Blog

Earth Day

Ready for Earth Day? #ClassroomConnections

It’s almost Earth Day! It’s a great time to pull out my Can Be… books, which all celebrate our planet. And if you want some book-related activities, go here to find links to teaching guides, activity sheets and more! The focus this year is on plastic pollution, so you might also look for Loree Griffin

Read More »
It looks like a book

Day 7: Haiku: It looks like a book

This one is from me and all my writer and artist friends who put our hearts into our books…and for all of you who gives books to others (teachers and librarians, I’m looking at you!).  

Read More »
Headline shouts, "ENOUGH!"

Day 6: Haiku: Headline shouts, “ENOUGH!”

I’m trying to be more tolerant, because I know I complain about the heat all summer long:>) But this is my rebellion against all the whining about snow! Our Minneapolis paper had this big story about how sick people were of snow, but (online at least) all the photos were of kids having the best

Read More »
Advice from a Forest

Borrow a Line with the Poetry Princesses [Poetry Friday]

  Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Well, I seem to be on a real tree kick lately! This month, our theme, chosen by Tricia, was to borrow a line from Elizabeth Bishop’s One Art and use it in a new poem. I chose the line: Lose something every

Read More »
Valleyfair Extreme Swing -- nope

Extreme Swing and Day 5: The pause at the top

Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  Here’s a photo from last summer: I like roller coasters, but not things like this. So I wrote poems while Randy and Maddie rode the Extreme Swing. This

Read More »
National Poetry Month

Day 1: Haiku: On the calendar

Happy National Poetry Month, and Happy Easter if you celebrate Easter! I’m keeping things simple this year, because life is complicated (with moves, travel, work–mostly good stuff, just…complicated). In years past, I’ve done daily poems with unified visual elements, because I do love that. This year, though, I’m focusing just on words. The power of

Read More »
Do You Hear the Wind?

Do You Hear the Wind? [Poetry Friday]

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Today, I’m sharing another calendar poem. I know–it’s been a few weeks! For this one, nobody had suggested words for me (I’ve since gotten a few words suggested, but I still need more, so please go here if you’d like to suggest a word!), so

Read More »

Snowpeople [15 Words or Less]

Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.  I hope you’re not offended that I’m still using snow-related photo prompts, but you know March and April are the snowiest months here in Minnesota! This image makes

Read More »
Screaming Mandrake

Mandrake [15 Words or Less]

Madness Poetry is down to just four matchups! My matchup with J.J. Close, who does very clever wordplay, goes live at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time here. I hope you’ll visit and vote for your favorite on all four pairs of poems. Thanks to those of you who voted last week! Hello, and welcome! This is

Read More »
Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,548 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be…Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be…art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be… bookscan be… poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnccbcCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter booksCharles Waterschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura’s board booksLaura’s booksLaura’s poemsLaura’s readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymagnipoemsmargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMatt Forrest EsenwineMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoneymoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)National Poetry Month 2024 (magnipoems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar’s VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreview copiesreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be…Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be…wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat’s InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZapZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."