Communal Class Poem on a Skunk

My class wrote a communal poem on a...skunk:

Great stuff!  Here’s how we got there.

Earlier in the day, we’d read a Scholastic News Magazine about skunks, and other animals that warn predators to stay away.

All month, we’ve been writing free verse poems.  So the kids know how to put out a “word splash” of ideas.  They know about using sensory language and simile, single fun words, and twisty final lines.

At the end of every day, if we have a few extra minutes, I’ll throw out a topic and we talk.  One kid adds to the conversation, and then calls on the next kid.

On Thursday, I said, "Let's make up a poem about skunks!"  I scribbled down their answers and typed it up.

Looking at it objectively, I think, yes we’ve arrived.  For us kindergarteners, all the world’s a poem.

P.S. For the record, tomato juice does not remove skunk smell.  You need a wash of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and soap.  But the myth is funny, and so...very poetic!