Book Summary
A Nation Arises is a patriotic collection of poems that chronicle some of the history of the United States. The poem topics range from the difficulties early settlers faced to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the structure of the government, and the flag. Approximate book level: T

Build Background
Ask students to explain what they know about poetry. Invite them to share favorite poems and/or poets. Explain that there are many different types of poetry. Invite students to identify types of poetry they know about.

Discuss poetry's rhymes and rhythms. Explain that rhyming poetry follows a beat based on syllables and includes words that rhyme. Write the word map on the board. Invite students to identify words that rhyme with map. Write these words on the board. Remind students that not all poetry rhymes. Some non-rhyming poetry also follows a beat based on syllables.

Preview the Poems
Show students the front and back covers of the book. Discuss the illustrations. Turn to the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title, author's name, illustrator's name). Write the name of each poem on the board. Have students practice clapping the syllables in each word. Ask volunteers to come to the board and put slash marks between syllables in the words. If necessary, remind students of the rules for dividing words into syllables (VCV: between the consonant and vowel; VCCV: between the two consonants; compound words: between each word in the compound word).

For detailed lessons on teaching the elements of each type of poem in the anthology, click here.

During Reading
Have students listen as you read the poems. Read the book expressively and, where applicable, emphasize the words that rhyme in each pair of sentences. 

Use think-aloud strategies to remind students to use what they already know to help make sense of each poem. React to parts of the poem with facial expressions and gestures. Allow students to stop and ask questions during reading, especially if they do not understand something. Invite students to identify characteristics of poetry (it uses lots of description, it expresses feelings, it allows the reader to see a topic in a different way through the concise use of vocabulary, and so on).

After Reading

Reader Response
Ask students what they thought about the topic of each poem. Have volunteers describe their favorite poem.

Comprehension
Ask specific questions that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the poems.

• What was the author's purpose for writing this poetry book?
• Why did the early settlers decide to revolt against England?
• What is the structure of the United States government?