We began our project by learning that poetry does not follow the same format as expository, narrative or persuasive writing. The students chose to write an autumn poem among three formats; acrostic, sense or free verse. We set the mood by reading Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro and Autumn Leaves, by Ken Robbins. We read many poems from the Internet published by former students of teachers of this project. We listed dozens of descriptive autumn words to give us ideas. Halloween and Thanksgiving were popular topics. The students have been collecting leaves and when they dry, we will make leaf rubbings. This was the students' first experience with word processing and inserting clipart into a document.

Kansas State Writing Standards
 3.9.1 The student writes for a specific purpose and audience.
3.9.2. The student writes descriptive pieces that may include poetry, journal entries, and learning logs.

 National Education of Technology Standards for Students, Grades 3-5
 1. Students are proficient in the use of technology.
4. Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
5. Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.