Students use natural objects as inspiration for this writing experience. After learning the requirements of an ode, students write poems to the objects. “O, Butterfly, like a piece of the rainbow flittering all over the world, take me on your wings…”

Students will create original poems on their own or as a class. You can choose one of these popular topics –

• Friendship
• Odes and Observation
• Feelings about yourself
• Friendly Letter Format
• Nature
• Written Portraits
• Unlocking Imagination
• Poetry Cards & Games

Or meet with Bonnie to create a workshop based on your curriculum.

My basket of keys open an attic, a castle door, another dimension and more. Students litterally hold the key to their imagination in the palms of their hands with this writing workshop. We explore the possibilities of these magic keys, focus on the senses in creating a story or poem together by the class, then students make up their own. “My key opens a haunted house. Beware. Take my key if you dare.” As we read, we pass the key –the gift of our imaginations– along.

Students will study the poet e.e. cummings and his fun loving play with words: mOOn, for example. Students will learn about his children’s poem, “Who are you,” and create a portrait-poem of a family member in the spirit of the poet. This workshop can be used to write about insects and animals as well.

At every age friendship is a topic of concern to us. What kind of friend are you? What would you include in your oath of friendship? What do you wish for you and your friend? How would you invite a friend to come be your friend? We will Read ancient and modern poems inspired by these questions as well as discuss some of the techniques poets use. Students will compose a friendship poem of their own.

Grades K-3 will listen to the book “The Jazz Fly”, then will create their own class poem using scat and jazz poetry techniques. Grades 4-12 will read jazz poetry by writers such as Langston Hughes, will listen to jazz music, and will compose their own poems.

Students will draw a “circle of life” full of content from their own lives. They will listen to Native American music and poems, then will compose a poem using their own circles.

Students will gain an awareness of our ecological self.  Through a variety of writing and poetry workshops, students will explore their kinship with nature, seek to know the other, join with it, understand caring for it as for themselves, and begin to connect to the planet as a whole.  These lessons will seek to heal the division that has grown between us and the rest of nature.

Bonnie Maurer will provide a hands on workshop involving her strategies for creating poetry in the classroom. Teachers will participate by exploring their own responses to the exercise examples. Completion of this workshop is recommended before a residency.