Poessayworld: West Meets East and Aristotle Meets Basho

Celebrate April's National Poetry Month or enrich a poetry unit with a wealth of language arts material. Class members develop an oral interpretation of a poem and/or develop a podcast interview with a poet. 

Have the foresight to include a short video on the story of Prometheus in a study of Greek mythology. Viewers discover why Prometheus is an inspiration for novelists, poets, dramatists, as well as the Olympic flame.

Introduce young readers to historical fiction with Karen Hesse's novel, Out of the Dust. They'll view photos taken during the Dust Bowl years, meet the author, and even hear an excerpt from the book. A plot summary and three book talks...

Students investigate the life and work of the Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho as the Japanese poetic forms are studied. Nature, symbolism, and history are probed as the lesson plan is developed.