Poetry Break with a Poem Published 2008/2009

Poetry Break with “Maps” by Jane Yolen

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. 2008. Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems. Ill. by Sachiko Yoshikawa. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Age Group: Elementary

Introduction: Have on hand at least one topographical globe, more if you can borrow them from other teachers, and a map of your city or county. Allow the students to explore the surface of the globe(s), tracing the bumps for the mountains, rivers, etc. Hang the city/county map on the wall and allow the students to put some kind of marker on the street on which they live (teachers may not personally want to give out this information), or on a favorite spot if preferred. Locate the school and see the distance from the school to the other markers. Read “Maps”.

Maps

We are making maps:
maps of our classroom,
maps of our school,
maps of our town.
We let our fingers walk
the straight lines
from window to door,
down school hallways
that gently curve,
along town streets
as crooked as question marks.
We trace old rail lines,
the bumps of mountains,
a blue swirl of river,
the broad turnpike lanes.
You can walk like that all day
and never get tired.

Extension: Have students make a map of one of the images suggested in the poem: the classroom, the school, or the town. Have white paper, construction paper, scissors, map colors, glue, pencils, etc., on hand and encourage the students to be creative. Some may want to tape together several sheets of paper for the map; some may want to draw the map; some may want to cut out landmarks such as trees or desks from the construction paper. At the end of the time period, have the students who would like to present their maps and allow the other students to guess what was illustrated. Then post the maps outside the classroom door with the original poem “Maps” alongside.