Wood_cover.qxd (Page 1) - National Council of Teachers of English

LIVING VOICESMULTICULTURAL POETRY IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOMMiddle school students often find studying poetryto be a fearful and frustrating experience. In this versatileteacher’s resource, Jaime R. Wood uses her passion for andknowledge of poetry to help students overcome their fearsand to introduce students to a kind of literacy they can getexcited about.Because “traditional” poets may seem inaccessibleto students, Wood focuses on the poetry of three “livingvoices”—Nikki Giovanni, Li-Young Lee, and Pat Mora.These poets are not only still living and writing, but theyalso have cultural backgrounds that parallel many of thelives of our students.Through easy-to-follow lesson plans, Wood uses thework of these contemporary multicultural poets to demonstratekey concepts such as symbolism, personification,characterization, and theme. The lessons have beenteacher-tested in middle school classrooms and aredesigned to encourage students to take ownership of theirlearning.Wood provides many examples of student writingand graphic organizers, as well as a chapter of furtherresources. Open Living Voices at any section and jump in.You’ll discover a whole new way to teach poetry.National Council of Teachers of English1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096800-369-6283 or 217-328-3870www.ncte.org