THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY

THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY
April 12, 2016

Friday, June 14, 2013

Last Day Picnic: Food Poems


Happy Poetry Friday! My daughter -- and children  across central Maryland -- are celebrating the end of school today. I'll be taking Julia (middle school), Robbie (high school) and my friend Michelle's son (who says goodbye to elementary school today) out for ice cream as soon as they all get off the bus.

I thought we'd enjoy the last day of school, and Poetry Friday, with a picnic today. Let's see what the Northfield third graders are bringing us to eat.

These poems come from our Food Story workshop. Our  model poem is "Good Hotdogs" by Sandra Cisneros.

Before we write, we spend a lot of time talking about favorite foods, food traditions in our families, meals that our special to our cultures, holidays and the people we love to share food with.

I love the details in Erin's poem, especially the flower-bordered plates.

Find the recipe at My Recipe!
(These are pork, but I am obsessed with shrimp dumplings, shumai.)

Erin L.
 
Dumplings

Yum! I can smell the
Boiling dumplings when
I come home from school.
I hear my mom rolling
The dough and the
Squeaking sound of the
Rolling pin.
Bang! My mom accidentally
Drops the pan’s cap. She
Picks it up and starts
To stir more meat to
Go in the dumplings. Then
The feast begins! My mom
Starts to fill up the flower
Bordered plates with the
Yummy meat dumplings.
Mmmmmmm! My stomach is
Full of eating all of those
Dumplings. I slouch in my
Chair, tired and full. Then
I go to bed and tomorrow’s
Another day.

Katie's poem had me at "chocolate."


French Silk Pie at Tablespoon.com.

Katie O.
Chocolate Pie
I can’t wait till we
Get there
I open the door
Dashing in
I smell it in the oven
I have to eat my dinner
First
So I’ll eat quickly
I munch it and slurp it
Finally it’s all done
Now it’s time for me
To blow out the candles
In the chocolate pie
I’m happy it’s my
Birthday so I get
The first slice
Now I have to
Wait till next year
But at least I’ll get
The first slice
I get back in the
Car and say see
You next Thanksgiving
But all I can think about
Is the chocolate pie
Jill and Arden are both treating us with home-made ice cream! Their poems reminded me of making ice cream at my aunt's house when I was little. We used one of those giant, hand-cranked machines that required a lot of dry ice and elbow grease. What flavor? Strawberry. I've had a love of home-made strawberry ice cream ever since.
 
Jill S.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Getting home from school
On a Friday
Choosing the best flavor
For my dad and I
Should it be vanilla
Or yummy chocolate
I choose chocolate chip ice cream
Over all the other flavors
Chocolate chip is best to me
Because I love the small, little chips
Time to get ready
To set up the supplies
Time to get the ingredients
First we mix the milk
With the vanilla
Now time to mix the other ingredients
Into the pot
Time to heat it up
Ding
It is finished
Time to mix is up
With ice and salt
We have to wait 24 hours
Until it is finished
24 hours is over now
Time to eat the ice cream
This is really good ice cream
I hope we can make it again
Arden K.

Home Made Ice Cream

Time to make homemade ice cream
Grab the bowl and the cream
Pour the cream
Drop the ice, sprinkle the salt
Kick, kick, clank, clank
More ice
Kick, kick, clank, clank
Get the bowls and the spoons
Scrape, scrape, plop, plop
Mmm…vanilla
TIME TO EAT!!


Blackberry Ice Cream from Cully's Kitchen.

Now our feast is over. Let's give the teachers one last chance to impart some wisdom. Here is poet Joseph Ross, a veteran educator, blogging about why he loves teaching:

"As a teacher of English, one has the profound privilege of reading student writing. When reading what students write, I have come to know how they think and reflect on the world, as well as what they love and sometimes what they fear. Another privilege that comes with teaching English is the opportunity to spend time with students engaged with great literature. Few experiences compare with watching a student wrestle with, and then fall in love with, William Shakespeare, or seeing a student find himself in the poems of Lucille Clifton, or learning of a student’s own confidence growing after an encounter with Henry David Thoreau. Engaging with young people over exciting and challenging literature still lights a fire inside me, even after twenty-four years."

Read the full post, "The Gifts of Teaching" at Joe's blog. Then order his brand new book of poetry, Gospel of Dust.
 
Wishing you all a wonderful summer. Teachers -- enjoy your much-deserved break. Parents -- good luck!

Today's Poetry Friday host is Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Enjoy the view this summer, everyone.

8 comments:

Matt Forrest Esenwine said...

Anyone who combines poetry with food is alright by me! Some really good poems from the students...glad it's an assignment they ENJOY doing! (And I'll be right over to have some of that blackberry ice cream, thanks)

jama said...

*swoon* and DROOL

What a fabulous feast of food poems. Good thing I brought my biggest spoon and fanciest bib. Must have some ice cream pronto.

Happy end of school year to all. :)

Doraine said...

Peach was always my favorite homemade flavor. I remember when the old hand cranked churn was replaced by and electric one that stood in the sink, plugged in to the wall socket by the light switch. Even as a kid, I missed the cranking. I'm sure my daddy didn't, though. Student poems are always delightful, truthful, so revealing. Thanks for sharing these.

Ruth said...

We used to make homemade ice cream with the hand crank machine, too! Love the students' poems.

Bridget Magee said...

Mmmm...my stomach is growling! Great poems to end the school year! Thanks for sharing and enjoy summer!

Tabatha said...

Like Dori, I have very fond memories of homemade peach ice cream. I especially like all the onomatopoeia in the students' poems!

Hope you have a terrific summer, Laura!

Linda B said...

The poems are delightful, Laura. Food is certainly a motivator, but your model poem and the conversation that must have come during the lessons helped them write about a memory that really captured it. Hope you had a good celebration at the ice cream shop! Happy end of school!

Mary Lee said...

Yum! I would have loved to listen in to all the conversations that came BEFORE the poems!!