Module 6- Poetry By Kids

Nye, Naomi Shihab, Bryan, Ashley ill. Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young People. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2000. ISBN 9780688161934

Review:
Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young People by Naomi Shihab Nye is a collection of 100 poems written by students in grades 1 through 12. The poems are written in many forms, but free verse is the prevalent form. The book is broken up into four sections: The Self and the Inner World, Where We Live, Anybody's Family, and The Wide Imagination. The poem, "In the Morning", is located in the Anybody's Family section. It speaks of the desire to escape from home, at least for a while. To escape from the yelling and pain associated with the family. "i wake up/ 5:30 a.m./ before my mother/ before my brothers/ before my sisters" Even though "i" is in lower case, it is highlighted by a larger type setting as if to say, "I am choosing a peaceful, quiet morning by getting up and leaving early for my peace of mind". I believe this poem will resonate with many students who have troubled home lives. Sometimes all we want is a little piece of quiet and solitude without anger, fear, or even overwhelming responsibility. The colorful folk art illustrations by Ashley Bryan complement the multi-aged and multicultural menage of poems in the book. It is a wonderful book of poems to share with students to illustrate the even children can write meaningful and good poetry.

Introduction:
Have students discuss things they avoid, things they dislike, etc and write them on chart paper. Then have students share things they like and embrace. Have them also tell how they are able to do the things they like to do. Read and display the poem.
Poem: excerpt from Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young People

In the Morning by Mary Gutierrez

i wake up
5:30 a.m.

before my mother
before my brothers
before my sisters

i wake up
5:30 a.m.

to a silent house
in a silent room
to a silent morning

--wake up
5:30 a.m.

leave the house
6:20 a.m.

before the yelling
before the screaming
before the pain

i wake up
5:30 a.m.

to a silent house
in a silent room
to a silent morning.

Extension:
Have students write a free verse poem on how they find "me time". Have students volunteer to read their poems aloud. Then students can compare and contrast how they find "me time". Students can also write and discuss how families are alike throughout different cultures and ethnicities.

Module 6- Janeczko Collection

Janeczko, Paul, Raschka, Chris ill. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2005. ISBN 9780439862165

Review:
A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms by Paul Janeczko is a collection of 29 different poetic forms. Each poem is accompanied by an illustration and a brief description of the poetic form. A section called Notes on the Forms is included as a glossary of poetic forms. Raschka's watercolor, ink, and torn paper illustrations colorfully decorate the pages and poems throughout the book. There is also a clever mnemonic memory device located above each form type. Raschka placed a clever illustration to help readers remember each form's rule. For instance, the riddle poem's mnemonic device is a thought cloud with a question mark in it. The answer to the riddle is hidden throughout the illustration as well. The collection of poems represent classics from William Blake to contemporary poets like Georgia Heard. Students will enjoy the many poetic forms represented in the book and will have a better understanding of each form. A definite must for every classroom and library.

Introduction:
Play a game of "Guess Who", ask some simple trivia questions, or riddles to activate students minds. Read the poem and have students try to solve the riddle.
Poem: excerpt from A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms

(A Riddle Poem)

The beginning of eternity
The end of time and space,
The beginning of every end,
The end of every place.

Anonymous

Extension:
Have students choose a poetic form from the book and write a poem in that form. Then have students illustrate their poem using map colors and torn paper. Make a poetry art wall to display student work. Create a Non-electronic Twitter Board for comments and post next the wall for students and teachers to "tweet" about the poems and illustrations.
To make a non-Electronic Twitter Board-
1. Create a PowerPoint slide
2. Change the page layout to Portrait
3. Add a Border
4. Add WordArt for your title- i.e. Poetry Twitter Board
5. Print- Make into poster size for the wall and laminate
6. Hang next to the display and have sticky notes and pencils available for "tweeters"
(The answer to the riddle poem is "e".)

Module 6- Poetry and Fiction

Ryan, Pam Munoz, Sis, Peter ill. The Dreamer. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. ISBN 9780439269704

excerpt from The Dreamer

..."He walked to a mound of smoking ash and kicked it with his boot. Underneath, glowing embers pulsed like a heart. ...there is always something burning beneath the surface. Sometimes it takes years to erupt. But, eventually it will. Nephew, they may have silenced La Manana, but they will never silence my pen..."

Fleischman, Paul, Beddows, Eric ill. Joyful Noise & I Am Phoenix: Poems For Two Voices. New York: HarperCollins, 1988.  ISBN 9780060218539

Review:
One might think that these two books are not very compatible. On the outside, they look completely different, but on closer inspection, they have similarities. The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan is a fictionalized account of poet Pablo Neruda's life. Neftali has a keen eye for nature and objects and is constantly "daydreaming". He sees words and books take flight and imagines riding a giant beetle in the rain forest. This whimsical side is at odds with his domineering father's beliefs. There are many references to flying, birds, freedom, hope, music, and the music of words. Joyful Noise & I Am Phoenix: Poems For Two Voices by Paul Fleischman are poems that celebrate nature and birds in a musical pattern for two voices. These poems match the joy and wonder that Neftali found in nature. Neftali's father saw no value in him or in writing poetry, so Neftali hid his wonderful writing journals. Neftali's uncle hires him at the local newspaper, which is destroyed by arsonists who were against the uncle's political beliefs. Instead of giving up in despair, he rises from the ashes even more passionate about his beliefs as shown in the excerpt from The Dreamer above. Later, Neftali's father finds his journals, and in a fit of rage, destroys them in a conflagration. He hopes this will kill all of Neftali's hope and joy in writing. But, like the Phoenix and his uncle, Neftali is reborn through those ashes. He is able to shake off the ashes of his restricted life and find the passion to be himself-the writer inside. I could not get the image of the phoenix rising from its ashes out of my mind as I read these books. A phoenix represents rebirth, rebuilding, renewal, etc., as the phoenix is reborn, so too was Neftali reborn into the poet Pablo Neruda.

Introduction:
Have students journal about themselves. Who are you? What are your best traits? What are your worst traits? What do you do well? If you could change anything about yourself or your life what would it be? Why?
As you read through the book with students, you can share various poems from Joyful Noise & I Am Phoenix: Poems For Two Voices that complement events and images from the book, The Dreamer. The students can read the poems as groups or as duets.
Poem: excerpt from Joyful Noise & I Am Phoenix: Poems For Two Voices

The Phoenix

...         

                                                                      at dawn,

just as the sun

                                        rises in the east

I rise                                                               I rise

from the ashes

and fly upward-

                                                                      a

new                                                                new

Phoenix, ...

Extension:

Have students look up information on Chile, the Mapuche, Phoenix, Chilean birds, swans, etc. Have students write a poem about any of these topics and include an illustration.

or

Have students review their journal entry from the introduction activity. Who are you? What are your best traits? What are your worst traits? What do you do well? If you could change anything about yourself or your life what would it be? Why? Students can write a biopoem, acrostic poem, diamante, or other poem about themselves, how they could be reborn like a phoenix, etc.

Module 5- Hopkins Award Poetry



Myers, Walter Dean, Myers, Christopher ill. Jazz. New York: Holiday House, 2006. ISBN 978-0-8234-2173-2

Review:
Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers capture the earthiness of jazz through the poems and illustrations in their book, Jazz. The poems represent the development of jazz, some influential people in jazz, and a glossary of terms. In "America's Music", jazz instruments are introduced as well as the meter of jazz- 4/4 time. Walter Dean Myers gives character to the instruments through personification and the use of similes, "Strings crying like midnight widows/ Horns tearing down Jericho walls/ A clarinet sassing". These words give sounds and personality to the instruments and the music they make. The illustrations by Christopher Myers uses bold  blues, greens, yellows, and reds with bold brush strokes representative of the music they represent. The rhythm of the poem is like jazz in that it is, "Behind the beat, around the beat/ Bending the in-between". Jazz can be on the upbeat, the down beat, or a syncopated rhythm similar to the poem. This is a wonderful addition to a library collection.


Introduction:
Play jazz music in the library. While they listen to the music, have them draw shapes, lines, designs that the music's rhythm or instrumentation makes them see in their minds. Similar to a stereo equalizer but with shapes and such. Give each student a copy of the poem and read it to them. Reread the poem aloud. Read the poem and have the students read in chorus the words in yellow print. For a challenging activity, try reading the poem in a cannon.

Poem: America's Music by Walter Dean Myers an excerpt from Jazz

What did the world see?
What did the world hear?
Black men sweating in 4/4 time
Behind the beat, around the beat
Bending the in-between
Strings crying like midnight widows
Horns tearing down Jericho walls
A clarinet sassing
Its way through
a Sunday-night sermon
And the chorus calling out the blues!
And ragtime!
And jazz!
From Mississippi to Harlem
While the folks across the ocean
were just saying
AMERICA

Extension:
Have band students prepare a jazz piece of music and play it for the class. They can play solos, duets, trios, etc. Students can also research influential jazz musicians and present 6 interesting facts about the person to the class. They can write an acrostic poem describing their person.

Module 5- Sidman Poetry

Sidman, Joyce, Allen, Rick ill. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. ISBN 978-0-547-15228-8

Review:
Joyce Sidman's Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night celebrates woodland creatures of the night. Each poem is accompanied by facts about nocturnal creatures mentioned in the poems. A glossary is included at the end of the book. Allen cleverly depicts the creatures of the night in darkened lino cut prints representing their habitats. He also includes a wandering red eft throughout the book which accompanies the poem "Ballad of the Wandering Eft". It is a very inventive way to weave the poetry and illustrations together throughout the book. The poem "Welcome to the Night" uses the repeated refrain "welcome to the night" and a rhyming pattern for each stanza (stanza 1-AAA, stanza 2-BBB, stanza 3- CCC, and stanza 4-DDD). The words not only rhyme, but some also utilize onomatopoeia ( buzz, chirp, hoot, rough, etc). Sidman also includes the senses-touch, feel, and smell, "Come feel the cool.../come smell your way.../come touch rough bark..." This book would complement lessons in science on habitats, nocturnal creatures, and literature. A definite plus for every classroom library.

Introduction:
Have pictures of a streetlight, owl, worms, sunset, moon, bat, shady/dark woods, opossum, raccoon, bat, etc (things associated with night). Have students try to find out what all of these things have in common. They are related to night or nocturnal animals. Then read and display the poem and illustration. Share the informational passage as well with students and discuss creatures of the night and their habitat.

Poem: excerpt from Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Welcome to the Night by Joyce Sidman

To all of you who crawl and creep,
who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,
who wake at dusk and throw off sleep:
Welcome to the night.

To you who make the forest sing,
who dip and dodge on silent wing,
who flutter, hover, clasp, and cling:
Welcome to the night!

Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze,
come smell your way among the trees,
come touch rough bark and leathered leaves:
Welcome to the night.

The night's a sea of dappled dark,
the night's a feast of sound and spark,
the night's a wild, enchanted park.
Welcome to the night!

Extension:
To link these poems  and illustrations to science curriculum, use the aspect of camouflage. Many nocturnal animals use camouflage to hide from predators. To help students understand camouflage, use the following activity with students:
use a colorfully decorated wrapping paper as the background- save some of the paper to use later
cut out animal shapes using a solid color piece of construction paper and the left over wrapping paper
glue the animal shapes on the wrapping paper background
Students will try to find all of the animals on the paper (the wrapping paper cut-outs will be harder to identify due to camouflage). Have students write about how camouflage can be helpful to nocturnal creatures.

Module 5- Performance Poetry

Franco, Betsy, Hart, Jessie ill. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2009.

Review:
Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco is filled with 19 creative poems for two voices related to school themes. Dreams of double dutch danced in my head as I read "Jump Rope Jingle". The rhythm of jump roping is illustrated in the words, line breaks, white space, and in the voice parts. It is a perfect match to the subject of the poem. Each poem is written in an easy way and language that makes them accessible to all readers. The school related subject matter is something all kids (students) can relate to and enjoy, especially the humorous poems. Hart's illustrations are reminiscent of childhood drawings and memories. They definitely represent each poem well. Students will enjoy reading these poems in pairs or in groups.

Introduction:
Ask students if they know any jump rope rhymes or jingles. Have them share what they know and demonstrate, if possible, the movements for the jingle (have jump ropes available). Write these down as students share them. Show the poem and read it to students twice. Then reread the poem having students chime in as the chorus voices. Choose 2 students for voice 1 and voice 2 and reread the poem.

Poem: excerpt from Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco
Voice 1
Voice 2
Chorus voices

Jump Rope Jingle

Come on in.
I'll jump with you.
It's double fun
to jump with two.

Jump, jump,
spin around.
Jump, jump,
slap the ground.

Turn to the east.
Turn to the west.
Choose the one
you like the best.

Jump, jump,
A, B,
C.

Jump, jump,
1, 2,
3.

Turn in circles.
Keep the beat.
Feel the rhythm
in your feet!

Extension:
Have jump ropes available for students to use. Have students use the movement directions in the poem with the jump ropes. Students can work in pairs or groups to complete the activity. Then students can create their own jump rope poems.

Module 4- Social Studies Poetry

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, Alcorn, Stephen ill. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States, New York: Scholastic Inc., 2000. ISBN 0-439-37290-9

Review:

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States is a collection of poems gathered by Lee Bennett Hopkins. It is a poetic atlas of the seven geographical regions of the United States including the capital- Washington D.C. Each geographical region includes a map, state facts-including a great fact for each state, and poems. The poems reflect different aspects of each region from weather to city life. Livingston's poem uses a line from the song, America, the Beautiful, as its title and then describes this line by using the geographic features of the mountain states. Livingston compares the mountains to majestic kings in this line by using a simile, "They rise like kings". Alcorn's illustrations bring the poems visually to life. They represent Americana folk art with a Picasso-like flavor thrown in for variety. it is a great resource for a social studies classroom.

Introduction:

Have students sing the song, America, the Beautiful. After singing the song, have students talk about the lines in the poem (have a copy of the poem showing on a screen using a LCD projector). Lines like, "...for spacious skies/ for amber waves of grain/ for purple mountain majesty/ above the fruited plain"- have students discuss what these are describing. Students can create a 4-square graphic organizer, write each line in a square, and then draw an illustration of the line. Then read the poem and show the illustration.

Poem: excerpt from My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States

"For Purple Mountains' Majesty" by Myra Cohn Livingston

I saw them today.
I saw them.
So many years I have heard them in a song.
It's true. They're purple when you see them.
They rise like kings.
They are mountains.
Suddenly
I know.
I really know.
What that song is all about.

Extension:

Have students write a poem about their state and then create an illustration to accompany it.

Module 4- Biographical Poetry

Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. Frida: ¡Viva la vida! /Frida: Long Live Life!. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children, 2007. ISBN 9780761453369

Review:

In Frida: ¡Viva la vida! /Frida: Long Live Life!, Bernier-Grand uses free verse poems in first person to describe the life of artist Frida Kahlo. Kahlo's art work is featured throughout the book with many matching the accompanying poem. The poems speak of Kahlo's life from birth to death including her polio bout, bus accident, surgeries, marriage, infidelity, pain, and more. In her poem, Wounded Deer, Bernier-Grand explores Kahlo's painting The Little Deer (1946). The images of barren trees, arrows, blood, and Kahlo's head on a deer body are represented in the poem's words- My barren landscapes show my barren self/ I have lost three children/ Four arrows in my heart/ to remind Diego how his shots have made me bleed. Even though the tone is sad, it ends with an uplifting thought- "But I am happy to be alive". This book is visually stunning and the poems give a voice to the artwork of Kahlo, whose complicated life was eased through art. A short biography of Kahlo's life, timeline, glossary, sources, and quotes are included in the book. It is a good starting book for those interested in her biography and artwork. It is more appropriate for young adult students than elementary students.

Introduction:

Show the picture of The Little Deer using a document camera and LCD projector. Have students describe the mood of the picture. As they answer, ask them why they think that is the mood. You can also use symbolism in this way as well.  Record their answers on chart paper. Read the poem aloud with the image still showing.

Poem: excerpt from Frida: ¡Viva la vida! /Frida: Long Live Life! by Carmen Bernier-Grand
(accompanied by Frida's painting The Little Deer (1946).

Wounded Deer

My barren landscapes show my barren self.
I have lost three children.

Four arrows in my heart
to remind Diego how his shots have made me bleed.

Shooting pains in my hip,
Shooting pains in my foot,
Shooting pains in my spine.

I am not sick.
I am broken.
But I am happy to be alive.

http://www.artchive.com/web_gallery/F/Frida-Kahlo/The-Little-Deer.html

Extension:

Choose another of Kahlo's paintings (or another artist's work) to show to the class. Have students discuss the image and write down the words used to describe the artwork. Then have students create a poem based on the artwork from the artist's point of view. Students can read their poems aloud to each other or in small groups.

Module 4- Science Poetry

Wermund, Jerry. Soil: More Than Just Dirt. Buda, TX: Rockon Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 9780972625531

Review:
Wermund uses free verse and haiku poems to present information about soil, bugs, weathering, etc. Each poem is accompanied by an informational paragraph about the poem's subject matter. The poem below uses strong science vocabulary to describe the physical and chemical changes to rock that creates soil throughout the weathering process. The poem's words have a rhythm to them as you read them aloud. Some of the words utilize onomatopoeia such as crack. The poem is a mix of 1, 2, and one 4 syllable words,  this is symbolic of rocks breaking down from one large piece to several smaller pieces. Even the poems use of right justification is reminiscent of cracks and splits in creating the rough surface of a rock. Each poem is located on full page color photos of the poem's subject. A wonderful resource for any science classroom and especially an Earth Science unit.


Introduction:

Bring in examples of rocks- large rocks to smaller pieces. Have students discuss how these many shapes and sizes of rock are possible. Then read the poem.

Poem: excerpt from Soils: More Than Just Dirt by Jerry Wermund

Parent Material

Rocks

fracture

break

rupture

crack

split

shatter

splinter

erode

dissolve

decay

disintegrate

give birth

to Soils.

Extension:

Have students create a list of 1, 2, 3, and 4 syllable words that explain and describe the weathering process of rocks. Then they can create their own free verse poem about weathering rocks.

Module 3- 2011 Poetry Book

Frost, Helen. Hidden, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011. ISBN-978-0-374-38221-6.

Review:
Frost has written an intriguing free verse novel from two different perspectives- Wren and Darra. Life is never the same for Wren Abbott and Darra Monson after that fateful experience. An ordinary day for Wren Abbott turns into a nightmare as she is inadvertently kidnapped during a robbery and get-a-way. She is in the back seat of  her mom's stolen van. She hides under a blanket in the van and then in a boat in the garage. She is so afraid that all she can do is hide. Darra's life is interrupted when Wren escapes and leads police to her house. Darra's father is arrested and her life is never the same all because of Wren Abbott. The girls attend the same summer camp several years later and confront the past, their feelings, and experiences. Frost invented a new form of poetry to help give insight into Darra's story. Darra's poems are told in long lines; take the last word of the longest lines to read Darra's thoughts and memories. This is truly an inventive form of a poem within a poem or a story within a story. I highly recommend it.

Introduction:
Have students discuss their fears and what they do when they are afraid. Then have them talk about what they feared as a child and how they dealt with their fears.

Poem:

excerpt from Hidden by Helen Frost

Darra might look in the boat for her cat.
          Should I try to look like a gray sweatshirt
          wadded up on the floor of the boat
          under the blue boat-cover?
                Or
          should I let Darra see me?
          I didn't know who I could trust.
                I stayed quiet.
                I hid.

Extension:
Have students read or write Darra's thoughts from the last words of the longest lines. Discuss how these thoughts help the reader to understand Darra's perspective better. Students can also complete a compare and contrast Venn diagram of Wren and Darra. Students can also discuss how their relationship changes throughout the verses.

Module 3- Verse Novel

Applegate, Katherine. Home of the Brave, New York: Square Fish, 2007. ISBN- 978-0-329-71277-8.

Review:

Applegate writes a compelling free verse novel of Kek, a Sudanese refugee and his experiences in America. There are four parts and an epilogue which begin with an African Proverb. Applegate captures the loss and guilt Kek feels at being the survivor of his family. He saw his father and brother killed and had to leave his mother to hide from the attackers. He has come to America not knowing where his mother is or if she is alive. Applegate uses similes, metaphors, and personifications well in her free verse poem to describe things through Kek's eyes. For example, "The icy air kicks at my chest". Kek is not used to the cold air and it can feel like a heavy blow to your body when first inhaling freezing air. In this alien world, Kek feels overwhelmed and lost at times, but finds solace in a lonely gariatric cow. In his tribe, everything has a place and purpose in life around cattle. Kek begins to tend to the cow and befriends it-a small glimmer of home. I recommend this book to classroom teachers, especially ESL classroom teachers. Many students will be able to identify with Kek's feelings and experiences.  

Introduction:

Have students discuss these questions and write down responses on poster paper:

How many of you have moved here from another school? Another country?

How does it feel to be the "new kid" in school?

How many of you did not speak English when you first came here?

How did that make you feel?

What made you feel better during this time?

Poem:

expert from Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Again I'm learning

that America people

don't understand the wonder of a cow.

Maybe if they had more cows

on the TV machine,

people would begin to feel as Ganwar and I do.

You can have your dogs and cats,

your gerbils and hamsters

and sleek sparkling fish.

But you will  have lived

just half a life

if you never love a cow.

Extension:

Have students choose 1 or 2 similes, metaphors, and/or personifications from the verse novel. Have them illustrate the simile, metaphor, and/or personification. Then have students create similes, metaphors, and personifications and share with the group.

Module 3- Poetic Form

Clements, Andrew, Bowers, Tim ill. Dogku, New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007. ISBN-978-1-428-74864-4

Review:

Clements cleverly tells a tale about a homeless dog finding a home through haiku poems. This book is a wonderful introduction to the poetic form of haikus. Clements uses the format effectively to tell Mooch's story. As shown below, Clements humor is combined with haiku format in finding the perfect name for the dog. The illustrations by Tim Bowers also gives insight to the dog's new name, as he is seen mooching food from the family's breakfast. Even the name of the book is a play on the word haiku- Clements combined the poetic form with the subject of the poems thus creating Dogku. Clements includes an author's note at the end of the book explaining the rules of haiku-"A haiku is so simple-only 17 syllables, 5/7/5". Clements tone throughout the book and author's note is so positive, friendly, and encouraging about haikus, that students will be willing to try some of the fun involved in writing haikus.

   

Introduction:

Haikus use a pattern. Introduce patterns to students by using dominoes. Using a document camera and LCD projector place dominoes in a 5,7,5,5,7,5, and 5 pattern. Have students tell what the pattern is and what the next set of numbers should be.

Poem: from Dogku by Andrew Clements

A dog needs a name.

Rags? Mutt? Pooch? No, not Rover.

Mooch. Yes, Mooch! Perfect.

Extension:

Have a selection of words with 1-5 syllables written on the board or chart paper. Have students try to guess how many syllables are in each word. If students are having trouble breaking words into syllables, have students clap the syllabic patterns of each word. For example, the word chocolate will have 3 claps. Rewrite the words broken up by syllables to help students in needed. Then have students add their own words to the list. The list can be placed in the classroom as an anchor chart when writing haikus.

Module 2- NCTE Poet

Lewis, J. Patrick, Kubinyi, Laszlo ill. Skywriting: Poems to Fly. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions, 2010.

Review:
Skywriting: Poems to Fly is written by J. Patrick Lewis (NCTE Poet of 2011) and illustrated by Laszlo Kubinyi. This picture book contains 13 poems including a free verse poem, a shape poem, and rhyming poems. The poems chronicle events throughout the history of flight beginning with the doomed flight of Icarus (800 B.C.) to the successful 2002 space shuttle flight of the Columbia. The poem shown below, "Lockheed F-117 A Nighthawk", is an example of a rhyming poem that has a musically rhythmic pattern to the words. The reader cannot help but read the poem with a beat to the words. The imagery of the lines, "...metal Darth Vader/ impersonator,/ invisible raider,/ black jet aviator..." bring to mind Star Wars and sleek flying machines. Patrick includes informational paragraphs about each flying machine poem and a timeline of flight history. Kubinyi's illustrations artistically depict these men and their wonderful flying machines, even the outlandish "Minerva"- the Titanic of the sky. A beautiful collection of poems and illustrations that is sure to engage readers.


Introduction:
Read the poem with out giving students the title. Have them guess the topic of the poem. Another option would be to give students a blank paper and a pencil and draw what is described in the poem.

Poem:

Lockheed F-117 A Nighthawk
1982-United States
by: J. Patrick Lewis

Who was that
radar evader,
cloud irrigator,
metal Darth Vader
impersonator,
invisible raider,
black jet aviator
and wicked wind-skater?

So long, see ya later!

After the Poem:
Pair up students with a copy of the above poem. Have students work together on how they will read the poem aloud. Students may read the poem in unison, as a rap, alternating lines, etc. Students may work in groups of three as well to complete the activity.

Module 2: Florian Poetry

Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2007.

Review:
Comets, Stars, the Moon , and Mars is an out-of-this-world-book written and illustrated by Douglas Florian.  It can be used in the science classroom to help with the Solar System unit. The change of Pluto's status from a planet to dwarf planet has confused and befuddled many people. Florian's clever use of rhyme and repetition help learners understand the reasoning behind the momentous decision in a short few sentences. He includes words related to Pluto such as rock, dog, planetoid, etc. Another notable poem is the rhyming shape poem A Galaxy, which is written in the shape of a spiral galaxy. Florian includes illustrations and labels of different types of galaxies found in the universe. Florian also includes the word sun in multiple languages in his illustration of the sun. In his illustrations, Florian includes the planet, the moons, comets, and more making this a visual delight for the eyes. This wonderful book is a great asset to all science classrooms.

Introduction:
Split students into two groups. Have one group read the line, "Pluto was a planet". Have the other group read the other lines of the poem.
Poem:

Pluto by Douglas Florian

Pluto was a planet.
But now it doesn't pass.
Pluto was a planet.
They say it's lacking mass.
Pluto was a planet.
Pluto was admired.
Pluto was a planet.
Till one day it got fired.

Extension:
Have students discuss their feeling about Pluto being downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet. Have students think about and discuss this question, "How do you think Pluto feels about being fired from planet status?" Students can write a journal describing their feelings, a letter to astronomers asking them to rethink their decision, or a thank you letter to astronomers for their decision.

Module 2- Multicultural Poetry

Mora, Pat, Lopez, Rafael ill. Yum! MmMm! !Que rico!: Americas' Sproutings. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007.

Review:
This colorful book is filled with 14 haikus about food written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Rafael Lopez. Each haiku has a informational paragraph informing readers of the possible origin, history, and a bit of trivia for each food item. Here is a trivia tidbit- Did you know that in 1995, potatoes became the first vegetable grown in space? Mora introduces at least four Spanish terms in her haikus- la cocina, los dulces, la luna, and que rico. These Spanish words mesh very well with the Mexican flair of Lopez's illustrations. Mora includes more Spanish terms in the informational paragraphs. For instance, prickly pears have green and red parts. These have specific Spanish terms- the green pads are known as nopales (served like a vegetable)  and the red fruits are known as tunas (used to make juice, jams, and candy). The haiku for the prickly pear is shown below. I think it is an interesting poem because it shows the wonder of finding something sweet and delicious from a dangerous looking plant. Mora includes a letter to readers addressing the love of variety in foods and cultures. There is also a note about the ambiguity regarding some of the foods' origins.

Introduction:
Have students talk about their favorite fruits or foods. Ask them to describe it in a few words. For example, apple- crisp or strawberries- red blast of tarty sweetness. Then talk about different foods found in their cultures. Have students think about surprising foods that taste sweet or delicious to them. For example, mung beans make a tasty candy treat. Have students share their responses with everyone. Then read the haiku.

Poem:

Prickly Pear by Pat Mora

Red desert wonder.
Cactus fruit becomes syrup
and dulces. Surprise!

Extension:
Have any Spanish speaking student give the meaning of dulces or have students infer the word's meaning based on the context of the haiku. Students can share different ways to say sweet or candy in their languages if multiple languages are present in the class.
Students can talk about different types of food they eat in their cultures with one another. If allowable, have some sample foods brought in from different cultures for students to try and discuss.
Pat Mora includes a wonderful extension activity in her letter to the reader. Have students work in small groups to create a rhythmic pattern (chant, hand clap, rap, etc) with the foods used throughout the book.
Blueberries, cranberries, prickly pears fiesta,
Tomatoes, chile, corn; spicy, spicy salsa.
Lime for papaya, cream for pumpkin, butter for potato.
Yum! Vanilla! Peanuts! Chocolate. Mmmm! Que rico!

Module 1- Introduction to Poetry- Hopkins Collection

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, Barbour, Karen, ill. Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1997. ISBN 0-689-80658-2.

Review:
Marvelous Math is an anthology of math related poems collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Karen Barbour. This book of selected poems would be most useful when teaching specific concepts in math such as fractions, multiplication, etc. The poems in the collection vary from free verse to rhyming poems. There are three poems that can be used at any time during the course of a school year, Marvelous Math by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, from Take a Number by Mary O'Neill, and  To Build a House by Lillian Fisher. Dotlich's poem talks about the kinds of questions that can be answered with math. O'Neill's poem talks about life without math or numbers, "Wouldn't it be awful To live like that?". Fisher's poem shows the many ways math is used to build a house. The colorful illustrations help give life to the poems in a playful way from a giant dinosaur to a long division problem written on a confused boy's forehead. These poems reflect positive and negative ways people view math. A feeling many students may share about multiplication facts or problems is a negative one. The poem below can help struggling students not feel so alone in their effort to understand multiplication. I believe this book is a must for any math classroom.

Poem Introduction:
Use with a small group of students who are struggling with the concept of multiplication. Write the lines of the poem on sentence strips, hand each strip in order to students, and have them read the poem aloud. Then show them the poem and illustrations. Discuss their feeling about multiplication and if the can identify with any of the illustrations from the book.
from Near the Window Tree by Karla Kuskin (from Marvelous Math)

Is six times one a lot of fun?
Or eight times two?
Perhaps for you.
But five times three
Unhinges me,
While six and seven and eight times eight
Put me in an awful state
And four and six and nine times nine
Make me want to cry and whine
So when I get to twelve times ten
I begin to wonder when
I can take a vacation from multiplication
And go out
And start playing again.

Follow-up Activity
After reading the poem together and discussing how multiplication can be a difficult math concept, read the picture book, Multiplying Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin by Pam Calvert. This book uses multiplication to help Rumpelstiltskin exact revenge on the queen for saying his name 10 years ago. The book and poem are a fun way to get students excited about multiplication. Have students create their own multiplication charts and practice multiplication problems with each other in pairs or small groups.
book cover image from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Module 1- Introducation to Poetry- School Poetry

Wong, Janet S., Flavin, Teresa, ill. You Have To Write. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-0-689-83409-7.

Review:
In a free verse poem, Janet Wong addresses an issue that many writers face-what to write about. Wong tells writers to use everyday experiences-good and bad- as inspiration for writing, "why not think about the plain, the everyday...". Teresa Flavin drew wonderful illustrations that represent students as they struggle for topics and think about experiences. Several pages of the book look like collages of family photos. Wong's tone throughout the poem is encouraging and positive. She gives this last bit of advice to writers, "Try. Because you have to write, and you want it to be good". This poem definitely encourages imaginative thought by asking writers to remember events and memories.
Poem Introduction:
Ask students what their feelings and thoughts are when they are told they have to write a paper, essay, or report. Record their answers on chart paper and post. Can refer back to the chart after reading the poem.

You Have To Write by Janet S. Wong (an excerpt)

You have to write.
You hate to write.

You want it to be good,
to make us cry
or bust up laughing
when the room is quiet.

You want the laugh
to come from the belly,
a surprise, like a burp
with a smile.

Follow up Activity:
Go back the chart and discuss if their feelings and thoughts about writing have changed after hearing the poem. Make a new chart with ideas to help begin writing assignments to use as an anchor chart in the classroom.
book cover image from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Module 1- Introducing Poetry- African American Poetry

Hughes, Langston, and Smith, Charles R., ill. My People. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2009. ISBN 978-1-4169-3540-7.

Review:
Langston  Hughes uses imagery and metaphors to describe "my people". He compares the night, sun, and stars to "my people". Charles Smith, as photographer, created pictures of people thoughtfully to reflect the imagery of the words in the poem. The line, "The night is beautiful", is shown with photos of a dark ebony man who at first  is solemn and then is grinning. The imagery is stunning. Smith using sepia tones represents the many varied colors, sizes, and ages of African Americans to illustrate the beauty of Langston's words. There are filmstrips of photos repeated throughout the book like a refrain just like the repeated words of "my people" throughout the poem. This is a beautifully crafted poem that reflects the pride and love Langston Hughes had for his people. Smith's photographs complement the beauty of the poem thus making a wonderful picture book that should be shared with everyone.

Poem Introduction:
Read the poem aloud. Then reread the poem showing the pages from the book using a document camera and an LCD projector to project the images on a large screen. Discuss how the words are reflected in the photographs.
My People by Langston Hughes

The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.

The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.

Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.

Follow up Activity:
Have students choose a poem that is meaningful to them and find or draw pictures that help illustrate the poem's meaning to them. If cameras and time are available, students may take pictures of objects or faces to complete the activity.
book cover image from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/