Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson written by Emily Dickinson, Edited by Susan Snively, and Illustrated by Christine Davenier

Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson, Editor Susan Snively, and Illustrator Christine Davenier
NP (Non-prose)

            A selection of Emily Dickinson’s poetry divided by the seasons. Each poem is illustrated with the text and the accompanied/assigned season it resonates with according to the editor and illustrator.

Learning Activity:
After reading through the 35 poems, select one of them and analyze why the editor and illustrator decided its season/imagery accompanying it. The student will write out what they think the reasoning for the season selection and if they agree or disagree with it, and why they think that. The student will illustrate the poem themselves with how they think it should look based on their written assessment.

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-L.RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-L.RL.5.7 - Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
CCSS.ELA-L.W.5.2.D - Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Goal:
The student will provide textual evidence within the poem that could answer why the editor and illustrator decided on their categorization of the selected poem. The student will interpret it themselves and illustrate what they see within the same poem.

Objective:
Cognitive -
            The student will select a poem and write a paragraph on why the editors of the book selected it’s assigned season/chapter.
            The student will write a few sentences on their own interpretation of the poem and which season they would have selected for it.
Psychomotor –
            The student will create an illustration based on their written analysis on the poem they selected.

Outcome:
The student will listen to the poems within the book, select a poem from it, and use the text to explain why it is categorized in that particular season’s chapter. They will explain their own interpretation of the poem and what they think its corresponding season is and why they think that. They will create a picture to show artistically what they wrote in their analysis.

Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars by: Douglas Florian

Title: Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars

Author: Douglas Florian

Summary

The book titled Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars by: Douglas Florian. This text possesses poems about the planets, comets, stars and the moon.

Here's an excerpt from the text:

"Saturn's rings turn round Saturn.
  Its moons turn round it too.
  Saturn, by turns, turns round the sun.
  Saturning through and through." (Florian 25-26).

Lexile Level: 0 non-prose text

Recommended for

Ages: 4-7 Years
Grades: Preschool to Third Grade

Learning Standard

"Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song."

(Reading Standards for Literature K–5; Grade 2).

Learning Goal

Students will demonstrate knowledge of astronomy and the elements of basic poetry through this lesson.

Learning Objectives

• Students will identify elements of poetry shown in the text titled Comets, Stars, The Moon and Mars by: Douglas Florian. 
• Students will create their own poem, based on basic research conducted 
• Students will create an illustration depicting the chosen object from space.

Learning Activity

This activity will focus on students engaging in a basic poetry lesson, in which they will learn elements such as rhyming and alliteration. Students will learn basic knowledge of astronomy through tools, which include completing worksheets. Students will read the text titled Comets, Stars, The Moon and Stars by Douglas Florian and will choose a planet, comet or the moon to conduct research.

Then, students will create a poem to demonstrate their knowledge of the elements of poetry and create an illustration of their chosen topic. This learning activity will occur in a four part lesson that will build upon each segment to reach the completion of this activity. A rubric will be used to assess this activity.

Learning Outcome

Students will conduct research and demonstrate their knowledge of basic astronomy. In addition, students will create a poem to demonstrate their knowledge of the elements of poetry.

Selling Tool

Poster

References

Florian, D. (2007). Comets, stars, the Moon, and Mars (p. 45). Orlando: Harcourt.

Mid-Hudson Library System --Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars (n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2017, from http://search.midhudsonlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1768458__Scomets%20stars%20the%20moon__Orightresult__U__X6?lang=eng&suite=cobalt

New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2017, from https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-standards-for-english-language-arts-and-literacy