Summer SAVY Session 6, Day 3, Writing with Fire
Today, our young writers added more great poetry to their anthologies! We began the day by finishing Brown Girl Dreaming. Inspired by Woodson’s exploration of her roots in Brooklyn, NY, students researched their own hometowns. Then, they turned what they learned into poems that explored and celebrated the places they come from. I loved learning more about our students and the places they call home.
Students concluded their work with this book by writing a poem entitled “I Believe” that expressed their feelings about the ideas, places, and people most important to them. All of our work this morning emphasized repetition to create rhythm and emotion, and students were able to do this quite well.
In the afternoon, we began exploring David Bowles’ They Call Me Guero, a tale of growing up in the Southwest United States in the 2010s. Students enjoyed reading Bowles’ account, which alternates between Spanish and English, as we paused to discuss the style and meaning behind some of his most important poems. We wrote poems inspired by the main character’s account of the origin of his friendships early on in middle school.
Tomorrow, students will continue reading Guero and even make an art project inspired by the text. I can’t wait to see their creations!