INTRODUCTION
The first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when a man named Julius Sterling Morton proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. More than one million trees were planted. Nebraska now celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday of April. States have their own Arbor days based on their climates. As we are increasingly aware of the importance of plants in the life of our planet, Arbor Day has become more widely recognized.
POEM
WIND IN THE PINES
By Joseph Bruchac
So soft at first,
just the hint
of sighing
then, as the boughs
and the long soft needles,
lend it a voice,
and the ripples spread
across the pond,
the wind starts to sing.
The pines quiver and bend,
moved by that long breath
that has flowed down the valleys,
lifted over the hills,
whistling, whispering
a chorus that fills the air around us
as the whole forest
bows and dances.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Jospeh. 2003. ABOVE THE LINE: NEW POEMS. Alburquerque, NM: West End Press. ISBN 0970534485
EXTENSION
Do the reading, discussion and activities outside near or under a tree. Take some quiet time to listen to the leaves, smell the air, feel the ground. Talk about the value of trees – photosynthesis, habitat, food source, etc.
Discuss the poem’s personification of the wind as breathing, whispering. Talk about the quietness of the poem.
Encourage the students to listen quietly to the nearby trees and invite them to write about this experience.
The first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when a man named Julius Sterling Morton proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. More than one million trees were planted. Nebraska now celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday of April. States have their own Arbor days based on their climates. As we are increasingly aware of the importance of plants in the life of our planet, Arbor Day has become more widely recognized.
POEM
WIND IN THE PINES
By Joseph Bruchac
So soft at first,
just the hint
of sighing
then, as the boughs
and the long soft needles,
lend it a voice,
and the ripples spread
across the pond,
the wind starts to sing.
The pines quiver and bend,
moved by that long breath
that has flowed down the valleys,
lifted over the hills,
whistling, whispering
a chorus that fills the air around us
as the whole forest
bows and dances.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Jospeh. 2003. ABOVE THE LINE: NEW POEMS. Alburquerque, NM: West End Press. ISBN 0970534485
EXTENSION
Do the reading, discussion and activities outside near or under a tree. Take some quiet time to listen to the leaves, smell the air, feel the ground. Talk about the value of trees – photosynthesis, habitat, food source, etc.
Discuss the poem’s personification of the wind as breathing, whispering. Talk about the quietness of the poem.
Encourage the students to listen quietly to the nearby trees and invite them to write about this experience.
Photo courtesy of http://images.google.com/.
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