Poem in your Pocket Day- It's a national event!

Who knew, but tomorrow is National Poem-in-your-Pocket Day or PIYP Day. Students today wrote or copied poems to keep in their pockets.

I found this history of the day on the Poets.org website. (Link)

"Every year, in the month of April, National Poetry Month is celebrated throughout the United States and in various countries worldwide. In 2002, the City of New York created Poem in Your Pocket Day (PIYP) as part of the city's National Poetry Month celebration. In 2009, the Academy of American Poets took PIYP Day national, allowing individuals around the country to join in and channel their inner bard. Each year on PIYP Day, schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, and other venues ring loud with open readings of poems from pockets."


I was inspired by this story on NPR this morning. Turns out some businesses will even provide discounts tomorrow to those folks packing poems.

Enjoy!

Not too late to celebrate Poetry Month

April is poetry month. We've been reading and writing all sorts of poetry. Several classes learned about Haiku after students made cherry blossom art with Mrs. Ray. Haiku is often described first by having 17 syllables. More importantly, Haiku is a moment in time, firmly set in a season, with a twist or a surprise. All that in only three lines! The syllable count can fluctuate in English. My understanding the rule of 17 syllables is more important in Japanese.

I had the pleasure to meet the poet Taylor Mali last month and have shared his words repeatedly this month. "There are as many rules about poetry as there are poems."  I've been sending that message to students throughout the month. Students in 1st grade enjoyed hearing poetry about animals. They were able to hear that some poems rhyme; some poems are funny; some are easy to understand; some are sad.

Students in grades 1 and 2 were read acrostic poems- when a word is written verically and each letter is used to start a line in a poem about that word.

Students in 3rd and 4th grade tried their hand at Concrete poems. These are poems that take the shape of their subject.

I shared this poem about a Sea Star to start the learning of the concept. Ask your students to explain the easiest way to get started writing a concret poem and about the story written in concrete poems.

Lastly 3rd grade will explore poetry for two voices.

Grab a poem and enjoy whether or not it's poetry month.