Georgia river of words : 2005 winning art & poetry journal

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What is Georgia River of Words?
River of Words benefits Kindergarten through 12th Grade students in Georgia schools and youth organizations by
encouraging art and poetry as powerful communication tools in their commitment to environmental awareness. Students throughout the state discover their watershed by honing their observation skills and describing through art and poetry their
own "place in space."

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River of Words is an international art and poetry project co-founded in 1995 by former U.S. Poet Laureate, Robert Hass and writer Pamela Michael , to nurture respect and understanding of the natural world. Since 1997, Georgia teachers have successfully incorporated this dynamic educational endeavor into their classrooms. Georgia has sent at least one National Grand Prize Winner to the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., each year.

When students' original art and poetry are returned from the National competition, they are entered in the Seate competition. National and State winners are recognized by Georgia Project WET, the Georgia Center for the Book, and the Starbucks Coffee Company at an Awards Ceremony. Art and poetry are on display in the Georgia River of Words Exhibit for one year. The Exhibit travels to libraries , schools, nature centers, conferences, water festivals, parks and state buildings. River of Words Teacher's Guides and Art and Poetry Journals are provided free of charge to educators.

What is Geor iB. Project WET?
Georgia Project WET ater Education for Teachers} trains facilitators and educators with water education workshops. Workshop participants receive the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide , which features more than 90 activities developed, field-tested, and reviewed by over 600 educators and resource managers working with 34,000 students nationwide. The activities provide young people with the knowledge and experience they will need to make informed decisions regarding water resource management.

What is the Georgia Center for the Book?
The Georgia Center for the Book ,s a statewide program, which celebrates books, reading, literacy, book arts , publishing and Georgia's
literary tradition. Forty-six states are affiliated with the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, a program created by an act of Congress in l 977. The DeKalb County Public Library is the host site for the Center for the Book in Georgia.

What is the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia?
The Environmental Education Alliance (EEA} of Georgia is a nonprofit organization chat promotes communication and education among professionals in the field of environmental education in Georgia. EEA is comprised of 400 members who take full advantage of the quarterly newsletters, web site, fall symposium, spring conference , special workshops, and Directory of Environmental Education Providers that the organization provides. EEA has spearheaded a number of partnership initiatives including I} EEinGEORGIA.org, The Clearinghouse for Environmental Education in Georgia, 2) EIC, the national school improvement process that uses the Environment as an Integrating Context for learning, 3) the Georgia Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, a certification program for environmental educators, and 4} Monarchs Across Georgia, a collaboration of teachers, students, families, communities, businesses and others, working together to study Monarch butterflies and restore butterfly habitat across the state .

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WHAT IS A WAT
When rain falls water travels
downhill to the lowest point. There you will find streams.
Streams lead to rivers and rivers lead to oceans.
A watershed is the land which water travels across on its way to streams, rivers and oceans.

You may speak up moon, The flow of your change is welcome. Push past the distance of the children. The stones purity is out to help. The seeds of truth serve the path, Saving the breeze of motionless joy, Saving the breeze of motionless joy, resisted by your fire. Imagine the color of your tears as the alone become proud. Prove that your restless silver gates will bridge the answer of your dance.
Scolt Lajfler
7th Grade H aynes Bridge M iddle S chool Alpharetta Teache r: Christie Pratt
NATIONAL FINALIST

"Untitled"
J esus Damian
Grade I Bolton Academy
Atlanta Teacher: Bart Susany
NATIONAL FINA LIST

"Turtle"
Emilia Economou
Grade 12 Druid Hills High
Atlanta Teacher: Becsy Eppes
NATIONAL FINALIST
"Clean Up"
Stephen Kesler
Grade 12 Druid Hills High
Atlanta Teacher: Betsy Eppes
NATIONAL FINALIST

WORKING WATER
The water flows across the ground It travels through streams with a soothing sound
Sometimes the water flows nice and slow Other times it rages to the ground below
It takes pieces of the Earth along the way
And decides to deposit it in another place to stay The water is flowing; it has a mind of its own
It causes different rypes of landforms to be shown All of this is nature working at its best Watershed shapes the land and gives the water a place to rest
Joey Tesoriero
Grade 8
J.C. Booth Middle School
Peachtree City Teacher: Jennife r Ri tter STAT E W IN NER
"Dragonfly Mosaic" Lilly Calman
Grade 2 Casa Monressori School
M arie t ta Teacher: H edwig O 'Brien
STAT E WINNER

SHE IS BEAUTIFUL
I may need a minute, To create something amazing.

"WATER FISH"
Simran Gupta
Grade 2 Barnwell Elementary School
Alpharetta Teacher: Jan Ward

I may need an hour,

STATE WI N N ER

To create something beautiful.

And I may need a day,

To create something incredible.

But not even a lifetime

Could help me create something so glorious.

The lightness about her, Her heavenly glow, And the way that she falls, Toward the ground below.

With a touch of light, And a hint of flowers, You can get lost in the moment For hours and hours.

Her beauty is priceless And nothing can compare, One of Mother Nature' s greatest creations, One can't help but stare.

The flow of her water, So smooth and so slick, A delight to one's eyes... Even the soul's sick.

She appears in a baby' s fantasies And again in grown-ups' dreams, You might chink she is a fairy, Or even heavenly beams.

But I guess I may as well cell you, It does not look like you will guess it... She is a waterfall, So peaceful and pleasant.

Eleni Keeter
Grade 7 Mount Pisgah Christian School Alpharetta Teacher: Leslie Head
STATE WIN NER

"Urban Oasis"
Maia Wells
G rade 11 D ruid Hills H igh
Atlanta Teach er: Betsy Eppes
URBAN WAT ERSH ED W INNER

RIVER WALKING
When I walk the river I feel the cool spray of life around me And I am free to walk Among the sweet smelling grass As the river reaches far past me
I swoop and sweep my arms Adoring the nature around me As the cool rippled river rushes past
The wind sings a song to me The lull of nature I sit upon a smooth stone And shade myself as rapids break and flow
The moist earth beneath my bare feet is calming I rush to play with the wind and sing with a bird As sweetly as a river flows
The peaceful evening has set on the river And I walk home Admiring the life of the river With cool and calming waters
Mary Allison Lathem
Grade 4 Covi ngton Parent: Leslie La them STAT E W IN N ER

"I'm Sad"
Madeline Hewatt
Grade 3 Ph arr Elemenra.ry School
Snell ville Teache r: Tammy S nyder
STATE WINNER

NOT ENOUGH
Going I need it Power, power boats Levels rising, water choking Feed the monster I need more
Going I need ic Production, produce waste Industry building, water dying Feeding the monster I need more
Going I need it Please, palace fulfilling Crying louder, water going faster Satisfy ing the monster Bue I need more
Gone Regardless of how much I need it Wildlife , wasting fast We cannot be above ic They are gone Monster's hungry I need more
Tim Pierce
Grade 12 Chamblee H igh School Teache r: Lynn Farme r
STAT E WINNER

"Life Savers"
Andrew Kim
Grade 4 S hake rag Ele me ntary S chool
Duluth
Teache r: N icole Boyd
STAT E WINNER

DROPS OF WATER
I am a drop of water. When it rains, millions of me are falling from the sky around me. I hit the ground, then I flow into a river. When I'm part of a river, all the rain drops are combined making one stream! Then I flow into a waterfall, and all the rain drops break up becoming their own rain drop again. I hit the water below hard, and I become a pond. I sit there waiting for summer so I can turn into mist and become a cloud again. Erika Redding
Grade 4 The Children's School Atlanta Teacher: Lynn Wright STATE WINNER
''The Many Faces of Georgia"
Keri Epps
Grade II Pinewood Christian School
Bellville Teacher: Diane Hathaway
STATE WINNER

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pOllUTION
Pollution can kill. It can make you ill. So don't pollute the water, Or you can kill an otter. Pollution is bad. It makes people mad. I feel bad for the animals who die. It just makes me cry. Water should not be green, It should look very clean.
Trey Clopton
G rade 4 The Children's School Atlanta Teacher: Lynn Wright STATE WINNER
"Vertigo"
Jessica Bashor
Grade 12 D ruid H ills H igh
Atlanta Teacher: Betsy Eppes
STATE W INNER

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THE STREAMS AND RIVERS
Streams and rivers are pretty to me. Their blue color runs to the sea . It makes my heart so happy That the water sings, Like a bird, like the wind, Like the howls of the coyote.
Maya Cole
Grade I Casa Moncesso ri
Ma rietta Teache r: Cyndia H unnicutt
STATE W INNER
"Chattahoochee River"
Samhitha Cinthala
Grade I Shakcrag Eleme mary School
Duluth Teacher: Martha Danaher
STATE WINNER

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Stormy Thunder, lightening Scary and shocking The rain is falling. Rainy.
Carson Oakes
Grade 2 The Epstein School Adanta Teacher: Jodi Janet STATE WINNER

"Nature at Work"
Jada Jackson
Grade 2 Woodridge Elementry School
Stone Mountain Teacher: Jess Lembach
STATE WINNER

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MEMORIES IN THE RAIN
Once lace at night I couldn't sleep, lying on my bed turning and turning. I couldn't sleep no matter what I did. I tried co close my eyes, but they were still open wide. I sat up and listened to my favorite song. The song was really sad. I couldn't hold my tears, So I started co cry out loud.
I noticed chat at the same time , I heard rain drops hitting my window. I peeped outside through the silky curtains and couched my heart. I heard the thunder, saw the lightning and felt the cold wind against the glass. I closed my eyes and touched my heart. Through my ears , I could hear the wind blowBlow in peace and happiness.
I looked out the window and saw the raindrops drop down so hard. I closed my eyes and felt my heart beating fast, as fast as the rain outside. All the emotions brought back my memories.
The memories that I had kept in my heart and soul. As raindrops fell, I felt like they were my tears dropping down.
Those tears are for missing my childhood, my country, and my family. I remember how I used to run in the rainCatch the rain, feel the water dropping on meRun around in the rain and chase after it. It felt like there was nothing for me to worry about.
I kept running nonstop, I opened my mouth to taste water. It casted clean and fresh in my mind. le felt like che one country to me. I started to cry, hoping the water will wash away my sorrow. I understand chat I must learn to forget what' s in my heart, But I know as long as I live I'll always remember my past. I wish to capture this moment of tears, so I can remember my happiness in the rain!
Tiqet Mai Bui
Grade 9 Clarkston H igh School Clarkston Teacher: David H irsch STATE W IN N ER

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Between high areas of land I rest, As a stream I may start, Then I grow to a river, And maybe as large as a lake, But I will always end up in an ocean deep and wide.
Pollutants all around me have an effect, On the plants and animals that live in my midst, Those who pollute are few, Except in that of the human race, Who pollute their own home.
I become mad at these humans, Upon seeing my beautiful creatures die, Of thirst for good water, Or simply because they drank the poisons that Humans put in my water.
But alas I cannot talk, To tell them to put an end to it, For I am a watershed.
I have no mouth, Except for my water, which roars around, Thundering my disapproval, Of this man-made attempt of suicide.
Matthew Winn
Grade 7 Booth Middle School Peachtree City Teacher: Jennifer Ritter STATE WINNER
"The Beautiful River"
Ricky Johnson
Grade 5 Bel Air Elemencary School
Evans Teacher: Camille Spires
STATE WINNER

Alligators, turtles , and oh-the limestone These are some of the things that maintain my home. Alligators snatch the birds out of the trees , Keeping my peaceful waters at ease. Turtles make sure that the fish don't run free By eating as many fish as they please. Limestone cleanses the water I need By sifting out all the junk and debris. These are just some of the things that I know That help me keep a water-filled home .
But if you need a few answers more
Just take a walk outside your front door. There are aquifers, lakes and beautiful streams That somehow are kept very clean! They let us drink as much as we please As long as we protect and believe.
Kassi Derf
Gcade 5 Islands Elementary S avannah Teacher: Pat Priestley
STARBUCKS POWER OF LITERACY PRIZE WINNER

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"Water as the Sunsets the Horizon"
Jaime Jose Quintero
Grade 3 Rocky Branch Elementary School
War.kins ville Teacher: Emily Carr STATE W INNER



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Out to the street I've got no shoes on my feet I can feel chat blistering heat waiting co defeat me
In chis village there' s nothing to pillage
Nothing co steal, only co heal, I'll make a deal for just one meal
Since we got no money I can' t afford the good water And chis Guinea Worm just gees longer Oh no but I can't cry. I got no water in my eye And I wonder where's my thunder?
Cause I wait for the rain, to cleanse my pain Come wash the dirt from my hair
Please wash away all my cares.

"It's worth more than you think" Khin Lay Maw
Grade 12 Drnid Hills H igh School
Arlama Teache r: Betsy Eppes
STAT E WlN N ER

Mark Donnelly
Grade 12 H oly lnno cenrs' S chool Atl anta Tea ch er: Renee Gracon
STAT E W INNER

FLOWING TO THE SEA
The streams have water as clear as the air. The streams make paths of water and foam. The melted snow and raindrops create the stream. The water rushes down the mountain silently. The water from the streams flows to the sea. Where the land is flatter and water slows down.

Campbell Eshleman
ls r Grade
Casa Mo nte ssori S chool M arietta Teacher: Cyndia Hunnicutt

SNOW IS MELTING
All streams are booming After the white snow is gone The birds are in song.
Gil plan-Frankel
Grade 4 The Epstein School Atlanta Teacher: Donna Goodson, Teresa Friedman
STATE WINNER

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"Cherokee on the Chattahoochee"
Rachel Monteagudo
Gcade 7 Mt. Pisgah Christian School
Alpharetta Teacher: Leslie Head
STATE WINNER

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WATERFALL
Waterfall going swift fast fast fast the sea is waiting for you!
Kayla McElreath
Grade 1 Walker Park Elementary Monroe Teacher: Kad1y Richardson STATE WINNER

"Water Lillies" Emerald M. Payne
Grade 9 Lakeside High School
Martinez Teacher: Yadir:a Payne
STATE WINNER

DROPS OF ORAMA
Glass lifted in anticipation of the cool rush along her throat, Dissolving salts into a beaker of a boiling, clear liquid. Rush of waves plunging against rocks in rhythmic crashes , Overlooked forms of microscopic life in a drop isolated from its puddle.
Messenger of an omniscient being in nature' s body, Sent lifeless to serve example and parallel to all of humanity. Carrying its philosophy through the valleys of time and micrometers of space , Seek its vision, transparent to all but ever-present.
At distance embraced as a universal solvent, Fathoms below, a medium for all to gain perspective through. Daring all to jump into this shapeless fluid binding every being to another, Comparable to love, continuous flow surrounding all.
New and refreshing to spirit, form in hand of function , Streams of purity represent that of conscience and pursuit. Hiding no secrets in the folds of it transparent blankets , But shielding in warmth and slow to let go.
With supernatural powers, it gives life and nourishes. From wilt to firm , weak to strong, the rivers of faith serve. Slowly polluted by careless thieves, robbing all and their own, Till it manages to clean the layers of dust growing upon their faces.
Both ancient and newly born , of two phases compromised, Wise paths traced and carved into stones of virtue. As faiths may change , form may change, but structure is unchanged. At heart we are one , like drops of water of one oceanSalty, colored at face , still born of one intent: life-humanity.
Paya/ Kenia
Grade 12 Chamblee High School Chamblee Teacher: Lynn Farmer STATE WINNER

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"Tranquility"
M egan Raymer
Grade 7 Mount Pisgah
Alpharetca Teacher: Leslie H ead
STATE WINNER

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SPARKLING BOTTLED WATER
Some water's become trendy these days: Clear blue swimming pools, hot tubs with jets, Fancy $20 water bottles, dogs drinking Evian, Perrier, you name it. But there's always the little guy who gets left out. The one who gets no attention, the one that no one Seems to care about at all. The lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, estuaries, Name a body of water, and you've got it. For every chlorinated ounce of clear water in a pool, Or Perrier bottle popped open by a waiter in black and white, There 's a sad, neglected stream out there. A stream turning brown with mud and muck, Whose purpose is no longer to beautify, But to be an all-purpose dump for oil and plastic waste. For ever dog drinking Evian out of a jeweled dish, Or shiny plastic water bottle on the shelf at a store, There's a pond filled with algae Whose residents struggle to survive. Shouldn't it be more trendy to have pretty blue Lakes and streams rather than sparkling bottled water?
Tabby Khan
Grade 12 Chamblee H igh School Chamblee Teacher: Lynn Farmer STATE WINNER
"Splash"
Brittany Thomas
Grade 12 Morgan County High School Madison Teacher: Maryann Dannel! STATE WINNER

"Watershed"
Shin Seung-Yea (Florence)
Grade 8 Autrey Mill Middle School
Alpharetta Teacher: Jamie Wiley
STATE WINNER

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