Miss Rosie

We read "Miss Rosie" by Lucille Clifton. This lesson focused on mood and concrete details that give us cues about mood. The students were very close readers noticing how Lucille Clifton changes the mood midway through the poem from sad to victorious. The students wrote really interesting poems.




Ms. Cole 6th grade
Week 5



The Man That Lives on the End of the Gas Station
Terrence S.

When I watch you fight people for no reason
surrounded by all these people.

Or,
no one is around because of you.

When I watch you in your box house on the end
of the gas station
waiting for someone to say something to you.

I say
that man is slow and needs help.








Crazy Dave
Kenya W.

When I watch you come down the street
surrounded by my classmates
or
when I watch you in your black jacket and colorful clothes
waiting for you to come to the gate
I say stand up for what you believe in






Crazy Man
Jameena S.

When I watch you walking down the street talking
to yourself and taking people’s
things out of their backyards
surrounded by little kids just watching
and talking about you and the things you do

or
wearing two different kinds of shoes
with bleached clothes

when I watch you in your baseball helmet
washing people’s care without them knowing
you are doing it

waiting for people to come out of their house
and pay you for washing their car

I say look at him doing things
he has no business doing
that is what I say




Ms. Harris 6th grade
Week 5



Crazy Dave
Dequan B.

When I watch you picking
through garbage
surrounded by garbage
and alleys
or
when I watch you in your 2
different shoes with different
color clothes and nuts and fake
jewelry
waiting for your mind like next
Christmas
I say
you used to be the quietest boy
on earth
I stand up
through your craziest
I stand up



Ricard and His Big Coat
Cleorra G.

When I watch you carry big bags
of garbage around on your bike
with a hole in your shirt
and small tight pants
surrounded by dead grass, leaves
and insects and wet garbage
sitting by dumpsters and cans
or
when I watch you in your big coat
and gym shoes with no strings
and holes in your coast
waiting for the sun
to come out
I say I would buy you food
and tell you to get
a job



Quarter Man
Omarr B.

When I watch you go around and put
your hand in a circle
and ask for a quarter
surrounded by dumpsters and rats
and possums
or
when I watch you in your mind you are lost
thinking about quarters
waiting for someone to walk by and
put a quarter in your can
I say wake up and realize
that you are somebody get up
and get a job and you maybe will have
quarters, even dollars





Ms. Kessinger 6th grade
Week 5



My Story
Shaquita B.

A man named Crazy Davide
they call him that because
he is crazy he is tall and skinny
a black man walking up and down
the block he always dances
and talks to himself
he goes in the garbage and gets
coats and shoes, red, green, blue
black and all other colors. If
I was to stand up for him
I would take him to get some clothes
and shoes. I will give him food
to eat and then he will be cute
and people will like him when
he is fixed up. I forgot
he smells like old greens.




The Crazy Young Lady
Lyneisha F.

When I watch you
come outside after school
with your schools dirty
surrounded by a whole group
of people saying get her
get her with dirty punks
waiting for someone to fight
or
when I watch you in your little
position in the middle of the street
waiting for someone to come so you can push
them around
I say
stop!
no more!
I had enough of your bullying
stop!!!




Ice Cold
Malcolm M.

When I watch you saying hello to people
that are not there
surrounded by old clothes
and eating old food out of the garbage can
the ALDI people throw away
or
when I watch you in your shoes
telling me to go to school
and get and education
waiting for a job
and some new shoes and clothes
and I say I am going to stand up
and be proud
I will stand up and help