BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sklansky, Amy E. 2012. Out
of this world: Poems and facts about
space. Ill. by Stacey Schuett. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN
9780375864599
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Amy E. Sklansky’s brand new book Out of This World: Poems and Facts About Space will serve dual
purposes: a creative array of space poems and fantastic factual information
about celestial bodies. Each poem about an object relating to space is
accompanied with facts about the respective object. Science teachers will love
this book! (I certainly do!)
Sklansky writes using a variety of poetic forms. “Left
Behind” and “Comet” are haiku. A description of the moon is written in acrostic
form (“Moon”). “Sun” describes our closest star in a quatrain. Most of the
poems follow some sort of rhyme scheme. In a few poems, the text is manipulated
to reflect the meaning of lines. “After Blastoff” describes how Earth appears
to decrease in size through stair-stepped lines listing balls in descending
size. Another fun example is “Zero Gravity” which turns text upside down for
the final line of each stanza.
The variety of poem types and lengths keeps the reader’s
attention and prevents visual monotony. The
appealing topic of space interests children and the relatively short lengths
with have children devouring these poems. All of the poems include specific elements
of space facts. In addition to the poems, Sklansky includes facts about the
poem’s topic. Facts include the $10 million cost of a space suit, how
astronauts acclimate to 0 g-forces, the make-up and temperatures of the
planets, and why we are able to see shooting “stars” (meteoroids).
Science teachers (and other educators) will appreciate the
content area vocabulary included some in the poems but heavily in the sidebar facts.
The simple poems and more substantial information will stimulate curiosity in
readers, encouraging further research.
The book begins with poems organized in a sequential order
as a shuttle’s launch is detailed. The remainder of the book highlights
individual celestial features such as the moon, satellites, and comets.
Wonderfully detailed illustrations accompany each poem, adding depth to its
meaning. As mentioned before, Sklansky arranges the poems in a variety of ways
from page to page. One slightly negative aspect of this book is the lack of
access features. The book does not contain a table of contents, index, or even
page numbers. Referring to and quickly accessing individual poems is made a bit
more difficult.
Sklansky, while not yet a household name, has been on the
poetry scene for at least a decade. However, the enjoyable poetry and fascinating
facts found in Out of This World is
sure to put her on the map!
POETRY SPOTLIGHT
“Packing for the Moon”
Neil Armstrong packed
music
recorded by his wife
a propeller
fragment from
the Wright brothers’ flyer
mint Life
Savers
and a comb.
Buzz Aldrin packed
his mother’s
lucky charm bracelet
four gold
olive branches
a vial of
wine
and a
wafer.
Michael Collins packed
poems and
prayers
coins, cuff
links, tiepins, rings
and a small
lucky charm holding
fifty tiny ivory elephants.
What
would you pack?
Introduce
“Packing for the Moon” by reading the poem aloud once. Then choose 3 readers to reread the poem.
Assign one astronaut’s stanza to each reader. The last line will be read in
unison by the three voices.
Read
the fact from the book to explain what a PPK is and why each astronaut chose
his specific items.
Personal Preference Kit
(PPK)
Distribute
to each student a small box (about the size of a Girl Scout cookie box). Ask
students to think about what they would pack in their own PPK. (A great idea
would be to display your own PPK and explain the significance of each item.)
Students
will make a list of the items they would include along with an explanation or
justification for the inclusion of each item. (If possible, allow students to
place the items in the box). Use paper to cover the box, and allow students to
decorate it with a PPK object or space-related illustration.
Use
a gallery walk for students to present their kits and view others’ kits.
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