Poetry Portfolio for English Class

For those who are reading this that are not my students, I'm publishing some of my poetry for a project that I assigned to my 6th and 7th graders. One of the poems had to be an acrostic poem on the student's name and the other four had to be various forms written on a single theme. My theme was my dad. :-)

"Ms. Deena"

Makes a commotion with her laugh
Silly, sarcastic, sister

Diligent
Enjoys dancing, singing, writing, traveling, and coffee
Eire is one of her favorite places in the world.
Never stops learning and reaching for the stars
A teacher, a student, a friend, a partner, a daughter, a sister, a woman, a dreamer.

"My Father"

So much depends
upon

a man

with criticism in his voice

but love and concern in his heart.


"When I Miss You"

Daddy! Daddy! shining bright.
You give the world your strength, your light.
Why are you so far away
on this, a dark and gloomy day?

Daddy! Daddy! You're my light.
You've helped me to shine so bright.
It's OK you're far away
on this, a dark and gloomy day.


"Gary"

 Greatest dad ever
Assertive
Really cautious and thoughtful with decisions
Young at heart

"The Grizzly"

Like a big, brown grizzly bear
with its big, brown eyes and even bigger paws,
my daddy watches over his children
with just enough
distance
to make it clear
he cares
but not too far that
enemies
could harm them in any way. 

"Chains"- Chapter 1 Study Guide Questions

1. On page 1, using context clues, what definition best fits the word "peculiar"(1)?
    a. strange
    b. funny
    c. hard-working

2. What does the narrator (the main character who tells the story) mean when she speaks about her sister Ruth as having a "peculiar manner of being?"
    a. Ruth likes to make people laugh.
    b. Ruth is mentally handicapped/slow.
    c. Ruth works very hard.

3. On page 2, using context clues, what definition best fits the word "kin" (2)?
    a. dogs
    b. family
    c. enemies

4. What kind of man can you infer (to take an educated guess based on evidence/facts from the story) that Mr. Robert Finch is?
    a. A strange man
    b. A gentle and kind man
    c. A mean and selfish man


5. How do you know this? (Use evidence from the story)

6. What happened to Miss Mary Finch (page 2)?
    a. She went on a trip.
    b. She died.
    c. She got a new puppy.


7. Who does the narrator visit in the graveyard?
    a. Miss Mary Finch
    b. Her sister
    c. Her mother

8. Why does Isabel (the narrator) think Momma's ghost will not visit her? 
    a. She buried her the wrong way.
    b. She was a bad girl before her mother died.
    c. She was mean to her sister.


9. Put the following events in order:
    a. Miss Mary Finch dies.
    b. Momma dies.
    c. Isabel and Ruth become the property of Mr. Robert Finch.
    d. Isabel visits Momma in the graveyard.

10. In your own words, what does the quote by Thomas Paine mean? ("Youth is the seed time of good habits, as well in nations as in individuals.")*Hint: "Seed time" means the time when seeds are planted.

"Chains" Chapter 1 VoiceThread

 http://voicethread.com/share/1968044/