Poetry for Science

This interesting article describes how poetry can be used to introduce a science unit or how it can be used during a science unit. The most interesting part of the article, in my opinion, i... See More

This interesting article describes how poetry can be used to introduce a science unit or how it can be used during a science unit. The most interesting part of the article, in my opinion, is that students sometimes are intimidated by writing long prose, but with poetry an idea can be expressed in a short form! The article gives five clear steps for sharing poetry with students. And guess what - this is integration of science and literature!

Reflection

This article gave me a new idea on how to teach science, that is integrating poems and poetry into science class. It is interesting to notice that “Using an interdisciplinary strategy can he... See More

This article gave me a new idea on how to teach science, that is integrating poems and poetry into science class. It is interesting to notice that “Using an interdisciplinary strategy can help meet state and national science objectives in a way that supports language art”( Sylvia M. et al., 2014). Infusing poems and poetry into science class instructions can play a role as jump-start or introduce a topic, demonstrate terminology or concepts, or extend a science topic further. In addition, it also can be feasible to apply sharing science poetry into the conclusion section. Of course, sharing science poetry is suggested to occupy a few minute, since “a poem alone is not intended to be the entire science lesson, but it offers an innovative, engaging, and vocabulary-full and concept-rich way to launch or conclude a science lesson”( Sylvia M. et al., 2014). There is a strategy that is used for sharing science poetry called “Take 5”, which is served for every poem at every grade level tied to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and while also it incorporates the literacy skills identified in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) ( Sylvia M. et al., 2014). The first step is reading it aloud to the students. At this step students will be familiar with new concepts and terminology, with exposure of the words when hearing them which will provide additional reinforcement for students learning to read or learning English. The second step presents how to engage students in reading the poem aloud together. For example, involve students to read in large groups, small groups, partner pairs, and as single volunteers. The third step is to provide a moment for students to respond to the poem. “The next step is to focus on a specific science skill or concept that may be present in the poem—just one”. Finally, “in this last step we can share other related poems and books that connect well with the featured poem”. By integrating poem into science, we can encourage children to think and act like a poet and a scientist carefully observing the world around them ( Sylvia M. et al., 2014).