How To Cross a Pond
by Marilyn Singer
ill by Meilo So
[Knopf, 2003]
How to Cross a Pond
I shared a beautiful poem called ?Rain Forest? by Marilyn Singer on Friday, and here are a few of my thoughts while reading it.
All her beautiful language really gets me. The ground as a sponge that drinks in clouds?how amazing is that? [CCRA.R4]
And then–and here’s the part I can’t get out of my mind?tadpoles swim inside flowers that fill with water high in the trees? [CCRA.R1] Is this for real? I go look online for a while, and I find lots of images of teeny tiny tree frogs and the eggs they lay on leaves and stems. When they hatch, they’re only the size of a grain of rice. So they certainly COULD swim in a flower pond. But I can’t find a photo that shows the picture I have in my head. I find some information about the life cycle of tree frogs. This National Geographic video (always looking for a source I can really trust) at http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/frog_greentree_lifecycle shows how red-eyed tree frogs lay their eggs on the underside of a leaf so that when the eggs hatch, the tadpoles drop right into the water below. [CCRA.R7] Hmm?Very interesting. But not what I’m looking for! I’m still not sure of the answer. [CCRA.R8]
So, I’m going to add this to my Wonder list I’ve started. (Have you read Georgia Heard’s A Place for Wonder?) It’s a question I have that I do want to know the answer to, but I don’t have time to research it right this minute. But I will find out?eventually! In fact, maybe someone reading this will even find the answer and point me to it?hint, hint:>)
And then the last half of this poem makes me think about how we only need the space we need. [CCRA.R2] To a tadpole the size of a grain of rice(!), a water-filled flower would indeed be a ?boundless lake.? It would be huge! It reminds me of all the dramatic animal stories that play out all around me that are small enough that I just don’t notice them. As soon as our yard dries up a little (it is still very soggy and muddy from all the melting snow and recent rain), I need to spend some time lying down, observing what’s happening out there, right under my feet every day.
In this blog feature, I externalize my process of reading a poem and then I go back and pop in the CCSS Anchor Standards that I think I happened to address in my thoughts. I’m hoping this will be useful for those of you who are?educators sharing poetry, especially if you might not be too comfortable with it. This might give you ideas of some?elements you could include?in your poetry discussion.
It is an amazing poem, and I like reading your thoughts about it. And of course you got me wondering if there are really tree frog tadpoles in flowers. I think she did not mean this literally since she’s using the flower cup as a size comparison: “treetops ablaze with private ponds, each no bigger than a flower’s cup.” I’m guessing she’s referring to poison dart frogs that carry their tadpoles (in some species it’s the female, and some it’s the male) to the pools of water that collect where the leaves join (often in bromeliads.) Since you got me searching this morning, I’ll share a reference for one species:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dendrobates_leucomelas/
But then the poem does go on to say “every petal is a teeming shore,” which sounds pretty darn flower-like. Perhaps there is a species of frog that carries its tadpoles to flowers, but I couldn’t find a reference on the internets.
Cool–thanks! Yeah, it could be bromeliads, and the flower/petal was kind of poetic license, or it could be a different species of frog entirely. I think I’m going to have to ask Marilyn. I didn’t want to bother her, but…I’m so curious now! And if none of you have heard of one that literally uses flowers, then I’m just going to have to verify that it is the poison dart frogs and bromeliads:>)
It is an amazing poem, and I like reading your thoughts about it. And of course you got me wondering if there are really tree frog tadpoles in flowers. I think she did not mean this literally since she’s using the flower cup as a size comparison: “treetops ablaze with private ponds, each no bigger than a flower’s cup.” I’m guessing she’s referring to poison dart frogs that carry their tadpoles (in some species it’s the female, and some it’s the male) to the pools of water that collect where the leaves join (often in bromeliads.) Since you got me searching this morning, I’ll share a reference for one species:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dendrobates_leucomelas/
But then the poem does go on to say “every petal is a teeming shore,” which sounds pretty darn flower-like. Perhaps there is a species of frog that carries its tadpoles to flowers, but I couldn’t find a reference on the internets.
Cool–thanks! Yeah, it could be bromeliads, and the flower/petal was kind of poetic license, or it could be a different species of frog entirely. I think I’m going to have to ask Marilyn. I didn’t want to bother her, but…I’m so curious now! And if none of you have heard of one that literally uses flowers, then I’m just going to have to verify that it is the poison dart frogs and bromeliads:>)
Could you ask the author about your “wonder”?
I could. Since the book is 8 years old, the poem is at least 10, and I’m *wonder*ing if Marilyn will remember! Her memory is probably lots better than mine. So much of my research disappears from my head once a project is completed. Maybe I will drop her a line, though:>)
Could you ask the author about your “wonder”?
I could. Since the book is 8 years old, the poem is at least 10, and I’m *wonder*ing if Marilyn will remember! Her memory is probably lots better than mine. So much of my research disappears from my head once a project is completed. Maybe I will drop her a line, though:>)
When I taught middle school science we studied bromeliads. There are tadpoles that do live and grow in these flowers. Here’s a link.
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/activities/poison-frog
And here’s a terrific video narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTd_Z9a78FU
I LOVE Georgia Heard’s book and think a wonder approach to science (and nonfiction) is a good one!
I loved that video link–thanks, Tricia. Amazing. I hadn’t come across that. I agree about wonder. Getting kids to think about questions and explore different ways to find answers…that’s such an important part of learning.
When I taught middle school science we studied bromeliads. There are tadpoles that do live and grow in these flowers. Here’s a link.
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/activities/poison-frog
And here’s a terrific video narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTd_Z9a78FU
I LOVE Georgia Heard’s book and think a wonder approach to science (and nonfiction) is a good one!
I loved that video link–thanks, Tricia. Amazing. I hadn’t come across that. I agree about wonder. Getting kids to think about questions and explore different ways to find answers…that’s such an important part of learning.
Hi Laura, I had to research too. When I traveled to the rain forest with students, we learned that so many tiny animals use the water that is caught in the flowers or leaves. Here is one site that tells about the poison arrow frog that hatches in bromeliads (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/activities/poison-frog), and here is a picture of a frog (http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/4179-13353). I loved hearing all about your wondering. We’re doing some different wondering in the class I’m currently working in, so I will try to find time to share your post-last one & this too! Thanks so much.
Thanks, Linda. That is so astonishing, isn’t it? Could be the bromeliads are what she’s referring to, even though in my mind I was picturing a more traditional flower. Thanks for these sites. Have fun wondering with your students!
I didn’t research very much, & imagine there are also flower petals that form some kind of cup that holds water. Thank you Laura, for reminding about these wondrous things, and for sharing the poem!
Hi Laura, I had to research too. When I traveled to the rain forest with students, we learned that so many tiny animals use the water that is caught in the flowers or leaves. Here is one site that tells about the poison arrow frog that hatches in bromeliads (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/activities/poison-frog), and here is a picture of a frog (http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/4179-13353). I loved hearing all about your wondering. We’re doing some different wondering in the class I’m currently working in, so I will try to find time to share your post-last one & this too! Thanks so much.
Thanks, Linda. That is so astonishing, isn’t it? Could be the bromeliads are what she’s referring to, even though in my mind I was picturing a more traditional flower. Thanks for these sites. Have fun wondering with your students!
I didn’t research very much, & imagine there are also flower petals that form some kind of cup that holds water. Thank you Laura, for reminding about these wondrous things, and for sharing the poem!