“I Poetry” is a kind of poetry that I have had little exposure to. When reading these books of I Poetry, I saw several applicable scenarios in a classroom. The easiest thing for students to write about is something they know lots about, themselves. I love how the article begins by saying that I Poetry “invites and supports students in composing first person poetry about specific people, places, and perspectives.” So not only can students write about themselves, but they can also write about other people whom they may be studying. As I discovered in “Atlantic” it doesn’t even have to be an actual person. I Poetry allows students to share attributes and extend their knowledge on all things they are learning about.
The freedom that I Poetry allows is great for students. It can rhyme, or it doesn’t have to. The most important part is that the I Poem shares the “narrator’s point of view”. The writer gets to decide what is important to share about the person or object that they are describing.
Before beginning the process of writing I Poetry, as we have learned in previous classes, it is important for students to be “marinated” into this form of poetry. I did not realize how prevalent this poetry was and was pleasantly surprised by this weeks reading selections. “Atlantic” is a poem that reveals truths about the Atlantic Ocean. Through this simple book so much content is shared. The way the other oceans are described as “my relatives we are one big family” is a great way to show how there are more than just one ocean. The sun heats the water and the moon controls the tides. On the last page, more facts are shared about the Atlantic Ocean. I would really enjoy using this book in a Social Studies lesson. This book also has the aesthetic appeal for students with the varied ways the words are written.
“I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert” would be a great book to share with those in upper elementary. Before reading this, I had no idea who Heb-Nefert was. She was a Pharaoh’s wife who came from mere beginnings, to living a fabulous life of wealth. She was humble, I felt from the description in this story. Loving her life old and new. Students would be able to learn these things as well. Also, they would be learning about the ceremonial burial process.
“Mohave” was another book that shared about landforms, this time the desert. I really liked reading this book, especially when I go to the last page:
Chris and I recently visited Arizona and the Grand Canyon, so for me, the brief mention of the Joshua trees was really personal because I have seen them in person. This would allow me to share that with students. Students can learn about animals from the dessert habitat.
With “I Poetry”, students have a format to follow, so this eases the tension more than a “free verse” poem. This structured support ensures student success. It would be up to the teacher to help students extend vocabulary and seek out words that are more appealing. Students can imagine to be themselves or someone else. We have to teach them to choose words that will impact not only their thinking, but those who read the poetry.
On another perspective, “Dirty Laundry Pile” lets the reader imagine that they are completely something else. This is a little different from “I Poetry”. In these poems, Paul Janeczko compiled lots of different poems, that “the poets let their imaginations fly and feel what it might be like to be a mosquito, a crayon, a kite, a turtle.” In these poems the writer is able to “mask” themselves and pretend to be something completely different. I feel that this is a little different from “I Poetry”, in that these poets completely become what they are talking about in their poetry. In the “I Poetry” the writer doesn’t necessarily have to transform into something else, they just have to describe it. There is a transformation that occurs in the poets of the “Dirty Laundry” poetry. This type of poetry would prove to be a little more challenging to get students to write, but bring on the challenge. If they are emmerced in enough “good, quality” poetry then they will be successful!
