Author: Joyce Sidman
Illustrator: Beckie Prange
ISBN: 0618135472
Summary: Science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the
seasons.
Literature Based Unit Study Written by Cindy Bronner
with poetry lessons by Ami Brainerd
Language Arts
Poetry Lessons
I tried and tried to break this down by literary devices, elements of
poetry, etc. instead of by poem, but I just kept going back to wanting to write
a study for a few poems separately. So, here you are:
Listen for Me Poetry is all about language. We are often pleased when we hear the
same sounds, words, or phrases being used over and over again. Look for
repetition in the first poem of the book, "Listen for Me." Read it
together twice (aloud). Give your student a
copy of the printed poem.
Ask him to determine which word is being repeated in the first stanza. Let
him highlight all the "nights" in one color. Then, let him pick another
word that is repeated in the second stanza (thaws); highlight it in a different
color. Continue with each stanza (using a different color to highlight the
repeated words. The first and last stanzas should be highlighted in the
same colors. Why does the poet choose to use many of the same words in the
first and last stanzas? Why is the last line different? It's
possible that this poem is to be like a lullaby. "I'll sing you to sleep"
is more effective as a fresh last line than it would be if it were a repeated
line from the first stanza.
You don't want to kill the poems by studying every little word and rhyme;
however, if your students have been exposed to the joy of poetry (tea-time
readings, before bed readings, etc.), you can probably dive a little deeper and
not be afraid of killing any poems. I do want to caution you,
though, to be sensitive to your students and note when they are ready to move on
to the next poem. Please present each poem as a gift to be enjoyed...not
as a lesson that MUST be done (and dreaded).
So, if your students are still eager for more, note all the wonderful (but
simple) describing words (adjectives) in the poem. What words
describe night? Pond? Reeds? Love? Can your student
think of more adjectives to describe night? Maybe he can and he will
be inspired to try his own poem similar to the first stanza.
________ (verb) for me on a ___________ night
on a ___________ night
on a ___________ night
_________ (verb) for me on a ___________ night
for in the night, I ____________
Spring Splashdown Try to read the next poem "Spring Splashdown" on a different day. Does
your student immediately notice the repetition? (If not, it's okay!)
Gently point it out if she hasn't noticed. What effect does the repetition
in this poem have (it's hardly like a lulling lullaby)? The poet uses the
repetition to show the constant movement of the ducklings. How fun!
Encourage your older student to think of something that is constantly in motion.
Can she write a poem about that subject using a similar style?
Ask your student if she notices anything special about this poem. That's
right! The words leaping go down the page! Isn't that creative!
Poets are allowed to break conventional grammar and do things however they want
(as long as they have a reason!). Maybe instead of a constantly-in-motion
poem, she'd like to try playing with the lines of a poem. You can give her
the first few lines of this poem. Can she manipulate any of the
words (can a peek or a hop LOOK like a peep or a hop?). We do have a
special name for poems that take shape. A concrete poem refers to the
placement of words on the page so that a picture is formed containing the image
of the poem itself. If your student is interested in concrete poetry, try
checking out Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry (also by Joyce Sidman).
Diving Beetle's Food Sharing Rules What is your student's initial reaction to this poem? Is she left with
questions? Would she like to meet face to face with a diving beetle?
(Of course, an older student will probably realize that they could smash one in
a second!). If she were an insect, would she like to meet up with a diving
beetle?
The effectiveness of this poem is largely due to the fact that it is written in
first person. Is your student familiar with first person point of view?
Basically, the beetle talking to you himself using first person pronouns (I,
me). We have lots of repetition again, too! I ME MINE MINE
MINE!
If your student would like to try writing a poem, encourage her to choose an
animal and write the poem as if she were the animal. She can choose a pond
animal or an animal from another habitat (maybe her favorite animal). What
would her animal say if it could talk to the world in a poem?
Fly, Dragonfly! This poem is special. It's a series of three Haikus all wrapped into
one. Your older student has probably written a Haiku before. If you
aren't familiar with the formula for a Haiku, here it is:
a Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five
syllables; traditionally, haiku invokes an aspect of nature or the seasons.
Break this formula down for your student on a piece of paper and check Fly,
Dragonfly. How does each "stanza" match up to the description of a haiku?
Encourage your student to try writing a haiku.
In the Depths of the Summer Pond Yet another example of repetition. What a great use for repetition
(the food chain!). Does your student know any songs that work like this
poem ("There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea")?
This would be another fun writing project. Make a list for a food chain in
a different habitat (such as rainforest or arctic tundra) or think of another
way to arrange a list that could repeat, and make a poem of it!
A Small Green Riddle Can your student determine the answer? Can she write "A Small
__________ (blue, purple, red, or even green) Riddle" poem?
Vocabulary The book has a glossary in the back that
has many scientific terms and their descriptions. Here are a few additional
words that we discussed as we were reading.
Peeper (Do you have peepers in the ponds
where you live?)
Fierce
Streamline
Perched
Aerial
Lurks
Nabs
Camouflage
Transformation
Whorled
Plunging
Sphere
Marooned
Lumbering
Jauntily
Bristling
Basking
Applied Math: Counting and Patterns There are lots of things to count in
this book. Older children could identify the patterns in the poems and show
these with shapes and/or colors glued to paper.
Art: Printmaking The illustrations are woodblock printed
and hand-colored with watercolor.
In order to print, the artist makes a
master plate usually out of one of the following materials: linoleum,
styrofoam, metal, cardboard, stone, or wood (other materials can be used, too).
The artist cuts, etches, draws, or carves an image on the plate. Then the
artist applies ink and paper is pressed onto the plate. Finally, the print
is pulled from the plate. There are four different types of
printing. The type Prange used is called relief printing. Relief printing
is from a raised surface. If you have a rubber stamp, you can show one to
your student and let him feel the raised surface. When you dip the stamp
into ink and make a print, you have made a relief print. You can also
discuss how the completed rubber stamp print is a mirror image of the original
plate. The artist draws on the surface of the plate she wishes to
use, then uses tools to cut away the areas that will not print. A brayer
(a roller) spreads ink on the finished plate.
Try your hand at printmaking. Rather
than carving wood, which is time-consuming and requires sharp tools, use
cardboard, foam board or styrofoam meat trays. Try the type of printmaking Beckie
Prange used, relief printing, which removes the areas the artist does not want
to be inked. Remember, you will be working with the reverse of the image (mirror
image) you will get on the paper. Use a pencil or nail to draw the outline and
remove the excess with either the pencil or maybe a plastic knife. Use a brayer
to ink a cookie sheet and press the print block onto the ink. Place a piece
of paper on the block and rub with the back of a spoon. Remove and let ink dry.
Empty spaces can be filled in with watercolors, markers or colored pencils.
Some printmaking artists that your older student may wish to research include:
Holbein the Younger, Fred Hagen, Vincent Van Gogh, and James Whistler. He
may also want to research Japanese printmakers.
Science/Social Studies: Conservation and Wood Ducks Wood ducks nearly became extinct due to
excessive hunting and loss of habitat. Hunting regulations and protection of
remaining habitat allowed the bird population to recover in the 1920’s, and the
birds’ acceptance of artificial nesting boxes has allowed the population to
recover. You may want to discuss your own family's beliefs/thoughts about
hunting with your older student.
This lesson would be a good time to discuss God's creation and how He has
entrusted us to take care of it, to be good stewards. At most of our state
parks, we have Conservation Officers who work hard to make sure that people are
following the rules and regulations. Conservation Officers deal with the hunting
and fishing public year round. They make sure people have the proper
licensing; help find lost hunters, hikers, and fishermen; and assist with forest
fires, flood relief efforts, and other natural disasters. You may want to
research one of your own state parks and find out what the rules are (or discuss
the hunting/fishing laws in your state).
Science: Hibernation When an animal hibernates, it passes the winter
in a sleeping or resting state. Spring Peepers hibernate under logs and
loose bark. My students were intrigued that the peepers are near
freezing and come right back to activity once they warm up. We discussed the
idea that they weren’t dead, just hibernating (sort of comatose). My
6-year-old shared a science experiment that she and her dad did. They were in
the garage and had the freezer door open when a fly went inside the freezer. My
husband told her that it was okay, it would just go to sleep and wake up when it
was warm again. They left it in there for about a week, took it out to thaw and
it warmed up and flew off (gross!).
Science: Amphibians
The poem "Spring Peepers" is about frogs. If you've ever had a chance to
hear their song, they indeed do peep! In the Animal Kingdom,
frogs fall into the class Amphibia, known to us as amphibians. What are
the special characteristics of amphibians?
*cold-blooded, their body temperature depends on the temperature of their
environment
*they are vertebrates
(have backbones)
*lay eggs in the water *spend part of their lives under water (breathing
with gills as tadpoles)
*in most species, lungs and legs develop later (see life cycle of frog lesson
below)
Three groups of amphibians exist. You may want to spend more time
researching a certain group.
1. (urodeles) newts and salamanders
2. (anurans) frogs and toads
3. (gymnophiones) caecilians -- worm like creatures
Science: Life Cycle of the Frog
Frog's have the most interesting life cycle!
1. Egg--They begin as little eggs with tiny black dots in them.
2. Tadpole--The black dot gets bigger until it is big enough to break out of the
egg.
3. Tadpole with legs--
Two legs grow near its tail; two legs grow near the front
4. Froglet-- its tail gets shorter until it is almost gone.
5. Frog-- it is an adult frog and females can lay eggs.
It would be a great experience for your student if you could get some frog eggs
or tadpoles and allow him to eyewitness the life of a frog.
Resources to add-in Usborne Beginners Tadpoles and Frogs
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer
Science: Reptiles
The poem "Into the Mud" is about a turtle. As noted above, frogs are
amphibians, but turtles aren't. They fit into the Animal Kingdom class
Reptilia (reptiles). Here are the characteristics of reptiles:
*cold-blooded, their temperature depends on the temperature of their environment
*have scales or modified scales
*usually lay eggs
*they breathe with lungs
*they are vertebrates (have a backbone)
*examples-- turtles, lizards, snakes, dinosaurs, alligators, and crocodiles
Your student may choose to
make a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting reptiles/amphibians-- Prepared Venn Diagram
Science: Pond Observation
Visit a local pond. Sit quietly for a time. What do you see? What do you hear?
Can you draw some of the things you see at the pond? Encourage your student to
write her own poem after observing and journaling at the pond.
Visit a local nature center, if possible
and look at pond water with a magnifying glass. You will be amazed at the
variety of creatures that live in the pond. Can you identify any of them?
Social Studies/Character Development: Sharing Discuss the Diving Beetle and his rules of
“sharing.” Discuss the rules of sharing in your own household. What
is the importance of sharing? What things must be shared? What
things don't have to be shared? Can your student think of a time when
someone shared with her?
Bible: Faith
Discuss faith. Faith is a strong belief in someone or something, a
relationship built on trust.
The paragraph about wood ducks that accompanies “Spring Splashdown” illustrates
an incredible example of total faith. The one-day-old ducklings leap from their
nest in the cavity of a tree into the water or onto the ground below. They have
no experience or knowledge of what awaits them, but their mother calls them and
they follow. This incident parallels Jesus' calling of the disciples
in the gospels. They didn't know what awaiting them, but Jesus called and
they followed.
Library List What’s In The Pond, Anne Hunter Around the Pond, Ann Cooper Eliza and the Dragonfly, Susie
Caldwell Rinehart Turtle Splash, Countdown at the Pond,
Cathryn Falwell Play with Me, Mary Hall Ets The Mailbox April/May 2002 Usborne Beginners Tadpoles and Frogs
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer
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