Timothy Steele's poem, "Toward the Winter Solstice," offers scholars an opportunity to consider what poets and scientists could learn from each other's work. First, learners examine a NASA image of a star-forming region in the Orion nebula. They do a close reading of Steele's poem, circling what jumps out at them. To end the lesson, the class discusses how the image adds to their understanding of the poem.

Concepts

winter solstice, christmas traditions, traditions, poetry, poetry analysis, poets, nebula, stars

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Instructional Ideas

• Provide images for pupils unfamiliar with Los Angeles, especially palm trees with Christmas lights
• Assign groups to investigate the winter solstice traditions of different religions

Classroom Considerations

• Part of the Academy of American Poets "Teach This Poem" series

Pros

• Provides a link to an article on star formation for those who want to know more about the process

Cons

• None