Illustration of a colorful bird flying over beautiful forest as an elephant peeks out
Art by Susan Swan
Poetry,

Early Explorers

Who really discovers the hidden corners of our world?

By Marilyn Singer
From the February 2020 Issue

Learning Objective: In this poem, students will make inferences to understand the poet’s message: that animals have inhabited many places long before humans arrived there.

Featured Skill: Inference,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    R.1, R.2, R.5, R.6, R.9, SL.1, SL.2, L.2, L.5
  • Grade 4
    R.4.1, R.4.2, R.4., R.4.6, R.4.9, SL.4.1, SL.4.2, L.4.2, L.5
  • Grade 5
    R.5.1, R.5.2, R.5.5, R.5.6, R.5.9, SL.5.1, SL.5.2, L.5.2, L.5.5
  • Grade 6
    R.6.1, R.6.2, R.6.5, R.6.6, R.6.9, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, L.6.2, L.6.5
TEKS Standards
  • Grade 4
    4.3a, b; 4.4; 4.6a, d, f, h; 4.7, c, d, g; 4.8a, d; 4.9b; 4.10c, d
  • Grade 5
    5.3a, b; 5.4; 5.6a, d, f, h; 5.7c, d, g; 5.8a, d; 5.9b; 5.10c, d
  • Grade 6
    6.2a, b; 6.3; 6.5a, d, f, h; 6.6c, d, g; 6.7a, d; 6.8b; 6.9c, d

Presentation View
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UP CLOSE

Inference

As you read this poem, think about who the “early explorers” are and how the poet feels about them.

Early Explorers

No place on earth

            is ever undiscovered

Even in Antarctica

            where whole mountains are hidden

                        under ice

penguins already laid shambling tracks

                        in the snow

            before we traveled there

The hottest desert

                        the deepest jungle

            where none of us have ever been

all have been crossed

                        and crossed again

            by wings whirring or silent

                        feet furred or scaled

                                    hoofed or bare

By adventurers we will never know

            explorers who will never tell us

                        what wonders they have seen



From FOOTPRINTS ON THE ROOF: POEMS ABOUT THE EARTH by Marilyn Singer. Copyright ©2002 by Marilyn Singer. Reprinted by permission of Marilyn Singer.


This poem was originally published in the February 2020 issue.  


Audio ()
Activities (1)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Audio ()
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Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras

If your students loved “Early Explorers,” be sure to take a look at the rest of the poems in Singer’s book, Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the Earth.

For any students interested in writing poetry of their own, check out author Marilyn Singer’s “Ten Tips for Writing Poetry.” 

Learn about some of the earliest “explorers” in the Ocean Conservancy’s article, “These Prehistoric Ocean Animals are Still Around Today.” 

More About the Story

Skills

fluency, author’s purpose, making connections

Complexity Factors

Levels of Meaning

The poem pays homage to the animals that traveled to all corners of the Earth before people ever did. 

Structure

The poem is free verse, one long stanza with no rhyme scheme.  

Language

The language is mainly simple but includes the word shambling. 

Knowledge Demands 

The poem mentions Antarctica.

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. Preparing to Read

Preparing to Read (10 minutes)

  • Preview the illustration with students. Invite them to make observations about what they see in it and the ideas it evokes for them.
  • Ask a student to read aloud the Up Close box.

2. Reading the Poem (5 minutes)

  • Read the poem aloud one time, or play our audio version for the class. Pause after the first two lines: “No place on earth/is ever undiscovered.” Ask students what they think it means to discover a place. (Students might reply that it means to be the first person to go there.) Why do you think the poet starts with this statement? (She probably wants to make readers curious about what she means. It suggests that the rest of the poem will give details about the statement.)
  • Point out that the poem has no punctuation. Read it aloud again and have students work in pairs to add commas and periods to divide it into phrases and complete sentences. Discuss how vocal expression and punctuation help add meaning.

3. Discussing the Poem (10 minutes)

Discuss the following questions:

  • Answer the two questions that appear next to lines 8 and 17. (inference) “We” refers to humans; “adventurers” are animals that have passed through an area before humans.
  • A perspective is a way of looking at things. How does the poet, Marilyn Singer, offer a new perspective about exploration and discovery? (author’s purpose) Singer makes readers think about the animals that inhabit the places that humans explore. Often we consider a place “discovered” when humans go there, but the poet points out that animals have already been there.
  • Find a line in the article “Frozen Dreams” that tells you who the “early explorers” of the Arctic would be, according to this poem. (making connections) The article mentions arctic animals such as seals, walruses, and polar bears.

4. Skill Building (15 minutes)

Get our Poetry Kit, which will take your students on a deep dive into the poem!

Text-to-Speech