All the Water in the World

• Written Responses. Invite students to think further about the role that water plays in our lives and the importance of conservation. The youngest students could respond to the book by illustrating and writing a single page describing water and its role in their own lives. These pages could be bound into a class book. Older students may want to experiment with the poetic forms to compose and illustrate a poem in response to the book (see the Writing Concrete Poetry section below) – their poems could also be bound as a book or posted in the school hallways for all to enjoy.
• Dramatic Presentation. The poem in this text lends itself to dramatic interpretation, either as on oral reading, or a reading with visual accompaniment in the form of a play or with a backdrop of student created art or photographs. Work with students to practice a dramatic reading of this poem. Consider a public performance for families or the school community.
• Alliteration in Writing. In a wonderful wordstream, Lyon employs a collection of clever alliteration: “That rain / that cascaded from clouds / and meandered down mountains / that wavered over waterfalls / then slipped into rivers / and opened into oceans, / that ran has been here before.” Take a close look at this passage with your students. Notice the break in the pattern (“slipped into rivers”), and speculate as to why Lyon made this careful word choice – why didn’t she say ‘rolled into rivers,’ for example? Notice, too, the contrast between the flowing alliteration that comprises most of the sentence and the short words that end the sentence, creating a choppy feel. What effect does this contrast create? Invite your students to revisit a piece of writing that they are working on in order to add some alliteration to their text. As you read other texts in the course of your classroom work in the weeks that follow, note how other authors have employed alliteration in their writing. Keep a running list of effective examples.
• Illustrations. Tillotson’s illustrations in All the Water in the World are well worth concentrated study. They are digitally rendered, but have the look of collage. Work with your art teacher to experiment with a digital art toolkit. Invite your students to create their own water-themed images. You may find useful William Low’s videos depicting his process of creating digital illustrations (see link below).
• Concrete Poetry. Throughout the book, the text of the poem often appears in the form of “concrete poetry.” Take some time to explore this fun poetic form with your students. Wonderful examples of concrete poems can be found in Paul Janeczko’s A Poke in the Eye. Invite your students to write their own concrete poems.
• Cycles and Relationships in Nature. This text provides an introduction to the water cycle through art and poetry. You can extend students’ understanding of cycles and relationships by introducing other picture book titles that highlight these concepts. Trout are Made of Trees is another lyrical picture book poem that describes the relationships in a stream ecosystem. The Wolves are Back written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor is picture book that describes the intricate balance of the ecosystem of Yellowstone Park and the effects of the elimination and subsequent reintroduction of wolves to this area.
• Nonfiction Poetry. Study the genre of nonfiction poetry. Explore the works of poet April Pulley Sayre (see our Rah, Rah, Radishes entry at http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/10/rah-rah-radishes-vegetable-chant.html), Douglas Florian (see our Poetrees entry at http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/10/poetrees.html), and Joyce Sidman (see our Swirl by Swirl entry at http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/09/swirl-by-swirl.html). Discuss the techniques used by these poets to convey their nonfiction content. Invite your students to try their hand at writing nonfiction poetry.
• Author Study. George Ella Lyon is a prolific writer (who describes herself as “first of all a poet”) with a wide range of published material for audiences across the age spectrum. Read selections from her work as part of an author study. Identify patterns in her writing themes and style. You can find a wealth of information about George Ella Lyon and her work on her website linked below.

Critical Literacy

• Art as Advocacy. This picture book is clearly a call for action. Discuss with your students the author’s intent to highlight the value of water conservation. How does she use words to convey this message? How do the illustration create affect to enhance the message? Engage your students in some research to identify ways that art is used for advocacy in our society. Collect and display some examples and then invite students to explore the arts as a tool to express their own positions on an issue that is currently of interest in their lives.

• This reliable series continues to provide excellent, clear information and illustrations for readers.

• A beautifully illustrated description of the effects of the removal and reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park.

• A cleverly illustrated anthology of concrete poems collection by poet Paul B. Janeczko.

• The author traces the path one drop of water could have taken through a variety of ecosystems to arrive on a boy’s hand.

• Building from its intriguing title, this book explores the life cycle of the trout and the interrelationships of an ecosystem through free verse poetry.

• This cumulative verse fiction portrays the water cycle through mixed-media illustrations.

• The author-illustrator takes readers through the calendar year and the many manifestations of a single drop of water, turned snowflake, turned drop of water, and back again.

• This text explores the water cycle and the ways in which water has recycled itself over billions of years.

• The author’s amazing photography illuminates water in all of its states.