Teaching Emily Dickinson to Fourth Graders?

Teaching Emily Dickinson to Fourth Graders?

Emily Dickinson’s poetry is often taught to students in high school and college because of its taboo themes and adult subjects, but Dickinson’s poetry is accessible to all ages, as long as it’s taught in the right way. The first step in teaching Emily Dickinson's poetry to elementary students is to choose poems that are age appropriate. Choosing some of her nature poems are the easiest examples to use, especially “Nature, the gentlest mother.”

NATURE, the gentlest mother,
Impatient of no child,
The feeblest or the waywardest,—
Her admonition mild
In forest and the hill	5
By traveller is heard,
Restraining rampant squirrel
Or too impetuous bird.
How fair her conversation,
A summer afternoon,—	10
Her household, her assembly;
And when the sun goes down
Her voice among the aisles
Incites the timid prayer
Of the minutest cricket,	15
The most unworthy flower.
When all the children sleep
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light her lamps;
Then, bending from the sky,	20
With infinite affection
And infiniter care,
Her golden finger on her lip,
Wills silence everywhere.

            Some of the words in this poem may seem a bit advanced for fourth graders, but if the teacher uses this opportunity to teach his/her students what these words mean or gives them synonyms for the words Dickinson uses this poem could be understood. Some of the words may not even be necessary to teach or understand in order for the lesson to flow smoothly (you want to make sure not to confuse your students before you dive in to the lesson). Before introducing Dickinson’s poetry, she should be introduced. Learning about her life and where she came from and the time period she grew up in could help the students understanding of her poetry. Teachers can talk about the clothing that was worn during the time that Dickinson lived as well as any other interesting things that were going on (age appropriate) during the 1800's. After a brief biography, the students can then be introduced to a poem. I would limit it to one poem to begin with but gradually introduce others throughout the year in order to keep the students minds working.

            After showing the students the poem and reading it to them and letting them get used to the flow of it, you can discuss as a group what they think some of the lines suggest or what this poem can mean. This part of the lesson can be open to interpretation and can go any way you want. As the teacher, you can help the students come up with ideas, and focus on words they knows, and you can let their imaginations drift and see what they come up with in a group discussion. After this you can start asking the students to look at the poem and find words that evoke their senses (see, hear, smell, taste, touch) and words that can make them feel an emotion. An example of this would be “In forest and the hill/By traveller is heard.” After they explore the language Dickinson uses, they can draw pictures of any stanza they want, using the vivid imagery she uses in her poems. They can draw a few scenes showing what is going on in the scene or they can draw one picture that depicts the overall mood of the stanza. An example of drawing what the students feel when they read Dickinson's poem is:

This lesson plan should be spread out over several days and should be taught to fourth graders or above.

Tons more lesson plan ideas: http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/

Poem: http://www.bartleby.com/113/2001.html

Picture: http://www.phoebeandlydia.com/hope-by-emily/