Science and poetry are equally informative guides to knowledge and enlightenment, their fusion a natural consequence of the quest to make the unknown known, argue authors Erin Colfax and Nancy Gorrell in Writing Poetry through the Eyes of Science. In this program, we will explore literary patterns and pedagogical practices for connecting poetry and science. For our framework, we will use the four elements of air, fire, water, and earth. Central questions include what is the relationship between poetry and science? How can poetry heighten understanding of and interest in science, and vice versa? How can scientific and mathematical concepts be applied to writing poetry? In what ways do poetry and science bring form to chaos, helping us make sense of our lives and the world? How can science poetry be woven into K-12 curricula? Our exploration of poetry will include writing in formal patterns, such as haiku, couplets, tercets, ballad stanza, villanelle and sestina. We will compare these forms to free verse through our own writing and collections of science poetry. Activities may include community poetry/spoken word events, exploring Evergreen's Natural History Collection, birding field trip, and participating at Evergreen's Science Carnival by teaching science poetry workshops to K-12 students.

Credits will be awarded in poetry and science education.