In Residence: The Simile Zoo

It's Poetry Friday. I'm late to the party, because I've been spending the day at the Simile Zoo.

Diane Mayr is serving today's
poetry posts. Visit Random Noodling
 for some tasty words and poetic company.

"The Simile Zoo?" you say. "Never heard of it."

My Northfield Elementary third graders learned about similes in the second workshop of our residency. Today, I'll introduce you to the angry beasts, lazy sloths, and happy birds they created -- all animals that represent emotions or feelings.

Teachers: I posted instructions for the lesson several years ago.

The Simile Zoo: Lesson Part 1
The Simile Zoo: Lesson Part 2

My warm up for this lesson is a Zen drawing exercise. We draw our hands without looking at our papers (eyes stay on the object we are drawing). It's not the drawing that's important. Instead, we put the focus on simile building. Look at those strange drawings. What do they resemble? The process is similar to finding a shape in the clouds.

Here are some hand drawings from Ms. Hilliard's class. Check out the similes students made.

It looks like a starfish flipping over.

It looks like a tooth with a chip missing.

It looks like a MONSTER!

Now, please join me and the third grade poets on a tour of the Simile Zoo.

Sabine S.

When I feel happy

I am like a penguin.

Penguins love fish, and I jump in joy for ice cream.

I slide on my sled down the hill

happily, while penguins slide down the ice

in joy. Penguins jump in their pool without a care,

and I’m in my bathtub, humming and

playing with bath toys.

Asher

When I feel lazy,

I am like a sloth.

My face is blank.

I don’t get off the couch. I stay in one spot.

I move very slow.

I hang of the couch.

I am very slow.

I feel very light.

Cecelia D.

When I am hungry, I am like a wolf.

I sneak food, but I must be quiet.

My face turns a grayish-pale.

My stomach grows like a wolf does.

I get VERY MAD because it hurts

to starve. And I do NOT sleep because I had

no food. A wolf feels this way, too.

Evelyn D.

When I feel scared,

I am like a cat.

I run away from my fears

as fast as I can.

I feel helpless with

my cute meowing,

for my fears are the

opposite of positive

to me. Sometimes

my running fails me

though, all I can do

is whine and cry.

People think I’m happy

though, because they

think it’s cute and

they don’t see tears.

I also may run away

to protection that loves

me like a mother.

From Cutestpaw.com

Than you to the Northfield ES community for hosting this annual residency. I appreciate having permission to share the third graders' poems.

Readers, the students love hearing feedback from you. Please leave a comment about our simile zoo. More animal poems are coming soon.