America Changed (n37)

will identify changes they’ve seen in their city,

state, country over the past year and use poetry

Ask students to recall memories from 9/11 and

describe feelings from that day, as well as how

they felt after the day (during winter break,

spring, summer, and so on)

Procedure:

1. Read the 9/11 poem from J.T. Stepanek Mattie’s

book, Hope

through Heartsongs, or similar poem, aloud.

2. Ask students to share with a partner similarities/differences/

responses to the 9/11 poem.

3. Write words from student responses or Mattie’s

poem that associate with change on index cards.

4. Write the word CHANGE on the board with to

sub sections, POSITIVE and NEGATIVE.

5. Change can be either positive or negative.

Ask students to share with each other possible

positive and negative changes that have occurred

since 9/11. Volunteers may come to the board and

list their changes under the appropriate column.

6. Once volunteers have all shared, ask students

to use their index card words, shared ideas, or

positive/negative responses to write their own

poem about Change in America since 9/11. Poems

can be free verse or acrostic.

7. Students may share poems with partner or entire

class upon completion. Some students may choose

to illustrate poems.

Extended Activity:

Create a class book of poems based upon this topic.

Read more of Mattie’s poems on peace and it’s

potential world impact.

Write Mattie a letter about personal changes student’s

have experienced since 9/11.

Write a song based on a class poem about change.

Share the song with another class.

Hold a community/ school poetry reading on September