Project: Rare Air / Aire Raro
All project sessions 1–5 and accompanying resources
Project
Rare Air / Aire Raro
In this project, students explore poetry as a way of explaining and defining the world around them via the people, places, and events that make up their life.
Begin HereLevel
Grades 4–5
Type
Poetry
Commitment
5 Sessions: 90 Minutes Each
Download Includes
Lesson Instructions
2 Instructor Writing Examples
5 Student Writing Examples
What Your Students Will Learn
Explore the various forms of poetry that created Rare Air/Aire raro, a book of poetry by fourth-graders at Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in Detroit. Students will reflect on their community, relationships, and experiences in life to create a series of poems that vividly capture their observation of the world around them.
What Your Students Will Produce
Students will produce a series of poems that connect themselves to their world through observing and describing their neighborhoods, relationships, and memories.
Writing Samples from This Project
- Memories Through the Ages by Keila S.O., 826michigan
- WrestleMania 21-1 by Brayan, 826michigan
- Delicious Pepperoni Pizza / Pizza de Pepperoni Deliciosa by Alexa, 826michigan
- My House/Mi casa by Fatima, 826michigan
- Relationship Poem by Erriyanna, 826michigan
- Our School by Ms. Lowe’s Fourth Grade Class at Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in Detroit, Michigan.
- My Full Yard by Marisol, 826michigan
- Memories Through the Ages by Keila, 826michigan
- Three Poems Put Into One by Yarely, 826michigan
Shared from This 826 Book

Rare Air / Aire raro
Rare Air / Aire raro is 826michigan’s Young Author’s Book Project for the 2015–2016 school year written by the fourth-grade students of Ms. Lowe’s class at Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in Detroit and it is FULL of firsts for us. It is the first YABP written in Detroit. The first YABP of poetry. And the first that is completely bilingual (English and Spanish).
With a foreword by inaugural poet Richard Blanco, and introduction by volunteer and retired teacher Sandy Karolak, Rare Air / Aire raro is full of exceptional and charming poems on family, neighborhood, and memories. Poems were translated into Spanish by students, family members, and volunteers to allow for students to share their voices with their community. So join fourth-grade writers of Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in feeling the rare air in this beautiful book of bilingual poetry.
A bilingual collection of poetry written by fourth graders at Roberto Clemente Learning Academy in Detroit.
View full collection in the bookstore