIL SHAVINGS are in there.
BROKEN PENCILS are in there.

The words play together
when I think about them.

STORAGE.
DRAWING.
ENERGETIC.
COLORED PENCILS are in my pencil box.

My friends the words
go to school before I do,
but they never let me down.
***

Poet: Kaylee

Words in the Earth

Words hide inside the Earth.
Words that seem nice.

GRASS.
TREES.
DIRT.

No one can see them.
But I find them waiting for me.
Like the gemstones hiding inside the earth.
No one can see them,
but I know they are there.

EMERALDS.
DIAMONDS.
SAPPHIRES.
TOPAZ.
AQUAMARINE.
RUBY.

WORMS are in there.
SEEDS are in there.

The words are playing together
when I am thinking or saying them.

CLIMBING.
FLOWERS.
SUN.
WIND is in the Earth.

My friends the words
explore before I do.
But they never
go away.
***

Poet: Sloane

Words in My Garden

I hide words in my garden.

Words that taste good—

FRESH.
MINT.
TOMATOES.

No one can see them
but I find them waiting for me.
Like the seeds inside the soil.
No one can see them
but I know what’s in there.

BASIL.
OREGANO.
THYME.
ROSEMARY.
STRAWBERRIES.
TULIPS.

COLORS are in there.
NATURE is in there.

The words are growing together
when I am saying or thinking them.

EDIBLES.
BEAUTIFUL.
FRUIT.
FLOWERS
are in my garden.

My friends the words
grow faster than I do,
but they never
go away.
***

Poet: George

Words in My Name

I hide words inside my name.
Words that fit my personality.

THRIFTY.
BRAVE.
FAIR.

No one can see them
but I find them waiting for me.
Like the silent letters hiding inside my name.
No one can see them
but I k now what they are.

CURIOUS.
KIND.
SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIOALIDOCIOUS.
CUB SCOUT.
CLEAN.
REVERENT.

LETTERS are in there.
The flowing sound of water is in there.

The words are playing together
when I am saying or thinking them.

COOL.
RIPE.
HELPFUL.
NICE
is in my name.
***

Be sure to check out my previous post about this poetry residency. It includes links, lesson tips, and more poems by Northfield Elementary’s third graders.

Posts in the “Poems from the Northfield Third Grade” 2018 series:
Poetry Friday List Poem Lesson
A Garden of Words: 3rd Grade List Poems
The Pool Is the Capital of My Summer: Odes to Place
Third Grade Odes from Northfield E.S.
Fractured Fairy Tale Poems
Poetry Friday: Once Upon a Time
A Gallery of Poems