The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by Executive Order 11155 of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. 1980 was the first (and apparently only) year that the works of a class of these scholars—scientists and writers, poets and artists, dancers and musicians—were compiled into a digest.

From the abstract: “Poetry can be used in adult English as a second language (ESL) classes with all learners, even those with limited literacy and proficiency in English. Learners can read, discuss, and write about poems and how they speak to their life situations. They can also create poems of their own to express their feelings, thoughts, or beliefs. This digest discusses ways to select and use poetry in adult language and literacy classes and provides information about poetry collections and resources for further reading.”

This guide was written for teachers of seventh and eighth graders, but can be adapted to other levels--elementary, high school, and college. It includes 18 poetry assignments found to be effective in the classroom. This ERIC document is also available online in the ERIC database: Teaching Poetry Writing to Adolescents, by Joseph I. Tsujimoto (ERIC Number: ED295214).

A collection of poems about water safety, written by schoolchildren and accompanied by whimsical cartoon illustrations by David Cunningham, an employee of the Bureau of Reclamation.