Poetry

Book 1 for this Module: Poetry

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

 

Bibliography:

Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the moon, and mars: Space poems and paintings. Orlando: Harcourt. 

Summary: 
All the poems in the book have to do with entities in the sky. Every two pages contain one short poem and wonderful art to accompany the content of the poem. The end of the book also contains a Galactic Glossary to explain some term further. “A Galaxy” is my favorite poem in this book, the text is written in a fun spiral shape to show the shape of our galaxy and all the pictures show other possible shapes galaxies.

My Impression: 

The poems are not only nice to listen to but they have interesting science facts about our solar system within them. The poem can be enjoyed by youngers elementary students, but also utilized by older elementary students to introduce the topic of the solar system in a fun, creative, and informative way.

Reviews: 

“This large-format book looks at astronomy through the magnifying, clarifying lens of poetry .Each broad double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting. A concrete poem entitled “a galaxy” is a curling spiral of words set against the midnight-blue sky and surrounded by other galaxies. Stamped type, cutout pages, collage elements with printed papers, and seeping brushstrokes all figure prominently in the expressive collage artwork, which ably illustrates the verse. The last pages carry “A Galactic Glossary” with a paragraph on the topic of each poem, followed by a list of books and Web sites. Florian’s ode to Pluto matter-of-factly notes its demoted status, but even better is his pithy poem on Jupiter: “Jupiter’s jumbo, / Gigantic, / Immense, / So wide / Side to side, / But gaseous, not dense. / With some sixteen moons / It’s plainly prolific- / So super-dupiter / Jupiterific!” Read this aloud.” - Booklist (Gr. 3 - 5)

Phelan, C. (2007). Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars. Booklist, 103(15), 50.

“Nothing gladdens the heart of believers in good poetry for children more than a new collection by Florian, whose verses and paintings consistently capture the essence of his featured themes. This one literally sings the music of the spheres. Twenty playfully lyrical poems treat topics such as the universe, the individual planets, constellations, and black holes. Each selection is presented on its own spread and adorned with a magical painting done in gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on brown paper. Circles abound in the artwork, and many pages have round cut-outs that lead into the next picture. For example, "the earth" ("Two-thirds water./One-third land./Valleys deep./Mountains grand") is illustrated with a colorful globe decorated with circled collage prints of animals and plants. A smaller orb appears nearby, made from a cut-out circle that reveals part of the illustration for the next selection, "the moon." Some of the paintings incorporate mythological names and images. The pleasing blend of faded shades and brilliant colors, of old-fashioned prints and fanciful sketches, makes the illustrations seem both antique and high-tech. An appended "Galactic Glossary" provides additional information. In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy. Like Myra Cohn Livingston and Leonard Everett Fisher's Space Songs (Holiday House, 1988; o.p.), this book is a work of art worthy of the vastness of its subject.” - School Library Journal (Gr. 1 - 5)

Use in Classroom Setting:

Lower elementary students read Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars and investigate the five outer planets. Students explore various websites and create trading cards with facts about the planets in our galaxy. This creative project will allow students to express some of the beautiful paintings in the book and still provides important science material.

As students learn about the planets in Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars, they can focus on one planets of their choice. Students do research on the planet and use a computer program, like Microsoft Publisher, to create a travel brochure about the planet.

Book 2 for the Module: Poetry (Verse Novel)

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?: A Mystery in Poems by Mel Glenn

Bibliography:

Glenn, M. (1996). Who killed mr. chippendale?: A mystery in poems. New York: Lodestar Books.

Summary: 

Robert Chippendale, English teacher is seeing his last day when he goes for a run on the school track and is shot. Someone in a hoodie is upset with him because they bump into each other as he ties his shoes. Robert lets it go because he doesn’t want to deal with the problem, but the sweatshirt wearer is angry he wasn’t acknowledged. As Robert starts on his run he reflects on his life and sees nothing special about it, he wonders if he is happy. Each page contains thoughts or feelings about how this death has affected them, the reader sees different perspectives; students, teachers, principal, counselor, reporter, police. The reader sees how people perceived the teacher while most are good, some are not. The books spans the event, the funeral, and afterwards. People share their thoughts about how they feel about school and life. A new teacher is hired and ready to move on but some people are not ready they need closure. In an effort to provide that closure and catch the killer Angela Falcone, the counselor, set up a memorial in Robert’s honor. She finds out the identity of the killer and finally put her emotions to rest. 

My Impression:

Reading this verse novel was like reading a play. Mostly it’s just one person’s words and sometimes an interchange with another character. There are some great statements that ring true about the life we live. Some comments that really got me where a student is talking about school and how it only asks for “Blindness obedience and mindless repetition” another was about the elation and then sadness a student felt about going to college “I’m too rich to afford the college of my choice.” This was a great book that allowed the reader to see the story unfold through the many characters involved.

Reviews: 

 “High school English teacher Robert Chippendale is shot and killed one morning while running on the Tower High track before class. Moments earlier, he’d had a confrontation with a shadowy figure in a red-hooded sweatshirt. That’s all readers learn early on in this mystery in poem format. But more than a whodunit, this unique offering explores a multitude of issues in its pages. Single-page conversational poems are presented, each of which bears the name of a different student, teacher, or community member touched by the murderer. Not only do the poems clue readers into the characters’ personalities and sensibilities, but they also provide a telling commentary on the attitudes toward violence reflected in our society at large. The cast is large, ranging from students who loved or hated “Mr. C” to guidance counselor Angela Falcone, who ties the book together. An epilogue takes readers 13 years into the future to shoe what the characters, including the murder, are doing with their lives. Glenn delivers a starkly realistic view of modern high-school life. A clever idea executed in a thoughtful, compelling, and thoroughly accessible manner.” – School Library Journal (Gr. 7 & Up)

Korbeck, S. (1996). Junior high up: Fiction. School Library Journal, 42(7), 98.

“Teens who have enjoyed Glenn's previous free-verse peeks at contemporary high-school life, such as My Friend's Got This Problem, Mr. Candler (1991), will probably want to see this one, even though it is not as successful. Violence, a top concern among today's teens, is the unifying theme, and the idea of presenting a mystery in free-form verse should have great appeal. The aftermath of the unexplained shooting death of a high-school teacher is presented through the eyes of a variety of different people--students in his classes, investigating cops, a counselor with whom he had an affair. Unfortunately, even accounting for Glenn's attempts to differentiate the characters, the poetry is painfully turgid at times ("black holes appear in the constellation of my memories"), and his story lacks punch. His previous, more intimate books, which present characters and problems more varied and more emotionally compelling, will continue to draw readers long after this one is forgotten.” – Booklist (Gr. 7 - 12)

Zvirin, S. (1996). Books for older readers: Nonfiction. Booklist, 92(19/20), 1688.

Use in Classroom Setting:

After reading Who Killed Mr. Chippendale students take in all the comments by the students and evidence presented.  After collecting their thoughts they decide how they want to structure the text using Web 2.0 tool Glogster EDU to create a news report depicting the goings on of the investigation at Tower High. Something like the Glogster poster found at http://hopperkc.edu.glogster.com/who-killed-mr-chippendale/.

Review elements found in a mystery; clues, deduction, foreshadowing, hypothesis, powers of observation, red-herring (distractions). Then ask students how these elements were prevalent in Who Killed Mr. Chippendale. Together the class creates a large sized casebook to report and explain the answer to the mystery.