Poet Laureate Ted Kooser in Syracuse
"Community Life in Poetry"
a year of poetry, a day of celebration, a constant community voice

Poetry Partnerships

Shea Middle School, Syracuse
"Science and Poetry" with poet Elizabeth Twiddy

For Shea Science teacher Lorraine Morganti, her goal was to motivate her students to become “curious learners…to use poetry as a vehicle to enhance their skills of observation, attention to detail, reflection, discovery and becoming aware of the world in which they live…using Onondaga Park as our lab…” Students were taken out of the basement, windowless storage closet that had been converted into a classroom and into a city park for multiple visits in the Spring. Though not a half-mile away, some of these students had never visited this site.

Ms. Morganti said that she witnessed students working together to discover the parallels between science and poetry; they discussed their writings with each others and became risk takers, sharing their work and asking for peer input.

Poet Elizabeth Twiddy noticed that students learned new vocabulary, more about using language effectively, and the connections between the arts and sciences. She observed them learning better how to interact and formulate new and stronger friendships, and they built confidence throughout the project.

The students participated in a showcase in May at the Syracuse Center for the Arts along with representatives of other schools involved in the “Community Life in Poetry” project.

“Dear Spider”

You scare me in
All your ways.
With all your hairy legs,
Did you count them?
There’s 8, and then
Eyes of yours, do
You even know
Where you’re looking?
You’re black with creepy
Yellow eyes, hair
All over.
I’m sorry to
Say but you creep
Me out in all your
Ways, especially your
Slow walk.
You make me cry
When you sneak up
On me and start
To crawl on my
Lovely feet.
You make me
Sick. Just do
Me a favor stick
With the webs not
My legs.

Yours Truly,
Deanna
The human being
Who’s afraid of your
Name.

--  Deanna Hayes

A skunk A skunk is a skunk where ever it is, even if it’s dirty, girl skunk meets with boy skunk then they start to get flirty --  Imani

The Fish

I am the fish
swimming gracefully.
the sun beats down on me
making dancing lights
through the water.
A shadow!
I dart away
into the plants
that make a hiding place.
I peek out to see
no one looking in my humble home.
A friend swims by:
I say Hi.
What a lovely day.
I swim around,
watching the wind
make tiny waves.
There was a vurring
far away.
A land walker’s contraption
no doubt
Ahhh! At last!

We’ve reached the fountain!
I rise up to the surface
to feel the cool water
trickle down my scales.

--  Jessica Webster

In the Gazebo I can see the people, the birds, dogs around me. I can smell the Fresh air and flowers. I can also hear people talking, the dogs barking, the birds chirping, the water moving, the cars driving by me. I can feel the cool breeze pass by my skin the chill blow of a cool breeze around me. --  Jocelyn Vargas

Dear Humming bird Humming bird oh humming bird you are scary with your big beak Your beak is big you can eat any bad insects. Your color is blue with white streaks. You are hard to catch flying in the air full of fear. I wonder what you would do If you see yourself. You are big probably bigger than me, I would never know till I see you the humming bird full of fear. --  Lakiem Allen

The widow spider

Dear black spider
your black body scares me.
The way time is on your
back
The way your bite
stings
Your legs freak
me out.
The sand glass
red as blood
upon your back.
The way you spin your
web.
Black widow stay
away
You will endanger my life with your
poison venom
running through my veins.
Please go back where
you belong and leave
me be.

--  Squita Conway-Jones

The bridge I am the bridge I have a perfect view for the wind when it breaks through I hear the wind in the trees I see dandelions moving free. I see the lake, sounds like it is very far away. It shines like my mind. I see the weeds moving back and forth. I am not sure of that. I feel the breeze Oh! but I don’t see me. --  Ulisses Hernandez

Comments from the teacher:
“The children seem to come alive with curiosity while developing confidence in their writing. They drew and painted pictures that reflected their poetry. They were also amazing.”

Comments from the poet:
“This project improved the quality of learning for the students – critical thinking skills were enhanced in ways that wouldn’t be possible without dovetailing two seemingly disparate disciplines. Unique opportunities were presented to interact at some depth, and to explore things together, socially, in larger, more uninterrupted blocks of time than are normally available to students in school. The project Lorraine and I created was truly novel, truly unique; the students definitely and obviously benefited in ways beyond the usual “successful educational experience.”

Comments from students:
"II didn’t see a connection between the two and when I got used to the class I got to see the connection.”

"I discovered that poetry is just like science – you discover things."

"It was easier than I thought. And it was art."

Read a poem by Elizabeth Twiddy.