A morning literacy activity has us working in partners to scour through children's books. We're to choose one as a model. How might we use its structure as a springboard for our own reflections on this course?


Working with Jen, we created a reflection on Longwood based on the structure of Margaret Wise Brown's children's book titled The Important Book. This would be a wonderful activity to use with readers of any age as a summarizing tool following a reading. Have elementary readers create their own "important" poem about the book they've heard read aloud in class. Have high school students mimic the structure following a reading of a Shakespearean sonnet. What is the most important element of a sonnet? What is the most significant image? What is the most important theme?

Jen and I tried to incorporate these ideas into our piece on the most important aspects of Longwood Garden. So, here goes...

The important thing
about Longwood is
that it is history
growing beneath your feet,
a mission cultivated by DuPont,
an education that reaches all ages and
overwhelms the senses.
It draws you in.
It is a diverse abundance
of life -
of trees, flowers, grass.
But the most important thing
about Longwood is
that it is history growing
beneath your feet.