by Walt Whitman

by Joan Fallert

Reminiscences of Walt Whitman
Read this thought-provoking article, originally printed in the Atlantic Monthly in 1902, in which author John Townsend Trowbridge examines the genius of Walt Whitman—along with his shortcomings. As a class, discuss the article. What in it do you find surprising? What is your opinion of the author? What impression do you now have of Whitman?

Araneae, Spiders of North-West Europe
Scroll down the page of this informative Web site about spiders to Common spider information. Click on The spinnerets and properties of silk to read about the amazing strength of the "filament" Whitman describes in his poem. In the Web Links Activity Log, catalogue the uses a spider has for the silk it produces.

Migration Maps
Visit this U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Web site to see actual migration paths of several geese tagged with radio transmitters during their seasonal journey. Prepare an oral presentation on how scientists gathered the Canada geese migration information shown at this site.

Cinquain
Each stanza of Fallert’s poem is a cinquain, a poetic form developed by American poet Adelaide Crapsey. Find out more about cinquains and read several examples at this Web site. Try your hand at writing your own cinquain.