Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems



Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems
By: Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by: Beckie Prange
Genre: Poetry
Ages: 9-12

Songs of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems is a collection of poems that looks at animals, insects, and plants found in ponds. Each poem also gives alot of information about these living organisms. The author uses poetry to go through the different seasons of the pond as if you were the animals and plants themselves. Children will love the poetry aspect as well as learning all about the creatures of the pond!

Theme:
Poetry can be very informational. Poetry is not just about rhyming. We can teach and learn information by putting it in the form of a poem.

About the author:
Joyce Sidman has written over 100 books. Joyce Sidman has been writing since she was a little girl. She used to keep journals full of all her writings. She is known for writing about nature. She gets her ideas by taking long walks alone in the woods and by ponds. She likes to see the seasons change and she gets her ideas from her sights. She likes writing poetry because she feels it is a very powerful way to express your thoughts. She has received many awards, including a Caldecott Honor for Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems.

Pre reading activity:
Discuss how life is different for animals underwater. What do they eat? How do they
breathe? Have children draw a picture that shows what animals would need to live
under water.

Post reading activity:
Students write their own poems about an animal or plant mentioned in the book. Students use the information learned to help create their poem.

Source used:
http://www.joycesidman.com/