Students Pen Poems and Host Thoughtful Thanksgivings for Shout-Outs!
Each week, we recognize stellar student work submitted to the The Week in Rap and The Week in Rap Junior Shout-Out Contests. For their Week in Rap Shout-Out, students in Mrs. Karen Chin’s 7th Grade Social Studies class at Jane Addams Jr. High in Schaumburg, IL flexed their poetic muscles to produce a plethora of poems dedicated to inanimate objects. Meanwhile, in Houma, Louisiana, Mrs. Parfait’s 4th grade Physical Education class at Acadian Elementary School claimed Week in Rap Jr. Shout-Out fame with a thoughtful entry on their Thanksgiving guests of choice. Read on to explore these excellent entries!
In a recent Week in Rap, we covered the news of Kobe Bryant’s retirement from professional basketball. To make his announcement, Bryant published an original letter poem addressed to the sport itself, “Dear Basketball,” sharing his love for and memories of the game. We thought students might have their own words to share about their favorite nonliving things with love to match Bryant’s. So we asked students to send us their best letter poems addressed to inanimate objects.
Mrs. Chin’s students wrote enough letter poems to fill an anthology. Some students shared poignant, emotional works, while others kept theirs lighthearted and funny. We loved them all! Here was a favorite, which shows this student’s favorite sweet treat some serious love.
Dear Cupcake,
You sweetened my day with your frosty cream
Gave me a moment to cherish my dream
I love the softness of your base
It has the same surprising grace
It always gives me the same old gushing taste
That’s specifically when I eat you in haste
I can’t control my hunger for a delicious sweet
That’s probably why I always give myself a treat
My mouth savors the exclusive frosting
Sometimes it becomes exhausting
But I’ll never forget that bite of flavor
That means I’ll never give up that right or waiver
You’re my most favorite dessert
It’s like you keep me alert
It also might be because…
Stressed spelled backwards is desserts
After wrapping up Thanksgiving several weeks ago, we wanted to stay in the festive spirit. So we asked our Week in Rap Junior viewers: if you could celebrate Thanksgiving with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? We also asked what the menu would look like (we’re big food fans at Flocab!).
Mrs. Parfait’s students shared that if they could invite anyone to their Thanksgiving dinner, they’d choose members of the homeless population. Students thought that those without homes may not have family to help them during the holidays. They said that they would cook food from their respective cultures, including fried okra, collard greens, and jambalaya. We loved hearing about these students’ wishes to help others and share their culture.
Will your school win the next Shout-Out? Click here to find out about the latest Week in Rap Junior contest challenge and here for the next Week in Rap contest prompt!