Collage Poems

The students built poems out of a list based on their answers to these instructions:
Write down the proper name of a place; write down something you overheard recently; write an example of cause & effect; write a nickname someone has for you; give an example of personification; give an example of simile or metaphor; write down a moment from American history.

They were told that the poem must begin with the simile or metaphor and end with the moment from American history and that they "glue" the elements together with "time words" (first, then, next, before, &c) or any other connective linguistic tissue...

Here are some results:

Mrs. Van Zytvfeld's class

Untitled
Madeline G.

Before Nelson Mandela was released from prison
a monkey said, “give me my banana”
a monkey’s hand is like a human’s hand just hairier
I thought when I mixed baking soda with vinegar
and it foamed up and my mom said “clean up”
rags we live in Chicago not a jungle

The Tornado Of Words And Time
Keven T.

Before the old crane
said “come here kitty” I mixed
two things then they blow up.
The crane can fly like a crow
because of the fight for woman’s
rights. Keven 11, something
Eric. I went to Devil’s tower.

Untitled
Anjaiae A.

The moon said “clean up your
mess from breakfast” then I
mixed up colors and I
had paint all over me
A dinosaur gave me a
tap on my head. The
love of my parents like a flower.

Mrs. Garay's class

A Crazy Day
Jasmine H.

When I moved to Chicago
and went to school my hot dog
ate my homework because I
said the sun is like a gold coin.
When the Boston Tea Party started
I ate too much candy. In
the morning I had a stomach ache.
My mom calls me Jas when
she wants some water.

Collage
Kayla A.

Since Mars ate too many brownies,
I got a tummy ache.
La La “What!”
First a puma cooked my arm and
slapped it.
Then the milk tasted rotten.
Therefore, the Boston Tea Party
happened.

Amazing Collage
Leilani D.

First I went to New York because
I saw
the sign “stop talking” lay lay
because I
saw it
I got hit and I cried
then the book hit
me
then the book was like paper
that’s why the
underground railroad
happened

Ms. Otero's class

Collage
Caitlin C-B

In the city London
My mom says “Not right now!”
Smokey had her first bath and smelled nice.
my friends call me “Katie”.
The paper flew in my mouth.
When this flower looked like a triffid
Sally Ride took off into space.


Hollywood
Kierra R.

Hollywood…
Hollywood…
Hollywood…
Hollywood…
“TEACHERS Talking about the
Day Of The Child”…
“I almost tripped”…
“Kiki”…
“The airhead blew me up to a balloon”…
“I like being me all the time”…
“Civil War”…
“With swords, horses, and bombs”…
“With swords, horses, and bombs”…
“With swords, horses, and bombs”…


Since I Heard
Yaritza M.

Since I heard Florida is a beautiful
place, my family came to see
the beauty.

Ritz told me a toy tried to bribe her.

The hot sun that feels like an
oven at

1,200, 500, 600, 496, 821, 294ºF
led to the Cold War.


Mars
Miguel C.

On Mars I heard some body
yelled “Get a LIFE!!!” I saw
lots of aliens beating up the Easter
Bunny. When it got up it fell on the
ground. “Slappy.” I looked around.
The dummy tried to kill me. It looked
like a shark. A man trying to step foot
on the moon.

When My Words Were...

I borrowed this exercise from Rachel Javellana, who presented it at the lesson plan potluck. Some of the students who have been struggling all year really dug into this prompt and wrote some great poems.


Mrs. Van Zytveld's class, 4th grade


What My Words Were
Niko M.


When my words were blood
I was dead

When my words were words
I was a life

When my words were breath
I was ugly

When my words were lost
I was find

When my words were a boy
I was a boy

but when my words became a bunny,
he was funny with his voice.


When my words were…
Madeline G.

When my words were black
I was mean.

When my words were stereos
I was loud.

When my words were intelligent
I was smart.

When my words were paper
I was able to write.

When my words were crazy
I was weird.

But when my words were funny
I didn’t want then to be
funny anymore.


Crazy Story
Kyle S.

When my words were lights
I wasn’t thinking.

When my words were nice
I was mean.

When my words were mean
I was nice.

When my words were gold
I was poor.

When my words were a web
I was an insect.

But when my words
became cows…
I ate people…


“I was…when my”
Karina S.

When my words were HOT!
I was ice and cold.

When my words were beautiful
I was ugly.

When my words were helpful
I was thoughtful.

When my words were April
I was capable.

When my words were painful
I was thankful.

But when my words became
hurtful and
brave, there was a war.

My Words
Kyra C.

When my words were cake
I was playing

When my words were cold
I was hot

When my words were ABC
I was saying my 123s

When my words were DaDa
I was saying MaMa

But when my words were “I want ice cream”
I was getting brain freeze

What My Words Were
Cassie R.

When my words were
deaf
I was blind.

When my words were
video games
I was the Sears Tower

When my words were
sun
I was moon.

When my words were
expensive
I was cheap.

When my words were
sky
I was a graveyard

But when my words became
optimistic, dead bodies grew out
of the grave yard.

When My Words Were
Xavier R.

When my words were hot
I was cold.

When my words were fat
I was skinny.

When my words were colorful
I was black and white.

When my words were angry
I was happy.

When my words were good
I was bad.

But when my words became
crazy they were running around
my dog.

Weird Things
Cleophus J.

When my words were donuts
I was hungry.

When my words were weird
I was normal.

When my words were pencils
I was pens.

When my words were tables
I was chairs.

When my words were books
I was drawing.

But when my words were ice cream
I was covered with little kids.


Ms. Otero's class, 4th grade

I Have Spoken
Yaritza M.

When my words were sad
I was playing “Moonlight.”

When my words were singing
I was metaphorically speaking.

When my words were scary
I was reading a book.

When my words were sour
I was sweet.

When my words were rebellion
I was spanked.

But when my words were sorry
I just grounded me for two months!

Feelings of the Heart

When my words
were tears
I was water

When my words
were angry
I was fire

When my words
were glad
I was wind

When my words
were hurt
I was earth

When my words
were hush
I was the trees

All these are
feelings of my
heart

When my words were…
Isabel H.

When my words were strong
I was weak

When my words were books
I was chalk

When my words were invisible
I was dust

When my words were light
I was dark

When my words were numbers
I was words

But when my words were high
the light was low
in the earth’s core

untitled
Miguel C.

When my words were mean
I was looking at the clock.

When my words were a book
I was looking down.

When my words were big
I was red.

When my words were paper
I was wood.

When my words were plastic
I was steel.

But when my words
became boards
chalks were writing.

What Have I Done to Myself! What Have I Become! What Am I!
Alex O.

When my words were blank
I was full of words

When my words were a black out
I was out and asleep

When my words were chocolate
I was as bitter as a grapefruit

When my words were rocks
I was as dirty as a garbage truck

When my words were stars
I was burned on fire by the stars

But when I was a chocolate bunny…
I melted away…

My Word
Ebene A.

When my words
were sweet
I was at the restaurant.

When my words
were out of clothes
I was shopping.

When my words
were water
I was taking a bath.

When my words
were underwater
I was at the moon.

When my words
were riding a horse
I was riding a pig.

But when my words
were kids
my lips were jumping.

untitled
Sherry Y.

When my words were fruit
I was a grandmother

When my words were cool
I was snakebit

When my words were on fire
I was fishbits

When my words were water
I was set on fire

When My Words…
Luisana P.

When my words were sad
I was happy.

When my words were mean
I was purple.

When my words were dreamy
I was sleepy.

When my words were dumb
I was smart.

When my words were green
I was Frankenstein’s monster.

But when my words became flowers
bees covered my lips.

Emotions
Sabrina V.

When my words were clear
I was gone.

When my words were sweet
I was candy.

When my words were huge
I was the sky.

When my words were cute
I was a pet.

When my words were fruit
I was delicious.

When my words were amazing
I was a marker.

But, when my words were
on fire…
it really burned me.

Strange or Real
Jackie C.

When my words were blank
I was white

When my words were horrible
I was relaxed

When my words were rainy
I was perky

When my words were trees
I was unknown

When my words were wacky yacky
I was Jackie

I woke up, I was feeling
weird, strange, and something happened.


Mrs. Garay's class, 4th grade

When My Words Were
Paul M.

When my words were bright
I was dark

When my words were running
I was tired

When my words were wet
I was thirsty

When my words were welcome
I was not coming

When my words were Paulie
I was eiluaP

But when my words became wet
fish covered my body

untitled
Jesus R.

When my words were school
I was homework

When my words were hairy
I was bald

When my words were # numbers
I was old

When my words were “You can’t see me”
I was gone

But when my words became
kind
the world ended

untitled
Natalie T.

When my words
were blue
I was a teardrop

When my words
were pink
I was embarrassed

When my words
were green
I was money

When my words
were Spanish
I was in my Ecuadorian homeland

When my words
were red
I was a heart

But when my words
were orange
I turned into a popsicle

Hoo Loo
Xochitl Z.

When my words were
bottle I was water

When my words were
a princess I was a flower

Numbers and Money
Xavier M.

When my words were cash
I was money

When my words were math
I was numbers

When my words were water
I was an earthquake

When my words were wind
I was a tornado

When my words were punch
I was fighting

But when my words became
a calculator
the numbers multiplied

The Weird Place
Gina C.

When my words were money
I was a money tree.

When my words were a map
I was 50 states.

When my words were shapes
I was a pyramid.

When my words were Sox Rock
I was a stinky sock

When my words were 3xeach
I was 3 words.

When I was a leaf
I was a huge plant.

Strangeness
Jordan A.

When my words were mountains
I was a pebble

When my words were Sun
I was a flashlight

When my words were Earth
I was a ball


When my words were an octopus
I was seafood

When my words were Cubs Rock!
I was attacked by smelly socks

but when my words became
loopy, I was in a big pool
of soupy

Bunny Words
Justin O.

When my words
were money
I was a bank

When my words
were tests
I was a D

When my words
were glasses
I was wearing them

When my words
were happy
I was mad

When my words
were biting me
I was a snake

But when my words
became oil
cars needed oil changes!

Spells

The students read the "bubble bubble toil and trouble" witches' section from Macbeth and wrote their own spells.

Mrs. Van Zytveld's class, 4th grade

Report Card
Carlos D.

Once my parents told me if I ever get
a bad report card I will have no birthday
party so one day I went into my closet
and said “Remix! Throw some As on dat!”
I just got my report card…

My Spell
Cassie R.

A frog of the color of white…
Mixed in poison inside a cauldron.
With a mouth of silence…
& an ear of no fear.
A drop of time & an ice cream
bar. What does this all equal?
To stop time, make everyone freeze
(except me) & hear no one or nothing
except the TV.

Spell to Get Rid of Homework
Sam S.

“Flashcards in, journal in, but all that will be left
is the encyclopedia. Next the words, here they
come O mighty homework vacuum for
the poor kids being tortured with homework having
no video games is like being tortured with boredom:
RISE RISE RISE and break this
horrible curse!!!”

Spell
Kyra C.

Take this girl from a serving bench
and turn her to a serving wench
Every girl in this room
must speak their mind
Give me a dragon ear
so I can hear and hear
“onomatopoeia”
I have honey
with my money.


Mrs. Garay's class, 4th grade


I Wish
Frederick T.

No more teachers alive
No homework and only kids
No parents
First, do the spell
I need four virgin hearts
and a box of Luck Charms

Spell
Idalia H.

round and round
you’ll see a blur
to make this person disappear

double, double chicken trumble
make this chicken have a bubble

prid and pride
have a soda make it come
right through the person if you
say their name from time to time
they’ll be blind

double, double chicken trumble
make this chicken have a bubble

Frankenstone
Jaques C.

Put it on the casket
boil and groil
flame my creation flame

Flame, man, flame
I have to give you a name

Now lift it up
Let me see
Our creation is finished
Let’s make three

Flame, man, flame
I have a cool name

Spell
Ashley H.

You will see stuff go round and round
then after that you will fall to the ground.

You will be hexed
for the rest of your life,
then after that,
something will happen to your wife.

I will need
a snake’s head
a part of your bed
a fish’s eye

and then a fly.
You will be hexed
for the rest of your life,
then after that,
something will happen to your wife.

Summer Come Everly
Jordan A.

Get the fiery pot of doom
throw in a flower that never bloomed
dump half a cup of socks that have mold
with a half-eaten sandwich that old
because it was sitting out for forty days
it smelled like going through a maze

Then I would say “loopy Suppy
Sunny bunny”

The put one beam of light
and it was bright
Add a bowl of water
my soul shook like Harry Potter
Add some toys and fun
A roller coaster
A nice warm day
A No School sign

Then I would say “loopy Suppy
Sunny bunny”

When I say “lunar”
Summer will come sooner.


Ms. Otero's class, 4th grade

Spell
Cristian B.

A star from the sky, a minotaur’s
horns, children’s sweat, dog’s breath,
monster’s blood, a girl’s hair,
a woman’s beard, a wolf’s howl.

Yell this chant to spawn a…

Spell
Jordan L.

Thou puppy shall not stop
peeing on your acefay. On thou
birthday you’ll get run over
by a rucktay. The ollercoasteray
will explode. Ouyay will have explosive
children. Everything you touch’ll turn
to skittles. Prilay oolfays!

My Magical Poem
Isabel H.

Pumpkin, pumpkin twist and turn
bake in an oven and then burn.

I found a pumpkin
in the yard I am
going to be powerful.
I did my spell
to become queen.

Pumpkin, pumpkin twist and turn
bake in an oven and then burn.

It turned out
I didn’t become powerful
I just became weaker
and lamer and sadder.

Spell
Sabrina V.

Put things above our pot
those things are goo or not.
Also put that near the cool stone
it helps the spell al go to one.

Wait here! Get the snake.
What? No? I have to wait?

Oh, the spell is ready now,
this will happen so be wowed.
You see you will be uncool
in case you want to be a fool.

Be gone see how you’ll be
not for us including me.

Now you’re missing? That’s not it!
You’re really supposed to include a mitt!
Oh, the snake?
I was really supposed to wait.

Now it’s gone
I’ll want now one…
Bye-bye
and enjoy the spell.

Sestinas

These three sestinas were written collaboratively, with each student contributing one or more lines (in Mrs. Van Zytveld's class, the students requested that each adult add a line as well, including Cassie who was on a site visit, and a student teacher...)

Mrs. Van Zytveld's Class

The Story of My Life
by Room 303

Today my mom had a bad voice
and when she turned
she said “I’m one of the biggest planets!”
Today at school my class acted like animals.
I don’t know what to do about sense.
I see a tiger that is curved

I see car that is curved.
I was screaming and I think I lost my voice.
Some people don’t have any common sense
and one day my mom was driving and was talking and made a bad turn.
My mom was yelling like a big animal.
I live on a planet.

Jupiter is my favorite planet.
I see a pig’s tail curve
and on a farm I see lots of animals.
I hear high voices.
Right now Mr. Eric skipped my turn.
I see someone’s sense

and my hearing is my strongest sense.
I see the planet
in the sky and I am uncertain which way it turns.
As strange as it may seem the world still curves
and speaks with an oceanic voice.
I see a crazy animal

that ate the T-Rex animal.
I have one for planet but not for sense.
There are too many voices.
Mercury is the first planet.
I can see Mercury around the sun curving.
I see the car twisting and turning.

I was playing on the sidewalk and I saw a car turn
and it hit an animal.
My grandma came over to my house to use the bathroom and she had to make a curve.
I don’t make sense.
Pluto is a dwarf planet
and so is my voice.

When I was in the car the car slipped and turned and now I sense
an animal and it left my big planet.
As I curve I hear a voice.


Ms. Otero's Class

The Awkward Poem
a sestina by Room 304

I heard voices
skip a turn
and sing on the planet.
I saw an animal
making sense.
I turned around a curve

and around the city it looks like a curve.
I heard brother’s sleeping voice
and his sense
when I made a turn.
There was a sleeping animal
on a planet.

It was a dark planet
that was shaped like a curve.
I saw a black animal.
Everyone has a voice.
There was a Martian that made a turn
and it made no sense

but I wish it made sense.
Crazy planets
they just turn
with a loud “curve”
and there was a loud voice.
There are lots of animals

and I hear talking animals.
Animals can use their senses.
I hear a gibbering voice.
There was a crazy, giant Martian seal bouncing the planet.
Everyone on the planet fell off the curve.
He made a wild turn,

a massive turn.
Everyone fell off the planet except for the animals.
The cats fell off the curve
and there was no sense.
Jupiter is a HUGE planet.
The mouse had a squeaky voice.

The car turned in the wrong direction and it made no sense.
The car hit an animal on another planet.
The man had a curvy voice.


Mrs. Garay's Class

Voice Turn Planet Animal Sense Curve
by Room 305

A low voice
takes a turn
around the planet.
The voice was from an animal
and it made no sense.
The animal curved

and when the animal curved
it had a swervy voice.
Then it made sense.
Then around the corner the animal turned.
But then a loud voice comes from the animal!
The big red planet

is a destroyed planet.
The red planet Mars will be one of the last to make a curve.
It’s a big and nasty animal!
It has a nasty voice
and makes a turn.
It has a weird sense,

it made nonsense.
Jupiter is a ringed planet.
Planets turn
and curve.
But it was the loud voice
of the animal

that was heard by the other animals
and it made a loud noise with sense.
A sucker-free voice
shook the planet
and made it make an immense curve
but then it decided to make a turn.

And then the immense turn
was chased by a swimming animal.
The animal liked to curve
then it used its five different senses.
Then it smelled the planet
and it got a sore voice.

It’s my turn? It makes no sense.
That animal lived on a weird planet.
I curve my voice.

More Constrained Vocabulary Poem Videos

Constrained Vocabulary Poems

The students were asked to discuss the question "What is a word?" After some consternation, revelation and debate, during which it was decided--in each class--that words are sounds that mean something (the debate hinged on whether or not a scream, then, is a word) they were then asked to write down something that they're asked or told to do just about every day, e.g. "Clean your room." These words were then written on the board: voice, curve, planet, animal, turn, & sense; the students were told that their poem had to include the quote and these six words, though they might change the words slightly, e.g. "curve" could become "curvy" or "curved," &c...

This exercise leads to a wide variety of responses, structurally and thematically.



Mrs. van Zytveld's 4th grade class


untitled
Julian V.

“Go to bed now” I like to
stay up late and turn the
channels back and forth
and my animals lay down with
me and sometimes I hear voices
and sometimes they don’t make sense
and I go peek out on a curve of a wall
in the hallway sometimes I wonder
what is out of the planet.


“Clean Up”
Madeline G.

My mom’s voice is always saying “Clean up.”
Whenever I sense she’s going to turn around I clean
real fast. When she is doing something I curve
around and so somewhere else to rest.
She’s like an animal who will
kill me if I don’t clean.
I mean it’s like she came from planet
“Clean up.” That is all she ever says,
“clean up” “clean up” “clean up.”
But yet I deal with her making me
“Clean up.”


“Make your bed”
Max O.

This comes from my
mom’s voice it turns or
curves in my head I
sense I have to do it
like an animal I live
on this
crazy
planet


“I Don’t Know”
Araceli C.

“DO YOUR BED”
Voices everywhere
Turning around
Animals in motion
Sensing flowers
Curve on the road
Pluto is a small planet


C.J.
by Cleophus J.

“Study the planet Jupiter CJ”

“Study the animal jaguar, CJ”

“I can’t hear your voice CJ”

“Turn the channel CJ”

“Curve your body around CJ”

“Use your senses because Kendall is coming CJ”

“CJ come help me make the bed”

“CJ do your homework”


“Listen”
Keven T.

Listen to your
animal try to
hear his voice
and turn around
then use your
sense to eat
the planet and
curve around.


“Walk the Dog”
Madeline N.

I hear voices in the park
I sense a turn on the corner
I curve around the tree
I see an animal inside
Mars is a planet I see
through a telescope


“What do you want to eat?”
Cassie R.

I can hear my mom’s voice saying
“What do you want to eat?”

I turn and sense waffles.

While I eat I think of animals and planets.

When I am in a car I see
a curved dog.

When getting to school I remember
my dream about the cheap people
who sold me a tiger.

When I get to class I go
and do the math.

After math is science lab.

Then I write this poem.


Getting Dressed
Xavier R.

In the morning my mom said
“Wake up” her voice was beautiful
then she went to the kitchen
then I turned around and sensed
donuts. In a few minutes I
was done getting dressed.
On the floor I saw an animal,
it was my dog Ralphy. Then
I went to the living room—there
was this big planet…


Mrs. Garay's 4th grade class


The Curve
Gustavo C.

I sense a voice.
It said “Turn right
when u hit
the curve
on the
highway.”
When I got
to the curve
I saw a
planet and animals.
And it was
okay.


Nightmare
Kayla A.

I hear voices in the dark.
I sense that I’m not alone.
The light turns on.
The door curves open.
Someone walks into my room.
I’m not sure if it’s a person.
I feel like I’m on a different planet.
Now I see that the thing is an animal.
Now the animal speaks.
“Make the baby a bottle,”
says my little nightmare.


untitled
Xochitl Z.

My dad’s voice sounds like a lion!
My back turns toward my dad!
My imaginary dog lives on a planet
called Jasmine.


“Listen to the Teacher”
Ilene M.

I use my voice
to talk to animals
I tell them to eat planets
I tell them to turn around
I tell them to listen
to the teacher I tell them
to curve on the highway
I tell them to sense
their hands.


Voices
Ashley H.

There are a lot
of voices in this planet.
I use my voice a lot.
My mom used her voice
to tell me “clean your
room.” My brother
has a deep voice. Mrs. Garay
has a big voice.


The Unusual Sea
Natalie T.

“I see the curved sea”

“It looks like a planet full of water”

“Its voice (or waves) sounds like
a frightening animal”

“It senses trouble when people
throw nasty garbage in it”

“It turns and twists to get free”


The Creepy Feeling and Movement
Idalia H.

Here are some six creepy words:
I hear voices very loud and right beside me
I sense a feeling in my body
I see a scary turn in my house
I see a car curve right down my house
I see another planet beside me
I feel a creepy animal by me
but them everything dies beside me.


“Go to School”
Justin O.

I hear a voice saying “GO TO SCHOOL!”
I used my common sense and turned over
I saw an animal eating a cannibal
I met Janet, then I saw a planet
We hit a curve then we swerved
I saw a flag then I wanted to tag
Then I heard a sounds then I got pounded
Then I saw a bird


“Do not eat”
Jesus R.

When I woke up my voice was hard,
so I went to school.
When the teacher said “What is 5x5”
I said “20” but she thought I said “money.”
Then my throat got bad.
The I said, “No, 20” and the teacher
said “No! I am not an ATM machine
you know.”
So now it was time to go.
When I got home, I said “My throat hurts!”
“Did you eat?” “No, do not eat” I said.


“ ”
Virshauna B.

“Today we’re going to read
about the planets”

“Why does the orbit curve
around the sun?”

“Make a right turn on Caccavale
Road.”

“Why do you think animals
are part of the economy?”

“Your voice is very soft
and you talk a lot.”

“Do you ever use common
sense?”

“Pluto isn’t a planet
it’s a big, gray paint ball.”

“Oh, take out your homework.”


“What are you?”
Jaques C.

“I could sense your blood.”

“I turn around the boat.”

“Your voice seems scared.”

“I’m the most feared thing on the planet.”

“Don’t throw curve balls at me, and I’m
not an animal.”

“Don’t get twisted again.”

“Clean your room.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.”




Ms. Otero's 4th grade class


Lazy Sleepy Head
Alex O.

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! time for school
it is your turn to brush your teeth first. 30 more
minutes.

Mom’s tone of voice has animal noises
in her sentences it made no sense because I was
sleeping.

Will the planet curve like a curve ball
in baseball?

Wake up! Don’t make me get your dad with
the belt.

Oh! fine but I’m not getting up they will need
the military and the army combined.

I am thinking this but not saying this.
They don’t know this.

When dad steps into the room I jump
up I’m up! I’m up!

Then dash to the bathroom. I say, “Will this
always go on?”


“Clean Up Your Room!”
Miguel C.

My mom said turn off your
TV. Lower your voice down
right now. You have a curve
of paper in your room. Take
care of your animal or I’m
going to give it to your friend.
I see a planet of non-
sense.


Weird and Crazy
Rodrigo R.

“Do your homework”
“Some kids don’t lower their voice”
“The planets curve around Earth”
“I sense something”
“I turn around so the bad breath won’t get me”
“The animals hate me”
“I see a girl act like a cat”
“Some weird things happened”
“My chocolate tastes weird”
“My dad eats my homework”


unititled
Isabel H.

I went to a different planet
I heard a voice
It was an animal
He will always turn around
I always tell him “Take a bath”
because I can sense his smell
but the weirdest thing about
him is that he looks like
a big curve.


Weird Stuff
Jordan L.

“Eat animal food. Eat planet
food. Help your dad turn
a car. Help your dad curve
a car. Help your dad sense food. Eat
your sense. Do your voice homework
and curve. Curve your food. Help your
animal fix a car. Sense your homework.”


Do Your Homework
Luisana P.

I always hear my mom’s voice
saying “Do your homework.”

My mom always turns around to
say “Go do your homework.”

My mom always says “Go feed
the dog after doing your homework.”

I always sense when my mom
is going to say “Go do your homework.”

My mom curves me over to say
“Do your homework.”

Sometimes I wish I was on another
planet and not hear my mom say
“Do your homework.”

Sometimes when I am at school
I can still hear her say “Go
do your homework.”

Sometimes I wish she could
stop saying “Go do your homework.”

I am sometimes tired of her voice
saying “Go do your homework.”


untitled
Ronnie B.

My mom told me “Don’t raise
your voice.” “Turn on the TV.”
At the zoo mom told the animal
“Go away.”

At the scary house dad yelled
“Go around the curve.”

The planets were spectacular
at the planetarium.

My sense told me to run
away from the crazy man.

I ran away like a maniac.


What I Do
Jackie C.

“Did you do your homework?”
My parents say to use a low voice
then I cut my animal’s food in a curve.
After that I could turn on the TV.
We watch Spiderman
he says “My spider sense is tingling.”
Now I turn off the TV
I eat dinner
then watch a planet show
I take a bath
I use the shampoo from a curved bottle
I go to bed
My voice goes to bed
I have a dream I have spider sense.


“Do Your Work”
Leo S.

Wash that animal of yours.
Turn that radio off now.
You don’t make sense at all.
The city made the worst curve ever.
Your voice is weak you can’t talk.
There is a planet in another galaxy.
What happened in the emergency?
There was a shooting somewhere.

Constrained Vocabulary Poem Videos