Celebrate Poetry Month
and Earth Day 
with these books and authors

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Meet Authors:
Joel Sartore and Kwame Alexander 
in celebration of Earth Day and Poetry Month

Directions:  Read about each author and their contribution to the collaboration.
Then explore the gallery and additional web links to find out more.
Complete the Exit Slip/Refection at the bottom of this page. 

1.  Joel Sartore


For many of Earth’s creatures, time is running out. Half of the world’s plant and animal species will soon be threatened with extinction. The goal of the Photo Ark is to document biodiversity, show what’s at stake and to get people to care while there’s still time.  Over 6,000 species have been photographed to date, with more to come.
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National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore is on a mission to document as many species as he can for an ongoing personal effort: The Photo Ark. NBC Nightly News environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson joined Joel Sartore for one shoot for the Project at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

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2. Kwame Alexander 
Kwame Alexander wanted to approach the subject of endangered animals with children. After working with hundreds of students on haiku poetry, he found that its condensed language gives a potent message, adding non traditional haiku to Joel’s photos became his book Animal Ark. 

Change can begin with a thought; a conversation; a photograph; a poem.

​Haiku is a seventeen syllable, three line poem where the
first line has five syllables,
the second line has seven,
and the third has five.

Haiku is the perfect compliment to these incredible photographs, both should inspire continued conversation.  Take a look while Kwame reads some of his book, Animal Ark.
Kwame Alexander reads from Animal Ark
​Explore More about the Photo Ark project
  • Choose any of the following videos and web links to explore on your own, choose your own path to learning more about endangered species
“I want to get people to care, to fall in love, and to take action.”
- Joel Sartore
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Take a look behind the scenes as Joel travels the world photographing on assignment and for the Photo Ark.
https://vimeo.com/149221316
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION:
​If the information has you inspired to write a haiku, please do! I'd love to read them, but this is optional, fun thing to do, not required. Here's the format of haiku.