Science Poetry Contest Winners - Again!

 

Three 1st graders, Ailani Flores, Joseph Greene, and Owen James have received medals from the Massachusetts Science Poetry Contest, an annual program for grades K-8 run by Boston College science professor, George Ladd. The goal of the contest is to encourage students to "fuse their knowledge of the world of science and their writing skills and creativity." Over 1000 poems are submitted every year and several winners are selected in each age range and by special categories such as Most Expressive Poem, Best Cooperative Poem, Most Humorous Poem etc. 

Our 1st graders composed poems during a "Poetry for the Senses" writing workshop, an activity that complimented their science expedition, "It's a Material World," in which students use their senses to explore natural and human-made materials. Following their expedition, several of the students' poems were submitted to the Science Poetry Contest. Their contest-winning poems capture the powerful emotional impact of these subjects while also maintaining scientific accuracy and integrity. 

To acknowledge their success, Owen, Joseph, and Ailani will receive certificates and ribbons as well as hardcover science books by local publisher, Charlesbridge Publishing.

We have a long history of prize-winning science poetry - our 3rd graders were recognized in two of the last three years and we are very proud of our youngest poetry prize winners! 

 

Spring

Flowers blooming,

Bloom, bloom, bloom.

Sun shining,

Sparkly rain falling down,

Down, down.

I hear birds chirping,

Bees buzzing,

Butterflies flapping their wings.

I feel the warmness of spring on my skin.

Flowers smell of lemon cake,

Yellow daffodils look like lemons, 

Soft like cotton.

Spring.

By Ailani Flores, First Place

 

Venus Fly Trap

Venus fly traps

Trap insects like 

Flies, beetles, flying ants. 

Mouth shuts like a

Crocodilian.

Look like plants,

But they are actually animals.

Amazing.

Teeth are grizzly bear sharp.

Venus fly traps

Don't have eyes.

Feel the bug inside

Their mouth.

Amazing.

By Joseph Greene, Second Place

 

Fish!

Look!

Look!

A fish!

A fish!

Swimming in the lake.

A fish!

Look how he jumps and dives.

Look how he zooms and wiggles!

A fish!

A fish!

Swimming in the lake.

Look how he twirls and swirls!

Look how he splishes and splashes!

Look how he speeds,

To chomp fish!

By Owen James, Third Place

 

A book containing all of the winning poems is available for purchase. If you would like to purchase a book, please contact Rhonda Berkower at rberkower@conservatorylab.org. Each book costs $20 and the deadline to order is June 9. 

The 5th graders have spent two months learning about what lives in the rainforest. First, they read through The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, by Kathryn Lasky. The book is about Meg Lowman, a rainforest scientist who traveled around the world to different rainforests. While reading, the students started getting interested in the different plants and animals she studied in the rainforest. Once done with the book, each student chose a unique plant or animal to research and decided they wanted to "publish" their writing on a student-created website.  They recorded organized notes from books, websites, videos, articles, interviews with each other, and pictures. They spent quality time drafting, revising, drafting again, peer revising, and editing before finally publishing. 

 

 

Before officially unveiling the website, the students chose a picture to illustrate. They closely analyzed the picture in order to add details and colors to their illustrations. They look amazing!  Finally, the students shared their work with families and friends at our publishing celebration, which was a huge success! Please check out the website at fifthgraderainforest.weebly.com to see the finished products that the 5th graders are very proud of!