East Shore Middle School

Living in a World of Poetry Nature Quest

Sixth grade students at East Shore Middle School participated in a poetry webquest. The final phase of the webquest was to take a trip to explore their senses as they experienced them in their living world of poetry. They needed to describe what they saw, felt, heard, tasted, and smelled during this trip.On June 3rd, the students walked to Anchor Beach to complete their journey as poetry practitioners.

The team was divided into three groups; each group was assigned a different task.The students brought their writing journals along to record their reactions to the world around them.

Group 1. Writing With Your Senses--The students gathered together in a group to recap what they had learned about the five senses. They were also asked to define a simile and metaphor, and they were instructed to write an example of each in their journals. Then students were told they could find a thinking spot. They were to open their journals and do a Word Splash on the left hand side where they could write words, phrases, similes, and metaphors to describe what they were seeing. On the left side of the journal they created a Sketch Journal where they could draw pictures of the things around them.

Mrs. Casey discussing imagery with the students.	Everyone has their journals and is ready to write!
Students finding a quiet place to reflect and write.	Now here is a great place to see, smell, and listen.

Group 2. Scavenger Hunt--Children in this group went off to explore the beach and choose 3 different items to bring back to the group. They were reminded that anything they found would have to be returned to the beach. Once they had their items, they were told to select one of their prizes and pass it to the person on their right. This item became magical. The students had to write as many adjectives as they could to decribe this magical item in their journals. They were told it had the power to take them under the sea. Then they had to write a short story about their magical trip and what they saw and did on their journey.

Mrs. Cruciani helping students search the beach.	What a great place to find a magical object.
	A magical day was had by all!!!!
Could this be my magical object?

Group 3. Taste and Touch--Students first had a taste of Salt Water Taffy. In their journals, they sketched and decribed how the taffy tasted and looked.Two of the teachers then went into the water with a seine net and trawled the water. They brought their finds onto the beach and the students were able to touch the things they found. Students had to draw a picture of the item and write a few words to describe it next to the picture.

Mr. Hribko and Miss Nori dragging the waters.	Mrs. Michaud and Mrs.Gosselin examine a horseshoe crab.
A student busy writing in his journal.	Look at the organisms we found!

  When the students were done, they returned to school with their journals full
of wonderful images for their poetry.

Click on the links below to read the students' poems.