Thanks to Carissa Stevens for this one.
Appelt, K. (2002). Poems from homeroom. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
As those who attend (or teach) high school know, the hours between 8 AM and 3 PM consist of so much more than sitting at a desk, taking notes, and anxiously waiting for the bell to ring. High schools are full of a myriad of personalities, backgrounds, and personal crises. In her unique book, Kathi Appelt examines this phenomenon. Through poetry, she tells the story of a girl who uses a tattoo to stand out, a boy who works late nights stocking shelves, a young girl desperately in love with her science teacher, a boy whose smaller stature gives him an unprecedented view while slow dancing, a couple struggling with an unwanted pregnancy, two teachers who are trying to keep their mutual attraction a secret, and a girl whose baton twirling makes her something of a celebrity. All of these tales are drastically different, yet united with the common thread of the high school experience. Appelt uses the second half of the book to tell the story behind each of her poems, and encourages students to write poetry themselves with specific themes in mind.
Poems from Homeroom is a specialized poetry book. Not only is the book by one author, but it also concerns one main theme: high school. The vast majority of the poems are narrative poems, because they tell the story of an individual or group. There, is, however, one written in haiku. The poems contain many poetry sound devices and elements—for example, the poem Good Job, Buddy contains onomatopoeia: “…Kaboom, splat, errrrrt…he crashes into Dr. Pepper.” The poem What He Knew contains hyperbole: “And even though/ his lips had never gotten/ within an inch/ or a mile/ or even in the same neighborhood/ as her lips…/he just knew.”
I think these poems would be particularly powerful when used in the high school classroom. Not only could the basic poetic sound devices be taught, but it would also open discussions with students about theme and the mood the author is trying to evoke. This correlates with Common Core Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
The following “big questions” would be appropriate when paired with Poems from Homeroom: Why is it important that everyone tell their story? How might a poem on your daily life be different than that of a classmate? What has been the most defining experience of your life so far? What personal trials have you overcome?
Because this week required a poetry reading, I was determined to find one for older students rather than a picture book. My helpful librarian steered me toward this one, and I’m glad she did. I will be using excerpts from this book to teach poetry next semester. I feel the poems contained in the book would be appropriate for middle or high school audiences. I would recommend it—as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy poetry, I found it a captivating read.
Appelt, K. (2002). Poems from homeroom. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.As those who attend (or teach) high school know, the hours between 8 AM and 3 PM consist of so much more than sitting at a desk, taking notes, and anxiously waiting for the bell to ring. High schools are full of a myriad of personalities, backgrounds, and personal crises. In her unique book, Kathi Appelt examines this phenomenon. Through poetry, she tells the story of a girl who uses a tattoo to stand out, a boy who works late nights stocking shelves, a young girl desperately in love with her science teacher, a boy whose smaller stature gives him an unprecedented view while slow dancing, a couple struggling with an unwanted pregnancy, two teachers who are trying to keep their mutual attraction a secret, and a girl whose baton twirling makes her something of a celebrity. All of these tales are drastically different, yet united with the common thread of the high school experience. Appelt uses the second half of the book to tell the story behind each of her poems, and encourages students to write poetry themselves with specific themes in mind.
Poems from Homeroom is a specialized poetry book. Not only is the book by one author, but it also concerns one main theme: high school. The vast majority of the poems are narrative poems, because they tell the story of an individual or group. There, is, however, one written in haiku. The poems contain many poetry sound devices and elements—for example, the poem Good Job, Buddy contains onomatopoeia: “…Kaboom, splat, errrrrt…he crashes into Dr. Pepper.” The poem What He Knew contains hyperbole: “And even though/ his lips had never gotten/ within an inch/ or a mile/ or even in the same neighborhood/ as her lips…/he just knew.”
I think these poems would be particularly powerful when used in the high school classroom. Not only could the basic poetic sound devices be taught, but it would also open discussions with students about theme and the mood the author is trying to evoke. This correlates with Common Core Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
The following “big questions” would be appropriate when paired with Poems from Homeroom: Why is it important that everyone tell their story? How might a poem on your daily life be different than that of a classmate? What has been the most defining experience of your life so far? What personal trials have you overcome?
Because this week required a poetry reading, I was determined to find one for older students rather than a picture book. My helpful librarian steered me toward this one, and I’m glad she did. I will be using excerpts from this book to teach poetry next semester. I feel the poems contained in the book would be appropriate for middle or high school audiences. I would recommend it—as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy poetry, I found it a captivating read.
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