Raise Your Hand Poetry Craft Activity

Raise Your Hand Poetry Craft

Have you ever been raising your hand so long that it starts to tingle, go numb, and you swear it’s going to fall off any second… but the teacher just doesn’t call your name? In this poem, the kid in the very back of the class is going through just that.

I Raised My Hand in Class

I raised my hand in class this morning,
sitting in the back.
The teacher didn’t see, I think.
Instead she called on Jack.

I stretched my hand up higher,
but she called on Zach and Zoe.
I started bouncing up and down,
but, still, she called on Chloe.

I waved my arms but, even so,
she didn’t call on me.
She called on Bryan, Brooklyn, Billy,
Bailey, Ben, and Bree.

She called on Taylor, Tristan, Thomas,
Trinity, and Ty.
Then, finally, she called my name.
I breathed a heavy sigh.

She asked me for the answer.
I just frowned and clenched my knees,
and said, “I’ve no idea,
but could I use the bathroom, please?”

–Kenn Nesbitt

Now, imagine that you had something to get your teacher’s attention, in a quiet way, of course. How about a foam hand extender?! You know the type. You see them touting your team’s #1 status at basketball and baseball games. But you’re #1, too, right? Let’s make a mini version of the foam hand to tell your teacher, “Call on me!”

Foam Hand Extender Craft Project

Tracing your hand

Materials:

  • Two sheets of sticky-back foam
  • 1 Ruler
  • 1 marker for tracing
  • Sticky foam letters/markers, etc. for decorating
  • Scissors

Glue hand to ruler

Instructions:

  1. Decorate your handTrace an outline of your hand on the front (non-sticky) side of one foam sheet.
  2. Lay the sheet with the tracing back-to-back with the second sheet of foam. The paper-covered sticky sides should be touching each other.
  3. Cut along the marker lines. You will end up with two hand shapes, mirror images of one another.
  4. Peel the backing off of one hand shape.
  5. Lay the ruler on the exposed sticky surface, about two inches in. (see photo)
  6. Peel the paper off the sticky side of the second hand shape. Carefully match it to the hand with the ruler stuck to it, pressing down firmly to secure the ruler between the two hand shapes. (see photo)
  7. Decorate with markers, pom-poms, stickers and more!
  8. To remember the poem, print it out small enough to cut and paste on the back of the hand!

Rock and roll hand

Now your teacher is sure to see you way in the back, with your unique super-long “call on me” hand… which also works great for swatting flies.

We're Number One!