• Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
Patricia NewmanPatricia Newman
Sibert Honor Children's Book Author & Environmentalist
  • Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
Operation-Deep-Scope-2004:-Eye-in-the-Sea-- Bioluminescence"-by-NOAA-Ocean-Exploration-&-Research

LitLinks: How to blend STEM and poetry about the deep ocean

November 8, 2023 LitLinks, LitLinks-Grade 3-5, LitLinks-Grade K-2 No Comments
LitLinks Logo-2022

GUEST BLOGGER DONNA MCKINNEY


This lesson plan combines the science with poetry as students learn about bioluminescent creatures by writing short poems called haikus.

Lights-On!-cover

What is bioluminescence?

Begin by asking students if they can think of creatures that carry light in their bodies. (lightning bugs/fireflies are a familiar examples.) Explain that deep in the ocean there are many creatures that produce light in their bodies. The word bioluminescence is the name for this ability that some creatures have for producing light. Explain that there is actually a chemical reaction that happens in the creature’s body that allows it to display light.

Learn about haikus

Explain to students that a haiku is a traditional Japanese poem with 3 lines. The poem has 17 syllables. So the 3 lines and 17 syllables are formatted this way:

  • First line has 5 syllables
  • Second line has 7 syllables
  • Third line has 5 syllables

Explain that the haiku does not have to rhyme. A haiku can be funny or serious. Nature or animals are usually the subjects of these short poems.

Write a sample

To help students understand how haikus are written, choose the topic “elephant” and enlist them to help you write this sample haiku.

  • Ask students to name the words that come to mind when they think of “elephant.” List the words on the board. (For example, your list might include: enormous, gigantic, ears, tusk, trunk, leathery, noisy, strong.)
  • Lead students in writing a haiku about the “elephant.” (Some sample “elephant” haikus are listed just below.) Read the class haiku aloud, having students clap out the syllables, so they can understand the 5-7-5 syllable format.
Example 1

Enormous body

Flapping ears and pointy tusks            

With a useful trunk

Example 2

Big ears tiny tail

Stepping loudly through jungles

The elephant moves

Example 3

Elephant parade

Trunks sway ears flap tails swinging

Giants passing by

If you want to give students more examples of haikus, do an internet search for “haiku examples for kids.” Lead them in reading aloud some of the haikus you find. Clap to count out the syllables as you read.

Read LIGHTS ON!

Explain that LIGHTS ON! is a book about deep ocean creatures that glow in the dark. Tell students that after you’ve read the book aloud, they will pick a topic from the book for their haiku. So as you read the book, they should be thinking about the different creatures and which one they want as a topic for their haiku. Explain that their topic can be one of the creatures described in the book (lanternfish, vampire squid, pocket shark, Atolla jellyfish, fireworms, viperfish, bomber worms) or the ocean itself.

Read LIGHTS ON! aloud to the students, showing them the illustrations as you read.

Interior-of-lights-On!-1
Interior-of-lights-On!-2
From Lights On! Glow-in-the-Dark Deep Ocean Creaturs by Donna B. McKinney, illlustrated by Daniella Ferretti (Yeehoo Press, 2023)

Write a haiku about LIGHTS ON!

Instruct the students to work alone or in pairs to write a haiku about one of the creatures in LIGHTS ON! (or a haiku about the deep ocean, in general). Begin by asking the students to make a list of words that they think of as they read about or look at the illustrations related to the creature they chose. (If you have multiple copies of LIGHTS ON! make them available to students so they can easily see the illustrations while they create their list of words.)

After the students have written a list of words related to their topic, instruct them to write a haiku, using the 3 line (5-7-5 syllable format). Encourage them to clap out the syllables as they write, if it helps them.

Cheer them on!

Encourage them to not be afraid to put words down on paper for their haiku and then revise it to make it better. Remind them that good writing often goes through many revisions.

Share

Instruct students to copy their haiku in large print (so it can be easily read). Call for volunteers who want to read their haiku aloud. Then display all the haikus on a bulletin board where the students can enjoy reading them.

Featured image credit: “Operation Deep Scope 2004: Eye-in-the-Sea Bioluminescence” by NOAA Ocean Exploration & Research is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.


Donna-B-McKinney-headshot

Donna McKinney is the author of the book LIGHTS ON! Glow-in-the-Dark Deep Ocean Creatures (Yeehoo Press, 2023). She also writes kids books for educational publishers on STEM, sports, and current event topics. And she writes about science for adult readers on the science-news platform EurekAlert! In addition to writing, McKinney enjoys her grandchildren, hiking, jigsaw puzzles, and playing pickleball. She lives in North Carolina with her dogs. You can reach her at https://www.donnamckinneybooks.com/ on Instagram and Twitter @donnabmckinney and on Facebook @donnabowenmckinney.


Click for more LITLINKS STEM + Literacy activities

Tags: STEM+LiteracySTEM+Literacy Natural Science
No Comments
Share
1

You also might be interested in

BestSTEMBooksLogo

LitLinks: What makes a STEM book a STEM book?

Jan 8, 2020

GUEST BLOGGERS CARRIE LAUNIUS AND CHRISTINE ANNE ROYCE Editor’s Note:[...]

urban-coyote

LitLinks: How to teach persuasive writing with kidlit

Aug 28, 2024

GUEST BLOGGER MARY KAY CARSON Persuasive writing is one of[...]

Teen Fashion - 7707456936_1ab91cf81e_b

LitLinks: Surprise! Fast fashion is a top 2 polluter

Oct 19, 2022

GUEST BLOGGER JULIE DANNEBERG The Science of Fashion dispels the[...]

Leave a Reply

Your email is safe with me.
Cancel Reply

Click the logo to have LitLinks delivered to your inbox

LitLinks Logo-2022

Author Visits

https://youtu.be/zj6n-RFOcPA?si=8WCTnyXbTiwYumYo
https://youtu.be/ziN0UrqaDYI

Earth Day Every Day Newsletter Archive

Earth-Day-Every-Day-newsletter-banner

Post Categories:

Blog Archive

Top Posts

LitLinks: How to share our ocean connections with kids and teens

LitLinks: Let’s learn to decode photos in STEM nonfiction

LitLinks: How Elephants Can Make Your Sound Unit ROAR!

LitLinks: Easy ways to build students’ science communication skills

Proof that science connects kids to the larger world

Recent Comments

  • Danna Smith on LitLinks: Did you know goats can teach children about homonyms? I love this series of books!
  • Raven Howell on LitLinks: Did you know goats can teach children about homonyms? Absolutely love this piece you wrote! Thanks for sharing your…
  • Annie Lynn on LitLinks: 3 easy ways to use animals to introduce onomatopoeia Wonderful idea to link sounds and musical instruments to nature…
Empowering young readers to act

Latest Blog Posts

  • LitLinks: How to use conservation to invigorate student writing
    LitLinks: How to use conservation to invigorate student writing
  • LitLinks: How playing with existing ideas might lead to new ones
    LitLinks: How playing with existing ideas might lead to new ones
  • LitLinks: How to create a sniffing map to explore our sense of smell
    LitLinks: How to create a sniffing map to explore our sense of smell

Connect with me on social media

Action Shots

Check out the STEM Tuesday Blog

© 2025 — Patricia Newman

  • Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
    • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
Prev Next