Biography Research Links

Click the following links to research your biography subjects:

Ducksters

Mr. Nussbaum

Fact Monster

Garden of Praise

Harcourt School

4 to 40

Biography Base

Happy researching,
Mrs. Braddy

Poetry Madness: The Championship Game!

For the final Poetry Madness game, please write a paragraph defending who YOU think should be the champion. 

Braddy: Choosing Shoes vs. Roger the Dog 

Ward: Casey at the Bat vs. Roger the Dog

Your response must be at least 5 sentences long and include the following:

• Who should win the championship?
• Why you connect to the poem.
• What you like about the poet's craft.

If your response contains grammatical and spelling mistakes, then your response will be DISQUALIFIED.

It takes attention to detail and hard work to be a champion, so your blog post needs to reflect your best writing and thinking. May the best poem win!

Poetry Madness: Final Four, Game 2!

Fill out the winners using the bracket in the picture above!

Braddy: Roger the Dog vs. How to Eat a Poem

Ward: Roger the Dog vs. The Castle in the Fire

Who do you think should win? Your response should include the following information:

• Which poem you think should win and why.
• You must use at least 3 pieces of text evidence to support why your opinion
• Your response must be at least 5  complete sentences
• Sign your first name at the end of your post

May the best team win!

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:

I chose the poem “Choosing Shoes,” by Ffrida Wolfe, because I like how she uses alliteration. For example, she says, “Dandy-dance-by-night shoes” and “Pretty pointy-toe shoes.” I also like it more because it has lots of interesting words and sounds like a kid’s rap song. Finally, I like it more because it is about having to find the shoe that you want out of millions.  “Choosing Shoes” is the clear winner!

Poetry Madness: Final Four, Game 1!

Fill out the winners using the bracket in the picture above!

Final Four, Game 1: Casey at the Bat vs. Choosing Shoes 

Who do you think should win? Your response should include the following information:

• Which poem you think should win and why.
• You must use at least 3 pieces of text evidence to support why your opinion
• Your response must be at least 5  complete sentences
• Sign your first name at the end of your post

May the best team win!

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:

I chose the poem “Choosing Shoes,” by Ffrida Wolfe, because I like how she uses alliteration. For example, she says, “Dandy-dance-by-night shoes” and “Pretty pointy-toe shoes.” I also like it more because it has lots of interesting words and sounds like a kid’s rap song. Finally, I like it more because it is about having to find the shoe that you want out of millions.  “Choosing Shoes” is the clear winner!

Poetry Madness: Elite 8, Game 4!

As you can see in the picture above,  "Choosing Shoes" won in both classes! Before posting, please make sure your bracket is updated. 

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Read the winners of Game 6 and Game 8.

Choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, etc

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:

I chose “The Falling Star” as my favorite poem because I thought it had a deeper meaning. For example, I liked how it was about a special moment and you should not waste it. I try to enjoy the special moments I have with my grandparents when they come to visit.

I also liked this poem because I can make a connection. I really enjoy watching beautiful stars, too. I have fun looking at the stars at the beach with my family.

Finally, I really liked this poem because it had poet's craft. For example, it had a rhyme scheme AABBCC. Also, the author used couplets in the poem. For example, "I saw a star slide down the sky. Blinding the north as it went by." I enjoyed the writer’s craft in this poem.

This is why I chose The Falling Star as my favorite poem.

Poetry Madness: Elite 8, Game 3!

As you can see in the picture above, "Roger the Dog" won in both classes! Before posting, please make sure your bracket is updated. 

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Read the winners of Game 5 and Game 7.

Choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, etc

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:

I chose “The Falling Star” as my favorite poem because I thought it had a deeper meaning. For example, I liked how it was about a special moment and you should not waste it. I try to enjoy the special moments I have with my grandparents when they come to visit.

I also liked this poem because I can make a connection. I really enjoy watching beautiful stars, too. I have fun looking at the stars at the beach with my family.

Finally, I really liked this poem because it had poet's craft. For example, it had a rhyme scheme AABBCC. Also, the author used couplets in the poem. For example, "I saw a star slide down the sky. Blinding the north as it went by." I enjoyed the writer’s craft in this poem.

This is why I chose The Falling Star as my favorite poem.

Poetry Madness: Elite 8, Game 2!

Before posting, please make sure your bracket is updated. Here are the latest results.

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. Read the winners of Game 2 and Game 4.

Choose your winner based on the following criteria:

• Which poem's meaning is more important to you?
• What personal connection can you make?
• Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.
• Poet's craft can include: repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile/metaphor, etc

Here is an example of a proficient post:

“Mother to Son” is a more important poem because it has a deeper meaning. A mother is telling her son to never give up in life even when it gets hard. 

I can make a connection to “Mother to Son” because sometimes I want to give up, and my mom always comforts me.

I enjoy the repetition of the metaphor, “Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.” I choose “Mother to Son” as the winner. 

Poetry Madness: Elite 8, Game 1

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. 

Read the winners of Game 1 and Game 3.
Your comment must include three paragraphs about the following:

1. Which poem's meaning is more important to you? 
2. What personal connection can you make? 
3. Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.

• Poet's craft can include the following:

• repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, etc.

Poetry Madness: Game 8

Read Game 8 poems. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:

1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY? (Use examples writer's craft to support your answer!)

Here is an example of proficient writing:

The first poem, called “Some One,” is about someone who came knocking on somebody else’s door, and when he went to answer it, no one was there. The emotion is mysterious because he will never know who was knocking on his door.


The second poem, called “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me,” is a good poem about a girl telling someone that she is not scared of anything. The emotion is is happy because she is never scared of anything.


I will choose ”Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” because it is very deep and also much better than “Some One.” It also has a very good rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is AAB. It also has very good personification. The personification is “Dragons running and going wild.” I think “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” is a very good poem.