Poetry Friday: Introducing the S.T.E.A.M. Powered Poetry Vlog

Welcome to Poetry Friday! This week's round up is hosted by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater at The Poem Farm. Be sure to click over to enjoy all of this week's poetry goodness.

I'm using today's post to introduce a new joint venture spearheaded by poet, Heidi Bee Roemer: S.T.E.A.M. Powered Poetry Vlog. Here is an overview from Heidi:

Across the curriculum, “S.T.E.A.M. Powered Poetry Videos for Pk-8” promotes poetry in the classroom using multiple methods and strategies. In addition to kid-friendly poetry videos, this vlog features crafts, classroom activities, and reference lists for related children’s books that offer additional information on each poem’s subject. 

I believe that poetry can be easily integrated into the classroom and used to enhance learning at all grade levels. The goal of my vlog is to provide teachers with educational resources, motivate students to become excited about reading and writing poetry, and to promote children’s authors and the books they create.

Our goal is to post two new videos along with theme related books and activities every month. We hope you'll visit and share this resource in your classrooms and with your teachers and poetry-loving friends. 

This week's video is titled, "Star Gazers." Enjoy!

The Progressive Poem continues today at Heidi's My Juicy Little Universe. A complete linked schedule is in the side bar.

And for a huge list of other National Poetry Month blog activity, go see Jama at jama's Alphabet Soup.

Poetry Friday: Masterpiece

Welcome to Poetry Friday. This week's host is Irene Latham's Live Your Poem blog. There you'll find an abundance of poetry goodness all in one beautiful place!

Today, I watched my almost 2 year old granddaughter draw a picture. She scribbled, studied, shaded, dotted, and studied some more. I have no idea what it is she made, but I know she worked intently on it for quite a while, and she was very excited to showcase it on the refrigerator. Today's poem is inspired by her endeavors.

Masterpiece

by Kimberly M. Hutmacher

Dots, lines, circles, curves

What will it turn out to be?

Sketch, shade, shape, trace

I'm just beginning to see!

Clouds? Sky? Sun? Lake?

A robin perched in a tree?

Form, frame, final touch

A masterpiece made by me!

Copyright 2019

Don't forget to check out how this year's progressive poem is coming along. Margaret Simon is providing today's line at Reflections on the Teche blog. The full schedule is linked in my side bar.

Poetry Friday: In The Middle Of The Night

Welcome to Poetry Friday. This week's round up is hosted by Karen Edmisten. Karen shares a beautiful poem by John Ashbury. Be sure to click over and savor every drop of poetry goodness.

A few weeks ago I entered to win a book on Jone's blog, and lucky me- I was chosen the winner of IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT: POEMS FROM A WIDE-AWAKE HOUSE written by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Angela Matteson (Wordsong, 2019).

Have you ever wondered what all of the stuff in your house does when you're fast asleep? This fun collection takes readers on a middle-of-the-night adventure around an ordinary house, spying on ordinary objects engaged in not so ordinary adventures. A fruit rollup turns into a racetrack for toy cars. Leftover spaghetti becomes a pair of shoelaces. After a day of being bounced and dribbled, an aching basketball soaks in a sink full of ice. Here is one of my favorites:

Empty Pocket
by Laura Purdie Salas

I'm an empty spot-
     a vacant lot.
I'm alone
     with nothing to do.

Come button, toothpick, pebble, gum-
I'm nothing without 
     you!

I'm a treasure chest
     or a robin's nest.
You are jewels
     or eggs, bright blue!

Come nickel, sticker, piece of string,
I'm nothing without
     you!

This is a great bedtime read for home, and a wonderful read aloud for school. Children will have fun imagining what the objects in their own homes do while they sleep. They'll enjoy coming up with their own imaginative poems about their object's adventures. Readers will joyfully get lost in Matteson's stunning illustrations.

Laura's collection made me think about where I spend my middle-of-the-nights, and that is in my comfy cozy bed. This poem isn't really an adventure poem, but rather an ode. It's a thank you for what it does for me.

My Bed
by Kimberly M. Hutmacher

A pillowed nest
To relax and rest
When I'm feeling stressed
And not at my best

It soothes and grants sleep
Collects tears that I weep
Dreams and secrets it keeps

A place to lay my weary head
My comfy cozy peaceful bed.

Copyright 2019

Jama Rattigan has a list of all blog activity surrounding National Poetry Month. It's a treasure. Thank you, Jama! Part of that list is this year's Progressive Poem. I contributed earlier this week. It's evolving nicely. Be sure to follow along! A link to the full schedule is in the sidebar.

2019 Progressive Poem Day 3

Welcome to day 3 of National Poetry Month and the continuation of our Progressive Poem. Matt's line set the scene. Kat's line set the mood. I thought my line could begin a transition into some action. My found line comes courtesy of 'Summertime, Summertime' by The Jamies. The original line is No time to work- just time to play. Since we are writing for children this year, I changed work to school.

Endless summer; I can see for miles...

Fun, fun, fun - and the whole world smiles

No time for school- just time to play

Found Lines

L1 The Who, 'I Can See for Miles' / The Beach Boys, 'Endles Summer'

L2 The Beach Boys, 'Fun, Fun, Fun' / Dean Martin, 'When You're Smiling'

L3 The Jamies, 'Summertime, Summertime'

And now I pass the baton to Jone!

2019 Progressive Poem Schedule

April

1 Matt@Radio,Rhythm and Rhyme

2 Kat@KathrynApel

3 Kimberly@KimberlyHutmacherWrites

4 Jone@DeoWriter

5 Linda@TeacherDance

6 Tara@Goingto Walden

7 Ruth@thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown

8 MaryLee @AYear of Reading

9 Rebecca@RebeccaHerzog

10 JanetF. @LiveYour Poem

11 Dani@Doingthe Work that Matters

12 Margaret@Reflectionson the Teche

13 Doraine@DoriReads

14 Christie@Wonderingand Wandering

15 Robyn@Lifeon the Deckle Edge

16 Carol@BeyondLiteracyLink

17 Amy@ThePoem Farm

18 Linda@AWord Edgewise

19 Heidi@myjuicy little universe

20 Buffy@Buffy'sBlog

21 Michelle@MichelleKogan

22 Catherine@Readingto the Core

23 Penny@apenny and her jots

24 Tabatha@TheOpposite of Indifference

25 Jan@Bookseestudio

26 Linda@WriteTime

27 Sheila@SheilaRenfro

28 Liz@ElizabethSteinglass

29 Irene@LiveYour Poem

30 Donna@MainelyWrite

Poetry Friday: Hello Spring- Bird Edition

Hello and welcome to Poetry Friday! This week's round up is hosted by Carol's Corner blog. To welcome spring, Carol is sharing a beautiful Daffodil poem written by Ralph Fletcher. Be sure to click over to enjoy all of this week's poetry goodness.

Last week, I welcomed spring with a poem. This week is another hello to spring, but it comes courtesy of a choir of birds.

Hello Spring

by Kimberly M. Hutmacher

Chitter, chitter, chatter

Cheep, cheep, cheep

Tweet, tweet, twitter

Beep, beep, beep

Cackle, cackle, caw

Coo, coo, coo

Gobble, gobble, hum

Cock-a-doodle-doo

Hello, hello, welcome

Spring, spring, spring

Chirpy, chirpy, chipper

Songbirds sing

Copyright 2019

The 2019 Progressive Poem starts Monday, April 1st with Matt Forrest Esenwine's Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme blog. I will be adding to the poem on Wednesday, April 3rd. The full schedule is linked in my sidebar. I started participating in Poetry Friday almost two years ago. I sat out the Progressive Poem last year, and just watched with admiration from a distance. I'm both excited and a little nervous to be participating for the first time, but I think it will be fun!

Happy Almost National Poetry Month!

Poetry Friday: Hello Spring!

Welcome to Poetry Friday. This week's round up is hosted by Sloth Reads blog. Be sure to click over once you've finished up here to enjoy all of this week's poetry goodness. I missed the challenge posted for "Goof Off" poems, but I did write a little something to welcome spring.

Hello Spring!
by Kimberly M. Hutmacher

Hello new day
Hello spring
Hello new life
Fledglings sing!

Hello raindrops
Soaking ground
Hello green grass
Newly found.

Hello trees
bursting with buds
Hello worms
emerging from mud.

Hello tulips
dotted with blooms
Hello spring cleaning
Hello brooms.

Hello springtime
Hello dreams
Hello sunshine's 
hopeful beams.

Copyright 2019

Poetry Friday: Climate Change

Welcome to Poetry Friday! This week's round up is hosted by Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe blog. Today, teens around the world are spearheading a School Strike for Climate. In support of these young leaders, Heidi asked that our Poetry Friday theme this week be centered around climate change.
Though I know the causes of climate change are many and the problem seems bigger than us, we all have a small part to play that ultimately could make a difference.

Climate: DIRE
by Kimberly M. Hutmacher

Year after year
New records are made.
We have a problem,
Some can't be swayed.

Bitter cold temps,
Mountains of snow,
Monsoon rains,
Mighty winds blow.

Melting glaciers,
Wild fire,
Blistering heat,
Warning: DIRE!

Polluted oceans,
Deadly disease,
Species extinction,
Where are the bees?

Climate change
It's not FAKE NEWS!
Please REDUCE,
RECYCLE, REUSE.

Get involved.
Call your rep.
Join the fight.
Take a step.

Copyright 2019

I'll end this post with some book suggestions on this topic to use in the classroom. There are so many great titles available. It was hard to choose, but here are a few:

The Lonely Polar Bear Written and Illustrated by Khoa Le 

What Is Climate Change? Written By Gail Herman and Illustrated by John Hinderliter