Writing Poetry Through the Eyes of Science: A Teacher's Guide to Scientific Literacy and Poetic Response

"When a terrific teacher of poetry intersects with the great and grand subject of science, a practical and intriguing book is born. Writing Poetry through the Eyes of Science is usable, interesting and filled with specific and helpful suggestions for the teacher who wishes to meld poetic response and scientific literacy."---Lelia Christenbury, Commonwealth Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

"The book is an innovative attempt at fusing interdisciplinary learning between English and science, especially between English poetic literacy and science literacy. It also provides practical pedagogical suggestions including the learning materials used for teachers who are inferested. All in all, the book is an innovation into an area of teaching and learning that is much called for in terms of interdisciplinary learning."---Stella Kong, Hong Kong Institute of Education

Writing Poetry through the Eyes of Science presents a unique and effective interdisciplinary approach to teaching science poems and science poetry writing in secondary English and science classrooms. A collaboration between two award-winning teachers, one in English, the other in science, this crossover work demonstrates how scientific literacy, knowledge, and methods can inform and inspire poetic response in the classroom and in the field, Writing Poetry through the Eyes of Science illustrates how students can utilize field research, observations, sensory data gathering, poetic writing strategies, and model science poems by poets, scientists, students, and teachers to produce skillful and creative science poetry

The book illustrates basic science poetry writing exercises useful for students of all levels and abilities, and includes student work as well as commentary and feedback on their science poems in each chapter. It then moves to advanced exercises designed to teach the inspired poems of awe, empathy, outrage, protest, meditation, speculation, and perplexity. In the final section of the work, the authors present sample lesson plans specifically designed for the advanced English language and composition curriculum as well as for advanced science courses in research, ecology, and the environment.

Nancy S. Gorrell is an English teacher, poet, and award-winning author of numerous articles on the teaching of poetry in the English Journal
Erin Colfax is a science teacher and research explorer who spent several years conducting five international research projects with her students to enhance their education of "real world science."