Our latest writing project was inspired by In My Heart by Jo Witek, a book that uses descriptive language to explore emotions. After brainstorming different feelings, each student picked one emotion to describe. They were asked to choose an animal that reminded them of that feeling and then write about what it looks like when they feel that way, using descriptive language to show, not tell. After completing their writing, students created artwork to visually represent their chosen emotion.

After reading Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi, our class discussed the qualities that make a good friend. We then analyzed the poem Friends by Jessica Crum, examining how each stanza’s lines work together to create an image around one main idea. Using a web and bracket chart, students brainstormed activities they enjoy with friends and used their ideas to write their own poems following the same format as Friends. To complete the project, students memorized and presented their poems to the class, building confidence as they shared their work with their peers.