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 atrberkower@conservatorylab.org. Each book costs $20 and the deadline to order isJune 9.