Why-Ku

"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 Why-ku: Poems of Wonder About the Natural World, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak , Water Can Be..., and more) offers up paired haiku asking and answering questions about our world. Extension activities by teacher and poet Mary Lee Hahn share ideas for spring-boarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas.

Sample:

Perfect silver moon:

Round paper plate in the sky,

great glowing circle

WHY DOES THE MOON LIGHT UP?

I am not a star,

but with Sun's fiery spotlight,

I reflect and shine

A Note from the Poet: Perfect]

I love the moon. I think we all have topics we come back to, over and over again. For me, the ocean and the moon are two of those topics. Whenever I'm out at night, I always look for the moon overhead.

A Note from the Poet: I]

I don't remember when I learned that the moon did not glow on its own, but I think I was an adult I remember thinking, "Huh? What do you mean? Of course the moon produces light " Wrong. It only reflects the sun's light. Sometimes when the moon is full and the ground is covered with snow (I live in Minnesota), it's almost as bright as daylight outside. The snow reflects the beautiful moonglow, and I have to remind myself that that's really sunlight, bouncing around from sun to moon to my yard, even in the middle of the night.

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.