Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
By: Joyce Sidman
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Copyright: 2010
Genre: Poetry
Summary:
Poetic accounts of what one would find in the night are accompanied by factual
descriptions of each animal, insect, or plant. Topics covered include moon,
primrose moth, owls, trees, spiders, baby porcupette, crickets, mushrooms, and
bats.
BOOKTALK:
Did you know that the world outside your bedroom window is still full of life, even
when you are sleeping? Owls are hooting, bats are flying, trees are growing,
spiders are spinning webs, and baby porcupettes get lessons from their mothers,
of course! Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a poetry book. Each
poem is about one animal or thing that is awake at night. Now, besides the 12
poems, you will also see nonfiction information about each nocturnal animal or
thing on the page opposite of it. So it's like a 2-for-1 deal -- read a poem and
read a paragraph (or 2 or 3) about each topic. How cool! So turn the pages and
lose yourself in the nighttime happenings of Dark Emperor and Other Poems of
the Night.
AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
http://joycesidman.com
Other books written by the author:
Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadows
Eureka! Poems about Inventors
Just Us Two: Poems About Dads
Like The Air: Poems
Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature
The World According to Dog
This Is Just To Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness
Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Arrival
Revised 03/07/08
CHALLENGING WORDS (pronunciation, spelling, defining):
p. 6 dappled
p. 7 omnivorous, forages
p. 11 plumelike
p. 12 mesmerizing
p. 13 photosynthesis, nocturnal
p. 18 porcupette, pirouette
p. 20 raucous
p. 21 serrated, stridulation
p. 22 loam
p. 24 eft
p. 27 echolocation
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (If question is related to a specific chapter, chapter is in
parenthesis following question)
1. What do you notice about the poem on page 12? Why do you think the
author did this?
2. Read the poem on page 16. What lesson do you think the author is trying
to teach you? Why?
3. What do you notice about the way the book begins and ends? Why do
you think the author chose these poems?
4. Which fact about the animals of the night did you find most interesting?
Why?
5. Many of the animals have special adaptations that help in some way.
Which would you want to have? Why?
6. The last poem is an ubi sunt. What other types of poetry are used in this
book? Which type do you enjoy most?
7. If you were to pick an animal of the night not already in the book, which
would it be? What about that animal fascinates you?
8. In Dark Emperor the author writes a welcome poem to the night. If you
could write a poem to welcome something what would it be? (examples:
welcome to summer, welcome to the pool, welcome to school or the
soccer field)
9. Take a walk around the school or your house. What items in nature did
you notice? What could you write a poem about?
10. Have you ever seen any of the animals/creatures mentioned in this book?
If so, when? If not, which ones would you like to see?
11. Look at a picture of a primrose flower. Can you explain why the Primrose
Moth might have gotten its name?
Revised 03/07/08
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Language Arts: Common Core Standards Grades 4-6
1. Research another thing that comes out at night. Write a poem about it, and then write a
factual piece on the same topic. Work with your friends, and make your own poetry book!
4.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
5.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
6.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
2. Give a book talk to summarize the book
5.RL.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently
and proficiently.
5.SL.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and
using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes;
speak clearly at an understandable pace.
3. Compare and contrast the Primrose flower to the Primrose Moth. (Venn Diagram, etc.)
5.RI.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events,
ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information
in the text.
4. Create questions about the creatures within this book. Allow students to use the book
to find the answers.
5.RI.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the
ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
5.RI.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
5. Share the information about any creature from Dark Emperor or the living creature you
researched with the class orally, in writing, or using Powerpoint or other technology.
5.SL.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
5.SL.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and
using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes;
speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5.SL.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in
presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
6. In Dark Emperor the author writes a welcome poem to the night. If you could write a
poem to welcome something what would it be? (examples: welcome to summer, welcome
to the pool, welcome to school or the soccer field)
Revised 03/07/08
4.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
7. After reading Dark Emperor students can choose one living creature to describe in an
informational piece of writing.
4.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
5.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
6.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
8. Discuss book within a small group or Guided Reading setting. Discuss how humans
lead to the near extinction of this bird and how now humans are the main reason why they
aren’t extinct.
4.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others'
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others'
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.RL.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the
overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
6.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on
others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
9. Have students research one of the animals/things in Dark Emperor and create a
PowerPoint or Keynote about it. Students should then upload their projects to a Nocturnal
Animals classroom wiki.
4.W.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
5.W.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
6.W.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources
and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
4.W.6, 5.W.6, 6.W.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology,
including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate
with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of
one page (5.W.6 “two pages”, 6.W.6 “three pages) in a single setting.
10. Have students write a poem about a nocturnal animal or thing.
Revised 03/07/08
4.RL.5 Explain the major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the
structural elements of poems and drama when writing or speaking about a text.
4.W.4, 5.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development
and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
11. Nocturnal animals have different features from daytime animals to help them live in
the night. Write a paper that discusses these features.
4.W.4, 5.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and
organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
4.L.1, 5.L.1, 6.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
4.L.2, 5.L.2, 6.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Science: Indiana State Standards Grades 4-6
1. Describe the forest environment.
5.4.4 Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive
well, some do not survive as well, and some cannot survive at all.
Lifeskills: Active Listening, Curiosity, Resourcefulness
RELATED INTERNET SITES:
The Nature Conservancy:
http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/index.htm (information on all
types of animal species and habitats)
Revised 03/07/08