Collaborative Poems

For our last class before the holiday and new year break, I wanted to try something that would (hopefully) be fun. We read several two-line poems from Joshua Beckman & Matthew Rohrer's collaborative book, Nice Hat. Thanks, and talked a bit about the process the two poets used when writing poems together. Students then counted off, and were put in groups based on their number. Each wrote three starting lines for as many separate poems, passing them on to others in their group, who added their own lines, creating a series of short group poems. Students were encouraged to think fast, and make "sense" only if they wanted to, or could.

Here are two poems apiece from each group in every class.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Samir A., Jericho C., Devlin H., Sophie L., Aya S., Mark W., Angela Y.

He got a hat

he is wearing the hat

he is warm.

He likes it.

A woman killed a dog.

It was horrible.

I like popcorn.

So I yelled at her.

Michelle A., Allison C., Nicole C., Jacob E., Naomi G., Aleena I.

Pink, blue, how about you?

I don't know.

I have a blue shoe so blue!

Me too.

Tomorrow I will

go to a concert

and have fun.

It was loud.

Griffin B., Krista C., Isabella K., Divya P., Jerry T., Eric W.

The gray slug

is so slow

the pie is

sour

and candy is good.

I am a

joyful person 

and I am a dog

with fins

and with a head of steel.

Anton B., Racquel K., Andrena M., Asala M., Daniel S., Zohaib S.

I like to play

in the park

and go on the slide

I like the swings and the

monkey bars.

My favorite

food is pizza

it is hot

and crusty.

Maya G., Jennifer H., Abel K., David L., Andrew M., Sergio N.

Books make you smart

like Albert Einstein,

and Benjamin Franklin.

I like them both.

I'm in the car

I crashed.

Me too.

I hate crashing.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Jessica D., Sang H., Chanel M., Seyi O., Aimee P., Marti R., Cristina T.

This is

extraordinary.

Like my uncle's mole

that is so pretty

that it's weird

sorta cat dog

ugly!

I killed the devil

and kissed a pig

and ate a cow

and burned the cookies

and now I am owner of Heaven 2 a.k.a. Hell.

I love eating crispy buttons.

I am Zeus!

Nick C., Rezwan C., Andres G., Keyla J., Yusra M.

Yesterday I fell in the air.

A basket made of wire.

I hate so much

people

eating burgers

with monkey

lint!

In the basement

an elephant was there

eating my clothes

clothes taste good mmmmmmmmm

die

bird

Edina H., Chris K., Sharon M., Brenda Q., Sammy R., Jeremy S., Ninos Y.

My mom can cook

lots of paper.

Three seconds too much

why is time so slow?

I don't like this.

We made ice cream out of glue.

Let's have candy.

I ha ha

put a smile on your face

uhh!

People were

dancing in the woods

bubblegum in a dish.

I hate animals.

Georel A., Dragos B., Kush G., Yixuan J., Luis L., Stephanie Z.

I broke my

spine in the

woods of doom

the woods was

a freaking problemo. Don't say that! No, you shut up! Foo!

What the, never mind.

Or am I stupid?

I'm going outside.

You are?

Chocolate.

I don't care!!! Whatever.

Loooopy, I am.

Ahhh I am melting.

No no no it's hot.

Mary B., Vivian C., Liam D., Teksong E., Brandy K., Haris S.

That's cool

crazy.

I am

strange, are you?

The kitten got scared and said moo.

Eat all your vegetables

Homer.

Never

get sleepy

or else I'll

put waffles in your

pocket.

Homework

why homework?

Alex B., Long L., Rawabi S., Ruben V., Saleh Y.

Yesterday I saw

Liam for spelling bee.

And he ran away.

Some woman was running.

I think she saw him

running on the moon

and bumped her head.

Today I saw

a pink dog

was weird like a poodle.

And was so small.

There was a midget in the girls bathroom.

It was dumb

like Dumbo.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Matthew A., Elena D., Sherino M., David M., Toni S., Calvin T.

The art is

amazing

like forget-me-not blue

pants

are

nothing

Madison B., Muneeb Q., Yara S., Sam S., Vivian T., Darius V.

I like video games.

I will go to the land of party for the food.

I will eat triangle pretzels.

Day is light, night is dark.

Water is cool, the sun is hot.

Ice is cold and fire burns your skin.

Trizia B., Sargon D., Danyel H., George L., Diana P., Jason Z.

Spongebob.

That's a good show.

I know he's so smart.

People sing.

Christmas spirit.

People dreaming.

People eating.

People screaming.

People looking up.

Waleed A., Anastasia K., Cindy L., Kaelin M., Eric N.

It's Christmas eve.

It's Christmas morning.

I don't know how to build a snowman.

I built a snowman.

I was in a car.

I will fix the car.

Stephen D., Kayla H., Isis M., Joseph M., Milad Q., Mohammed S.

Eat your ice cream melted

at the ice cream shop

before it blows up.

I love vanilla.

Mr. Dean's hair is crazy today.

It looks like a porcupine.

His hair rocks.

Tristan C., Klea K., Jorge L., Khang N., Minh N.

Dancing shoes.

Two dancing square shoes

with laces.

Basketball players.

The image was pleasant

the first time I saw it

wrestlers dancing

wrestlers dying