BIOGRAPHICAL POETRY

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Lives: Poems About Famous Americans. Illustrated by Leslie Staub. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.

Lives: Poems About Famous Americans includes fourteen poems about famous Americans.  With poems about Americans from various times in history, readers are introduced to people from Paul Revere in the mid-1700s all the way to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969.  Some of these American icons may require some discussion.  “This Bell Rings for Liberty” by Lawrence Schimel, for example, never mentions once who the poem is actually about.  In this case, the picture is critical in identifying the famous American unless the reader are familiar with the Revolutionary War and Paul Revere’s role in at that time.  In most of the poems, the famous person is only mentioned once.   Because of this and the often-vague hints about the accomplishments, younger children, or those without prior knowledge, may require some explanation or discussion.

Each poem tells just a snippet about the famous American, leaving the readers to look further to quench their desire to know more.  Most of the poems are rhythmic in style, but several have a narrative or free-verse quality.  Some figurative language is found in “First Men on the Moon” by J. Patrick Lewis; the personification of “One small blue planet watched in awe” and the simile “hopped like kangaroos” help the readers get a sense of the magnitude of this historical event.

The sensory images and emotional impact of some of the lines in Nikki Grimes “JFK: Perseverence Furthers” give readers and appreciation for the selflessness of John F. Kennedy. “Pearly whites,” “his life-vest strap clamped ‘tween your teeth,” and “old injuries inflamed your spine” all depict JFK as a man not willing to give up.

Many notable poets wrote these poems specifically for this book.  All fourteen poems are written in different styles, but each poem brings up memories of stories heard through the years.  With only one poem on each page, the readers are able to stay focused.  The notes at the back of the book provide background on each famous American

“American Wizard”

by Lawrence Schimel

A shout

rang out

in Menlo Park

one New Year’s Eve

as people

stepped down

from the train

into dark

and he pulled

the switch –

a flood of light

lit up the night!

What marvelous lamps

without gas

or flame!

The people cheered

Thomas Edison’s name

And his marvel

That turned dusk

Into

Day.

Before reading this poem:

            Ask:

                        Have you ever heard of Thomas Edison?

                        What do you know about him?

Follow-up:

            Read: A Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison by David A. Adler

Look at information at:

http://www.fplsafetyworld.com/?ver=kkblue&utilid=fplforkids&id=16193

This site has a brief biography and a list of Edison’s more well-known inventions.  Ask students to choose an invention and write their own poem.  This can be more open ended; the poem can be about the invention itself, how Edison invented it, how it works, etc…

This poem could also be a great lead-in to a study of inventions or inventors.

CITATIONS

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison. Translated by John Wallner and Alexandra Wallner. New York: Holiday House, 1996.

Florida Power & Light Company. "Kids Korner - Thomas Edison." Kids Korner - What's It All About?. Last modified 2009. http://www.fplsafetyworld.com/?ver=kkblue&utilid=fplforkids&id=16193.

SOCIAL STUDIES POETRY

SOCIAL STUDIES POETRY

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. America at War. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008.


America at War begins with an introduction by Lee Bennett Hopkins.  In this introduction, Hopkins stresses that the book is “not about war. It is about the poetry of war” (Hopkins 2008).  The table of contents in this anthology shows the book divided into sections by war; from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq War, each section begins with a quote and an introduction to the specific war.  The poems depict America’s experiences throughout history.

Each poem is paired with simple, colorful paintings depicting some part of the interpretation of the poem.  The watercolors are similar in colors and simplicity and provide cohesiveness throughout the book.  As readers move through the pages of the book, the poems carry them through the particulars of each war.  Many of the poems have a tough, sad theme, but with war, it couldn’t be much else.  The poems are quite descriptive with the raw emotions of each author coming through in the words of each line.

Readers will find examples of rhyme in “Stanzas” but most of the poems are written in the free verse style.   Typically, each poem is given its own page, but the few with two pages are found on the front and back of a page.  The order of the poems seems important to Hopkins, so using a two-page spread was not an option.

“Missing”

by Cynthia Cotton

My brother is a soldier

in a hot, dry,

sandy place.

He’s missing –

missing things like

baseball, barbecues,

fishing, French fries,

chocolate sodas,

flame-red maple trees,

blue jays,

and snow.

I’m missing, too –

missing

his read-out-loud voice,

his super-special

banana pancakes,

his scuffed up shoes

by the back door,

his big-bear

good-night

hug.

There are people

with guns

in that land of sand

who want to shoot my brother.

I hope

they miss him,

too.

Before reading this poem:

(A word of caution- If students have a family member in active war, I would not use this.  It might be over-emotional for the student.)

           

Ask: 

Have you ever had someone close to you go away for a while?  What did you miss about them while they were gone?

Follow-up:

            Write letters to servicemen and women stationed overseas.

                                    http://www.forgottensoldiers.org/write-a-soldier/

                                    http://adoptaussoldier.org/

http://www.operationwearehere.com/IdeasforSoldiersCardsLetters.html

These are a few organizations that help letters arrive in service people’s hands.

SCIENCE POETRY

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Spectacular Science: A Book of Poems. Illustrated by Virginia Halstead. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1999.

Lee Bennett Hopkins chose fifteen science related poems to complete this anthology, Spectacular Science.  With poems on topics ranging from seeds to dinosaur bones to stars, Bennett has included something for everyone.  Most of the poems rhyme, but all have a rhythmic quality that makes them fun for children.  The sensory images in Lilian Moore’s “Encounter” give readers a first-hand feel for what it would be like to meet up with a deer in the woods.  The alliterative onomatopoeias in Lee Bennett Hopkin’s “How?” add to the fun language found in this book of poetry.

These simple poems are just right for opening units of study on various topics.  The terms used in the poems are accurate and children are able to understand them easily.  This adds to their usefulness in the classroom.

The table of contents lists all the works from well-known poets, such as Carl Sandburg, Valerie Worth and David McCord, included in this beautifully illustrated book.  Virginia Halstead has paired the poems with oversized, exaggerated depictions of the various poems, appealing to children’s sense of fun.  Most of the illustrations are spread across two pages, allowing the large, colorful pictures to jump off the pages of this book.

“Snowflakes”

by David McCord

Sometime this winter if you go

To walk in soft new-falling snow

When flakes are big and come down slow

To settle on your sleeve as bright

As stars that couldn’t wait for night,

You won’t know what you have in sight –

Another world – unless you bring

A magnifying glass.  This thing

We call a snowflake is the king

Of crystals.  Do you like surprise?

Examine him three times his size:

At first you won’t believe your eyes.

Stars look alike, but flakes do not:

No two are the same in all the lot

That you will get in any spot

You chance to be, for every one

Come spinning through the sky has none

But his own window-wings of sun:

Joints, points, and crosses.  What could make

Such lacework with no crack or break?

In billions, billions, no mistake?

Before reading this poem:

            Help students cut out snowflakes; point out the difference in each one.  Hang

around the room to add to the atmosphere.        

Follow-up:

            Read: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin 

Brainstorm words relating to snow and winter.  Allow students to use the word bank to help them write an expository essay (about winter, their favorite memory, an adventure, etc.)

Guide students to additional information at: http://snowflakebentley.com/

CITATIONS

Jericho Historical Society. Official Snowflake Bentley Web Site Owned and Operated by the Jericho Historical Society. Accessed March 15, 2015. http://snowflakebentley.com/.

Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.