Science Poetry

Science Poetry

Bibliography:

Hoberman, Mary & Winston, Linda. 2009. The tree that time built: a celebration of nature, science, and imagination. Napperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN: 9781402225178.

Summary/Analysis:

This anthology of poems focuses on the mysteries and facts found in the natural world.  The poems were selected by Linda Winston, a teacher and anthropologist, and Mary Ann Hoberman, a former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate.  The anthology has over 100 poems from well known poets (including Hoberman) that are divided into nine different sections that help organize the poems.  Each section begins with a short introduction explaining the theme, connecting it back to Darwin, providing important vocabulary, and giving readers a framework for the poems that are in that particular section.  A variety of poetic forms are used including free verse, rhyming, concrete, haiku, and many others.  There is an accompanying CD included that has many poems read by the actual poet.  This is a great way for readers to hear the intended rhythm and hear famous poets read their own works.  Even with the large amount of poems, the sections  help keep the poems organized and they all flow well together.  Poems range from being serious with poems focused on not harming living things to fun and light hearted poems about flying like a bird.  The poems and vocabulary used are best suited for students in upper elementary and middle school, but even younger readers will appreciate many of the simple poems.  The anthology contains an introduction about Charles Darwin and how the book was created.  There is a table of contents, index, and a glossary.  Also found is a section “About the Poets” that has basic biographical information on each poet and information on each of the compilers.  Students who enjoyed the topic and poems will also find the “Suggestions for Further Reading and Research” to be of interest when finding more resources related to the topics found in the book.

Use:

Think Like a Tree by Karen I. Shragg

Soak up the sun

Affirm life’s magic

Be graceful in the wind

Stand tall after a storm

Feel refreshed after it rains

Grow strong without notice

Be prepared for each season

Provide shelter to strangers

Hang tough through a cold spell

Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring

Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky

Be still long enough to

Hear your own leaves rustling.

This poem by Karen Shragg is an example of the many types of poetic forms found in this anthology.  In the book this is a concrete poem and appears as an evergreen tree.  This poem is also read aloud by the poet in provided CD.  The section that this poem is found in features other poems about trees and their importance in our world.  After reading the poem out load as a class you could play the audio recording of the poet.  Sharing this poem could be an easy way to reintroduce concrete poems to the class.  This could be done along with a science unit focusing on forests or trees.  Each group could be assigned a different type of tree and they would have to write a factual poem that they turn into a concrete poem to represent the shape of the tree.