Classroom Connections with Eric Ode

TODAY'S READ

Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails: Poems from the Wetlands

Eric Ode, Author
Ruth Harper, Illustrator

Kane Miller Books (March 1, 2019)
ISBN: 978-1610677479

For all ages (K-12)

Purchase at Usborne Books & More
Purchase at Barnes & Noble
Purchase via Indiebound.org


SYNOPSIS

From raccoons to muskrats, frogs to heron, acclaimed singer/songwriter/poet Eric Ode offers readers of all ages a gentle, stunningly beautiful homage to all things wetland. Featuring New York Times bestselling illustrator Ruth Harper’s gorgeous artwork, Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails is a picture book celebration of biodiversity, art, poetry and healthy ecosystem.


A PEEK INSIDE

Click on image to enlarge.

Text copyright © 2019 by Eric Ode. Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Ruth Harper.
From OTTERS, SNAILS AND TADPOLE TAILS: POEMS FROM THE WETLANDS (Kane Miller).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric Ode (pronounced Oh-dee) is a national award-winning children's singer/songwriter and a widely published author and poet. A former elementary teacher, Eric has been invited to share his music and poetry programs with schools and at community events throughout the United States, in Germany, Japan, and in Guam. Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails is Ode’s fourth published poetry collection.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS

Why is bringing poetry into the classroom important?

Poetry gives students permission and freedom to play with and experiment with language – to discover how words and images can spark on our tongues and ignite our imaginations.

How might your book be incorporated into an educational curriculum?

This book offers so many opportunities for diving into the natural sciences. There’s a poem about a dragonfly that offers an opportunity to talk about metamorphosis. Another poem about a shrew and a bat opens the door to discussing habitat and diet. Of course the entire collection naturally leads into discussions on the importance of healthy wetlands for migratory birds, prevention of soil erosion, filtration of toxins, flood control...

Can you suggest a specific classroom exercise related to your book?

CLASSIFYING CRITTERS

Use selected poems from Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails as an opportunity to group animals. This can be done little by little, sharing one or two poems each day.

1. Create a large, empty chart with columns for each animal group. (See possible groups below)
2. Read a poem or have a student read to the class.
3. As a class, discuss characteristics of the animal.
4. Decide into which group the animal belongs.
5. Add that animal’s name to that group on the chart.

POSSIBLE GROUPS (Older Students)

• Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, and Fish
• Animals that go through metamorphosis
• Insects/Not Insects

POSSIBLE GROUPS (Younger Students)

• Mammals/Not Mammals
• Birds/Not Birds
• Animals with legs/Animals without legs

What is a simple, practical tip for teachers when it comes to incorporating poetry in the classroom?

When the schedule allows, I love giving students an opportunity to discover analogous language, especially similes and metaphors. We use stations in a Lucy Calkins sort of way with items set out to pick up and hold and consider, and then we move into making connections. What does this look like? What does this remind you of? Watching students surprise themselves when they make a unique connection is always a treat!

Can you recount a specific instance of when poetry impacted a student or group of students in a positive way?

Because students are exposed to rhyme so early in life through song and Mother Goose rhymes and rhyming picture books, they naturally want to incorporate rhyme into their poetry. The problem, of course, is that using rhyme effectively is tough! And so often their insistence on using rhyme in poetry throws all of those other beautiful writing tools out the window – word choice, analogy, imagery, assonance, alliteration... I strongly encourage educators to put rhyme on the backburner while exposing students to poetry and discussing poetic tools.


CONNECT WITH ERIC ODE

Website: https://www.ericode.com/

Many thanks to Eric for participating in our Classroom Connections series for National Poetry Month, and for offering a copy of Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails to one randomly selected TLD reader!

To enter, leave a comment below or send an email with the subject "Tadpole Tails Giveaway" to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com by Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 2nd, so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

Digital art © 2018 by Miranda Barnes,
based on a line from "Ghazal" by Tracy K. Smith.

TO FOLLOW:

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