Poets of Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme    

Lesson 12: Signs of Spring

by Mary Austin

Performer: SMG

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The poem describes flowers growing, blackbirds and sparrows in trees and bushes, budding orchard trees, green things growing, poppies blooming, and woolly clouds creeping.

Vocabulary

Sedge: A grasslike plant with triangular stems and inconspicuous flowers, growing typically in wet ground.
Poplar: A tall, fast-growing tree of north temperate regions, widely grown in shelter belts and for timber and pulp.
Orchard: A piece of land planted with fruit trees.
Pasture: Land covered with grass and other low plants suitable for grazing animals, especially cattle or sheep.
Bluff: A steep cliff.
Foothills: A low hill at the base of a mountain or mountain range.
Woolly: Resembling wool in texture or appearance. Fluffy, shaggy, or hairy.

Concepts

1. Mary Hunter Austin was born in 1868 in Carlinville, Illinois. See her picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Austin's birth state of Illinois (IL) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Austin had five siblings. After Austin graduated from college, her family moved to California to establish a homestead. The United States Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres of land to any citizens willing to live on and farm the land for five years.
4. Austin wrote poems, plays, and novels over her lifetime. She also helped to establish two theaters.
5. Austin had a mountain named after her. Mount Mary Austin is in California.
6. Austin died in 1934 at the age of 66 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

• Study the poem picture, and describe how it relates to the poem.

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

• After reading or listening to the poem, narrate the poem events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 14 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Sketch Flowers Mentioned in the Poem

One day this week, study the flowers below and sketch or color them. Label each flower with its name.

• Cream-cup

• Butter-cup

• Dandelion

• Sedges

• Poppies

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 7

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Signs of Spring.'

1 / 7

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Signs of Spring?'

2 / 7

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Mary Austin.

2 / 7

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 7

Answer 3

The poem lists changes in plant and animal life that signify the arrival of spring.

3 / 7

Question 4

Where does the poem take place?

4 / 7

Answer 4

The poem takes place outside.

4 / 7

Question 5

Who are the characters in the poem?

5 / 7

Answer 5

The characters are the narrator and the animals.

5 / 7

Question 6

Does the poem teach us anything?

6 / 7

Answer 6

The poem teaches us that plants and animals change with the seasons.

6 / 7

Question 7

Per the poem, what are the signs of spring?

7 / 7

Answer 7

The poem describes flowers growing, blackbirds and sparrows in trees and bushes, budding orchard trees, green things growing, poppies blooming, and woolly clouds creeping.

7 / 7

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Signs of Spring.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Signs of Spring?' The name of the poet is Mary Austin.
3. What happens in the poem? The poem lists changes in plant and animal life that signify the arrival of spring.
4. Where does the poem take place? The poem takes place outside.
5. Who are the characters in the poem? The characters are the narrator and the animals.
6. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem teaches us that plants and animals change with the seasons.
7. Per the poem, what are the signs of spring? The poem describes flowers growing, blackbirds and sparrows in trees and bushes, budding orchard trees, green things growing, poppies blooming, and woolly clouds creeping.

References

'Mary Hunter Austin.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.