Grandma's Cupboard

Grandma’s Cupboard

A Free Verse Poem

by Jonathan Williamson

Some of Grandma’s furniture

lives at our house now.

My favorite is a tall wooden cupboard.

It is golden oak, soft and worn

and it is very,

very old.

It takes me back to Grandma’s.

I open its glass doors,

and it smells like her living room

a thousand miles away,

with someone new living in it now.

Now, at my own house, in my own living room,

I open the cupboard doors,

I take a deep breathe,

and WHOOSH!

I am back at Grandma’s house once more.

The cupboard says,

“Welcome back! Good to see you!”

1. Make Observations & Ask Questions
1. Think: Write what you observe or have questions about (use this form for ideas) (2 min).
2. Pair: Share a few of your responses with your team (2 min).
3. Share: As a team, choose 1-2 ideas to share with the class (2 min).
2. Define a Problem or Form a Hypothesis
1. Write a statement or question about one of the text's major messages or methods (2 min).
2. Consider using some of the following sentence frames:
1. *The author ____________ in order to _______________.
2. The author conveyed that _________________ by ____________________.
3. The author's message of ________________ was supported/undermined by ____.
4. Although the author attempts to _______________, __________________.
3. Develop a Plan
1. Identify general structures, messages, methods, and/or other elements to imitate (either based on teacher suggestions, team collaboration, or individual opinion) (2 min).
1. ex: keep short first stanza introducing the item, a descriptive middle section using imagery, and personification with something said by the object at the end.
2. Consider what structures, messages, methods, and/or other elements you’ll specifically change
1. _____(noun)_____'s ____(noun)________    <someone/something you know>
4. Conduct & Analyze an Experiment
1. Write your own imitation of the original text (if doing this as a class, wait for the teacher to model their own version of how to imitate the original text) (10-15 min).
2. Re-read the original and your version to consider what to change in yours by making it similar to or different from the original (3 min).
5. Communicate Results & Improve
1. Share the original text and your imitation with someone (2 min)
2. Have a conversation with them about what was good and what could be considered for change (see the chart below) (3 min).
3. Re-read your text and experiment with at least one of the considerations for change (3 min).