Paul B. Janeczko

Janeczko, Paul B. (2001) Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. (ill. Melissa Sweet) New York: HarperCollins ISBN 9780688162528

Paul B. Janeczko and Melissa Sweet pair their talents for a fun and creative book of animal poems. When teaching poem performance and allowing students to present poems in their own creative voices and tones, this book would complement instruction and guide the teacher in providing animal poems that are revel ant, educational and fun to repeat.

Young students who enjoy animated presentations, animals and fun rhyming poetry will definitely love this book. Melissa Sweet's illustrations accompanying Janeczko's verses makes this poem picture book a great read and a great visual. The compilation of work from various poets gives variety of style and form.

One of my favorite educational and fun poems from Janeckso's collection is a selection by Jane Yolen. Grandpa Bear sings to his grandchild cub about being a bear......

Grandpa Bear's Lullaby

Jane Yolen

The night is long

But fur is deep.

You will be warm

In winter sleep.

The food is gone

But dreams are sweet

And they will be

Your winter meat.

The cave is dark

But dreams are bright

And they will serve

As winter light.

Sleep, my little cubs, sleep.

Reviews

"Youngsters, who are just finding their own voices, are thus given the unique opportunity to examine the characteristics of others."

- Horn Book

"Janeckzo's collection of 'persona' or 'mask' poems - poems written in voices of nonhuman things - is varied in topic, mood, and quality."

- School Library Journal

Classroom & Curriculum Connections

* Poetry

* Great American poets; Janeczko

* Poetry performance

Janeczko’s work:

A Poke In The I

Foot In The Mouth: Poems to Speak. Sing and Shout

A Kick In The Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms

The Best Part of Me

Lisa Lord’s Class. (2002) THE BEST PART OF ME. (photography by Wendy Ewald). New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316703062

The children in Miss Lord’s class write about their favorite parts of their body. Some of the poems are funny and some are serious, but all of them show an appreciation of their bodies and point out the beauty of being who they are.

Wendy Ewald, an acclaimed photographer devoted to teaching photography to children, collaborates with Miss Lord’s class to snap shots of their loved body parts. These black and white images that match each student’s poem illuminate the natural beauty of each other chosen body parts.

Young students, from Kindergarten to second grade will enjoy reading the poems of their peers and seeing the handwriting, side line drawings and the photography art of Wendy Ewald. As students learn about self esteem, self worth and valuing the differences of other, this is the perfect book to share and then allow them to view it individually. Not only is this book genius in the presentation, but the subliminal messages of being happy with what you have, loving yourself and finding something unique and good about you, will make this book a favorite of teachers, parents and of course the students. This book belongs in every school library!

Here’s a quick Poetry Break

The book is concluded with Nada Hussain’s poem about her favorite body part – her hands. Our hands help us do some many things and from Nada’s poem, I gather she views her hands as very important for religious reasons, to enjoy mother nature and because of their unique color…..

ALL Mine

When I pray my hands
Overlap
In the sun they shine
The color of my hands
is toasty brown
These beautiful things are mine

By Nada Hussain



Classroom Connections:
Children’s poetry
Human Body
Pictorial Art
Self esteem and self worth

Other Wendy Ewald books:

Secret Games: Collaborative Works with Children 1969 – 1999
“Wendy Ewarld has had a photographic career like no one else, teaching photography to children as a means of building literacy and self-esteem…Her project is wonderful because it lets kids speak for themselves.”
– New York Times Book Review


Portraits and Dreams: Photographs and Stories by Children of the Appalachians
Luminous, vibrant, and timeless…The emotional content is unambiguous and powerful. An American masterpiece.”
- Booklist (Starred Review)

Magic Eyes: Scenes from an Andean Childhood
“Moving, intimate, and unsparing … The images are indelible.”
– New York Times Book Review

A serious poem

Introduction:

This 11 year old boy, who is the narrator of Relatively Speaking: Poems About Family by Ralph Fletcher, talks about a few experiences that he has shared with his family and some are his perception of his family members. He, the narrator, talks about his birth order, tragic events and he's trying to make sense of adult conversations and interactions. As I find humor and chuckle after reading some of the poems, I equally find that the seriousness of others are real issues that children think about internally and may become overwhelmed or scared or confused altogether. I selected this poem, The Bravest Deed, because I can remember several incidents growing up and even in my adulthood, seeing children in the grocery stores, shopping malls and generally out in public getting a harsh spanking that was technically not a "spanking". The emotional distraught after witnessing such a dramatic act will always have a space in your mental memory. Those types of interactions are never forgotten. After reading this poem several times to myself and out loud, I began to analyze the narrator's thoughts and how he must have felt. One of the most serious aspects of this poem is the title and his perception of his mother, who I think he feels "saved" this innocent three or four year old child from child abuse. He calls this THE Bravest Deed because at this point in his life, he probably hasn't witnessed anything more brave and more worth doing than what his mother did at the supermarket this day......

The Bravest Deed

I'm shopping with Mom
at the supermarket
and we see a woman
yelling at her kid who
looks about three or four.

She grabs the girl's arm
smacks her on the bottom
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
about ten times, hard, then
CRACK! across the girl's face.

The girl is screaming
and the lady gets ready
to smack her again
but all of the sudden Mom
sort of steps between them
and asks: Is everything okay?
You're having a hard time,
looks like. I remember...

Mom points to me, laughing,
actually calms the lady down
with that girl still sniffling
and me standing there hoping
no one will notice my trembling hands.

Extension:

It takes reading this poem a few times to really feel the emotion behind it. In any situation - child abuse is a serious issue. After reading this the first time aloud, I went back to read it silently and looked at the narrator's choice of using all capital letters for the sounds the abusive mother makes as she hits her child's bottom and face. My mental voice softens when I read what his mother says to the abusive mother and my heart softens even more when I read the last sentence "no one will notice my trembling hands."

Using this poem in the classroom:

Speaking to students about child abuse is a serious topic. Depending on the experience and knowledge of the child, or lack of both, you may trigger conversation and discussion that have students "telling" on their parents or just the opposite - they stay quiet and are embarrassed that they have had similar punishments. Some people feel that spanking is a subjective topic, just like book challenges, but the fact is, harmful punishment that doesn't correct negative behavior and only inflicts pain on a child is wrong. As a teacher discussing this topic and sharing this book with students, you will have to be prepared on how to follow up and what your due diligence is after hearing specific information from the students.

Other uses for this poem:

Teacher In-Service Meetings or "Back to School Meetings"

PTA Meetings

Parent Education

Fletcher, Ralph. (2001) RELATIVELY SPEAKING: POEMS ABOUT FAMILY (ill. Walter Lyon Krudop) Orchard Books: New York. ISBN 9780531301418

POETRY BREAK

Prelutsky, Jack. (2009). THE SWAMPS OF SLEETHE: POEMS FROM BEYOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM. (Jimmy Pickering, ill.) New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 9780375846740

Introducton:
For a current study of Jack Prelutsky and his newest book in 2009, THE SWAMPS OF SLEETHE, read a poem a day for a simple Poetry Break. Transition students from one subject to the next or calm students down from lunch and recess or P.E. with this dark and soft spoken poem.

THE SWAMPS OF SLEETHE

On sweltering Sleethe, in swamps aseethe,
Malignant beings thrive,
Abhorrent things that need not breathe,
And yet are quite alive.
Within a foul and festering broth,
These mucid horrors ooze.
As gluey fluids fume and froth,
They hold their rendezvous.

And there through time beyond all time,
Suffused with rage and hate,
They’ve been in that miasmic slime
Too vile to contemplate.
If by some trick of fate you find
This world wherein they lurk,
Then you shall leave your bones behind
Beneath the Sleethian murk.

Author's note: SLEETHE - rhymes with breethe

Extension:

Poetry performance: Recite the poem in a scary voice so that students feel the effect of a far away, foreign to our country, monster. Dim the lights and bring the students in close. Have the student's discuss what this monster looks like.

Classroom Connections:

April is POETRY MONTH! Celebrating poets and their profession all month long with various peoms and their personal biographies.

A newer poetry book from 2005 or after...

Bibliography:
Grandits, John. (2007) BLUE LIPSTICK: CONCRETE POEMS. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618568604

Summary:

Funny, humorous 15 year old Jessie tells the story of her life events in poetic concrete poems. Jessie’s strong opinions and thoughts are cynical. Jessie’s relationships with those around her are distinctive and ordinary. New hair cuts with bad hair days, the annoying little brother that Jessie wants to get rid of (at least for a little bit) and school places and events that Jessie experiences in this poem book gives us further detail on how she interacts with her elders, feels and accomplishes her everyday tasks.

Critical Analysis:

Students in grades 5th – 9th, particularly girls, will love John Grandits’ BLUE LIPSTICK. The related topics that are common to the everyday life of the typical teenage student is honest, universal and humorous. Through Jessie’s point of view, school experiences and interactions, readers can relate and enjoy a simple laugh at the common issues that most kids their age encounter. The busy wording and art shaped poems tie in the words and illustrations. It may be rather annoying for adults but students will enjoy the spontaneous and creative display of poems.

REVIEWS:
Voya
“Teens might be enticed to pick up the book with its cover in the shape of a mirror poem with a shimmery silver background, but they will likely be disappointed that the voice wavers between authentic and adult-speak throughout.”

School Library Journal
“This irreverent, witty collection should resonate with a wide audience.”


CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS:

Although this book relates to the issues and circumstances of the typical teenager, I think this book is more suited for joy reading. The poetic form and creative styles of the poem display could be used to style various ways to display poetry, write poetry and illustrate poetry. I do think that this book would be great for school counselors to speak with students about issues that they and use this book as a ice breaker, resource tool and as a communication assignment for students to use at home with their parents.

RELATED BOOKS:
Other books by John Grandits to share…

Technically, IT’S NOT MY FAULT by John Grandits
TRAVEL GAME by John Grandits

A similar theme (middle school / high school drama) book to share…
MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF: A YEAR TOLD THROUGH STUFF by Jennifer L Holm

A similar type of poem (concrete) book to share….
A POKE IN THE I: A COLLECTION OF CONCRETE POEMS by Chris Rashka

book cover

Refrain

Introduction:
Your second grade classroom is doing a basic study of how Christmas Across the World. Within the theme, students explore traditions of the English. One of the introductory activities is listening to a poem about a little girl who wants to celebrate Christmas in England. To test comprehension and knowledge and to ensure that students are listening, have each student on a piece of scrap paper write down all of the little girl's reasons for wanting to celebrate Christmas in England.




If I Could Visit England





I would be one happy kid,


I would be a girl who did


Everything her parents said,


Even "Amber, time for bed!"


If I could visit England.





If I could visit England, I


Would see Big Ben up in the sky,


And ride a double-decker bus


(Me, Mom, and Dad - the three of us).





If I could visit England, we


Would say, "Good day, Your Majesty,


Enjoyed the Guards at Buckingham!"


And words like bobby, bloke and tram.





But most of all I want to go


On Christmas Day with lots of snow,


When opening present would occur


At least six hours earlier!


If I could visit England.

The REFRAIN: If I could visit England

Conclusion:
Have the class write in their journals where they would like to go for Christmas and why. Students can use other resources; books, Internet searches, personal preferences, etc. to think of a place that they wish to visit for the Christmas holiday.





Classroom Curriculum Connections:


Christmas holidays - international studies / Christmas around the world


Language Arts / Reading: Poetry refrains, Christmas poems











Poem taken from:


Lewis, J. Patrick. (2007) UNDER THE KISSLETOE: CHRISTMASTIME POEMS. (Rob Shepperson, ill.) Homesdale, PA: Wordsong. ISBN 9781590784389

A book of poems on social studies

Siebert, Diane. TOUR AMERICA: A JOURNEY THROUGH POEMS AND ART. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC, 2006. ISBN 9780811850568

SUMMARY

Diane Siebert travels through America with her husband and visits some of the most spectacular places. Writing her thoughts about the factual concept, natural beauty and geographical insights, Siebert matches her work with award winning illustrator, Stephen T. Johnson. Some as stereotypical as Las Vegas, Nevada and others as factual as Baldlands, South Dakota and then there is the opinionated Mount Rushmore, North Dakota that all add character to this collection of American places.

Stephen T. Johnson used a mixture of watercolor on graphite and photography to create his amazing illustrations for TOUR AMERICA. These outstanding pictures help blend art literature with geography and history for student audiences. With some of the landmarks and places being unfamiliar - this allows the readers and audiences to get a visual of what it would be like to view these places with their own eyes.

My favorite illustration in the book is the one of Alaska's northern lights. It would be a dream come to true to experience Johnson's art in a real life experience.

LAS VEGAS

Nevada

Las Vegas glitters in the night

And shimmers in the day;

She opens arms of neon light

To those who come her way

With hopes of placing one good bet

And finding Lady Luck

While playing blackjack or roulette -

Well, OOPS! There goes a buck!

Read TOUR AMERICA to anyone and any age! If this were larger, it could be a table book for a living room coffee table. In fact, this book could be used for a library like section of a classroom. All age groups would enjoy the pictures of Siebert and Johnson work. The writing and poems are geared more towards middle school age students. High school students would still take interest if there was a classroom connection or there was direct interest because of their own personal reasons. I think that history, geography and social studies educators could use this book for a variety of poetry breaks and for quizzes and resources for research.

TOUR AMERICA can be used for

* History

* Geography

* Art

* Poetry

* American History

* Social Studies

The facts and findings of the American landmarks and tourist attractions makes this book a fun travel buddy. Some of the research that Siebert conducted to add additional value and to make this book attractive to many ages, also brings a special interest to history lovers.

REVIEWS

"Siebert once again mines her knowledge of the United States, gained during a ten-year motorcycle odyssey with her husband, to produce poems that celebrate sites famous and lesser known. The combination of familiar sights, like the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Rushmore, with less celebrated landmarks such as Lucy the Elephant (found in N.J.), helps to give the book a fresh appeal, as do the evocative illustrations by Johnson, which are executed in a variety of media"

- Kirkus Review

"This distinguished offering blends poetry, geography, art, and history."

-Lee Bock

"Johnson uses a wide range of art and mediums and lists them in the back of the book. Watercolor, oil, collage, photography, colored pencil, and more have been used, sometimes alone and sometimes mixed, and the results are amazing."

- Sharon Salluzzo, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Other books by DIANE SIEBERT

Train Song

Sierra

Cave

Mississippi

Heartland

Award winning books by STEPHAN T JOHNSON

A is for Art

My Many Colored Days

My Little Yellow Taxi

George Washington Carver

Nelson, Marilyn. (2001) CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS. Asheville: Front Street. ISBN 9781886910539

I thoroughly understand that there are scientists to whom the world is merely the result of chemical forces or material electrons. I do not belong to this class.

- George Washington Carver

Summary

Marilyn Nelson tells the story of George Washington Carver in her touching poetic format by revealing significant aspects of his interesting life of challenges, inspiration, love for education, profound research and contribution to America's agriculture and discovery of many uses of peanuts.

George Washington Carver was born a slave and raised by his mother's owners. He achieved beyond expectations and earned an education at some of the most prestigious institutions in America. Earning a bachelors degree from Iowa State Agricultural College and a master's at Tuskegee after he was rejected from Highland College (Highland, KS). Carver becomes the first black director of a U.S.D.A Agricultural Experiment Station. While achieving all of this - he still made time to crochet and do needlework, which were two of his favorite hobbies.

Appeal to an audience

Young adult readers and African American History scholars will truly enjoy the story of Carver's life told in a dramatically effective format or poem and verse. Nelson gives us a presentation of Carver's life by highlighting the details in her creative poems and also sharing real life photographs to give her audience a true picture of the times Carver lived in and how he looked throughout his life. More geared for ages in middle school, high school and interested persons of all ages (young and matured), this book is exciting, informative and inspiring to those that understand Carver's obstacles in life. The most interesting aspect of Nelson's tribute to Carver's life is the timeline of pictures that can tell a story within themselves. Nelson's hard work and use of networking to contact the holders of the artifacts, photographs and that had notable information on George Washington Carver, exudes her hard work and proves the honor of the accolades she has received preceding the publishing of this piece. Not only is the life of Carver an inspiration to the audience, but also, Nelson's dedication to presenting such an important American contributor. Young adults can appreciate A Life in Poems on many different levels, including, an appreciation of fine work.

This book can be used to enhance a collection of African American books and novels, for biographical research on George Washington Carver, Black History Month, the study of those that contributed to American agriculture and for review of author Marilyn Nelson.

AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





John Newbery Award


Coretta Scott King Honor Award


National Book Award Finalist


Boston Globe-Horn Book Award





"Each Poem stands as a finely wrought whole of such high caliber that one can hardly name a favorite."


- The Horn Book Magazine

"The poems seem not works of artifice, but honest statements of pure, natural truths."

- School Library Journal

"Oh, Marilyn Nelson, what a magnificent job you have done to bring the past so alive it looks like our future."

- Nikki Giovanni

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS:

·African Americans
·Agriculture
·Historic Figures
·Prejudice and Racism

Other Books By Nelson

For the Body (1978)

Mama's Promises (1985)

Partial Truth (1992)

Magnificat (1994)

A Spring Time Poem

Introduction: Introduce the upcoming season of Spring. Inform the class that over the next 6 weeks they will be learning about Spring weather, Holidays, events and other important information regarding the Spring season. Ask students what they already know about Spring. Read Douglas Florian's poem What I Love About Spring from his HANDSPRINGS topical collection. Tell the students that they will have frequent poetry breaks and will find a poem that matches the lesson for the day or that matches the calendar month.

Pre-discussion Question: What did you love about Fall? Winter? Summer? (allow every student to answer)

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SPRING

Trees are growing

Streams are flowing

Cool spring showers

Blooming flowers

Caterpillars creep

Peepers peep

Playing Sports

Wearing shorts

April Fools'

Swimming pools

Going Places

Relay races

Days are longer

Sun is stronger

Every morning songbirds sing -

I love nearly everything!

Post discussion question: What does the poet like about Spring?

Extension: Take the poem line by line and have students explain what Florian is trying to say to his audience. Test the students knowledge by asking specific questions, like "What are Spring sports? What day is April Fool's Day? Why are the days longer in Spring? and Caterpillars creep and do what?"

Class Activity: In a first grade classroom, have a large assortment of tissue paper (all colors) and large size Manila, scissors and glue. Have students tear and cut pieces of the tissue paper to make a picture of a spring flower. Hang the pictures on a corridor wall and label the display "What I Love About Spring".

Have Florian's HANDSPRINGS in the book center for students to review the book individually during center time.

Florian, Douglas. Handsprings. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2006. ISBN 9780060092818

A Verse Novel

Frost, Helen. SPINNING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2004. ISBN 9780374371593

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this book, Helen Frost amazingly tells the inner thoughts of each individual in a 5th grade class whom sorts out everyday life, dramatic experiences and personal family issues in verse form. A young reader can easily relate to some of the pertinent issues in Frost's novel. Our economic times may have provoked other relating issues like depression, family violence (The Truth, Maria) and financial difficulties (At the Shelter, Sam) and students need the opportunity for positive, yet truthful, output. Literature that engages actual issues of it readers with similar and factual feelings is especially appealing to this age group, for various reasons.

Students balancing the act of being able to act their age, but also taking on the strength of the adults (Her Long Black Hair, Laura) and being supportive of older generations (Grandma Keeps Forgetting, Vonda) is a hard subject to discuss when other's in the class may not have the worries and responsibility that they have. Hearing how their classmates respond to the students in room 214, may give real life students the ability to disclose thier personal issues for peer support. The attractiveness about Spinning Through the Universe, in this manner is that the adult can allow the students to lead thier own discussions and share.

Learning how to read (Just Try, Eddie) and learning new ways of doing things (Fathers Can Learn, Maria) are critical to how all people progress througout life and how fear may withhold our self motivation and how we learn from our mistakes. This book can encourage students to strive to better themselves or promote self -help to those that they love. A student's response to these verses may enlighten them to advocate for what they are passionate about and learn not to take for granted the things that are given to them.

Children typically enjoy reading about their peers and how they deal with common issues such as fitting in (It's Hard to Fit in, Shawna), standing up for what they believe in, innocent encounters of racism (In the Middle, Chrystal). This novel allows open-ended questions to guide discussions as students who are willing share voice thier opinions and advice for those that wish to remain silent.

My only question for educators who like to share this book in class is "Are all children mature enough to read and discuss this book?" Frost reveals the most real issues that definately requires tactful discussions, advanced thinking skills and emotional stability. For the same reasons that this book may assist with many issues, the same reasons, this book may be dested. Students with less experiences from multiple circumstances mentioned in this book, may have different responses than those that can use the book and discussion time as theraphy and relief.

Helen Frost's idea of characterizing the students in Mrs. Williams' class to symbolize students in every real classroom is inventive and imaginative.All of the fictional student's problems are universal and regrettably timeless, which makes this well known book a useful resource in every setting. The talent used in offering multiple forms of poetry while succesively telling the story of their lives provides readers with additional messages in the acrostic poems, the simplicity of reading unrhymed verses and then, also the use of their own imagination in the blank verse.

CONNECTIONS

More than anything else, the emotional connection that embraces the audience to share their personal feelings, experiences and how they can relate to the students in room 214, is considerably noteworthy. Counselors, mentors, small group leaders, enrichment program coordinators and teachers of behavior challenged students can apply the verse topics to illustrate how other children deal with similar issues that their students deal with. Stronger bonds and relationships, increased trust and responsive interaction may result from sharing such an influential novel.

You can assume that the verses are the students journal entries. The connection of writing, journaling and private conversation on paper links the teacher and students to a trusted form of communication. Students who are shy and uncomfortable with speaking directly to adults about issues can be presented with this book to promote positive journaling and other confidential forms of writing.

REVIEWS

"Readers may be surprised at the complexity of rules governing the writing, so naturally does the author seem to capture the poetic essence of the children's voices-and she makes it look like so much fun that readers may want to try out some of the forms themselves."
- Publisher’s Weekly


"Interwoven dramatic stories and interesting poetic patterns give this book extra appeal."
- Lee Bock, School Library Journal


"Appropriate, original imagery and understated, natural voices make these poems sensitive and insightful. Since the students sometimes sound older than fifth-graders, the collection will appeal to readers and teachers in middle school and high school."
- Kirkus Reviews


Similar books to share....

Lord, Cynthia. RULES ISBN 9780439443838

McCormick, Patricia. SOLD ISBN 97804439443838

Roy, Jennifer. YELLOW STAR ISBN 9780761452775


Other talented authors who have written in verse...

Margaret Wild
Ellen Hopkins
Steven Herrick

An Acrostic Poem

Introduction: Take a poetry break with middle school students during history class and share J. Patrick Lewis' poem Christopher Columbus. First, introduce the poetry book, A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme. Locate the Columbus poem and show Alison Jay's illustration. Select a reader and have them share the peom in front of his peers. After the first reading, ask the selected reader to use his own creative tone to read the poem. Allow a few more students the opportunity to share the peom in their tone.

Christopher Columbus

Spain dispatched three ships

Across the Atlantic on a

Navigator's hopeless dream of

Traveling westward to Asia

All dreams end in suprise.

Morning, October 12, 1492:

Ahoy! In the Bahamas, he had

Reached the wilder shores of

Inhabitation, lost in the future,

Anchored at the far end of destiny.

Extension: Ask the class what form J. Patrick Lewis wrote the Columbus poem. Pass the book around or walk around the classroom so that all students can see the poem and point out the name of one of Columbus' ships, Santa Maria. Wait for the correct answer: Acrostic - Poetry that certain letters, usually the first in each line form a word or message when read in a sequence.

Activity - Internet search on Christopher Columbus! Have each student find the answer to a specific Columbus trivia question.
* When was Columbus Day first observed as a holiday?
*Find the name of a city and state of where there is a statue or monument of Columbus.
*If Christopher Columbus had children, what where their names?
*Which voyage was longer - the first or the second?
*Locate the name of an author who has written about Columbus' life. What is the title of the book?

Lewis, J. Patrick. A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme (Illustrated by Alison Jay). New York: A Dial Book for Young Readers, 2002. ISBN: 9780803725799

Down by the Riverside

Introduction: Poets paint with thier words. Explain to students that often times the poet leaves the pictured image of the poem to the audience to whom he is presenting to. Read Dave Etter's Down by the Riverside and have the students listen to the words of the poem. Read the poem again, but this time, provide various art untensils to allow students to paint thier own image of what they hear when the poem is read. Wait until the students are completely done with thier pictures before showing them Benton's.

Down by the Riverside by Dave Etter

Uncle Roy

has done it

again. He

has saided our

bright orange kite

with the long

and fancy

tail into

the summer

sky. He will

soon make it

fly higher

and higher.

My sister

Lucinda

prances on

spongy grass.

Our yellow

dog Barney

barks and barks

his doggie

approval.

Mom and Dad

have seen lots

of orange kites

dance in a

warm breeze. Mom

gulps a cold

drink while Dad

is busy

at the grill

cooking meat.

Both of them

leave us to

our young joy

down by the

riverside.

Extension: After reading the poem and seeing the students pictures. Have volunteers stand before the class and explain their vision of being down by the riverside. Show the students Thomas Hart Benton's oil painting. Have an open discussion allowing students compare thier art to Benton's or address why the did or did not include some of the same things that Benton did in his painting. Allow students to express their feelings and ask them if they like disliked Benton's painting. On a bulleton board, post the student's pictures around a color copy of Benton's painting. This can be done weekly with various poets and authors.

Greenberg, Jan. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth - Century American Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 2001. ISBN 9780810943865

Painting:

Thomas Hart Benton. Down by the Riverside. 1969. Oil on canvas.

Until I Saw the Sea

INTRODUCTION

In concluding your weather unit ask your Kindergarten students what they have learned about wild wind and how wind affects weather. On a chart board, list what the students say and discuss. Prompt students to use wind vocabulary such as; lull, wind chill, gusts, breeze and specific types of wild wind weather like tornado, blizzard, hurricane, cyclone and storm.

Before reading the peom, ask students to relaxe and think about what happens on this windy day at the beach...

Until I Saw The Sea

Until I saw the sea

I did not know
that wind
could wrinkle water so.

I never knew

that sun
could splinter a whole sea of blue.

Nor

did I know before
a sea breathes in and out
upon a shore.
Lilian Moore



EXTENSION
Ask specific questions about the poem after reading it three times, such as;
How does wind wrinkle water? What is a shore? What does wind do to water at the beach?
How does the sea breathe in and out? Does the author really think that the shore breathes like we do?

Introduce a month long classroom project: Wind Chart
select a student each day to chart the wind after coming in from recess

Art Project: Wind Chime

Brown Angels

Myers, Walter Dean. 1996. Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780152046392

Walter Dean Myers pulled photographs from his own personal collection and wrote poems to them. His love for children and African American history inspired this children's poetry book for children of all times to read and enjoy. The photographs used in the book reflect the lives of children during the turn of the centry, which compliment the "old time" language used in some of the poems. Blossoms, Jolly being a mood and the name of a child and the "giggle" that Jeanie has are examples of figurative language and Myers using metaphoric phrases to add more depth to the poems.

I don't think that children would be attracted to the book without it being presented by a teacher or parent first. Some of words may be somewhat difficult for beginning readers to read on their own while other poems would be easier because of the repetition and rhym. But because every child likes to see other children in photographs who either resemble them or are the same age as them, this book would be an album of pictures for all children. The children's clothing, picture settings, facial expressions and props can all attribute to quality discussion that describe the lives of the children and what their interests and hobbies may have been.

The classic pictures make this book timeless and universal. Children throughout the next century can look at these historic photographs to get visual evidence of what "back in the day" means. Altering tone of the poems allow the readers and the audience to adjust them to being silly or serious.

Myers at age 11

Connecting to classroom curriculum

Brown Angels celebrates the life and beauty of African American children. This book can be used for young audiences, children 5 - 10, for African American history, American history and for discussing how children played, learned and lived during the turn of the century. The poem Little Black Girl reminds me of songs for jumping rope or hand games for counting. Prayer, another poem in the book can be best matched with classroom discussions and curriculum regarding self esteem and appreciating one's value, talents and goals in life. Poems like Summer can be used for a seasonal theme and Love That Boy to introduce family traditions, traits and genetics.

Prayer

Shout my name to the angels
Sing my song to the skies
Anoint my ears with wisdom
Let beauty fill my eyes

For I am dark and precious
And have such gifts to give
Sweet joy, sweet love,
Sweet laughter
Sweet wondrous life to live

Pretty Little Black Girl

Pretty little black girl
Sweet as you can be
Wiggle waggle, wiggle waggle
One, two, three

Pretty little tan girl
She knows all the tricks
Wiggle waggle, wiggle waggle
Four, five, six

Pretty little brown girl
You know you sing so fine
Wiggle waggle, wiggle waggle
Seven, eight, nine

Pretty little coffee girl
She knows how to win
Wiggle waggle, wiggle waggle
We’ve reached ten!

Reviews


"Myers' collection of photographs, though, is extraordinary: snapshots and posed studio portraits, capturing a great range of personalities and moods in the children's expressions."
- Carolyn Phelan, Booklist


"A beautiful, unique album."
-The Horn Book





Similar books to share

Cruch, Sharon. Love That Dog ISBN 9780064409599

Sidman, Joyce. Pamela Zagerenski (ill.) This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness ISBN 8780618616800

Zoo's Who

Florian, Douglas. 2005. ZOO'S WHO: POEMS AND PAINTINGS. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152046392

Douglas Florian's Zoo's Who is amazingly unique in its appeal to young listeners. Florian's creative use of rhyming words, creative print and made up words with short and quick lines gives a young audience something to remember about each animal. The special effects of the words like "eensie-weensie" and "tennsie" getting smaller and smaller in print and then the words in the poem "The Terns" written in the shape of a square and the S shape lettering of the word snake show ingenious innovation for a poet giving the reader freedom of reciting his work as they please. This book of poems is packed with word play incorporated with comical delight.
Florian's inspiration for compiling this book of zoo animal poems is The Ant.



THE ANT



I wANTed to write

A poem on and ANT.

I'm frANTic -

I cAN'T.



There is too much to say about the paintings. Not only is the medium a mixed array of things you wouldn't dream of using to illustrate, but they are exotically prepared and presented to compliment the poems. My favorite of all is the sheep who places his front hoof over his lips to imply a quiet place to sleep. I would love to hear a group discussion amongst students after reading each of the poems. The rattle in the bush baby's hand, subliminal messages on each painting and the lady bug's (or men bug's) dotted wings are excellent ways to see how well the student's pay attention to artistic details while using both audio and visual learning preferences at the same time. Florian gives critics a final note to mention by placing the page numbers in the center of the page.



Teachers and parents can use this book on visit to the zoo. Writing the poems on index cards or bravely taking the actual copy of the book with you makes reciting poems and learning as fun as just searching for each animal in their natural habitat.

My poetic response to Who's Zoo...

Use your own tone

dramatic or INtense.

Start out slooooooooooooow,

then left in suSPense!

Review Excerpts:

"overall effect is quick and primitive, sometimes puzzling. While not the strongest work in this series, both the verse and the art might find diverse use by imaginative classroom teachers."

-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston, - School Library Journal

"For gales of laughter, read the poems aloud; for chuckles of amusement, linger over the pictures-either way, Florian demonstrates as well as any writer or artist ever has the simple joys of playing with language and imagery."

-Kirkus Review

Other likable books by Douglas Florian:

Bing Bang Boing

Comets, Stars the Moon & Mars: Space Poems & Paintings

Autumnblings

best feast: Poems

lizards, frogs, & polliwogs

Insectlopedia

Hopkins Anthology - Weather

Weather: Poems for All Seasons (I Can Read Book Series: Level 3)








Introduction Hopkins compiled poems by various artist who wrote about all of the seasons in the year. Creative, funny and descriptive poems that not only appeal to young readers, but also to those that love science and have an interest in mother nature's gifts to us - rain, sleet or snow and of course the fun days filled with warmth and sun kisses. A poem to match the science topic is a great entry for learning new vocabulary or factual points that describe a specific weather condition. When discussing the rain season, Spring, and what happens the next day or following rain with cooler weather conditions, a great opening poem would Grayness, by Charlotte Zolotow.

Grayness

Fog on the river

fog in the trees

gray mist moving

the golden leaves

Willow bending,dancelike,

long arms trailing,trancelike.

Gray morning

gray light

gray mist

gray night.

By Charlotte Zolotow

Extension After reading the poem, ask students if they have ever rode in the car with parents in foggy weather or walked outside and experience low fog. Have students create art work that reveals a picture in fog. Allow access to multiple types of medium, gray construction paper, paints, markers, map pencils and chalk to allow a variety of gray.

Connecting with the curriculum:

Beginning readers, Ages 6 - 9

morning calendar time, science, art, independent reading, journal writing

Weather: Poems for All Seasons contains a mixture of rhyming poems, funny poems, and poems that you can alter the tone to fit the mood or audience. The easy reads make this book perfect for the book center or in the resource center. The illustrations help give life to the words and assit the reader in seeing what the poet is feeling or thinking.





Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1995. Weather: Poems for All Seasons (I can Read Book Series: Level 3). New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

I DREAM A WORLD

I dream a world where man


No other man will scorn,


Where love will bless the earth


And peace its paths adorn.


I dream a world where all


Will know sweet freedom's way,


Where greed no longer saps the soul


Nor avarice blights our day.


A world I dream where black or white,


Whatever race you be,


Will share the bounties of the earth


And every man is free,


Where wretchedness will hang its head


And joy, like a pearl,


Attends the need of all mankind -


Of such I dream, my world!







by Langston Hughes from Poetry for Young People


Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.


2006


ISBN-13: 978-1-4027-1845-8


ISBN-10: 1-4027-1845-4

My Backpack Weighs A Thousand Pounds

My backpack weighs a thousand pounds,

It's fatter than a cow!

I don't know how I carry it,

But do it anyhow.

It's filled with books and papers

That my teacher says I need -

She never lets me lighten it,

No matter how I plead.

Sometimes it tips me backward,

It's a wonder I don't fall.

Sometimes I have to stop and rest

And lean against a wall.

I tell you, from experience,

It's not a lot of fun

When you have to lug a backpack

That's about a half a ton.

from What A Day It Was At School by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Doug Cushman

Greenwillow Books

An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

2006

ISBN - 13: 978-0-06-082336-8

ISBN-10: 0-06-082336-4