Poetry Break Friday: A poem about Spring

Introduction:

This poem is in both Spanish and English. See if you have any Spanish speaking students in your class who can read the poem. Have someone read the poem in Spanish, and have your non-Spanish speaking students guess what the poem is about. Try having students read the poem in both English and Spanish at the same time and see how it sounds.


Jitomates
risueños

en el jardín
plantamos
jitomates

los vegetales
más felices
de todos

alegres
se redondean
de sabor

risueños
se ponen
colorados

convirtiendo
sus arbustos
alambrados

en árboles
de navidad
en primavera

Laughing
Tomatoes

in our backyard
we plant
tomatoes

the happiest
of all
vegetables

with joy
they grow round
with flavor

laughing
they change
to red

turning
their wire-framed
bushes

into
Christmas trees
in spring

by Francisco X. Alarcón

[From: LAUGHING TOMATOES AND OTHER SPRING POEMS, Children's Book Press, 1997]


Extension:

Buy small tomato plants in the Spring and watch them grow. Have students take care of the plants by watering, fertilizing, and making sure they have sun. Once tomatoes grow, cut open tomatoes to see the seeds inside. Also, make some dishes to try with tomatoes, such as tomato salad or pasta sauce.