Astronomy and Poetry
The moon, like a flower
In heaven’s high bower,
With silent delight,
Sits and smiles on the night.
Excerpt from “Night” by William Blake
April is National Poetry month so it’s a natural pairing for STE(A)M Tuesday’s astronomy activity blog. This particular post comes after the eclipse, but we can capitalize on the excitement generated by the event.
What you’ll find in this post is a history of National Poetry Month founded by the Academy of American Poets, a lesson from NASA “Write A Poem About Space.” Then a couple books about poetry and astronomy. Finally some activities that will take curiosity and learning to a new level and help reinforce communication skills.
National Poetry Month
Their website says it was launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, and celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and—of course—poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives.
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
You don’t have to be a poet, or even interested in poetry, to use it as a device for writing with kids. Think of it more as allowing the young writers to communicate what they know with excitement and creative expression.
NASA begins their lesson WRITE A POEM ABOUT SPACE by talking about how many of their scientists were inspired by creative works about space.
Painters, musicians, writers and others have long been inspired by space. In ancient times, storytellers looked to the skies, found patterns, or constellations, and created tales about what they saw. Today, there are countless plays, books, songs and other creative works all about space. These works of art have helped inspire many NASA scientists and engineers to pursue their careers in space exploration. And now, their work is inspiring future poets, filmmakers and artists.
The NASA link is below at the end.
Books
Where Did the Sun Go by Janet Cameron Hoult, is a good example of blending science, writing, myth, and poetry. The author has included eclipse stories from around the world and, based on her experiences, described them using poetic form. In addition, it includes illustrations and instructions for making a puppet show based on the stories. Beyond being fun to read, it is a useful resource for parents, teachers, and caregivers who want to have an in-depth, educational, and creative activity for young children. For older children, an enterprising teacher or parent could take it a step further and create a video or animation. Link below to making videos resources.
Welcome to the Wonder House by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Georgia Heard, and illustrated by Deborah Freedman, includes poetry about astronomy and other science and creativity subjects, enhanced by particularly dreamy illustrations. Besides the relevant content, the colorful page design and imagery is an excellent example for letting creative imagination run free.
Good writing will always be the Very Best way of communicating any kind of science so giving young people experience in written communication will be a boost to career readiness, no matter where their path leads. Teachers Pay Teachers has many lessons linking science and poetry. Two are listed below. Take a look yourself. They are set up by age group so you can find what you need.
Astronomy poetry resources.
The Academy of American Poets. https://poets.org/materials-teachers
NASA https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/write-a-poem-about-space/
Shooting Video to Make Learning Fun. Julie Green (Author) https://bookshop.org/p/books/shooting-video-to-make-learning-fun-julie-green/9504767?ean=9781610802635
Where Did the Sun Go https://bookshop.org/p/books/where-did-the-sun-go-myths-and-legends-of-solar-eclipses-around-the-world-told-with-poetry-and-puppetry-janet-cameron-hoult/12196130?ean=9781432770808
Welcome to the Wonder House https://bookshop.org/p/books/welcome-to-the-wonder-house/18900473?ean=9781635927627
Poetry Templates for Science Writing https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Templates-for-Science-Writing-2424654?st=2bcf8791d949fc8f1974a1182c5548ae
SCIENCE POETRY WRITING https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SCIENCE-POETRY-WRITING-3869139?st=2bcf8791d949fc8f1974a1182c5548ae
Margo Lemieux is a children’s book author and illustrator who enjoys many different modes of expression. She designed a number of notebook covers which are available on Amazon.
