Mod. 5

Bibliography

Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts. ISBN: 978-0-7636-3174-1.

About the Poem Collection

Throughout this collection of nineteen poems many words, pictures, and voices erupt and invite the reader to laughter filled ride around school. This collection of school poems is designed for the elementary aged but the colorful school references will appeal to students and teachers alike. Most of the poems contain dialogues between two individuals covering common school-day themes such as new friends, cafeteria lunch, and homework excuses.  The text's various typefaces identify suggestions for different voices and easily allow more than one reader to read aloud the poem.

One Poem

                             

I Can’t Wait

Today’s the day.

I can’t wait.

At recess time,

I won’t be late.

I’ll meet you by

the mulberry tree.

And then you’ll make the trade with me.

I’ll trade my little green iguana…

for my little sister Donna!

Activities

·      Have students partner up and pick a poem to perform for the class.

·      Have students read the poems that pertain to where they are going throughout the school day.  For example, before going to the library read “In the Library” or before going to recess read “Messing Around on the Monkey Bars”.

Bibliography

Sidman, Joyce. 2010. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children: New York. ISBN 978-0-329-85965-7.

About the Poem Collection

In this collection of 19 poems that celebrate the wonder and danger of the night and describes the many things that hide in the dark Joyce Sidman combines lyrical poetry and compelling art with science concepts.  The poems highlight facts and tidbits of information that any child would find intriguing.  A glossary at the end of the book provides the reader with a great resource of science terms.  This collection is a great way to incorporate science and reading.

One Poem

Love Poem of the Primrose Moth

Evening unfolds like a primrose,

pale and scented.

The moon, a primrose:

two faces glowing.

Which is sweeter: night flight

or the nectar of a primrose?

I have only one true love:

it is the primrose.

At dawn, I fold my sherbet-colored wings

and become

                        a primrose.

Activities

*Read the poem about the Primrose Moth when studying the life cycle of butterflies as an introduction to the topic.

*Read “Welcome to The Night” and have students make a list of nocturnal animals.

*Use the poems as introduction to an animal study.

Bibliography

Wardlaw, Lee. 2011. Won Ton A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. Henry Holt and Company: New York. ISBN 978-0-8050-8995-0.

About the Poem Collection

This collection tells a great story of a cat's journey from a shelter to a home with a boy. The collection will delight children of all ages and animals lovers.  These series of senryu poems, similar to haiku, will serve as a great example of how poems do not have to rhyme while focusing on the nature of an animal.  Yelchin's graphite and gouache pictures match the poems' sensitivity as well as their humor.  This is the perfect companion to poetry month and multicultural literature.

A Poem

The Car Ride

Letmeoutletme

outletmeoutletmeout.

Wait-let me back in!

Activities

*Do a poetry study of other poets who have received the Lee Bennett Hopkins award.

*Find other poems about animals and have students read and discuss the poems.

Module 4

Bibliography

Nelson, Marilyn. 2001. Carver A Life in Poems. Asheville, North Carolina: Front Street. ISBN: 1-886910-53-7

About the Poem Collection

George Washington Carver comes alive in collection of poetry about his life. Most of the narrative poems are not simple verses but they give a great description of various points of Carver’s life.  The poems go beyond what the average person knows about Carver they discuss how he overcame poverty, racial boundaries and always pursuing knowledge. The poems are accompanied with photographs of Carver, his family and friends and gives brief descriptions of the important events in his life. The poems are told in such a way that the reader can identify easily with Carver. This book is a must for any library's poetry collection, regardless of whether the collection is for children, young adults or adults.

One Poem

                             

Drifter

Something says find out

why rain falls, what makes corn proud

and squash so humble, the questions

call like a train whistle so at fourteen,

fifteen, eighteen, nineteen still on half-fare,

over the receding landscapes the perceiving self

stares back from the darkening window.

Activities

*Research the life of George Washington Carver

*Create a timeline of his life.

*Do a compare contrast with this poetry book and a biography book about George Washington Carver.

Bibliography

Volavkova, Hana, ed. I never saw another butterfly: Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp 1942-1944. 1993. New York: Schocken Books. ISBN: 0-8052-4115-9.

About the Poem Collection

Different children who lived in the ghetto of Terezin wrote this collection of poetry and artwork.  The poems and paintings depict the everyday life of these young children who were forced to live in this ghetto by the Nazi army.  The insight of the poems and pictures are heartbreaking but give a perspective of the war that many may not be familiar with, the perspective from these young children and teenagers.  Many of the poems read like a journal entry while others are more in the tradition poem format.

This collection would be a valuable tool for anyone who is studying WWII.  The poems are informative, filled with vocabulary and speak about the social movements that were happening during this time.

One Poem

Illness

Sadness, stillness in the room.

In the middle, a table and a bed.

In the bed, a feverish boy.

His mother sits next to him

with a little book.

She reads him his favorite story

and immediately, the fever subsides.

Franta Bass

Activities

*After students read this poetry collection they can try and research the poets and artist to find out what happened to them after WWII.

*The teacher can show pictures of the ghetto of Terezin and ask the students to write down their feelings or thoughts about what they see or how they would feel if they had to live there.

Bibliography

Elliot, David. Ill. By Holy Meade.  In the Wild. Margeret K McElderry Books. 2008.  ISBN 978-1-4169-1832-5

About the Poem Collection

In this thematic collection of animals David Elliot writes about a variety of wild beast.  These lyrical verses are entertaining to read a loud and silently.  The short poems provide descriptions and facts about the animals.  For example in the poem The Panda Elliot writes “You’re a bamboo bandit” and “you’re cookies and cream”.  The clarity of the descriptions will allow for great visualization to the reader. 

Many of the poems allow for deeper discussions and thoughts.  For example in the poem about a jaguar the poet states “Beware of jungle-raised bouquets. Beware these hidden thorns”, imagine the great discussions that can unfold from just simply asking the students “What does that mean?”  Another example can be found in The Polar Bear there is a message about the polar bear disappearing in the snow.  This could lead to discussion on the impact of Global Warming.  The precise use of language and the ease of the rhymes make this a great collection.

A Poem

The Giraffe

Stilt-walker!

Tree-topper!

Long-necked

show-stoper!

Activities

*Use this book to introduce the study of animals.

*Assign each student or group of students a different animal and have them compile a list of poems about their animal.

*Read part or all of the poems and have the students predict what animal the poem is about.