POETRY BREAK: ANOTHER SPRING POEM

SPRING SPLASHDOWN

 by Joyce Sidman

Sidman, Joyce. Ill. Beckie Prange. 2005. "Spring Splashdown" from Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin.

Introduce the setting of the poem by asking students to describe what they would SEE if they were sitting by a pond.  Then what they would HEAR?  Read the poem below first, without showing the illustrations.  Then read it a second time showing the pictures as you read the poem aloud.  Listen closely.  Imagine sitting near the pond.

SPRING SPLASHDOWN

Peck, Peck

crackle, crackle.

Fluff, fluff,

wiggle, wiggle.

Snooze, snooze...

Mommy calling!

Peep! Peep!

Scramble, scramble.

Hop, hop,

Teeter, teeter.

Peek, peek,

water sparkling!

Deep breath,

l

 e

  a

   p

     i

      n

        g,

             l

              e

                a

                  p

                    i

                     n

                      g.

      Splash down,

      bobbing, bobbing.

      Heads up,

      paddle, paddle.

      Mom near,

                 follow,

                          follow.

One of the things I love about Sidman's book besides the poetry is the factual information that is given for each poem.  In Spring Splashdown, Sidman provides information on the wood duck.

Extension:  Share this information with students after sharing the poem.  Invite students to share if knowing this information now helps them understand or appreciate the poem more.

Another extension of the poem would be to read aloud the classic story by Robert McCloskey, Make Way for Ducklings.  This classic story about a momma duck and her babies in a big city correlates to Sidman's contemporary poem about a momma wood duck and her babies in the traditional setting of a pond.  

Other related poetry books:

Franco, Betsy. 2009. Pond Circle.