Well, I have been churning out a lot more poetry than expository lately, but it is good for my soul. In my personal life this week, there is much heartache. I would like to think that something wonderful will come out of it all that I don't yet understand. Encourage students to use poetry to let go of troubling thoughts just as much as positive thoughts. They need to reflect on and understand the experiences they have at their own level.


I invite you to enjoy you to read and download my informal poetry terms presentation here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Has-Sprung-Spring-Poetry-Writing-Unit-1140382

This is a preview file for my Spring Has Sprung Poetry Writing Unit!

Here is another one I found online:
http://www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/cms/lib5/NC01000308/Centricity/Domain/297/intropoetry1.ppt

If I Were a Butterfly

2014 Angela Baca

+For Kevin
If I were a butterfly

I would spread my wings

I would soar on a spring breeze and

Observe Earth's most precious things

And when I touched down

I would thank Heaven I was safe and sound.


Butterflies are essential to life in spring

They spread pollen from flower to flower

Helping them regenerate and grow

And adorn Earth with their beauty

If I were a butterfly, I'd celebrate life in the air!

Life is wonderful with a view from up there!

Butterflies are colorful
If I were a butterfly, I would fly away on a breeze
I would have no allergies making me sneeze
If I were a butterfly, I would land on plants I love
Scented by the pleasant smells of fragrant flowers below and above
I would touch down on the most familiar plants
Inhale their scents and remember how they make me feel
Smells are connected to pleasant memories for all time
Then I would fly away to discover unknown plants
Taking with me the familiar scents of well-known plants 
Everywhere I fly I would be surrounded by immense beauty
I would long for beautiful days when spring had passed 
I would feel more connected to the universe
I would spread my wings and fly as far as they could take me
I would sleep at night knowing what it means
To open your eyes and see the world anew
The smell of green grass and a crisp breeze would remind me
Only the day has changed
But a fresh perspective has shed the light of hope 
Where it was so recently missing.
Old plants and new plants would give me comfort
And I would do my part by spreading their sweet pollen. 

Family holidays like Easter remind me of the importance of holding loved ones close. I'm amazed how special people are always coming and going from my life, keeping it interesting and stimulating over time.  These people fill in the gaps where loved ones who are far away cannot be due to the constraints of time and space. I connect with them in my heart. I send them love through the universe.  

Here is a poem I'm adding to my new Spring Has Sprung Poetry Unit.

Spring is Full of Hope
By Angela Baca (c) 2014
Spring is full of hope
The blossoming of animals and plants
                                                                         rejuvenate my soul
                                                                         The resurgence of life takes my breath away
                                                                         I lie awake at night
                                                                         And wonder what tomorrow will be like
                                                                         The cadence of insects remind me I am not alone
                                                                         We are all connected and united by love!
                                                                         We have hope and support no matter what we face
                                                                         On the other side of loneliness and suffering is joy
                                                                         We can find joy every day 
                                                                         By daring to change our perspective
                                                                         I am joyful and blessed because
                                                                         Spring is overflowing with hope!

Here is another lesson plan for elementary poetry I found online that you can add to your own poetry unit or to my "Spring Has Sprung" unit.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/02-1/lesson018.shtml

If I Were a Worm
(c) 2014 Angela Baca
I live inside a tunnel-shaped body
That looks the same no matter which way I turn
People seem to look right through me
Only seeing a creature that likes to squirm
I yearn for the sunlight
But I must keep to the moist soil below
I do a decomposing job and I help plants grow
If you want to know more about worms
I hope you will ask me
I live in a very dark and nutrient-rich world
Where garbage and other discarded materials
Are fruits for enjoyment
I long to b free above the soil
But I cannot escape too long
Or the warm air will dry me out and kill me.
I am a proud worm inside my deep, earthy existence
I am full of hope for the lasting effects of my excretions 
What passes through me becomes part of the soil forever 
Or just helps new plants to grow anew
Won't you join me in looking for the potential in cast-off things?
I promise to look for the wonderful aspects of you!
Positive energies come in to me
And I try to make positive energies flow out.
I am proud to be alive
And to see the world as both
full and empty from within and from without!
While I am a decomposer with a questionable job
Of digesting life's garbage
I have a powerful impact
Try viewing Earth from the perspective of a bottom-feeder
Who eats garbage for a living
You'll see the view is beautiful from down here under the soil
Where life ends and begins in the same, earthy, regenerating, amazing place.

P.S.
It is fun to teach creative writing and expository writing using  information students already know or are curious to know! Check out my new "A Wormy Spring" unit and help your students to become better writers.

Writing is an essential skill for life!

Check out my new and improved Worms Unit, perfect for Earth Day or any time of year!

(c) 2014 Angela Baca
I love hot spring days
When the air is hot
Worms burrow down into the soil
If I were a worm
I would tunnel through the soil
And come up to face the sun
I would look at the blue skies
And the warm breezes
And be glad for the cool earth
Where I can escape.
If it rains, I would come up to avoid the water
I love hot spring days
When the sky is clear
The sun beats down
And I feel alive because winter is behind me.

There are times when we doubt ourselves.
We wonder if we push ourselves harder
Will it all be for naught?
And every once in a while, we take a chance
We muster up our courage
Summon our strength
Say to ourselves - I can do this, I got this
And we do it and succeed
And find new strength of purpose
Because we have achieved something.

Strength is something that can wear you down
And prop you up
You have to choose how to look at the proverbial cup
Is it half empty or half full?
Since we all have blessings but can become better versions of ourselves
It's always a matter of perspective.
The power of positive thinking can take you
 Around the world and back again.
Are you prepared to enjoy the ride?

We are knee-deep into my new Worms unit, adapted for my age group.

Here are two free units I found online about teaching worms with detailed lesson plans:
http://www.ipm.uconn.edu/pa_curriculum/4-5/lessons/4_2.pdf

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/fact-fiction-learning-about-778.html

To start off teaching new science units, I usually rely on  National Geographic Kids to help introduce science content. I recommend this link:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm/

I also stumbled upon this amazing video below. It hasn't gotten too many hits on YouTube yet, but it does a good job of explaining how worms digest garbage.