Walt Whitman, Poet and Keen Observer

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend November 2014 Walt Whitman, Poet and Keen Observer   We’re happy to share poems by—as well as lesson plans, essays, and other resources about—Walt Whitman, a poet whose work both celebrated and chronicled the early days of our country. His poems can be used in the classroom to elucidate poetry at its best and serve as a rich record of American history.

Report from the Field   In collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, we’ve started a pilot project to include the study of poetry across elementary school curricula. In October, a small group of New York City teachers developing new social studies units aligned with the Common Core State Standards met with Academy Chancellor Mark Doty and Educator in Residence Madeleine Fuchs Holzer to explore how poetry by Walt Whitman could be taught in the classroom. We then developed a lesson plan based on our work. Featured Lesson Plans   Developed for the first meetup with New York City elementary school teachers, “Walt Whitman, Poet and Keen Observer” can be used to introduce techniques for developing perceptual skills through multiple entry points. “We Sing America” is designed for high school students and features poems by Walt Whitman as well as Langston Hughes and Elizabeth Alexander about the American experience at different points in history. A Selection of Walt Whitman’s Poems   “Mannahatta” “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” “As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days” “A Noiseless Patient Spider” “I Hear America Singing” More Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities Essays on Teaching Poetry Online Resources for Educators Featured Essays   Originally published in The Teachers & Writers Guide to Walt Whitman (Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1991), edited by Ron Padgett, Kenneth Koch’s “Whitman’s Words” and Jim Berger’s “Whitman’s Long Lines” help both younger and older students explore two of Whitman’s signature poetic devices—his use of evocative words to create motion and of the long line as a way of carrying cadence. Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song   A collection of essays and poems in response to the writings of Whitman, this anthology is a great resource for those who want to study his legacy in greater depth.   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