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GeoPoem

Subject:              Language Arts/Geography
Grade:                4-12
Presented by:    Dr. Joyce Honeychurch, University of Alaska-Anchorage
Geography Themes:        Regions, place, movement, location, and human interaction.
Geography Standards:     Could encompass most of the standards.
Skills:  
Brainstorming, concept mapping, organizing, synthesizing, writing, researching, presentation, reading, listening.
Objectives:
Students will: 1. Gain an awareness and understanding of a variety of geographic locations and their geographic characteristics. 2. Gain an awareness of the connection between geography and literature.  3. Evaluate how the physical and human characteristics of the geographical area they’ve chosen to study are different than those where they live.   4. Compose a GeoPoem based on the information they have learned.  5. Apply their technological skills to research and present information.
Method:
With cooperative learning groups or with a partner, students will brainstorm about the geographic characteristics of several places and construct a graphic organizer. The information in the graphic organizer will then be used to compose a GeoPoem, a poem about geography.
Materials:
Paper, pen or pencil, maps, atlases, globes, Internet access, National Geographic journals, travel magazines, books, social studies textbook.
Procedures:
Each student should choose a place.  Have students brainstorm with a partner or cooperative learning groups, describing the geographic characteristics of the place they have chosen.  Students should confirm the accuracy of their brainstorming by conducting further research if necessary.  Have students construct a geographic organizer, labeling the major characteristics of each place.  Use the information from the brainstorming session and graphic organizer to compose a GeoPoem. (See Notes below.)  Students then read their poems to their partners or groups, then to the entire class.
Closure:
Students read their poems to their partners or groups, then to the entire class.
Evaluation:   Observe that each student completes the entire process
Extention:
Have students create a mural, collage, or other artwork of the various geographic characteristics, including culture, landscape, plant and animal-life, artwork, and location on the planet.  Have a poetry festival for parents, other students, and faculty where students recite their poetry.   Have an exhibition of the artwork and projects.  Give a presentation utilizing computer presentation software.  Construct a scale model of the chosen place’s landscape.  Design a travel pamphlet.
Notes:
The GeoPoem should include three items in each line: Line 1: Name of place.  Line 2: What is offered there.  Line 3: What it feels like to be there.   Line 4: What it requires to live there.  Line 5: What is puzzling about it. Line 6: What do things cost there. Line 7: Who lives there. Line 8: Where it is. Line 9: What does it look like.  Line 10: Synonym for its name.

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