ROUND ONE: 5-depending vs. 12-situated

Voter Instructions:

The countdown at the bottom of each pairing indicates how much time is left to vote.
- When voting closes, timer will disappear.
Read both poems as many times as you like.
Mark the poem you like best by clicking the circle next to its name.
Press the “Vote” button to record your vote.
Votes are counted in real time and cannot be changed once entered.
You can only vote once from a given IP address.
- Classrooms should submit one vote as a class.
- Students can then vote again individually from home.

Things to Consider in Making a Choice:

How well the poem incorporates the authlete’s assigned word.
Technical elements: meter, rhyme, form, shape, and other poetic standards.
Creativity: wordplay, imagery, unusual approach, etc.
Subtle elements that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Your overall response: emotional reaction such as admiration, tears, laughter, terror, or some indefinable feeling.

Here are the poems:

5-depending
Homework
by Jean Daigneau

I need to do my homework, but
It’s something that I hate.
My teacher won’t believe my pleas
When I explain it’s late.
Perhaps the answer might be not
To fight it, but to beat it.
Depending on how easily
I get my dog to eat it.

vs.

12-situated
Assignment #1: Mastering Multitasking
by Nessa Morris

Situated in front of the class,
the instructor assumes I won’t pass.
I ask, “What should I do?”
“Multitask.” That’s my cue…
So I hiccup, achoo, and pass gas.

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http://teacherdance.blogspot.com Linda Baie

I think I recognize a few students in each of these poems, much fun to read & enjoy!
Nessa Morris

Too funny that both of us picked school assignments for our subjects. Great poem, Jean!
Quinette Cook

Both poems made me laugh. Who hasn’t wished the dog ate their homework? And Nessa, you had to take it there didn’t you?!
Carrie Finison

I’m curious to see the classroom vote on this one. I think it will be a tough choice!
http://www.mainelywrite.blogspot.com Donna Smith

Why are the poems reversed in order from the voting. I almost voted wrong!
- http://www.thinkkidthink.com/ Ed DeCaria
  
  I’m trying to address that. I had them set to random order on purpose but I see myself that that is a problem. It is also disorienting to vote and then see the results in different order than when you voted. Unfortunately, if I change the master template, my polling solution will reset other settings for existing polls. But I might bite the bullet and make that change, even though it will cause some degree of hysteria on the public vote while it’s happening.
  - Nessa Morris
    
    Yes, please make the change. I think I may have voted wrong on one match-up. Oops.
    - http://www.glosonblog.com Gloson
      
      Yes, on one matchup, I have voted the authlete vote correctly, but the public vote wrongly. x(
  - http://www.mainelywrite.blogspot.com Donna Smith
    
    It switched. I had to leave and try to come back. Still can’t vote. I am getting the message with a big orange triangle saying
    : “Oops! You are here by mistake. Accessing the content by IP address
    is not allowed. Please type domain name instead.” I can try to use another browser, but Firefox is the one I’ve always used. And I can get this far on it. Do you know what’s happening?
Dave Crawley

These poets did their homework. Both poems are a gas…
Debbie B. LaCroix

I love that you both chose the same theme! Fun. Great job poets!
- Damon Dean
  
  It’s so intriguing that the same-theme-thing happens so often in this competition…that happened a lot last year!
http://www.glosonblog.com Gloson

Hmmm… Nessa, this has the same meter as “Thief”, which you wrote last year. You love limericks, don’t you. Your punch lines that never fail to amuse.

Jean, you manage to make me laugh and bring a new twist, in spite of the fact I read a lot of poems concerning homework and dogs.
- Nessa Morris
  
  I do love limericks. They’re my fall back when I’m not sure what else to do, and I haven’t been doing much writing of any kind lately due to family issues. I actually wasn’t sure I was going to participate this year. I’m kind of glad I got eliminated early, so now I can just enjoy everyone else’s poetry. All the fun and no stress
  - http://www.glosonblog.com Gloson
    
    Haha. Limericks are great! I should write more of those sometime. Hope your family issues are resolved fast. Yep, this aint called “kids’ poetry under pressure” for nothin’.
http://www.mainelywrite.blogspot.com Donna Smith

Were you both writing about the same student?
Damon Dean

Haha! Nessa, as a teacher I never assumed the worst, but I’ve had 5th grade multi-taskers just like that before. Great poem. And Jean, yes, there’s always hope that a hungry dog will help you out. Loved that last-resort line in your poem. Difficult choice. And like Donna says, sounds like the same kid you were both writing about.
http://motherstreusel.com/ Mother Streusel

So funny!!! Good luck to both of you!
Buffy Silverman

It looks like Jean and Nessa have been hanging out in the same classroom! Both poems are lots of fun!
Catherine

These are both hilarious! Great job ladies!
Jean Daigneau

Nessa, great poem. And I can tell you that you must know my middle son Ben :O)!
Kathy Ellen Davis

Love that school is at the heart of both of these!
http://motherstreusel.com/ Mother Streusel

Congratulations Jean for winning! And congratulations to you, too, Nessa on a great poem!

ROUND ONE: 5-depending vs. 12-situated

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