Cesar: Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. 2004. CESAR SI, SE PUEDE! YES, WE CAN! ill. David Diaz. New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 9780761451723

SUMMARY:

Introduce students to an inspiring historical figure who grew up during the Great Depression.  Cesar was a  migrant worker who dropped out of school to help support his family.  Eventually, he grew into a great leader who fought for rights for his fellow farm workers. He helped improve the lives of a whole generation, and the positive effects can still be seen today.  This inspiring story is told through free-verse poems and unique imagery that brings history to life.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  9 years and up
Grade Level:  4th grade and up
Students will enjoy this interesting twist on a biography since it is written in free-verse.  Hispanic students will enjoy reading, hearing, and interacting with text that is partially in their home language. They will be engaged in the learning as they learn about Cesar.

Educators have diverse groups of students who fill their classrooms each day.  Each and everyone of them are unique individuals and special in their own way.  Differences should be celebrated. Embracing different cultures and their historical figures will help teachers model a positive attitude and show of respect as they encourage, value, and promote diversity within the classroom.  This poetry book is filled with reference tools that will help teachers and students locate a wealth of information.  It contains a Table of Contents, Notes, Glossary, Cesar's Life Story, and a detailed Timeline.  This informational poetry book would be a great addition to any classroom.  It can be used to support learning for both reading, writing, and social studies.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

DEPRESSION

In the 1930's,

Cesar's tios and tias

--along with many other Americans--

lost their jobs.

What could Librado do but help them?

He let them have anything

they needed from the store.

They could pay him later,

when things got better.

But things didn't get better.

Before long, the store was empty.

Librado had no money to refill it

and lost the business in a bad deal.

But they still had Papa Chayo's rancho!

In the rancho,

Cesar and his brother Richard

slept on the pool table that

Librado had not been able to sell.

"Look!" Cesar told Richard,

pointing at the peeling plaster.

"There's a face over there.

And look in the corner, here's a rabbit!"

CONNECTIONS:

Research The Great Depression:

• Allow students to explore the below website while working in small groups.  Assign each group specific sections of the website to explore (Presidents, Timeline, Causes, Stock Market Crash of '29, First Hand Accounts, Helping the People, Pictures, Facts and Figures)
• http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01794/home_page.htm
• Groups will compile their researched information in a creative and clear manner, and prepare to present their project to the class.  
• Throughout the research days and presentation days, have poetry breaks and share some of the poems from Cesar Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! This will give students a different perspective of The Great Depression and inform them about a famous Hispanic historical figure who lived and survived this difficult time period.

A Strange Place to Call Home by Marilyn Singer

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Singer, Marilyn. 2012. A STRANGE PLACE TO CALL HOME.  ill. Ed Young. California: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN 9781452101200

SUMMARY:

Beyond the beauty of our earth are dangerous places.  The will to live is a powerful thing and truly defies reasoning.  Readers will learn about fourteen unusual animals who not only live in harsh conditions, but thrive to live another day.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  4 and up
Students will enjoy the playful illustrations.  The torn images constructed by Young are fun and inspiring to art-lovers who will be eager to emulate his work.  Young scientist will dive into the informational pages to learn about the unique animals that live in harsh environments.

Educators will find a variety of poetry structures that they can use and discuss with students:  a variety of rhyming schemes, cinquain, terza rima, triolet, and villanelle forms.  All could be used as a mentor poem and aid in students' poetry writing as they are inspired or as lesson objectives are assigned.  Research has shown boys tend to choose informational text over fiction novels.  Filling the classroom with rich informational text like this will help increase engagement from reluctant readers, such as boys.  Having informational text like this will allow teachers to integrate their content area teaching that will reinforce learning across content areas.  

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

FROZEN SOLID

(ice worms)

If wriggling in the richest earth,

If hiding under leaves and logs ...

If fastened to a coral reef,

If burrowed down in mucky bogs ...

If writhing in a swimming pool,

Or in a collie's water dish,

Or in a sparrow's concrete bath ...

If in the guts of cat or fish ...

If buried in the mud or sand,

If lurking in the deepest seas,

Why not beneath the glacial ice,

helped by their own antifreeze?

CONNECTION:

Read the above poem aloud as students view the poem.  Divide the students into small groups, assigning one stanza for each group.  Allow students time to reread their section of the poem, and brainstorm their ideas about how the ice worm can survive in the mentioned conditions within their stanza.  Students will research ice worms using expository books and through internet access.  Students will create a visual of their ice worm in its living environment to match their stanza.  They will list important facts found during their research, clearly labeling structures of the ice worm that enable this animal to adapt and survive in many locations. Groups will present their visual to the class, and share their interesting facts they found during their group's research.

After all groups have presented, students will write one page addressing the following writing prompts.

• What new information did you learn about the ice worm during your research and from the poem by Marilyn Singer?
• What kinds of personal (text-to-self) connections did you make during this lesson?
• What kinds of text-to-text connections did you make during this lesson?
• Discuss any other connections or thoughts that you have about ice worms.

Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Engle, Margarita. 2011. HURRICANE DANCERS:  THE FIRST CARIBBEAN PIRATE SHIPWRECK. New York:  Hary Hold and Company, LLC. ISBN 9780805092400

SUMMARY:

Gripping historical fiction novel written in verse.  Each word carefully chosen to convey a message of being lost and broken to finding the strength to move on and forgive.  Readers will experience this journey through the narrative voices of various perspectives linking together a story from slavery to freedom.  

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  12 years and up
Grade Level:  7th and up
Readers will be drawn into this story as the author masterfully invokes thoughts, ideas, emotional connections, and sensory imagery with each turning of the page.  They will be rooting for young Quebrado as he finds his way to freedom.  Readers will enjoy the journey back in time, and through the span of about twenty years, in this well organized novel.  The various perspectives throughout the book add to the depth of connections and emotions the reader will feel towards its characters.

Using this type of historical fiction novel will help educators to inspire their students to read and research historical topics.  The interesting topic and journey the main character experiences will ensure engagement of all students.  Boys will especially be interested in the adventure this novel has in store for them.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book - Pages 132-133)

YACUYO

As soon as I am alone

on a sunlit beach,

I shed all my old names,

both the gentle ones

given by my parents,

and the rough names

I received from my life

as a ship's slave

in hurricane season.

I choose the name

of a place -- Yacuyo,

"Far Light."

The name glows brightly.

It carries me galloping

on my sky horse

all the way back

to the sheltering forests

of high mountains

where I have friends

and a home.

I no longer feel

like Quebrado,

a broken place,

half floating isle

and half

wandering wind.

I am free

of all those old

shattered ways

of seeing myself.

I am whole.

CONNECTION:

Comparing historical fiction novels written in verse:

• Read another historical fiction novel written in verse with students.
• Suggestion:  INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai
• Read HURRICANE DANCERS by Margarita Engle in its entirety.
• Lead students through various types of discussions:
• Comparing:
• Main characters
• Setting
• Situations for leaving their original homes
• Their new found homes in the end
• Characteristics of each historical fiction novel written in verse
• Historical time period and events that are true from each novel
• Discuss various types of personal connections students made during each novel reading and how those connections are personally similar and/or different.
• Allow students to create a poster displaying their thoughts and ideas about both historical fiction novel, spot lighting each main character through the use of a heart map.
• Students participate in a gallery tour to view peers' posters, and give positive feedback using Post-It notes.

Research Caribbean pirate shipwrecks:

• Students work in small groups to research Caribbean pirate shipwrecks using various types of technology tools and nonfiction resources that are available.
• Students will work together to create a visual display of their choosing (using technology or creating a poster to display), and present their findings to their peers during whole class presentations.
• Students are encouraged to print and/or include visuals/pictures of facts they found during their research and include them in their display for all to see during whole group presentations. 

LINKS:

• Informational website to learn about Taino Indian Culture in Poerto Rico
• Educator's Guide written by author, Margarita Engle

The Arrow Finds Its Mark edited by Georgia Heard

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Heard, Georgia, comp. (2012). THE ARROW FINDS ITS MARK:  A BOOK OF FOUND POEMS. ill. Antoine Guilloppe. New York: Roaring Brook Press.  ISBN 9781596436657

SUMMARY:

Words surround us everyday, everywhere we go.  This anthology is a collection of some of those words found on such items as an Oxi-clean detergent containers, SPRINT newspaper advertisement, and a computer drop-down menu to name a few.  Then, the words are reordered and modified, morphing them into a work of beauty to inspire young poets to find their own poetic voice in the world around them.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  8 years and up
Grade Level:  3rd and up
This book has many great features that the reader will enjoy.  Readers can find specific poems using the table of contents, and it also has a great introduction to the book on the inside cover that will help the reader better understand the book's concept.  Students will be drawn in by the books unique concept and humor.  They will find the language and structure of the poems appealing. Young readings and writers will find the language used throughout this book interesting, and will make many connections to its subject matter.

Educators can use this book to inspire their students to put on their "poetry glasses" to sharpen their "poet vision", and find that poetry exists everywhere.  Educators can plan for explorations to assist students in finding existing words and phrases from their surroundings to create refreshing new poems that they have a personal connection to.  Educators can use the poems in the book as a great modeling tool, and as a mentor text that will spark creativity in young writers.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

NICKNAMES IN THE NBA

(Found by J. Patrick Lewis in All-Time Player Directory, Official NBA Encyclopedia)

The Mailman, The Admiral, The Answer, The Truth, The Pearl, The Glove, The Dream, The Sheriff,
The Goods, The Waiter, Big Ticket, Big Country, Big Smooth, Big Nasty, Big Baby, Big Fundamental,
Z, Zo, Rip, Bo, Tip, Lo, Stro, Cat, Doggie, Piggie, Goat, Snake, Bull, Horse, Sam I Am,
Tim Bug, Tin Man, Thunder Dan, Sir Dunks-A-Lot, Boom Dizzle, The Hobbit, Vinsanity,
Mt. Motumbo, White Chocolate, Vanilla Gorilla, Dollar Bill, Tractor, Scooter, Ukraine Train,
The Owl Without a Vowel, The Human Highlight Film, Durantula, Magic, Shaq,
Larry Legend, The Chosen One, His Airness.

CONNECTION:

• Introduce lesson about using creative adjectives in students' writing using the above poem.  
• Introduce the topic with a picture or PowerPoint slide displaying famous NBA players.  
• Read the poem slowly in its entirety while students view picture or PowerPoint slide.  Allow them to jot down their ideas as to who each nickname might be referring to.  
• Provide a copy of the poem for each student, typed up in columns with a space by each name.  
• Allow students to work in groups to discuss, and use both technology and nonfiction books as reference tools to investigate the owners' of the nicknames.  After the allotted time, see which group got the most correct answers.  
• Then, transfer this learning into their own writing where they are describing a person, place, or thing.  
• Students will circle each time they mention or refer to their person, place, or thing in their first draft.  
• They will then use technology and a thesaurus as reference tools to come up with an expanded list of creative adjectives they can use in their writing to make it more interesting and fun.
• Students will add at least five creative adjectives in their second draft as they work through the writing process.  

LINKS:

• Georgia Heard's official website
• Great educational resources text listed here by Georgia Heard.

Follow Follow by Marilyn Singer

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Singer, Marilyn. 2013. FOLLOW FOLLOW:  A BOOK OF REVERSO POEMS. ill. Josee Masse. New York:  Penguin Group. ISBN 9780803737693

SUMMARY:

A collection of poems that can be read from top to bottom or from bottom to top.  Each direction the poem is read, a different meaning, message, or view point is conveyed.  Like magic, the same words hold new meaning while maintaining the poems topic. The focus for this poetry pictures book centers around classic fairy tales with a sly twist.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  6 years and up
Grade Level:  1st and up
Marilyn Singer presents familiar fables and fairy tales in a fresh new way.  Readers will enjoy revisiting old favorites like THE THREE LITTLE PIGS, PUSS IN BOOTS, and THE GOLDEN GOOSE.  The language used in each poem is used in a unique way that leaves an impression on the read as ideas, descriptions, and emotions are conveyed.  The poems are organized and laid out in a clear and creative manner.  Each poem is represented creatively through Josee Masse's art.  The bright colors bring the characters to life.  On the opposite page, the poem is presented twice.  Once for the readers to read from top to bottom, and then again from bottom to top.  Readers will eagerly want to read additional poems to experience Singer's creative craftsmanship.

Educators will find the poems within this book a refreshing tool to engage students in their learning.  The poems and the creative way they are presented will be appealing and memorable to students.  Most will be familiar and remind them of childhood experiences, making them a perfect fit for the engagement phase of lessons to activate background knowledge on a topic or subject. To clarify poem topics, the book includes an informational section in the back where each poem is discussed.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from book)

READY, STEADY, GO!

(Read TOP to BOTTOM - Hare's POV)

That ridiculous loser!

I am not

a slowpoke,

Though I may be

the smallest bit distracted,

I can't be

beat,

I've got rabbit feet to

take me to the finish line.

(Read BOTTOM to TOP - Tortoise's POV)

Take me to the finish line!

I've got rabbit feet to

beat.

I can't be 

the smallest bit distracted.

Though I may be

a slowpoke,

I am not

that ridiculous loser.

CONNECTION:

Use the above poem to introduce students to one of Aesop's fables, THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE.

• View 1934 Disney video to engage students in the lesson.
• Disney 1934 "The Tortoise and the Hare" video (8:25 mins.)
• Discuss and create an anchor chart displaying characteristics of fables:
• Short story
• Animals as main characters who take on human characteristics (talking, walking, wear clothes, live in houses, etc.)
• Personification
• Usually one problem
• Ends with a lesson or moral
• Provide a copy of the above poem for each student.
• Read Marilyn Singer's poem, READY, STEADY, GO!, in its entirety.
• Then re-read the Hare's section only.
• Discuss this section of the poem and how the punctuation clarifies the POV of the Hare, and identify the types of fable characteristics found in this section of the poem.
• Re-read the Tortoise's section.
• Discuss this section of the poem and how the punctuation clarifies the POV of the Tortoise, and identify the types of fable characteristics found in this section of the poem.
• Re-read the poem in its entirety once again.
• Discuss the moral or lesson this fable is conveying.
• Provide other fable text for students to read, discuss, and identify fable characteristics while working in a small group.
• Groups will create a poster to present their group's story, the fable characteristics found, and a self-created poem that can be read from top to bottom AND bottom to top using Singer's poem as a mentor text.
• Groups will hang up their poster and participate in a gallery tour to view their fellow peers' work.
• Students will leave positive feed back using Post-It notes.
• Assess individual student's comprehension during a final unit test that include and compares fables with other types of genres that have been discussed, such as fairy tales.

LINKS:

• Companion book to MIRROR MIRROR:  A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE by Marilyn Singer
• Link to Amazon
• Meet the author
• Youtube video - Interview with Marilyn Singer

Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Grimes, Nikki. 2013. WORDS WITH WINGS. Pennsylvania: WordSong. ISBN 9781590789858

SUMMARY:

Welcome to the fictional world of Gabby.  To escape the angry words of her home, her days are spent daydreaming.  The imagination is celebrated through this outstanding novel written in verse.  The words are few, but full of power, meaning, and spirit of hope for a different life.

QUALITY & APPEAL:

Age Range:  8 years and up
Grade level:  3rd grade and up
Educators will be inspired by this novel as a loving and patient teacher assists young Gabby in capturing her daydreams, putting them down on paper, and inspiring new dreams. The power of the imagination and of words is remarkably demonstrated in this wonderful piece of poetry.  The layout of this novel will be beneficial to any reader as the Table of Contents and titles guide the reader.

The language the author uses speaks for and to every daydreamer with its vivid sensory details and rhythm that helps the reading escape with Gabby.  Students, daydreamers or not, will be drawn in and inspired by the melody of Grimes' words as they are so beautifully chosen and written.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from page 63)

PLANETARIUM

David's mom

takes him on a trip

to the planetarium.

I know because

I get to go!

We lean back in our seats,

feel the dark wrap round us

like Saturn's rings,

and hold our breaths,

staring up at a night sky

speckled with starlight

and bigger than

all our dreams

slung together.

Can't wait to see

what drawings

David will do.

Me, I gather new words

like moon rocks,

souvenirs I get to keep

long after we leave.

CONNECTION:

Educators could share this poem during science lessons about planets.  Would be wonderful to share before a trip to a local planetarium as well. Slowly read through the above poem several times to allow students to experience the thoughts and feelings shared by the author.  Discuss the end of the poem, where Gabby talks about "...gather new words like moon rocks..." 

• In conjunction with the science lesson, allow small groups to brainstorm characteristic of a chosen planet.  
• Allow students to expand on their adjectives using a thesaurus.  
• Students, using PLANETARIUM as a mentor text, and "gather new words like moon rocks, souvenirs ... to keep ..."
• Students, working in their small group, create a poem using their old and new adjectives describing their chosen planet.
• Students neatly write their newly created poem on a poster.
• Students creatively decorate their poster illustrating key terms and topics found within their poem creating a visual that matches their poem.
• Display posters for all to see.
• Allow students to do a gallery tour to read, view, and experience their peers' poetry and artistic work, offering positive feedback on post-it notes.

LINKS:

• http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/news/words-with-wings-by-nikki-grimes/

Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Florian, Douglas. 2009. DINOTHESAURUS. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781416979784

SUMMARY:

Take a giant step back in time into a world filled with carnivores, herbivores, spinosaurous, and of course T-rex.  With each turning of a page, another dinosaur will come to life through Florian's comical and informative poems.  The illustrations are unique and interesting as each extinct animals characteristics are displayed for the viewer.


QUALITY AND APPEAL:

Age Range: 6 years and up
Grade Level:  1st grade and up
Students will enjoy learning about each extinct animal and will marvel at the detail each illustration depicts. Both young and old will find the punctuation tools useful as they try to say each dinosaur's name.  The author also has simpler names in parenthesis.  Each poem is pleasing to the ear with rhythm and meaning, as truths are spoken and on visual display.

Educators will find the table of contents and the Glossarysaurus useful tools when searching for key topics to share and discuss with their students.  Each page has clear label and titles that will guide the user through the book to find and enjoy factual information as the author presents it.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:  (Excerpt from pages 36-37)

SPINOSAURUS

SPY-no-SAW-rus  (spine lizard)

What kept the Spinosaurus warm

When it was colder then the norm?

Spines much like a solar panel.

(And long underwear of flannel.)

CONNECTION:

The poem, SPINOSAURUS, could be shared during science lessons where various types of energy are being discussed, as well as prehistoric animal units.  Students will enjoy the short, catchy, and funny poem about the Spinosaurus.  To reinforce the ideas of solar energy, teachers guide their students through this fun and interactive lesson.

• Students work in small groups to design and create a solar oven using various types of items such as a box, black paper, and some type of reflective material like foil and mirrors.  Groups should be creative in their designs to capture as much heat as possible.
• Students choose from a variety of possible items to cook in their solar oven:  egg, cookie dough, or s'mores.  
• On a hot and sunny day, allow groups to test their solar oven by attempting to cook their chosen food.  Students should monitor the progress of their food as the light from the sun is reflected onto their design.  

Reinforce the learning about solar energy and solar panels by sharing the SPINOSAURUS poem again. Discuss how this animal's spine could have kept it warm during cold seasons.

LINK:

• http://youtu.be/o7H_tWezh9A