Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful

"What does this poem mean?"

"How should I read it?"

"How do we talk about it?"

"What do I DO with it?"

"What's the best way to assess it?"

"How do I meet standards?"

"When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?"

Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time.

In Wacky, Wild, and Wonderful: 50 State Poems, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak , Water Can Be..., and more) offers up a poem for every state, covering a wide variety of poetic forms, moods, and topics. Extension activities by teacher Catherine Flynn share ideas for spring-boarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas.

Sample:

Pennsylvania: Celebrity Weatherman

Phil has no thermometers

And no advanced degrees

He only knows a cold front

By its snapping, chapping breeze

He can't interpret radar

He's surprised by winter snows

But Phil foretells the birth of spring

Because his shadow knows

? Note: Every year since 1877, on February 2, a groundhog--who is always named Punxsutawney Phil--comes out of his hole in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If he sees his shadow, tradition says, that means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, that means winter is over. Thousands of people go to Gobbler's Knob, a hill outside the town center, each year to see Phil's Prognostication, and reporters around the country spread word of the results.

A Note from the Poet: As high-tech as we are, we still love our traditions and superstitions. I love that every February 2nd, on Groundhog's Day, newspapers and news shows still report on whether Phil sees his shadow or not. Up here in Minnesota, we ignore Phil's prediction because there's no chance winter is going to end before mid-March

See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com.

Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.