Ntroduction the River

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IntroductionThe Riveris one of the new literature components for the English subject.The poem is written by Valerie Bloom. The Form One students in the year2010 have started exploring and learning this new poem.

Synopsis of the poem

The River is about the many faces of a river. The river is a wandererwhere he moves all over the place. He does not sit still and is always inmotion. He is also a winder where he twists and turns. He meanders. Heis also a hoarder where he keeps things deep down in his river bed.Sometimes, he is a baby when he is happily flowing along. At times, he is asinger as seen through the happy sounds of the water. Finally, he is also amonster and can devour trees (most probably referring to a flood).

How I went about teaching the poemI remembered teaching this poem to my first formers last year during mypracticum.

I began my lesson by showing students a few pictures of clean rivers froma PowerPoint slide:

Relau River, Pahang(Source of Picture:http://www.impression.com.my/Tahan/gunung_tahan.htm)

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Congkak River, Hulu Langat, Selangor(Source of Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckzaidan/5160206686/ )

Then, I asked and discussed the following questions with students:

1. What can you see from these pictures? (Anticipated answer: They

are the pictures of rivers)2. How do the rivers look like? (Anticipated answer: The rivers are

clean)3. How do you feel when you see these pictures? (Anticipated answers:

calm/relaxed/happy/peaceful/etc.)4. Why do you feel calm/relaxed/happy/peaceful/etc? (Anticipated

answers: The rivers are clean and beautiful/ There are no rubbish inthe rivers / It is great to have a picnic with our family beside theriver/etc.)

Next, I showed students a few pictures of dirty rivers:

Sibuti River, Sarawak(Source of Picture: http://utusansubis.blogspot.com/2010/03/cetekanak-di-ulu-sungai-sibuti-yang.html)

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Pinang River, Pulang Pinang(Source of Picture: http://www.malaysiazoom.com/utara-sungai-darah-babi/)

Then, I asked and discussed the same question with students:

1. How do the rivers look like? (Anticipated answer: The rivers aredirty/polluted)

2. How do you feel when you see these pictures? (Anticipated answers:

I feel sick/sad/angry/disgusted/etc.)3. Why do you feel sick/sad/angry/disgusted/etc? (Anticipated answers:

People don't take care of the rivers' cleanliness/ All marine life willdie/ The clean water source will deplete / etc.)

I related the above activities by telling students that they were going tolearn a poem entitled "The River" by Valerie Bloom. The poem consists of 6stanzas.

The rivers a wanderer,A nomad, a tramp.

He doesn't choose any one placeTo set up his camp.

The rivers a winder,Through valley and hillHe twists and he turns,He just cannot be still.

The rivers a hoarder,And he buries down deep

Those little treasuresThat he wants to keep.

The rivers a baby,

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He gurgles and hums,And sounds like hes happily

Sucking his thumbs.

The rivers a singer,

As he dances along,The countryside echoesThe notes of his song.

The rivers a monster,Hungry and vexed,

Hes gobbled up treesAnd hell swallow you next.

First, I modeled the recitation of the poem. This is an important step to

allow students to hear how a poem is read with the correct pronunciationand enunciation. I read aloud the poem by playing a background music byKitaro's Silk Road. The music is not only calming to hear but also sets themood and suits the title of the poem. Watch the following video to hear themusic: