10 March 2011

black swan slipper car

fascopy paper formed into ballet toe
will cushion an egg,
raw, wrapped and
nestled in its egg-protector
as it sails to rain-gutter glory

(it’s sharpee black body dons a
skull sticker with wings)


one centimer folded columns
bumper the slipper’s toe
fronting a pool of squirted glue
that ups the car’s mass to
meet challenge requirements

fins provide balance and finesse
they streamline eyes that
admire the black swan slipper’s promise

--challenge next week—

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Process Notes:

Monday’s prompt at Big Tent Poetry asked us to incorporate science into our poems. This week at school was a high stakes (think NCLB, AYP) testing week. Kids tested in the morning, and our middle school team (go Dynamos!) worked their way through four different 45 minute stations in the afternoon. Fortuitously, I worked in a science classroom, in which we constructed paper cars. I noted that my car looked like a ballet slipper, and one of the students, said, “Yeah, the Black Swan, maybe…” My car took a turn toward the dark side. :-) Allotted only three sheets of paper to make the car, it had to have a mass of 40 grams(that’s where the glue came in handy). For next week’s addition of wheels, I glued on the axle housing (straws)--after I took the picture.  Next week the cars will run down rain gutter tracks carrying an egg. The gutter will end in a cinderblock. The challenge is to have the fastest time with egg intact. Go Black Swan Slipper Car!!!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I read and re-read the poem before looking at the photo. Then I understood! Fun idea!
Here's me:
http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2011/03/09/you-and-me-scientifically/

barbara said...

What a cool project. We never did anything fun when I was in school. Very passive, was my education.

Of course your poem was a different experience. Guess you'd call it an occasional poem. parts made me think of unrelated things, like the pigeon eggs that wash down when there is a heavy rain: stupid birds rebuild their nests in the same place over and over

Thanks for your comment on 24. I wrote that to an image prompt on RWP (may it rest in peace)

flaubert said...

Brenda, from title to poem.
What a splendid piece. I love the
project and your egg car is cool.

Pamela

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

very scientific take.
smiles.
love your egg car concepts.

vivinfrance said...

Without your fascinating process notes and the image, I would have been floundering in the fog. What fun you had with your class, yet still educative.

Versebender said...

Liked the way you handled this...having done similar, I had the benefit of "getting it" on the first go. Bravo. Vb

Deb said...

Can't wait to read the race news. Good luck with that beauty.

Tumblewords: said...

Fascinating! Good luck!

Cathy said...

Hope you win!!

Mike Patrick said...

What fun. Three dimensional homework, quite a difference from my school days. Love it.