Good intentions backfired.
Flowers bloom in my brain.
Their magenta petals wave
As neurons go to work.
Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
from his book The Katrina Papers: A Journal of Trauma and Recovery
Used by permission of the poet.
LESSON PLANS
For a Social Studies Class
by Alice L. Lewis, Teacher
Middle School Gifted, grades 6, 7, and 8
This poem is great for grades eight and up and work well as the beginning of a unit/research on ethnic cultural celebrations.
I think that this poem is best understood in terms of where it takes place in The Katrina Papers. See December 31, 2005 on pages 65-66.
The author is in celebration of the sixth day of Kwanzaa: Kuumba – Creativity. Today’s poem is the second of three written that day.
Lesson Materials:
A copy of the December 31st entry of the journal
Information on the celebration of Kwanzaa, especially day six, Kuumba
Information with diagrams of neurons (cell biology)
In lieu of student handouts, use an LCD projection set/ a smart board, etc.
Lesson Flow:
Have students read the poem for today to themselves two or three times.
Teacher – read the poem aloud twice.
Have a discussion by students of what they think the poem is saying.
ENCOURAGE them to think, guess/predict.
Stop this discussion in five to ten minutes, depending on how it’s going. Tell students that they will come back to the poem after some background information is introduced. Students should see by the end that background info helps us to understand better.
Have a discussion based on students’ prior knowledge of Kwanzaa.
Have a student read the information about the sixth day of the celebration or project it for reading aloud by a volunteer. This should include what celebrants are to do that sixth day.
The teacher reads the poem once again; students then discuss the possible meaning again using the information about Kuumba. Accept all probable answers. There might be a consensus among the majority about what Dr. Ward issaying.
Tell students that this is the middle poem written this day of creativity as Kwanzaa is celebrated.
Possibility: Is it his way of saying that he was being creative? He did write three poems, but creativity is being moved along for the regular work the neurons of the brain do.
What kinds of discussion will this lead to?
For a Science Class
by Alice L. Lewis, Teacher
Middle School Gifted, grades 6, 7, and 8
This poem is great for grades eight and up.
I think that this poem is best understood in terms of where it takes place in The Katrina Papers. See December 31, 2005 on pages 65-66.
The author is in celebration of the sixth day of Kwanzaa: Kuumba – Creativity. Today’s poem is the second of three written that day.
Lesson Materials:
A copy of the December 31st entry of the journal
Information on the celebration of Kwanzaa, especially day six, Kuumba
Information with diagrams of neurons (cell biology)
In lieu of student handouts, use an LCD projection set/ a smart board, etc.
Lesson Flow:
Have students read the poem for today to themselves two or three times.
Teacher – read the poem aloud twice.
Have a discussion by students of what they think the poem is saying.
ENCOURAGE them to think, guess/predict.
Stop this discussion in five to ten minutes, depending on how it’s going. Tell students that they will come back to the poem after some background information is introduced. Students should see by the end that background info helps us to understand better.
Have a discussion based on students’ prior knowledge of Kwanzaa.
Have a student read the information about the sixth day of the celebration or project it for reading aloud by a volunteer. This should include what celebrants are to do that sixth day.
After discussing the context of the poem, have students define neurons and their job in our bodies.
The teacher reads the poem once again; students then discuss the possible meaning again using the information about Kuumba and neurons. Accept all probable answers. There might be a consensus among the majority about what Dr. Ward is saying.
Tell students that this is the middle poem written this day of creativity as Kwanzaa is celebrated.
Possibility: Is it his way of saying that he was being creative? He did write three poems, but creativity is being moved along for the regular work the neurons of the brain do.
What kinds of discussion will this lead to?
For writing:
R.A.F.T.ing as part of the study. Students could write their own Science poems or stories involving the concepts they have learned in the unit.
R refers to role (point of view/ speaker/ narrator)
A refers to audience (who is being addressed?)
F refers to form (poem, story)
T refers to topic (neurons in this case)
Sample:
Write a poem explaining what a neuron does (topic) where the neuron (role) is addressing the brain (audience) in the form of a letter poem (form).
For an English Class
by Alice L. Lewis, Teacher
Middle School Gifted, grades 6, 7, and 8
This poem is great for grades eight and up.
I think that this poem is best understood in terms of where it takes place in The Katrina Papers. See December 31, 2005 on pages 65-66.
The author is in celebration of the sixth day of Kwanzaa: Kuumba – Creativity. Today’s poem is the second of three written that day.
Lesson Materials:
A copy of the December 31st entry of the journal
Information on the celebration of Kwanzaa, especially day six, Kuumba
Information with diagrams of neurons (cell biology)
In lieu of student handouts, use an LCD projection set/ a smart board, etc.
Lesson Flow:
Have students read the poem for today to themselves two or three times.
Teacher – read the poem aloud twice.
Have a discussion by students of what they think the poem is saying.
ENCOURAGE them to think, guess/predict.
Stop this discussion in five to ten minutes, depending on how it’s going. Tell students that they will come back to the poem after some background information is introduced. Students should see by the end that background info helps us to understand better.
Have a discussion based on students’ prior knowledge of Kwanzaa.
Have a student read the information about the sixth day of the celebration or project it for reading aloud by a volunteer. This should include what celebrants are to do that sixth day.
After discussing the context of the poem, have students define neurons and their job in our bodies.
The teacher reads the poem once again; students then discuss the possible meaning again using the information about Kuumba and neurons. Accept all probable answers. There might be a consensus among the majority about what Dr. Ward is saying.
Tell students that this is the middle poem written this day of creativity as Kwanzaa is celebrated.
Possibility: Is it his way of saying that he was being creative? He did write three poems, but creativity is being moved along for the regular work the neurons of the brain do.
What kinds of discussion will this lead to?
For writing:
Encourage students to engage in writing activities that leave the poems or stories open-ended to interpretation. If they have read Lois Lowry’s The Giver then they will understand this concept.