How do you inspire students
to write beautiful poetry? Share beautiful poetry in your classroom! A
wonderful new resource is One Minute Till
Bedtime selected by former Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt. This
extensive collection features new poems from Jane Yolen, Jon Scieszka, Nikki
Grimes, Jack Prelutsky, Lemony Snicket, Mary Ann Hoberman, Eileen Spinelli, and
dozens of other well-known children’s authors. Each poem is a minute in length,
perfect for a quick transitional moment before lining up for lunch, dismissal, or
specials. It’s also perfect for calming a class down to begin social studies or
math. Dreamy illustrations by Christoph Niemann will invite young readers to
cuddle up with this book in a corner. If you are looking for poetry to add to
your classroom library, this should be on your wish list.
For the writing workshop, One Minute Till Bedtime provides a wide
selection of poems on various topics to use as models. You will find poems on
virtually any subject of interest to your students. Family relationships,
school, home, food—it can all be found in this 164 page compendium of rhyme,
rhythm, and figurative language. Particularly notable are poems on the seasons,
which could tie in to the science curriculum. Poems on animals also abound. My
contribution to this collection is a poem called “Pigeon.”
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| Illustration by Christoph Niemann from One Minute Till Bedtime |
Read this poem to
your students and discuss how the poem compares pigeons to other birds.
Challenge them to write their own
comparison poem. How does a flamingo compare to a penguin? How does a frog
compare to a toad? This activity requires some science related research to
compare two animals. Integrating language arts with science expands critical
thinking skills and creativity!
Happy researching and
writing!
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