Teach This Poem: “Gate A-4” by Naomi Shihab Nye

Look at this illustrated poster by Christy Mandin.

The following activities and questions are designed to help your students use their noticing skills to move through the poem and develop their thinking skills so they understand its meaning with confidence, using what they’ve noticed as evidence for their interpretations. Read more about the framework upon which these activities are based.

1. Warm-up: (Free-write) Think of a time when something unusual or alarming happened near you. If you cannot think of a personal experience, imagine one from a movie, book, or show. What did you do in response to the situation? What did those around you do?

2. Before Reading the Poem: Look at this illustrated poster by Christy Mandin. What do you notice? What similarities or differences do the depicted characters share? What might the line, “This is the world I want to live in. The shared world,” mean? 

3. Reading the Poem: Silently read the poem “Gate A-4” by Naomi Shihab Nye. What do you notice about the poem? Note any words or phrases that stand out to you or any questions you might have. 

4. Listening to the Poem: Enlist two volunteers and listen as the poem is read aloud twice. Write down any additional words and phrases that stand out to you. Or, you may opt to listen to the poet read the poem. 

5. Small Group Discussion: Share what you noticed about the poem with a small group of students. Based on the details you just shared and the poster, what is the greater meaning of the story? What makes a community? What are some of the effects of comforting someone?

6. Whole Class Discussion: Why do you think this poem was written? What do you think of the line, “This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost”? Do you agree? Why or why not?

7. Extension for Grades 7-8: Write a poem about the incident you wrote about during the warm-up. Provide enough details in your poem so that readers can visualize the incident. How will you end your poem? 

8. Extension for Grades 9-12: Can community be created easily or not? Write a persuasive essay about the ingredients needed to create one.

Educators, librarians, and poetry lovers of all ages can celebrate National Poetry Month by ordering a free copy of this year’s poster, designed by New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator Christy Mandin and featuring powerful lines by former Academy Chancellor Naomi Shihab Nye. Order your free copy to display before the request line closes on April 14, and bring National Poetry Month to life. Get your free copy.

Allegory: a narrative or visual representation with an underlying meaning, moral message, or political significance.