Books Related to the Teaching of Poetry
All of these texts by Kenneth Koch relate to the teaching of poetry to both children and adults. They discuss the elements of poetry and give examples of simple approaches that teachers may use in motivating students to write poetry. All, also, contain examples to illustrate the points and techniques that Koch is presenting.
Clinton, Catherine,
I, Too, Sing America
. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Co., 1998..
An anthology of African American poems moves us from Lucy Terry's "The Bars Fight," composed in the 1700's, on to the present. Excellent information on poets along with thought provoking illustrations.
Curtis, Christopher Paul,
The Watson's Go to Birmingham
- 1963.
This chapter book follows an African American family from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama where the lives intertwine with the 1963 bombing of a church in which four young African American girls were killed. Humorous and sensitive.
Gross, Linda and Barnes, Marian,
Talk That Talk: An Anthology of African American Storytelling
. New York: Touchstone Book, 1989.
Though its main focus is on the African American tradition of storytelling, it contains a number of poems, some of which I have used.
Hamilton, Virginia,
Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom
. New York: Alfred a Knopf, 1993.
Hamilton brings the period of enslavement and the Civil War to life through the stories of mostly little known people who escaped slavery. Though she takes some liberties by the inclusion of conversation and in some description, the stories are essentially accurate and quite appealing to elementary students. A small amount of poetry is included.
Hudson, Wade,
Pass It On
. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1993.
Interesting, colorful illustrations accompany this anthology of African American poems appropriate for elementary students.
Hughes, Langston,
Selected Poems
. New York: Random House, Inc., 1959.
Contains a variety of poems by Hughes. Many relate to this unit.
Hughes, Langston and Bontemps, Arna,
The Poetry of the Negro, 1746-1970
. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1970.
This anthology includes the work of 163 poets and hundreds of poems arranged historically. Brief notes on poets and section on tributes by non-African Americans. Poems also indexed by first line and author. Excellent source of material before 1970.
Lawrence, Jacob,
The Great Migration: An American Story
. New York: The Museum of Modern Art and the Phillips Collection, Harper-Collins, 1993.
Accompanied by a brief text, the paintings of Jacob Lawrence tell the story of the northward migration of African Americans. A concluding poem "Migration," by Walter Dean Myers, captures the same spirit as Lawrence's paintings.
Lawrence, Jacob,
Harriet and the Promised Land
. Hong Kong: Aladdin Press, 1997.
Accompanied by a rhyming poem, the dramatic paintings of Lawrence tell us the story of Harriet Tubman.
Myers, Walter Dean,
Now Is Your Time: The African American Struggle for Freedom
. New York: Harper Trophy, Harper Collins, 1991.
By telling the stories of real people, Myers gives us a meaningful picture of African American history. I especially drew on his discussion of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, focus of the movie, Glory. Contains authentic photographs and a few pieces of poetry.
Pinsky, Robert,
America's Favorite Poems
. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2000.
An anthology of favorite poems selected by a wide variety of individuals. Contains a number of African American poets.
Randall, Dudley,
The Black Poets
. New York: Bantam Books, 1971.
Includes poems from folk poetry up until examples from the 60's. Presented in historical order. Some are not appropriate for elementary students.