Poetry

= = = **Everything You Need **** To Know About ** = = = =Poetry is “not a rose, but the scent of the rose; not the sky, but the light in the sky” =

Introduction:

 * Have you ever heard the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words"? This can apply to poetry as well!
 * Poetry is one of the more personal and creative genres
 * It is an invitation to explore the landscapes of human imagination and emotion--a wonderful match for the uninhibited world of a young child
 * Creates images in the readers' minds as they read it
 * Invites readers to consider familiar subjects in unfamiliar and unique ways
 * Invites readers to hear and feel the language in order to look inside, look beyond, and look differently
 * Extremely versatile and can be used all across the curriculum in many content areas
 * Poetry has the capacity to help develop deeper conceptual knowledge as ideas are translated across different forms
 * As a genre, poetry is ever-changing and dynamic because it changes as new ways of speaking, technology, and social contexts develop over time
 * Ex: Concrete poetry, memories, jump-rope jingles, multimedia collages, songs, raps

What Are Characteristics of Poetry?

 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Generally, words are suspended in a sea of sounds, rhythms, and repeated patterns in poetry
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Poetry uses fewer words than prose
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Poetry uses creative and figurative language (subjective)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Most important aspect of the poetry is the feeling that it evokes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A successful poet explores the potential and meaning of each word, each syllable, and each line
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2 types of poetry: narrative/story poetry and lyric/song poetry
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Narrative poetry: May be lengthy, several pages of text or it can be shorter in the case of ballads and personal poetry
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lyric poetry: Does not tell a story but uses poetic style and devices to express or convey and emotion that corresponds to a brief moment of experience
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Poetry can take different forms whether it is narrative or lyric
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ex: Sonnet and haiku
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Must meet standards for form that define such elements as meter, rhyme, lines, syllables, and lengths of words
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Exception: Free verse implies that the final form is the poet's choice and does not follow any meter or rhyming restriction

<span style="color: #803493; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Why is Poetry Important?

 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Schools and classrooms are becoming increasingly defined by standards and tests
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Poetry is an outlet for steering away from the monotony of these standards and tests
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Speaks to the imagination, creativity and a sense of possibility
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Not objective, scientific, or transactive; comes from within the writer
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Written to look at, consider or reconsider representations of the world/self, not to convey information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Can be used as authentic text to help children become proficient readers and writers

<span style="color: #7d2e8e; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What Are Tips For Teaching Poetry?

 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Teachers must find his or her own path to make poetry attainable for students
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Introduce poetry in a simple and natural form
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Form must be accessible to the writers; students must be able to understand the structure and to be successful writing within that structure

<span style="color: #662b73; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How Can Poetry Be Used in the Classroom?

 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Teaching phonemic awareness and phonics to young learners
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sounds of poetry in nursery rhymes and songs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Expanding vocabulary knowledge and word choice skills
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Allows students to think beyond the literal meaning of words and explore the power of figurative language
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Develop fluency (especially its prosodic elements such as expression, pitch, and pacing)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Word meaning in poetry is supplemented by the sounds, rhythms, rhyme, and meter
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Teaching comprehension strategies
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Since the meaning in poetry is not literal, the students will learn to use various strategies to break down the text including the look backs as fix it strategy, inferring, making connections, evaluating, main idea etc.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">To interpret poetry, students must dig below the surface and use tools such as context, phrasing and rephrasing
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Teaching literacy skills
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sequence, organization, word study
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Teaching across the curriculum
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Poetry can be taught with a thematic approach with a variety of texts in different genres
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Raise confidence in struggling and reluctant readers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Troubled readers find ease in the short length of text in most poetry
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">When there is repetition, rhyme, and rhythm in the poetry it allows the readers to predict and figure out the upcoming words

<span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Examples:
> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Ice Crystals "
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Two-Worders
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Simple form of poetry to build confidence and promote success of the learners
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Must have a title.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This poem has a maximum of 8 lines in total with only 2 words per line
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The lines in the poem must be closely related and connected to be used in describing a topic, event, story, etc.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ice crystals Falling softly So sparkly Tiny droplets Shiny flakes Softly falling Waiting quietly Very cold <span style="color: #2fa91e; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;"> "Sick" by Shel Silverstein
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Couplets
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Has only 2 lines that must both rhyme
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Couplets can be placed together to form longer poem

I cannot go to school today, Said little Peggy Ann McKay. I have the measles and the mumps, a gash, a rash and purple bumps. What's that? What's that you say? You say today is...Saturday? G'bye, I'm going out to play!
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Quatrains
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">More complex form of poetry
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Have 4 lines and may follow 1 form of rhyming patterns (AABB, ABAB, ABBA, or ABCB)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Used to tell a story or ballad
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Mostly melancholy
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Appropriate for 5th grade because they require more planning and thought

<span style="color: #ff00ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">"The Mountain" by Donna Brock

The mountain frames the sky, As a shadow of an eagle flies by. With clouds hanging at its edge, A climber proves his courage on its rocky ledge.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rock 'n' Rhyme
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Incorporates technology by using the Garage Band Apple Software
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Adds music to words along with rhythm and beat
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Represents poetry as a real world application
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Example: The teacher can assign an entire project based on poetry and the Garage Band software. Students can create their own bands complete with an illustrated and creative CD cover, 10 song titles, possible tour dates, band member biographies, and complete lyrics to one specific song title written as a series of quatrains. The Garage Band software can be used to add sounds and music to this one particular song that they create. (This project can be modified to suit both younger and older grades but obviously the more detailed and complex project would suit the older students more appropriately.)

<span style="color: #9a1ad5; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: center;">Video of Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" created using Garage Band software

media type="youtube" key="w62ptBOsc7U" height="344" width="425" **<span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Graphic Organizer **

[|I Am Poem] [|Cinquain] [|Diamante]

<span style="color: #743286; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Some of Our Favorites:

 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Jane Yolen **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Shel Silverstein **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">David McCord **




 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Arnold Lobel **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Jack Prelutsky **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Bruce Lansky**


 * <span style="color: #8117b0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Useful Online Resources: **
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.poetry-online.org]
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.poetry4kids.com]
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.poetryteachers.com]
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.shelsilverstein.com]
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.tictoc.org]
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.gigglepoetry.com]
 * <span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|www.readwritethink.org]

<span style="color: #9431aa; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Citations:

 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Moss, B & Lapp, D. (2010). //Teaching new literacies in Grades K-3: Resources for 21st century classrooms//. New York: Guilford.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Moss, B & Lapp, D. (2010). //Teaching new literacies in Grades 4-6: Resources for 21st century classrooms//. New York: Guilford.

<span style="color: #8117b0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Student Responses:
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Kaitlin Farrell** __Citation__: Foster, J. (1984). //A Very First Poetry Book//. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. __Reading Level__: PreK-5 __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: Inferencing; Many of the poems revolve around a concept but do not state explicitly what the author is trying to say. Therefore, students could practice inferencing by activating prior knowledge, using text clues, and trying to “read between the lines.” __Description__: This book is a compilation of 102 poems written by different authors. Each poem is short (two pages maximum), most of them rhyme, and most are comical. The poems span over a wide variety of topics including weather, emotions (happy, sad, scared), school, friends, and animals. There are also more abstract poems or poems describing specific things such as “Pepper and Salt” and “I don’t want to go up to bed.” Nevertheless, they all are relevant to children’s lives and enjoyable to read.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 115%;">**Jeanna Calia** __Book:__ //When We Were Very Young// by A.A. Milne __Citation:__ Milne, A. A. (1961). //When We Were Very Young//. New York: E.P. Dutton and Co. Inc. __Description:__ This book is a small poetry book consisting of a collection of detailed, humorous and thoughtful poems, as well as small illustrations. The book grasps a child's point-of-view and delivers the right tone of simplicity. In these poems, the author introduces Christopher Robbins and Winnie the Pooh. __Reading Level:__ DRA: 38 Guided Reading: P Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5 __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: Students can use the imaging strategy in order to picture the images in their heads of the detailed text being displayed. Students can also use these poems in //When We Were Very Young// to learn about rhyming patterns and scheme. Most of his poems are written in ABAB rhyme scheme. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

__Book__: //Falling Up// by Shel Silverstein __Citation__: Silverstein, S. (1996). //Falling Up//. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. __Reading Level__: DRA: 38; Guided Reading: P __Description__: In this collection of poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein, children meet exciting characters like Screamin’ Millie, Danny O’Dare the dancing bear, and Beatrice Bright. Shel’s poems bring children to places like haunted houses and Hungry Kid Island, which open up their imaginations to a world of fun. __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: The strategy of inferring would be most helpful as students read this book of poems. Because the message in poetry is often implied, it would be useful for students to “read between the lines” to better understand the meaning that is not directly stated in the poem.
 * Randee Myers**

__Book__: //Where the Sidewalk Ends// by Shel Silverstein __Citation__: Silverstein, S. (1974). //Where the Sidewalk Ends//. New York. Harper and Row. __Reading Level__: Grades 3-5 __Description__: Shel Silverstein's collection of poems in //Where the Sidewalk Ends// are both humorous and educational. Students can learn to love poetry, a genre that is given little exposure in elementary school. The different types of poetry in his book will allow students the opportunity to examine and investigate poetry and all of its styles. His book is also filled with exciting and creative stories that will encourage students to think outside of the box and enjoy themselves while they do it. __Suggested reading strategy__: A good strategy to use is imagery. Imaging helps students see what the characters in the reading see and feel what they feel. By understanding those characters and putting themselves in the story, they can better understand the story. Poetry is often hard to understand because of its unique style. However, using imagery to focus on the characters feelings and senses then the reader can better understand the poem.
 * Tom Medvecky**

__Book__**:** A Bad Case of the Giggles: Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, Book #2 edited by Bruce Lansky __Citation__**:** Lansky, Bruce. (1994). //A Bad Case of the Giggles// : //Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, Book #2//. New York, NY: Meadowbrook Press. __Description__**:** //A Bad Case of the Giggles// is a book full of funny poetry for children. The poems are by different authors and are all silly poems. Children will enjoy this book because it will make them laugh. __Reading Level__**:** Grades 1-5 __Suggested Literacy Strategy__**:** Students can use the predicting comprehension strategy. Students can predict what silly thing is going to happen next in the poem.
 * Jen Levine**

__Book:__ //The Ice Cream Ocean And Other Delectable Poems of the Sea// __Citation:__ Russo, S. (1984). //The Ice Cream Ocean And Other Delectable Poems of the Sea.// New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepare Books. __Reading Level:__ DRA: 28 Guided Reading: L __Description:__ This book contains a collection of poems from various authors all relating to the sea. The illustrations throughout the book all have various foods featured in the sea in them. __Suggested Literacy Strategy:__ I would use the imaging strategy for this book. It has a lot of fun and creative language and interesting ideas like the sand being sugar candy and rocks being cake. Students could imagine all different pictures in their heads and draw what they see for certain poems.
 * Michelle Bonnetti**

__Book__: //A Child's Calendar// __Citation__: Updike, John. (1999). //A Child's Calendar//. New York: Holiday House. __Reading Level__: DRA- 38; Guided Reading- O; Grade Level- 3.5 __Description__: //A Child's Calendar// is a collection of poems by Updike all about the months of the year. There is one poem for each month that relate to holidays or the weather for that month. There are also great illustrations that correspond well with the poems for each of the months of the year. __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: Each poem does a great job at giving specific descriptions for that month. Therefore, the imaging strategy would apply well to this book. Students can easily paint pictures in their minds as to what the author is trying to get them to see.
 * Kayleigh Shaw**

__Book:__ //There’s a Zoo in Room 22// __Citation:__ Sierra, J. (2000). //There’s a Zoo in Room 22.// San Diego: Gulliver Books. __Description:__ This poetry picture book contains over 25 poems which describe the antics and habits of several classroom pets. Using humor and colorful illustrations of many different animals, the readers will definitely enjoy this amusing approach to poetry. __Reading Level:__ DRA: 28, Guided Reading: L, Grade Level: K-3 __Suggested Literacy Strategy:__ Since this poetry book follows a format of introducing a new troublesome pet for each letter of the alphabet, after reading a few pages the students will be able to recognize the pattern. Then, the teacher can have the students use their inferring literacy strategy so that the students can assume the roles of detectives as they try to infer which pet could stand for which letter and why that pet would be troublesome in the classroom. The students would definitely have a lot of fun with this book and probably enjoy being the detectives.
 * Liz Kalajian**

__Book:__ //Rolling Harvey Down the Hill// __Citation:__ Prelutsky, J. (1980). //Rolling harvey down the hill.// New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. __Reading Level:__ DRA: 24 Guided Reading: K Grade Level: 5.8 __Description:__ This poetry book follows five male friends and their adventures as they terrorize others and each other. It discusses how close they are no matter what happens between them. It also shows the rebellious side of young boys as they secretly smoke cigarettes, get into fights, play practical jokes, and tease girls. It ends with the title poem, when bully Harvey gets a taste of his own medicine. __Suggested Literacy Strategy:__ I think the imaging strategy would be appropriate for this book because each poem sets up a specific scene that students can visualize and interpret in different ways upon reading it. If read aloud to the students, it would be interesting to see how each child illustrates a particular scene, especially for the poem "Nobody Calls Him Jim" when the author goes into great detail describing a proper kid the boys refuse to play with.
 * Lauren Masco**

__Book Title__: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: normal;">//This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness// <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __Citation__: Sidman, J. (2007).// This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness .// Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. __Reading Level__: DRA: 38; Guided Reading: P; Grade: 4 __Description__: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 18px;">This book is a collection of 38 poems of apology and forgiveness from the 6th grade class of a fictitious teacher, Mrs. Merz. The underlying theme for all of these poems is derived from the original poem by William Carlos Williams of the same title. Here, Joyce Sidman creates a scenario where the class liked their poems so much they chose to compile them into a book for everyone's enjoyment. In terms of its setup, the first half of the book consists of poems expressing apologies from the "students" to others for such things as knocking down the prized vase while ball playing inside and eating the secretary's jelly doughnut. The second half is organized into poems of forgiveness as a response to these poems of apology. With humor that is bound to pique students' interests, this book sends the message that people can make right the wrongs they have done with their writing. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: Despite the humor used in many of the poems included in this book, the overall idea of the importance of apologies in building and maintaining relationships is implied and very relevant to students' lives. Therefore, the literacy strategy of drawing conclusions would effectively accompany this poetry book. Students can be instructed to think about the topic being discussed, ask themselves what the author wants them to think, use their experiences, and put themselves in the author's shoes in order to make a conclusion about why the author included what she did and therefore receive this very important idea.
 * Gianna Seidler**

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Book__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">: //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First Food Fight This Fall and Other School Poems //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> by Marilyn Singer <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Citation__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">: Singer, M. (2008). //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First Food Fight This Fall and Other School Poems //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. New York, NY: Sterling. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Reading Level__: DRA: 28, Guided Reading: M, Grade Level: 2 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Description__: This book is filled with twenty-nine poems about school. The poems are written by the twelve students in Ms. Mundy’s class and cover a variety of topics, including the bus, spelling, math, gym, art, food fights, science fairs, field day, and so much more. The pages are also filled with lively and engaging collage illustrations that children will enjoy. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__Suggested Literacy Strategies__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">: Imaging would be a great comprehension strategy to teach using this book. As students read or listen to the poems they can create their own pictures in their heads and then compare their images to the illustrations in the book. Theme can also be taught with this book because all the poems in the book are focused around one central theme. Students can combine the little themes of each poem to come up with one big general theme for the whole book.
 * Er**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**in Jackson**

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__Suggested Literacy Strategy__: I think identifying theme would be a great strategy to teach with this book of poems. Though short each poem and the collective work has definable messages about the seasons of the earth. Students may find it challenging and fun to pull information from the poems to support their ideas. ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__Description__: This poetry book covers the different months and seasons in a year. It speaks to the cyclical nature of the change of seasons. The book combines beautiful art with well thought out verse that forces children to find the joy in all months and seasons. The book does contain religious undertones, and is based upon work by St. Francis. The poems themselves have minimal religious connotations. ====== <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **Alli Clare __Title:__ //I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly// retold by Nadine Bernard Westcott __Citation:__ Masters, A. (2006). //Joker//. Mankato, Minnesota: Stone Arch Books. __Description:__ This book is tells the story of an old lady who not only swallowed a fly, but multiple others insects and animals in a rhyming sequence. It is one giant poem, stretched across pages and pages of funny pictures and rhyming sentences. After each new item the old lady swallows the author Retells the poem from the beginning, including all previous items the old lady swallowed __Reading Level:__ Grade Level Equivalent: 1.7 DRA: 13-14 Guided Reading: H __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: Predicting. I think this book would be good for a very young grades introduction to predicting. Each time the old lady swallows something new the author tells us why she chose that animal. Students can begin to predict what the next thing she swallows may be and why. **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">__Book:__ //Put Your Eyes up Here and Other School Poems// by Kalli Dakos <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">__APA Citation__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: Dakos, K. (2004). //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Put Your Eyes up Here and Other School Poems. //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">__Reading Level__ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">: DRA= 38, Guided Reading= P __Suggested Literacy Strategies__: Imaging would be a great comprehension strategy to use with this book of poetry. All the poems in this book are written with very funny and vivid words. Kalli Dakos definitely uses these descriptive words so that the children can easily make images in their head of what is happening in the story becasue if the children are able to put themselves in the story, they will better understand it. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">__Description__ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">: //Put Your Eyes up Here and Other School Poems// by Kalli Dakos is about a teacher, Ms. Roy, who just wants her students to pay attention to her. This isn’t hard for the students to do because Ms. Roy wears silly hats, colorful skirts, and has a graveyard for used-up pencils. This sixty-four page book is filled with funny poems and mini plays about the challenges and triumphs that may arise in the classroom. G. Brian Karas’s illustrations bring the poetry to life!
 * Casey Caruso **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">**Christina Marino** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __Title__: //A Giraffe and a Half// __Citation__: Silverstein, S., (1964). //A giraffe and a half//. Harper Collins Publishers. __Reading Level__: 3.1; DRA Level: 30-24; Guided Reading Level: N __Description__: Children can enjoy this rhyming book about a boy who has a giraffe, who stretches it another half, who glues a rose to the tip of his nose, who uses a chair to comb his hair,…and the list goes on and on. The poetic verses and illustrations are both humorous and exciting for young students to read. __Literacy Strategy__: The imaging strategy would be great to use for this book. Children can picture what a giraffe would look like if he had all of the crazy characteristics mentioned in the story. It gives young students the chance to use their imaginations.

//Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich// __By__ Adam Rex __Citation__: Rex, A. (2006). //Frankenstein makes a sandwich : and other stories you’re sure to like, because they’re all about monsters, and some of them are also about food.…// Orlando: Harcourt. __Suggested Grade__ Level: 3-4 __Summary__: This is a collection of poems about different monsters. A lot of the poems involve food too. Each poem centers a specific monster. Most of these monsters are well known mythical creatures. This book would __Suggested Literacy Strategy__: I would use this book to do imaging in the classroom. A teacher could read some of the poems to the students and have them only listen and draw a picture of the monster in the poem.
 * Margaret Molloy**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Title: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> __LIVES Poems About Famous Americans__ by Lee Bennett Hopkins
 * Cynthia Antunes**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Citation: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Hopkins, Lee B. (1999). //LIVES Poems About Famous Americans//. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Reading Level: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">DRA Level: 40 Guided Reading Level: R Grade Level Equivalent: 4.9
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Description: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This book includes poems about many great and famous Americans. The poems are written by different people. Along with the poem which describes the person and what they are known for, the book includes a full page portrait illustration with the person’s name and years of birth and death. Some of the people included in the book are John F. Kennedy, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong, and Sacagawea. This book is great to use not only when learning about poetry, but also in social studies when learning about this famous Americans.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Suggested Literacy Strategy: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The strategy that would be the best to use with this book is the imaging. While reading, students will have a chance to practice making images in their mind since there are not any illustrations and since some of the poems are kind of abstract. They can use the words to create the imagery to go along with the poem. Their images should describe the person, setting, and objects described in the poems.


 * Jasmine Martin**
 * Title:** Bing Bang Boing by Douglas Florian
 * Citation:** Florian, D. (1994). Bing Bang Boing. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace & Company.
 * Reading Level:** DRA 38; Guided Reading: O
 * Description:** Similar to She Silverstein's poetry books, this book is filled with different types of poems that children will love to read. The book has a number of silly poems about candy and animals that children will find entertaining.
 * Suggested Literacy Strategy:** A good strategy to use for this book is imaging. Having the students paint vivid pictures in their mind of what they are reading gives students a greater understanding of the reading. It also allows students to uses their imagination while making theses "movies" in their mind because most of the poems do not have pictures to help students visualizes what they are reading.


 * Debra Szubrowski**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Title: **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Sidewalk Chalk: Poems of the City. //
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Citation: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Weatherford, Carole Boston (2001) //Sidewalk Chalk: Poems of the City//, Honesdale: Boyds Mills Press.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Reading Level: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">DRA: R, Guided Reading: 40
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Description: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This book is a collection of children’s poems about life in the city. It includes poems about corner stores, sidewalk chalk, the Laundromat, kick ball etc. The poems are relative to children’s lives and easy to understand and the book includes colorful illustrations which help readers visualize what the poet is saying through the text.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Suggested Comprehension Strategy: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Theme would be a good strategy to use with this collection of poetry. After reading each poem, students could ask themselves what the poet is trying to say or trying to get them to feel and then combine these ideas and “subthemes” to find the main theme.