The Wonder of Wondering, New Lesson Plans, and More

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend October 6, 2014 Wondering about Autumn   At this time of year a drama unfolds as green leaves turn bright colors and fall back to earth. What is happening to the trees and why? Inquiry is a fundamental part of understanding the world around us. And it’s the basis of every discipline and art form, from science to poetry. How do we encourage students to ask questions as part of a deep learning process?   In this edition of our educator’s newsletter, we feature poems and resources we hope will help you inspire the act of wondering among your students.

The Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda   This classic collection of poems by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda is composed of 316 questions. Unusual, both humorous and serious, they are wonderful examples of questions only a poet might ask.   Autumn Poems That Prompt New Questions   “When Autumn Came” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz “Autumn Grasses” by Margaret Gibson “Fall” by Edward Hirsch “Spring and Fall” by Gerard Manley Hopkins “Autumn” by Amy Lowell “Under the Harvest Moon” by Carl Sandburg Featured Lesson Plan   In “There’s Poetry in an Atom: Writing Creatively About Science,” a lesson plan contributed by our partner 826 National, students are challenged to answer their own scientific questions in creative ways that include poetry, short stories, music, and more.   More Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities Essays on Teaching Poetry Online Resources for Educators Pop Quiz Results   Last month, we asked you to share your take on the best way to organize our lesson plans along general themes. The below infograph shows the results of that survey. Thanks for your input! Quote of the Month   “If there were no poetry on any day in the world, poetry would be invented that day. For there would be an intolerable hunger.”  —Muriel Rukeyser Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.   You are receiving this e-mail because you elected to subscribe to our mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038