Mimi Herman, a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist and the 2017 North Carolina Piedmont Laureate, spent a week in 4th and 5th grade classrooms at Apalachee Tapestry Magnet School of the Arts in the Fall of 2017 to teach students and teachers to fall in love with writing, especially their own.
Fourth grade students in Ms. Laing’s class work on completing their “Found Sound Concrete Poems” exercises. The students explore the differences between high, low and medium frequencies to help them understand all the different ways poems can be structured. Ms. Herman is able to fuse the students’ current Poetry and English Languages Arts lesson with their Science classes.
“My stars thoroughly enjoyed the Mimi Herman’s lesson. They were actively engaged with both science and language arts standards. What a positive experience!” – Mrs. Laing
Mrs. Penny’s 5th grade students tackle the concept of metaphors by comparing the different stages of a “water cycle” with the characteristics of a household washing machine. Ms. Herman customizes these activities to incorporate what the students are currently studying in their Science class, bridging the gap between science and poetry.
“Mrs. Mimi Herman has a great way with creativity and creating an atmosphere of eager learners on all levels. My students were excited about her arts integration lessons on similes, metaphors and the water cycle. There was never a dull moment!” – Mrs. Penny
