Introduction: In science while discussing the various biomes have this poem ready to read when discussing the desert. This is a very appropriate poem for those of us who live in arid West Texas. The refrain is particularly appropriate on a hot summer day. Although our area does not have the red mesas we can certainly see the shimmer of the searing heat. The air does not move at all -- as if holding a giant breath. This poem is a wonderful description of desert summer heat.
DESERT
By: Lillian M. Fisher
The desert is holding a giant breath (Chorus)
The air is dusty and dry
Red mesas shimmer in searing heat
Under a blanket of sky.
Coyote’s asleep in slender shade
Dreaming of evening prey
For who would go out in a warm fur coat
To hunt on a summer day?
Lazy brown ants have made their retreat
To a colony under the hill
Tortoise and rabbit, even the birds
Are idle and peacefully still.
The desert is holding a giant breath (Chorus)
The air is dusty and dry
Red mesas shimmer in searing heat
Under a blanket of sky.
Extension:
Discuss other images, feelings, observations that relate to the desert.
Write a poem about summer heat in the desert.
Use this poem while reading:
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York: Scholastic, ISBN 0590360809
or
Stanley, Jerry. 1999. CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. New York: Sagebrush, ISBN 0785716750
[from MY AMERICA: A POETRY ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES (Simon & Schuster, 2000)]
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
#8 Poetry Book Review MARVELOUS MATH A BOOK OF POEMS
Content Area (Math) Poetry Book Review
MARVELOUS MATH A BOOK OF POEMS Collected by: Lee Bennett Hopkins Illustrated by: Karen Barbour
Bibliography: Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1997. MATH A BOOK OF POEMS. Ill. By: Barbour, Karen. New York: Simon and Schuster, ISBN 068980658-2.
This topical anthology of sixteen poems was selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and includes two of his own poems as well as poems by Madeleine Comora, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Lillian M. Fisher, Betsy Franco, Joan Bransfield Graham, Felice Holman, Karla Kuskin, David McCord, Beverly McLoughland, Mary O’Neill, Ilo Orleans, J. Thomas Sparough, and Janet S. Wong. The book takes a look at mathematical concepts taught in school, primarily intermediate grades and some also address how math is related to life skills.
The poems TAKE A NUMBER, by Mary O’Neill, TO BUILD A HOUSE by Lillian Fisher, NATURE KNOWS IT’S MATH, by Joan Graham and TIME PASSES by Ilo Orleans give understanding to the question that kids ask “why do I need to know math.” In TAKE A NUMBER, Mary O’Neill asks us to image a world without math. Math is used to calculate time (TIME PASSES), divide the seasons (NATURE KNOWS IT’S MATH), and build a house (TO BUILD A HOUSE). These are only a few of the ways that answer the question “why do I need to know math”.
FRACTIONS by Lee Bennett Hopkins and SOS by Beverly McLoughland identify with the child who is learning new math facts. The colorful illustrations by Karen Barbour add to the mathematical concept. Particularly interesting is the illustration connected with SOS. With the overwhelming look of the child trying to take in the concept of long division, as a teacher, I see the child trying to think of different ways to keep the knowledge in, however, the poem says she can’t get the idea out of her head. The poem says “get it out of my head”, I think “keep it in the head”. FRACTIONS also merits attention with the umbrella, watermelon, cake, and hat divided into pieces. The illustration divides items that are easily recognizable by students in the same way that teachers teach fractions. The one poem that the analytical mind would appreciate is MATH MAKES SENSE TO ME by Betty Franco. Many times these students are the ones that feel out of place, or perhaps bored with mathematical concepts. The reason is it does make sense to them. I think they might appreciate this poem.
A note from the artist included in the book states that she used gouache paint (an opaque watercolor) and usually painted the backgrounds first and then the outlines for the figures, sometimes adding several layers of paints and other times using pencil for outline.
Reviews from HORN BOOK GUIDE suggest K-3 and SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL suggest 3-5. Although the colorful illustrations are appropriate for the younger students, the older kids would appreciate the poems themselves in relation to the math facts that they are addressing in the educational process. They would relate to fractions, division, decimals and multiplication as addressed in several of the poems.
REVIEWS
Horn Book Guide: Illustrated with bright color paintings, sixteen poems present different aspects of mathematics, from its usefulness (it helps prove your brother will always be three years younger than you) to its horror (poor Sammy has a long division problem stuck in his brain).
School Library Journal: Hopkins pulls together poems on mathematics, providing insights from writers such as Karla Kuskin, Janet S. Wong, and Lillian M. Fisher. Several selections share the predictable theme of the significance of math and numbers. Rebecca Kai Dotlich's title poem, for example, asks questions such as, "How fast does a New York taxi go?" and "How slow do feathers fall?" and suggests how to find the answers. Rhymed and open verse styles are represented, as are a variety of tones. Barbour's lively illustrations dance and play around the poems. Her boldly outlined watercolor figures, often wearing ill-fitting hats, fill the pages with childlike whimsy. Children will enjoy studying the oddly colored animals, numbers, and stylized, arched-browed people.
Connections:
SING-ALONG AND LEARN: MARVELOUS MATH by: Ken Sheldon, Scholastic Inc.
Sharing these poems through Poetry Breaks when instructing the various concepts addressed in this collection would give a little down time in a situation that is stressful to many students. It would help to relax the mind a little and take it off the “I don’t get it mode”.
MARVELOUS MATH A BOOK OF POEMS Collected by: Lee Bennett Hopkins Illustrated by: Karen Barbour
Bibliography: Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1997. MATH A BOOK OF POEMS. Ill. By: Barbour, Karen. New York: Simon and Schuster, ISBN 068980658-2.
This topical anthology of sixteen poems was selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and includes two of his own poems as well as poems by Madeleine Comora, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Lillian M. Fisher, Betsy Franco, Joan Bransfield Graham, Felice Holman, Karla Kuskin, David McCord, Beverly McLoughland, Mary O’Neill, Ilo Orleans, J. Thomas Sparough, and Janet S. Wong. The book takes a look at mathematical concepts taught in school, primarily intermediate grades and some also address how math is related to life skills.
The poems TAKE A NUMBER, by Mary O’Neill, TO BUILD A HOUSE by Lillian Fisher, NATURE KNOWS IT’S MATH, by Joan Graham and TIME PASSES by Ilo Orleans give understanding to the question that kids ask “why do I need to know math.” In TAKE A NUMBER, Mary O’Neill asks us to image a world without math. Math is used to calculate time (TIME PASSES), divide the seasons (NATURE KNOWS IT’S MATH), and build a house (TO BUILD A HOUSE). These are only a few of the ways that answer the question “why do I need to know math”.
FRACTIONS by Lee Bennett Hopkins and SOS by Beverly McLoughland identify with the child who is learning new math facts. The colorful illustrations by Karen Barbour add to the mathematical concept. Particularly interesting is the illustration connected with SOS. With the overwhelming look of the child trying to take in the concept of long division, as a teacher, I see the child trying to think of different ways to keep the knowledge in, however, the poem says she can’t get the idea out of her head. The poem says “get it out of my head”, I think “keep it in the head”. FRACTIONS also merits attention with the umbrella, watermelon, cake, and hat divided into pieces. The illustration divides items that are easily recognizable by students in the same way that teachers teach fractions. The one poem that the analytical mind would appreciate is MATH MAKES SENSE TO ME by Betty Franco. Many times these students are the ones that feel out of place, or perhaps bored with mathematical concepts. The reason is it does make sense to them. I think they might appreciate this poem.
A note from the artist included in the book states that she used gouache paint (an opaque watercolor) and usually painted the backgrounds first and then the outlines for the figures, sometimes adding several layers of paints and other times using pencil for outline.
Reviews from HORN BOOK GUIDE suggest K-3 and SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL suggest 3-5. Although the colorful illustrations are appropriate for the younger students, the older kids would appreciate the poems themselves in relation to the math facts that they are addressing in the educational process. They would relate to fractions, division, decimals and multiplication as addressed in several of the poems.
REVIEWS
Horn Book Guide: Illustrated with bright color paintings, sixteen poems present different aspects of mathematics, from its usefulness (it helps prove your brother will always be three years younger than you) to its horror (poor Sammy has a long division problem stuck in his brain).
School Library Journal: Hopkins pulls together poems on mathematics, providing insights from writers such as Karla Kuskin, Janet S. Wong, and Lillian M. Fisher. Several selections share the predictable theme of the significance of math and numbers. Rebecca Kai Dotlich's title poem, for example, asks questions such as, "How fast does a New York taxi go?" and "How slow do feathers fall?" and suggests how to find the answers. Rhymed and open verse styles are represented, as are a variety of tones. Barbour's lively illustrations dance and play around the poems. Her boldly outlined watercolor figures, often wearing ill-fitting hats, fill the pages with childlike whimsy. Children will enjoy studying the oddly colored animals, numbers, and stylized, arched-browed people.
Connections:
SING-ALONG AND LEARN: MARVELOUS MATH by: Ken Sheldon, Scholastic Inc.
Sharing these poems through Poetry Breaks when instructing the various concepts addressed in this collection would give a little down time in a situation that is stressful to many students. It would help to relax the mind a little and take it off the “I don’t get it mode”.
Monday, March 5, 2007
SPRING POEM
Introduction: Take the kids outside and have them look around and brainstorm changes they see taking place. Then read this poem and see if they have seen some of the changes taking place that are listed in this poem.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SPRING
By: Douglas Florian
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!
[from Handsprings (Greenwillow, 2006)]
Extension:
When you go back into the room, write the students initial brainstorming thoughts on the board. Read the poem again. Have the students add other ideas of spring changes to the list. Then allow the students to work independently or in pairs to write a poem of things they like about spring.
Read Douglas Florian’s poem WHAT I HATE ABOUT SPRING (found in the same book) to the students. They can compare the two poems and it will be interesting to see if they can “feel” the difference in the moods of the two.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SPRING
By: Douglas Florian
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!
[from Handsprings (Greenwillow, 2006)]
Extension:
When you go back into the room, write the students initial brainstorming thoughts on the board. Read the poem again. Have the students add other ideas of spring changes to the list. Then allow the students to work independently or in pairs to write a poem of things they like about spring.
Read Douglas Florian’s poem WHAT I HATE ABOUT SPRING (found in the same book) to the students. They can compare the two poems and it will be interesting to see if they can “feel” the difference in the moods of the two.
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