

Ask your students to write about how this poem might relate to the context of student activism today.

Ask one student to read the poem aloud to the class, while the others list anything new they notice during the reading. Ask your students to read the poem silently and to write down what jumps out at them. Project the poem “blessing the boats” in front of the class.

Ask each group to share their lists with the whole class. Based on the imagining, each group should compose a list of what they might say to the people on board the boats that are heading out to sea. Ask them to work together to arrive at a shared imagining for the future of the sailboats heading out to see. Small-group discussions: Ask your students to share what they noticed about the painting and what they imagine could happen next.Then ask them to imagine what could happen to any of the boats that are heading out to sea, using what they’ve noticed as a foundation. Give your students plenty of time to view the image and ask them to write down what details they notice-colors, brushstrokes, etc. Project the image of the painting “Marine” in front of the class.
