Module 6-Fiction and Poetry/LS 5663-20

Fiction-John,Antony. Five Flavors of Dumb. Dial Books, 2011. ISBN 9780803734333
Poetry-Nye,Naomi S.. Time you let me in. Greenwillow Books, 2010. ISBN 9780061896378
Teens face many hardships and will encounter new struggles daily. The book that I have chosen to review is one of the winners for the Schneider Family Book Award. This award is given to honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies the artistic impression of the disability experience for a child or an adolescent. The book that I have chosen to review is called Five Flavors of Dumb. It is the Teen 2011 Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award.
The story introduces us to the character of Piper, who daily faces life as a deaf teenager. Through a bizarre set of circumstances and a bit of a dare, she becomes the manager of a group of budding musicians from her high school. All of Piper’s efforts to improve the band and have them be taken seriously are constant being undermine by the lead singer and his would be girlfriend, who is brought into the band to be used as eye candy. As a deaf person in a world that tends to focus only on the negative aspects, she longs to stand out and be known as something other than a deaf girl among her friends and her family. She overcomes many prejudices and stereotypes by working with the band, and throughout the book discovers the importance of family and true friendship.
The book of the poetry that will correlate with this book is called Time you let me in. It is a collection of poems by poets under the age of twenty-five. Each of the poems in this book gives an insight into their lives and their profound life-altering words. The following poem is one that I feel explains the transformation that the character, Piper, goes through.
Rootless
Like a net my fingers skim
Tap water, cleaning mung beans
Sprouts
The way you showed me.
From my palm I find the whole
Ones, fetal curvatures with scalps
Blossoming on tiny yellowed skulls.
My nail bisects the vertebrae
From primordial tail, roots
Cast away in the sink.
Though I never learned
The purpose , it’s a habit that remind
Me
Of a time that you let me in.
I feel that this poem represents breaking lives into different pieces. As a matter of protection and privacy, teenagers notoriously do not always let many into their very personal thoughts and feelings. As a way of protecting themselves, others are often alienated. When layers of sharing are dissected and opened up, a deeper understanding is achieved. Each of the poems included in this book help to reinforce the purpose of allowing young poets to share what they are feeling without fear of rejection. Each of the poems can be appreciated and understood by those who allow themselves to absorb the words. Many of the experiences that are being written about are familiar to readers and could serve as a healing experience.
I would use both of these books when working with middle school or high school students. Both of these books would be very beneficial when encouraging students to share their feelings through writing either poetry or prose. I would use the poem as a catalyst to encourage adolescents to share about areas of the life that others may not know about.

Module 6-Janeczko Collection/LS 5663-20

Module 6-Janeczko Collection
Janeczko,Paul B.. Dirty laundry pile, poems in different voices. China: Harper Collins Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0-688-16251-7
How you ever wondered what ordinary household objects would say if they only had a voice. Paul Janeczko has compiled a group of poems that answer that very question. These types of poems are called persona or masks poems. The poem is told from the point of view of the object.
Each of these poems take you inside the mind of the object and it is as if it is speaking directly to you. The poems are written with a natural rhyme and flow easily when read aloud. The following poem is a fun and interesting way to look at something that we all deal with everyday and most of us really do not want to deal with.
Dirty Laundry Pile
By Marcy Barack Black
Ignore me now
On the floor
By the door.
But you’ll notice
When I swell
By my smell.
Each of the poems included in this book are naturally fun ,and could prompt children into thinking about what different objects would say if they were able to verbalize their thoughts. Paul Janezcko has included poems that are high in quality and are consistently fun and creative. The persona poems include work about a variety of objects, such as vacuum cleaners, kites and snowflakes. The poems use very descriptive language and use unique and fun words that students will want to use over and over.
I would use the following poem as a fun way to introduce persona poems in the classroom or library.
Broom
By Tony Johnston
I am the trusted consort
Of floors, accomplice
Of water and swash,
Confidant of corners
Where skulks shifty, fugitive
Trash.
I am a blunt whisker,
Ghost-voiced shadow-sweeper
(suspicious of the dark),
Collector of exquisite
Scraps,
Confessor to expiring
Flies,
Seeker –of-the –lost,
Keeper-of-the-uncherished,
The crushed.
I share the deepest secrets
Of the dust.
I would bring a broom in as a prop to use while reading the poem aloud. I would have students brainstorm words that describe the broom. Afterward, I would have the students each take turns holding the broom and modeling the actions one would use when using the broom. Students could then discuss how they think the broom feels as it is being used. I would also ask students what other household objects would they think that the broom would want to be. As an extension, I would give students the chance to write their own version of the poem or choose another object and create their own persona poem.

Module 6-Poetry by Kids/LS-5663-20

Module 6-Poetry by Kids
Things I have to tell you: poems and writing by teenage girls. Betsy Franco. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-7636-1035-7
Teenage girls are mysterious individuals. They are precious, wonderful, will be loving one minute and screaming at you the next. This book is composed of the writing of young adolescent girls who were able to verbalize their feelings and frustrations through poetry. The editor of this book began the process of writing the book when a family friend shared some the struggles that she was going through. The idea started in the local high schools in the area and, eventually spread across the country.
Each of the poems included in the book reinforce the purpose of the book, which is to allow the voice of young girls to be heard in a setting where they feel that someone is listening and not judging. Many of the poems are very frank and explicit about a variety of topics, such as sharing a part of themselves with a boy and then having the boy leave them for someone else, or always expected to be perfect in every way. The following poem is very descriptive and to the point in regards to the feelings of a teenage girl.
Escape
I look inside me and I don’t see it
I don’t see the power
The confidence you say I have
You say I can do anything
That I’m sure of myself and my intentions
And I wonder
But I don’t know
If it’s all there
Waiting for the opportunity
To jump into you
And try to help you
Fix you
Ask you
Why? Because I don’t know
I wait anxiously
Feeling my stomach
A block of ice
Chipping away, melting,
Then freezing up again
Who can I follow?
Theresa Hossfield, age 16
The excerpt given stimulates the feelings and emotions felt by many teenage girls, as well as adults who have experience the same feeling during their teen years. I would use this book as a way to allow adolescent girls to sharing their feelings. Due to explicit language and the personal nature of some of the topics, I would use the book in a setting where the girls would feel comfortable sharing their feelings and similar frustrations after hearing the poems read aloud. I feel that the appropriate setting could be among girls in a youth group or in a group of girls in an English class. I feel that these poems could be better understood and appreciated if read aloud. I would have the girls in the group share either written or orally their feelings and opinions after listening to the poems. Students could also be encouraged to write their own poetry about similar experiences.
Several of the poems could be shared in a classroom setting with both sexes present. The poems could be used to allow the boys to share their feelings from a male point of view. I feel that if this is used then ground rules must be set to ensure the feelings that are shared will be respected.

Module 5-Performance Poetry/LS-5663-20

Franco,Betsy. Messing around on the monkey bars and other school poems for two voices. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7636-3174-1
Poetry is meant to be shared and this book provides many excellent opportunities for performing with others. The author has provided a guide for using each of these poems by writing each of the lines with different levels of boldness. Different strategies are provided for reading the poems, such as by two individuals, two groups, or all together. The call and response strategy for performing is probably best suited for this work.
Each of the poems have a definite rhythm, and would work well with clapping or snapping by the students as they read them. The rhyming of each of the poems is natural and flows well. The following poem will appeal to students and can be used as a poetry break or even used during physical education classes.
Messing Around on the Monkey Bars
Time for recess!
Here we are,
Messing around on the monkey bars!
Hand over hand,
Fast or slow,
Calling to our friends below.
Skipping two bars,
Skipping three,
Dangling down by just our knees.
Swinging up
Above the ground,
Missing bars and tumbling down.
Hooting, howling,
Here we are,
Messing around on the monkey bars!
This poem could be acted out with students moving the hands and body to match the motions mentioned in each of the lines.
Each of the poems touch upon an area that each student will encounter ,or has already encountered in their school experience. The poems help the reader to see the school experience from the student perspective. Students will share their honest feelings about topics, and many will be able to identify with each of these poems. A multitude of thoughts and emotions will be felt and expressed as the reader journeys through this book.
I would use the following poem as a way to welcome a new student in the classroom. The poem could calm fears of being the new kid and would help the other students have a fun way to introduce themselves. Each student could write their own version after modeling and performing the poem with the class. Younger students could write a class version, instead of individual poems.
New Kid at School
Where did you come from?
Far away.
Miss your friends?
Every day.
Where do you live?
Maple Street.
What’s your name?
Call me Pete.
How old are you?
Just turned eight.
You like hoops?
Yeah, great.
Got any friends?
Nope, not yet.
Wanna play?
You bet!

Module 5-Hopkins Award Poetry/LS 5663-20

Florian,Douglas. Beast Feast. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1994. ISBN 0-590-13158-3
What is the animal that you like the most? Which animal scares you? These are the questions that triggers responses of excitement, fear and fascination. Douglas Florian has created fun and exciting poems about several feared “beasts” .
This book was the recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award. The criteria for winning this award is that it must be accessible to children and its presentation must serve the poems in an attractive and appropriate manner. Beastfeast was the recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award in 1995.
Each of the poems are appealing to children and are full of fascinating and interesting details. The details included in each of the poems will stimulate the emotions felt when reading about or even seeing the animals featured in the book. Students will want to share information about each animal and most students will have a story or two to share gleaned from a show on television or on the computer. This book could be used in conjunction with many different areas of thematic study, such as the rainforest, a study of bugs, or a study of ocean animals.
Each of the poems are consistently high in quality and reinforce the purpose of allowing the reader to view the animals in a more meaningful way. The poet uses very descriptive language and students may be encouraged to expand their vocabulary after reading the poem. In the following poem, a lobster is described as an underwater mobster with two claws to catch and crush.
The Lobster
See the hard-shelled
Leggy lobster
Like an underwater
Mobster
With two claws
To catch and crush
Worms and mollusks
Into mush
And antennae
Long and thick
Used for striking
Like a stick.
So be careful
On vacation
Not to step on
This crustacean.
I would use this poem when studying a thematic unit on the Ocean and Marine Life. Students are fascinated by animals that are unique. As an extension for this activity, I would have students view pictures of lobsters and other crustaceans. After viewing the pictures, I would have the class brainstorm describing words. Depending on the grade level of the students , the class could create an acrostic poem for different crustaceans or create a poem similar to ones written by Douglas Florian.

Module 5-Sidman Poetry/LS 5663-20

Sidman,Joyce. This is just to say: poems of apology and forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-61680-0
Sometimes it can be very hard to say I’m sorry. Joyce Sidman has shared a variety of unique poems in which different people ask for forgiveness. The first part of the book explains the problem in each situation and the second part of the book includes the responses. Each pair of poems reveals different relationships and connections between sisters, brothers, parents, children, and best friends. The reader is able to see both sides of the situation and understand the feelings felt on both sides.
Each of the poems is based upon a childhood experience that many people encounter, such as fighting with a sibling, or being disrespectful to an adult. The poems will stimulate emotions, such as anger or fear. In the following poem, we see the frustration felt by a young man after misspelling a word at his school spelling bee,
To my mother,
Spelling Bomb
I can’t believe that I lost
I know that I disappointed you.
Do you really think I don’t care?
I know how important it is to win.

I know that I disappointed you;
I saw it in your face when I misspelled.
I know how important it is to win;
I studied hours and hours.

I saw it in your face when I misspelled.
I saw you turn away from me.
Even though I study hours and hours,
I never seem to be your champion.
I saw you turn away from me
And in that moment would have given anything
To be your champion.
To see your bright, triumphant pride.

In this moment, I would give anything-
Do you really think I don’t care?-
For your bright, triumphant pride,
Which I can’t believe I lost.
By Anthony
*The author shares that this type of poem is called a pantoum. The second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines in the next stanza. The answer back to Anthony is given in part 2 of the book and Anthony’s mother expresses her thoughts on working hard and building character. Through Anthony’s words, he shares that he feels that he has let his mother down due to misspelling a word in his spelling bee.
Each of these poems uses language that can be understood and appreciated by the audience. Many of the poems feel like conversations between two people ,who are trying to work through a problem. The poems included in this book reinforce the simple, yet difficult concept of asking for forgiveness.
As an extension after reading these poems, I would allow students to share about a time when they have had an experience similar to the ones described in the book. Students very seldom get the chance to truly share about what is truly happening in their life, due to time constraints or fear of sharing what is truly happening. This activity could be done with any age group and ability level. For the older students, individual poems and experiences could be shared. For younger students, a class poem could be written by including the thoughts and ideas of the whole group.

Module 4-Biographical Poetry/LS 5663-20

Angelou,Maya. Poetry for Young People. Edwin G. Wilson. New York: Sterling, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4027-2023-9
Maya Angelou is considered to be one the most well-known poet of our time. She has been the recipient of many honors and awards. In this book, many of her most important poems are highlighted and shared, each one tied to meaningful experiences in her life.
Each of the poems shared in the book reinforce the purpose of sharing the intimate moments of Maya Angelou’s life. Through her words, the reader is better able to understand how different events in her life shaped her writing. She has overcomes many obstacles throughout her life, racial prejudice, discrimination, and hatred. She choses to channel the pain and turmoil into reaching people with her words. The following poem encourages the reader to open up their mind and their heart to fully appreciate the words.
A conceit
Give me your hand.
Make room for me
To lead and follow
You
Beyond this rage of poetry.
Let others have
The privacy of
Touching words
And love of loss
Of love.
For me
Give me your hand.
Each poem shared in the book has an introduction to explain the significance of the words in the poet’s life and different vocabulary words are explained to help the reader better understand and appreciate the poem. The words shared in each of the following poems touch many different feeling and senses. Maya Angelou use language that will be understood and appreciated by the reader, yet it also encourages the reader to stretch their linguistic abilities.
I would use any of the poems during the month of February, Black History Month. Maya Angelou is considered to be a very influential figure in the area of writing. Children of all ages and ethnicities can benefit from her writing style. I would also use her work to share during National Poetry Month.

Module 4-Social Studies Poetry-LS 5663-20

I never saw another butterfly, Children's drawings and poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944. Hana Volavkova. New York: Schocken Books, 1993. ISBN 978-0-8052-1015-6
The topic of the Holocaust is a very difficult one to share about due to the graphic nature of the treatment of the Jewish people. The poetry created and shared by the children of the Terezin Concentration Camp gives the reader a first hand glimpse into the oppressive life and seeing death all around them each day.
The introduction to the book is from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and it is filled with important information to help the reader understand the history behind this specific concentration camp. Terezin was a Jewish ghetto for what one could call privileged Jews: war heroes, intellectuals, artists, half-Jews, and Jews married to Aryans. This model community was to prepared the Jewish people for Palestine, as it was presented to the community. This was not to be the case and many in the community were sent on to Auschwitz, where they were later killed or left to die.
One brave artist felt that the children of Terizin would benefit from art therapy. Her name was Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. She felt that art could be the release for the escape the daily chaos and turmoil of their lives. The materials for these lessons were often office supplies, scrap paper, or wrapping paper. She would encourage students to express their feelings through art or their words. Each of the poems are accompanied by the artwork of the students. Many of these drawings were saved by a former student of Mrs. Dicker-Brandeis and were eventually shared with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where the artwork is on display today.
Each of the poems included in this book reinforce the purpose of the book, which is to share the story of the children who lived in the ghetto of Terezin. Many of these children chose to see the brighter side of life in a concentration camp. Many used their words and their art to express frustration, fear and even anger.
The following poem shares the hope of one of the residents of Terrezin. The poet uses very descriptive language to describe the colors of the sun as it disappears, just as the regular life of a Jewish child disappeared during the terroristic reign of the Third Reich.
The Butterfly
The last, the very last ,
So richly, brightly dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun’s teach would sing
Against a white stone……..
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly ‘way up high.
It went away I’m sure because it wished to
Kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don’t live in here,
In the ghetto.
-Pavel Friedman 4.6.1942
I would use this poem to share with students as part of a study of the Holocaust. I feel that it would be important to summarize the history of Terezin, as it shared in the introduction of the book. My daughter was able to read this book of poetry during her sixth grade year. The teachers at this grade level were able to obtain a trunk from the National Holocaust Memorial Museum to use as part of the curriculum. This trunk is filled with vast amounts of literature, pictures and other artifacts. One of the activities that each of the sixth grade students is able to participate in is to create their own butterfly in honor of Jewish children who were in a concentration camp. The students are responsible for researching the lives of the Jewish children. At the end of the study, the butterflies are sent back to be displayed in Washington, D.C. at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Module 4-Science Poetry/LS 5663-20

Module 4-Science Poetry
Florian,Douglas. Comets, stars, the moon and Mars. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-0-15-205372-7
Space…the final frontier. As adults, we grew up hearing this on television and we have never lost our fascination for space travel.
Space is an abstract subject that many can only read about, until the day that space travel is possible for everyone. The poems shared in this book give the reader a short description of the planets, the stars, the moon and other space related topics. Each of the poems reinforce the purpose to share information about space in a fun and informative way.
Each of the poems in this book share information about planets, the moon, and the stars in a way that students will want to know more. The author writes in a rhyming format and each of the poems has a natural flow while including an abundance of information. The following poem is the first one in the book and gives the reader an glimpse of what is to come.
Skywatch
On a clear night you might try
To gaze upon the starry sky.
A telescope or binoculars are
Great aids to observe a star.
To find your way it’s good to sight
Upon a star that’s very bright,
Like Sirius or Canopus,
Alpha Centauri or Arcturus.
You may see a planet or
A flash of light from a meteor.
Use a constellation chart
To help you tell the stars apart.
Start out when the day is done.
Most of all: Have lots of fun!
Each of the poems would be an excellent source of material to introduce the concept of webbing to younger readers. As a class, I would have my students create a web of information with the material given in the poems and then encourage the students to continue to research the topics further. I would poem use the poem, Skywatch, to introduce a thematic unit on Space and Space Pioneers. Each of the poems use descriptive language and encourages the reader to expand their vocabulary as they extend their research beyond what is presented in the book.

Module 3-2011 Poetry Book/LS 5663-20

Module 3-2011 Poetry Book
George,Kristine O.. Emma Dilemma. Boston: Clarion Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-618-42842-7
“Mom, she is bothering me!”
“No, I’m not!”
“Are too!”
“Are not!”
This has been an argument heard at many houses all around the world and will continue as long as siblings strive to build relationships with each other. The relationship between sisters is a very special one. Many of us have at one time viewed our little sisters as pests and would like for them to leave us alone, instead of constantly interrupting us. The poems in this award-winning book do an amazing job to introduce the reader to the unique and often hard to understand relationship between sisters. The author, Kristine O’Connell George, uses her experience as a big sister to give a unique perspective in her writing.
The author uses the connection between Jessica and Emma to appeal to the emotions of the reader. Each person at one point in their life has seen their younger sibling as an ally, a playmate, but also as the enemy. Each of the poems has a natural cadence and rhythm, and are not written in rhyming format. This format would be excellent for choral reading. The language used by the poet can be easily understood by the reader and each of the poems, along with the illustrations by Nancy Carpenter, stimulates the imagination of the reader.
In the following poem, Emma Dilemma, the poet presents an interesting description of dealing with the frustrations of having a pesky younger sister.
Emma Dilemma
Sometimes Dad calls my little sister Emma Dilemma.
Dad says a dilemma is an interesting problem.
I know Dad’s joking but sometimes Emma is my dilemma.
Each of the poems included in this book share about different facets of the relationship between two sisters and help to reinforce the purpose of this book, which is to show the love and sometimes intense dislike between two siblings. As much as our siblings do things to drive us crazy, such as trying to copy each thing that we do or embarrass us in front of our friends, we still love them. The reader will feel many different emotions throughout the reading of this book, as the poems share Jessica’s daily struggles with her little sister, ranging from pride to intense sadness.
As a way of sharing this book, I would use this book as a way of introducing a study of family relationships. I would begin with the question, “How do you feel when your sibling does something to bother you?” Depending on the grade level, students may need to know what the word sibling means. After allowing students to verbally share how they would feel and writing these down on chart paper, I would share the following poem:
Trespass
Someone has been “shopping” in my room.
Someone has been playing dress-up with my clothes.
Someone has left the caps off all my new markers.
Someone drew a face on my soccer ball.
Someone is hiding and had better hope I never find her.
Students could complete a journal entry about their siblings. An example could be:
When my little sister(or brother) takes something of mine, I feel ________________________.
To extend this activity, I would have the students complete a home project sharing information about their family with different questions, such as what type of activities does your family like to do together, how many siblings do you have, and what makes your family special. This is an activity that my first grade students complete each year. Older students could write their relationship with a sibling.

Module 3-Verse Novel/LS 5663-20

Module 3-Verse Novel
LeZotte,Ann C. T4, A novel in verse. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. ISBN 978-0-547-04684-6
This verse novel shares a lesser known story of the atrocities inflicted during the Holocaust. T4, or Tiergartenstrasse 4 is the headquarters where the Nazi regime made it a priority to annihilate any mentally ill, or disabled person. The main character of the verse novel is Paula Becker, a deaf teenager faced with the frustration of trying to communicate with each of her family members and trying to survive in time when those who were “different” were done away with. The topic of the Holocaust is often a very difficult one to read about, however it is a topic that must be shared due to the historical significance.
Because of the subject matter, this verse novel stimulates the emotions of the reader. The character of Paula feels like she is an outsider in her own family due to her disability. Paula learns to communicate with her hands with the help of the local priest, who also plays a key role in her survival as she matures. It has been said that when one of our senses is taken away, the other senses become stronger. The poet uses sensory images to convey feelings. For example, in the following poem, What I saw, the reader views an increased awareness of the sense of sight.
What I Saw
My visual sense was so strong.
If a breeze shook the leaves on a tree
I would shriek with delight.
If people ran fast past me
It looked like a tidal wave.
Even the motion of a hand waving goodbye startled me.
Since the subject of the Holocaust is very emotional and difficult to comprehend, I feel that this book should be geared toward students in the intermediate age range. As a way of introducing this book, I would have the students discuss how they would feel if they were no longer able to hear anything, such as their music or the voice of their friends. Students of this age are dependent on their friends and are highly influenced by peers. Have them share their frustrations and fears and explain why they might feel this way. I would then ask them to share how they would communicate if they were not able to hear the voices of friends and family. Would they use texting or another means of communication? As my last question, I would have them put themselves in the place of Paula and ask how they would feel if they knew that the government didn’t think that they deserved to live because of their disability.

Module 3-Poetic Form/LS 5663-20

Module 3-Poetic Form
Mora,Pat . Yum! MmMm!Que Rico!: America's Sproutings. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-1-58430-271-1
Everyone is drawn in by the appeal of food. Pat Mora has taken several of the foods that are native to America and stimulated our tastebuds, as well as our love of language. Each of the haikus shared in the book used language in a unique way, giving vivid descriptions of each of the foods represented. The traditional haiku poetry form is written in a way that the reader can almost taste each of the foods represented. The illustrations done by Rafael Lopez enhance the writings and enrich the history of the vegetables. In addition to the haiku, the author has given a brief summary of the history of each of the fruit or vegetables. The haiku traditionally consists of 17 syllables in lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively, and the author uses this form to share descriptive, colorful, and even tasty writing. Pat Mora introduces the reader to poetry about foods that they may enjoy on a daily basis, foods that only the adults, in their families will eat, and even foods that they have never even heard of.
In order to fully appreciate this book, I would provide a sample of several of the foods represented in the book.* I would focus on the following poems,
1.Chocolate
Fudge, cake, pie, cookies
Brown magic melts on your tongue
Happy, your eyes dance.
2.Cranberry
Marsh-floating hard bead
Simmers then POPS! In hot pot.
Scarlet fireworks.
3. Papaya
Chewing your perfume,
We taste your leafy jungle.
Yum! Juicy tropics.
I specifically chose these three foods, since many people enjoy chocolate, many parents enjoy cranberries and very few of my student have never tasted papaya. *I would have the students taste each of the food samples. After tasting each sample, I would have the students share descriptive words about each of the foods. I would encourage each of the students think about each of the senses, depending on how the foods taste, sound, feel , look and smell. After each of the foods are tasted, the descriptive words could be used to write a class haiku about the favorite sampled food.
*(Prior to the tasting of each of the foods, I would obtain permission from each of the parents and check for food allergies.)

Module 2-NCTE Award Poetry/LS 5663-20

A jar of tiny stars: poems by NCTE award-winning poets. Bernice E. Cullinan. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mill Press, Inc., 1996. ISBN 1-56397-087-2
This book is a collection of NCTE award-winning poets. Each poet shares a source of the inspiration for their work. At the end of the book, not only do the award-winning poets share about their sources of inspiration, information is given about their life accomplishments. Many of the poems share about familiar childhood experiences, such as selling lemonade or the birth of a new puppy. Each of the poems were chosen by children and the poems consistently show evidence of the high quality of writing.
The following poem would be a great introduction to a poetry study.
How to eat a poem
-Eve Merriam
Don’t be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
You do not need a knife or fork or spoon or plate or napkin or tablecloth.
For there is no core
Or stem
Or rind
Or pit
Or seed
Or skin
To throw away.
As a way to introduce this poem, I would have an assortment of fruit and talk about what happens when you eat a piece of fruit. Does juice run down your chin? Do you hear a crunch? Is the fruit soft, hard, squishy, or firm. As the students are sharing, I would have them brainstorm as many words as possible to describe the fruit. After the students eat a piece of fruit, I would read the poem and have the students think about what happened as they ate their piece of fruit. I would then have the students writing a line for a class book using the sentence starter, When I bit it my apple(or whatever their fruit is), the fruit was__________. If possible, I would use shaped -writing paper and have each student choose the shape closest to the fruit that they sampled. This activity could be also be used for a unit on the food pyramid and healthy eating habits.

Module 2-Multicultural Poetry/LS 5663-20

Module 2-Multicultural Poetry
Alarcon,Francisco X.. Laughing tomatoes and other spring poems/Jitomates risuenos y otros poemas de primavera. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press/Libros para ninos, 1997. ISBN 0-89239-139-1
Francisco Alarcon uses the concept of springtime and different vegetables to stimulate thoughts and emotions of special times with family, such as meal times or cooking with family. Many memories are evoked by a certain smell or by eating a certain food. The illustrations bring the words to life and the language used gives the reader such elaborate descriptions of foods often found in the Hispanic culture. I would love to be able to read, and verbalize the Spanish language in order to truly appreciate the gift of words given by the poet. Any of the poems in this book would be amazing to share during Hispanic Heritage Month(September) or during Cinco de Mayo. I would love to have parents come in an share the favorite moments while cooking with their parents, and possibly read the following poem:
My Grandma’s Songs
Would follow the beat of the washing machine
Turning our kitchen into a dance floor
Consoling the chairs placed upside down
Delighting the family portraits on the walls
Putting to sleep the sheets on the clothesline
Giving flavor to the boiling pot of beans
The songs my grandma used to sing
Could make the stars come out
Could turn my grandma into a young girl
Going back to the river for water
And make her laugh and cry at the same time.
The familiar childhood experiences described in several of the poems bring back memories and for all that read the poems, drawing the reader to a time of simplicity and innocence. The writings use imaginative, descriptive words to enlighten the reader about topics shared in the Hispanic culture.

Module 2-Florian Poetry/LS 5663-20

Module 2-Florian Poetry
Florian,Douglas. Insectlopedia. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998.
ISBN-10: 0152013067
Douglas Florian does an amazing job of introducing the reader to insects that can usually cause one to cringe, scream or run away in fear. The topics of insects is naturally appealing to younger children and this book of poetry would be an excellent resource when doing a thematic study. The tone of each poem is light and playful, making one feel as if they are outside in the garden watching the bugs play and crawl around.
Florian presents each of the insects poems in a fresh and imaginative way. For example, in the poem, The Whirligig Beetles, it is written in a circular pattern to simulate their whirling and twirling in circles.
As an introduction to an author study on Eric Carle, I would began the unit with the following poem,
The Crickets
You don’t need tickets
To listen to crickets.
They chirp and cheep for free.
They fiddle and sing
By rubbing each wing,
And never will charge you a fee.
After reading this poem, I would have the students share what they know about crickets and share what information that they would like to find out about crickets. I would then read The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle. After reading the book, I would have the students work on retelling the story by sequencing the different animals that the cricket encounters throughout the book.

Module 1-Hopkins Collection/LS 5663-20

Hopkins,Lee B.. Me! A book of poems. New York: The Seabury Press, 1970.
(No image available)
(No ISBN, only Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 72-115782)
Each of the poems compiled in this book evoke a moment of wonder from our childhood. Many of the poems chosen by Lee Bennett Hopkins bring back memories of childhood. Each poem chosen highlights a child’s unique individuality and each poem allows for self discovery. Discovering shadows, climbing trees, and the fascination of losing a tooth are among the topics used to stimulate the emotions of the reader. Each of the poems would be perfect to share with reluctant readers using choral reading or echo reading in order to encourage fluency. The illustrations done by Talivaldis Stubis help the reader to visualize what the poets are sharing.
The poems are compatible with the theme of the book. Hopkins chose poems that would encourage young readers to share their thoughts, share their experiences, and have a sense of wonder about themselves.
The following poem would be useful at the beginning of the school year, when teachers are asking students to share about themselves.
Everybody Says by Dorothy Aldis
Everybody says
I look just like my mother.
Everybody says
I’m the image of Aunt Bee.
Everybody says
My nose is like my father’s
But I want to look like ME!
I would use this poem when working on units and stories about family. This poem could be part of an at home project in which students could share information about their family. I usually do this project every year and I have my students share what activities they like to do with their families, what make their family special and then this information is compiled into a class family album that is kept in the library center of our classroom. This poem could also be shared as a way to begin an author study on Kevin Henkes or Jan and Stan Berenstain.

Module 1-School Poetry/LS 5663-20

Harrison,David L.. Somebody catch my homework. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, Inc., 1993.
ISBN 1-56397-520-3
From the moment that you pick up this book and begin reading, you are transported back in time. Each of us has forgotten information for a test or left homework at home. As adults, we tend to put those memories aside until we experience it with our own children. Harrison brings to life the emotions felt by students who have struggled with the possibility of having to write a story for homework or having to eat what the cafeteria is serving. Harrison does an excellent job of using words to help students visualize ideas, such as describing the lumps in the mashed potatoes as glue or comparing applesauce as watery goo. The poem is written in a rhyming format to allow a beginning reader to enjoy listening for each set of rhyming words.
The following poem could be enjoyed by any age group and could be used to introduce a unit on the food pyramid and healthy eating habits.
New Here?
You’ll love our food at our school.
Oh yes!
The lumps in the potatoes are glue
We guess.
The beef never mooed like a cow
You can bet
Though very few kids have died from it…
Yet.
The rolls are great to stone squirrels
From trees
But some of us blast them with
Buckshot peas.
The applesauce is watery
Goo
But suck it right down ‘cause it’s good
For you.
The best, of course, we all save for last-
Bouncing our Jell-O down the hall
Real fast.
I would also use this poem to share as students are preparing to go to lunch and have them think about how we could describe our lunch. This is a great opportunity to working on using describing words. Using an add from the newspaper or a magazine showing food, I would have the students verbally describe the food represent and ask them to use different adjectives, such as crunchy, smooth, puffy, and gooey.

Module 1-African American Poetry/LS 5663-20

Grimes,Nikki. A dime a dozen. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1998.
ISBN 0-8037-2227-3
This collection of poems by Nikki Grimes shows her journey as a young woman of color struggling with issues of appearance, growing as a writer and dealing with the divorce of her parents. In the first poem, we see the determination of a young woman to achieve her dreams, in spite of her circumstances.
The Dream
Oh! To poet
like a laser,
pierce darkness
with one word!
I would use this poem as a catalyst for achieving your dreams. Children are not often allowed to dream about what they would like to do. This poem could be used to encourage students to write about they would like to achieve as adults. I would have the students list several goals that they would like to accomplish and share why. I feel that this activity would be beneficial for intermediate students. As an ice-breaker for the activity, I would have different staff members write about what their future goals were as young adults, without including their name and then have the students try to match the correct staff member with the story shared. As the instructor, I would also share what my goals were and how I felt in my journey to achieve them.
This specific book is broken down into three different sections, with each section giving the reader insight into the life of Nikki Grimes. As an introduction to the book, the poet shares that her mother tells her that writers are “a dime a dozen” and writers don’t come from their neighborhood. I feel that these poems can evoke memories of a time when each of us have been told that we need to be realistic and stop dreaming. This experience can bring about resentment and pain that many would not want to revisit. Nikki Grimes took her experience with being told to give up her dream, and through her words, she can encourage young writers to never give up on their dreams, no matter what.
Nikki Grimes has also shared the emotion of a child dealing with divorce. This topic is unfortunately something readers of all ages have experienced. As a child of divorce, she shares through her work the stress of worrying about the emotional state of both parents, financial issues and trying to have a healthy relationship with both parents. I feel that the following poem would be helpful to students who are struggling with these issues.
Untitled
It happened
to Maria
Malik
and Danny Gold;
To Javier
and Suki
Jim Roth
and Suzy Chow.
My parents
got divorced
last month
…..I guess I fit in now.