Joyce Sidman Nature Poetry
Inspiration Book:
Swirl by swirl : spirals in nature by Sidman, Joyce - Houghton Middlin Books for Children, p2011, c2011 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.5. An illustrated exploration of various examples of spirals appearing in nature, looking at snail shells, flower petals, elephant tusks, crashing waves, and more.
AND
Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin, 2006--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.9. Poem and factual information about meadow flora and fauna are presented alternately.
AND
Song of the water boatman & other pond poems by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin, 2005--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.0. A collection of poems that provide a look at some of the animals, insects, and plants that are found in ponds, with accompanying information about each.
Rationale: Other Joyce Sidman poetry books are featured in their own My Books Alive entries (Dark Emperor & other poem of the night and Ubiquitous). Combine all of them into an author study of Sidman. Dark Emperor and Swirl are very appropriate for primary grades as well as middle and upper grades, but Ubiquitous is more suitable for Grades 3-8. The pattern of study here is similar to the one for Dark Emperor, namely sharing poetry, and using the many ideas from the book guide(s) found at Sidman’s website and sites listed in the Teacher Resources. The book can be introduced the same way to all grades, then expanded in different ways for different grades. In this entry we’ll also spend some time learning more about Sidman and her science poetry published prior to my arbitrary 2008 publication date cut-off. For Grades 5-8 there is an extension into Fibonacci and his numbers and spirals. For Grades K-3, we’ll simply take a closer look at shapes, especially the spiral and do a project; in Grades 3-8 we’ll explore Sidman’s poetry more thoroughly.
Grades K-8--Swirls and Spirals
Background: We’ll simply take a closer look at shapes, especially the spiral and do a project.
Preparation: Computer with Internet access and projection capability.
Gather paper plates, scissors, and markers for each student and set out at work spaces. Stapler, string (yarn), hole punch
Hang completed wind spinners.
Write and/or draw the spiral objects found in the book on 3 x 5 cards: 1 snail, 1 swallowtail butterfly, 5 cards for flowers, 1 sunflower, 1 rose, 1 chrysanthemum, 1 calla lily, 1 hibiscus blossom, 1 sweet pea bud, 4 cards for thorns, 6 cards for fern fronds, 4 cards for clouds, 1 bee
Introduction: What is a spiral? Can you trace one in the air with your finger? Swirl by Swirl is a book about the spiral that is found over and over in nature. Let’s get a taste of the book in this book trailer.
View the Book Trailer http://www.joycesidman.com/books/swirl-by-swirl-spirals-in/book-trailer-for-swirl-by.html
Now let’s go on a spiral hunt on the covers. What spiraled creatures can you see, both front and back? I’ve written/drawn the names of spirals on the card, one for each of you. Can you find them on the covers? While I read the entire book, find more spirals on each page, and identify the creatures to which they belong.
Read aloud:
Swirl by swirl : spirals in nature by Sidman, Joyce - Houghton Middlin Books for Children, p2011, c2011 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.5. An illustrated exploration of various examples of spirals appearing in nature, looking at snail shells, flower petals, elephant tusks, crashing waves, and more.
What words did the author use to describe spirals?
The endpapers (inside the front and back covers) are full of creatures and spirals. What are they?
Think of all the ways animals make spirals with their bodies (tails, trunks,horns, etc.). Can you make any spirals with your body? with your hand?
Can you find other spirals—at home, in the classroom, outdoors? Let’s read another book about shapes in nature. Look for other shapes.
Read selections aloud:
Bees, snails, & peacock tails : patterns & shapes--naturally by Franco, Betsy - Margaret K. McElderry Books, p2008, c2008 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 5.4. Rhyming text and illustrations depict the science and geometrical patterns of various animals, such as starfish, peacocks, diamondback snakes, and spiders.
AND/OR
Shapes in animals by Ranchetti, Sebastiano — Weekly Reader, 2008--516; Int Lvl: K-3. Identifies different shapes, including a circle, square, triangle, spiral, and star, and shows where those shapes can be found on different animals.
What shapes did you see? Were there any other spirals?
At your work spaces I placed a paper plate, a scissors, and markers. We’re going to make a spiral to hang in the library. I’ll show you how to make a spiral wind spinner and then you’ll have a chance to create your own.
Allow work time. Hang wind spinners.
Extension for Grades K-3--Host a spiral party in your classroom. Set up different stations:
Party Blower Butterflies: party blowers and construction paper can be used to create butterflies with curling tongues
Slinky Play: slinkies form helixes, a kind of spiral
Shell Table: set out various spiral shells along with paper and crayons, so that students can draw pictures of them and locate their spirals.
Show and Tell: have students bring in any object with a spiral in it, to show
Other Titles for Substitution, Display, and/or Check-out:
Fold me a poem by George, Kristine O'Connell — Harcourt, 2005. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.0. A collection of poems about origami animals. FREE Teaching Resources available for downloadfrom Follett.
What can you do with only one shoe? : reuse, recycle, reinventby Shapiro, Simon — Annick Press, 2014. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. Contains a collection of poetry about recycling everyday items and turning them into something else.
Guyku : a year of haiku for boys by Raczka, Bob - Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, p2010, c2010 --811 Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.7. A collection of haiku poetry for boys that features poems about tree-climbing, kite-flying, and other related topics.
Splish splash by Graham, Joan Bransfield — Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.9. A collection of poems celebrating water in its various forms, from ice cubes to the ocean.
Growing patterns : fibonacci numbers in nature by Campbell, Sarah C. - Boyds Mills Press, p 2010, c2010 --512.7--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.4. Text and photographs provide a simple introduction to Fibonacci numbers in nature.
Nature’s paintbox : a seasonal gallery of art and verse by Thomas, Patricia - Millbrook Press, p2007, c2007 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.8. A collection of illustrated poems about the changing of the seasons.
Spectacular science : a book of poems by - Aladdin Paperbacks, p2002, c1999 --811.008--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.9. A collection of poems about science by a variety of poets, including Carl Sandburg, Valerie Worth, and David McCord.
One leaf rides the wind : counting in a Japanese garden by Mannis, Celeste Davidson - Puffin Books, p2005, c2002 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 4.2. In this collection of haiku poems, a young girl walks through a Japanese garden and discovers many delights, from one leaf to ten stone lanterns. Includes notes about Japanese religion and philosophy.
Blue chameleon by Gravett, Emily — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2010 p2011--516; Int Lvl: K-3. Chameleon tries his best to fit in, but just cannot seem to make friends.
Teacher Resources:
Classroom Bookshelf Lesson Plan http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2011/09/swirl-by-swirl/
Joyce Sidman’s Website & Swirl by Swirl Book Trailer
YouTube: Joyce Sidman Accepts the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
Six Trait Gurus Lesson Plan http://sixtraitgurus.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/swirl-by-swirl-by-joyce-sidman/
Grades 3-8--A Closer Look at Joyce Sidman, A Tryptich of Poetry
Background: The pattern of study here is similar to the one for Dark Emperor, namely sharing poetry, and using the many ideas from the book guide(s) found at Sidman’s website and sites listed in the Teacher Resources. The books can be introduced the same way to all grades, then expanded in different ways for different grades. We also spend some time learning more about Sidman and her science poetry, especially the Butterfly Eyes, Water Boatman, and Dark Emperor.
Preparation: Computer with Internet access and projection capability.
Preview the short interview Sidman gave upon receiving the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award.
Make copies of the poems you will be reading with the class. Rather than copies for each student you may choose to make posters for the poems and have them in the story area for a visual or project them via a SmartBoard.
Make copies of the first poem “Welcome the Night.” Select students to read each stanza or break up by sentence with all reciting the last line “welcome the night.” Highlight lines on selected copies. Students receiving those copies will be readers.
Introduction: Minnesota author Joyce Sidman has become the pre-eminent children’s nature poet of the 21st century. She was born in Connecticut, and spent summers at a camp in Maine. She has long been a deep observer of nature. I’m going to let her introduce herself and her poetry. The video clip is from her acceptance of the Lee Bennett Hopkins poetry Award. After the clip we’ll look at poems from her science poetry.
View:
Song of the water boatman & other pond poems by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin, 2005--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.0. A collection of poems that provide a look at some of the animals, insects, and plants that are found in ponds, with accompanying information about each.
Let’s read a few of the poems, too.
Read “A Small Green Riddle” (from copies or posters). Try to guess the subject, find clues from the poem. (For older students, identify metaphors used.)
Read “Diving Beetle’s Food-Sharing Rules.” What would be your own food-sharing rules?
Look at the art in “Spring Splashdown” and note its unusual point of view. In 2006 Song of the Water Boatman won a Caldecott Honor Award for the illustrations by Beckie Prange.
When Sidman was working on Boatman, she envisioned a triptych (group of three) of books about three ecosystems she loves: pond, meadow, and woods.
So the meadow book was already written. Sidman describes pairs in the natural world: predator and prey; an animal and its habitat; or two aspects of weather. After each set of poems, Sidman provides detailed information on the relationship between the two. Let’s look at it and read a few poems.
Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin, 2006--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.9. Poem and factual information about meadow flora and fauna are presented alternately.
Read “Letter to the Sun”and “Letter to the Rain.”
What descriptive phrases were used? There is a “compliment” in each poem. Did you find it?
Beth Krommes is the illustrator. She creates her unique and beautiful artwork by first carving images into a large piece of linoleum, then dipping the carvings in black ink, photocopying these pieces and finally filling in the photocopies with watercolor.
The third book in Sidman’s tryptich of books, and has its own posting is
Dark emperor & other poems of the night by Sidman, Joyce - Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, p2010, c2010--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.0. A collection of poems that celebrate the wonder, mystery, and danger of the night and describes the many things that hide in the dark. Listening for noises in the night? Come explore the shadowy sights and muffled sounds of the night as poetry blends artfully together with illustrations and scientifically correct explanations.
Joyce Sidman, the author, tells us how and why she wrote the poems in this audio clip. Listen and listen to her read the introductory poem. (Stop at the end of the first poem. We’ll listen to the next poem later.)
Listen:
Now let’s read the poem Ms. Sidman read. If your copy has been marked as a reader, that’s your spot to read.
Choral read “Welcome to the Night.”
Ms. Sidman reads another poem, the title poem in this next audio clip.
Listen again:
Beth Krommes who did the illustrations for Butterfly Eyes did the illustrations for the Inspiration Book as well. Let’s quickly read the poem, listen and study the illustrations.
Read aloud:
Swirl by swirl : spirals in nature by Sidman, Joyce - Houghton Middlin Books for Children, p2011, c2011 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.5. An illustrated exploration of various examples of spirals appearing in nature, looking at snail shells, flower petals, elephant tusks, crashing waves, and more.
Joyce Sidman Science and Poetry:
Round by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. Dewey: 516.15; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.3. "... invites readers to search their worlds for round objects in nature... shows why we love this shape best.
Red sings from treetops : a year in colors by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2009--535.6; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. Illustrations and simple text combine the senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste to describe the colors of the seasons.FREE Teaching Resources available for downloadfrom Follett.
Before morning by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8. Let snow fall overnight and change the world before morning, making it "slow and delightful and white.
Song of the water boatman & other pond poems by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.7. A collection of poems that provide a look at some of the animals, insects, and plants that are found in ponds, with accompanying information about each. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.
Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin, 2006--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.9. Poem and factual information about meadow flora and fauna are presented alternately.
Winter bees & other poems of the cold by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 5.1. A collection of poems that explores how animals survive the cold during the winter season. Provides additional facts about the animals and the season.
Dark emperor & other poems of the night by Sidman, Joyce - Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, p2010, c2010--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.0. A collection of poems that celebrate the wonder, mystery, and danger of the night and describes the many things that hide in the dark. Listening for noises in the night? Come explore the shadowy sights and muffled sounds of the night as poetry blends artfully together with illustrations and scientifically correct explanations.
Ubiquitous : celebrating nature's survivors : poetry by Sidman, Joyce — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.8. Collects poems that examine survival in nature, and includes information about a number of plants and animals. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.
Grades 5-8--Extension--Fibonacci Numbers
Background: Yes, the math teacher can plan a lesson in the library as well as the science teacher. Since most math teachers stay away from the library, you will need to approach them. Have a collection of several of the books, a lesson outline, and website addresses to present your case.
Preparation: Gather the books in the bibliography. Interlibrary loan may need to be used because the collection probably won’t have all of the titles the first time you work on the lesson.
Computer with Internet access and projection capability.
Copy the spiral and Fibonacci templates found near the end of the link for each student .http://www.joycesidman.com/books/swirl-by-swirl-spirals-in/swirl_by_swirl_rg.pdf
Introduction: Fibonacci numbers—which are named after a 13th century Italian mathematician—are a specific sequence of numbers that show up over and over in the structure of many naturally occurring objects. This sequence {1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 13, 18, . . .} is
created by adding the previous two numbers of the sequence. Fibonacci numbers
occur in the way plant leaves are arranged on a stem, or the way petals or seeds are arranged in a flower head. They can also be used to predict a logarithmic spiral, which widens at a fixed rate.
Read aloud:
Blockhead : the life of Fibonacci by D’Agnese, Joseph - Henry Holt, p2010, c2010 --510--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.4. An illustrated story of Leonardo Fibonacci that depicts the famed mathematician during his childhood in medieval Italy and on his world travels where he learned about mathematics, which led Fibonacci to discover a renown sequence of numbers.
Joyce Sidman, a Minnesota poet who has won many awards for her poetry collections about nature, wrote about the spirals found in nature in her book Swirl by Swirl.
Read aloud:
Swirl by swirl : spirals in nature by Sidman, Joyce - Houghton Middlin Books for Children, p2011, c2011 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.5. An illustrated exploration of various examples of spirals appearing in nature, looking at snail shells, flower petals, elephant tusks, crashing waves, and more.
National Geographic Society has organized some of its many photos into galleries. Let’s take a look at a few of them and see if we can find examples of spirals and Fibonacci’s numbers.
View:
National Geographic’s Photo Galleries: Patterns in Nature
Read aloud:
Growing patterns : fibonacci numbers in nature by Campbell, Sarah C. - Boyds Mills Press, p 2010, c2010 --512.7--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.4. Text and photographs provide a simple introduction to Fibonacci numbers in nature.
We’re going to make our own Fibonacci spiral to get a better understanding of how the math works. I’ve made a template to help us. (Demonstrate how Fibonacci numbers lead to a spiral similar to that in a nautilus shell.) These blocks represent the squared area of each successive number in the Fibonacci sequence. When you arrange them around each other and draw a curved line connecting their diagonal corners, voila! A spiral! Color in the separate blocks, then trace the spiral with your marker .
Other Titles for Substitution, Display, and/or Check-out:
The rabbit problem by Gravett, Emily - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, p2010, c2009 -- E--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.4. One pop-up page. In Fibonacci's Field, Lonely and Chalk Rabbit meet, snuggle together, and then spend a year trying to cope with their ever-increasing brood and the seasonal changes that bring a new challenge each month. Presented in calendar format with one pop-up illustration and other special features.
Blockhead : the life of Fibonacci by D’Agnese, Joseph - Henry Holt, p2010, c2010 --510--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.4. An illustrated story of Leonardo Fibonacci that depicts the famed mathematician during his childhood in medieval Italy and on his world travels where he learned about mathematics, which led Fibonacci to discover a renown sequence of numbers.
Growing patterns : fibonacci numbers in nature by Campbell, Sarah C. - Boyds Mills Press, p 2010, c2010 --512.7--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.4. Text and photographs provide a simple introduction to Fibonacci numbers in nature.
Horrible Harry cracks the code by Kline, Suzy - Viking, p2007, c2007 --Fic--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 3.8. Horrible Harry tries to use the Fibonacci sequence to solve cafeteria worker Mrs. Funderburke's secret code and secure his position as the best detective in the school.
Bees, snails, & peacock tails : patterns & shapes--naturally by Franco, Betsy - Margaret K. McElderry Books, p2008, c2008 --811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 5.4. Rhyming text and illustrations depict the science and geometrical patterns of various animals, such as starfish, peacocks, diamondback snakes, and spiders.
G is for googol : a math alphabet book by Schwartz, David M - Tricycle Press, p1998, c1998 --510--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 7.6. Explains the meaning of mathematical terms which begin with the different letters of the alphabet from abacus, binary, and cubit to zillion.
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