JoinThe Poetry of Science
Visual Poetry
By Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
Take 5!
- Hold up a glass, cup, or mug with water or a beverage in it as your poetry prop</b> as you read the poem aloud. Pause dramatically after the line Guess what?
- When you read this poem aloud again, coach students to read the one-line second stanza (Guess what?) while you read the rest.
- For discussion: Have you ever been surprised by something not tasting the way you expected it to?
- If possible, try conducting the experiment outlined in this poem.Fill two glasses with apple juice and color one with red food coloring and the other with green food coloring. Invite another adult (teacher, parent, or staff) to try the two drinks and choose a favorite (if they can). Talk about how the senses of sight and taste affect our perceptions.
- For another poem about investigations involving food coloring, share “Capillary Action” by Joy Acey (Internet Resources) or selections from Our Food: A Healthy Serving of Science and Poems by Grace Lin and Ranida McKneally (see Resource).
Poem © 2014 April Halprin Wayland from The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong ©2014 Pomelo Books; illustration by Frank Ramspott from The Poetry of Science: The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science for Kids © 2015 Pomelo Books.
He loves the green drink
She prefers red.
Guess what?
They’re both the same!
The taste is in their heads!
Note: This poem was inspired by a psychology experiment that uses apple juice and red and green food coloring to examine whether people’s perceptions of taste are influenced by their sight. For more information, check out: Science Project: Taste Perception (Internet Resources).