What do a Poet and a Scientist have in common? Find out at The Discovery Museums, where we're celebrating National Poetry Month.

Both poets and scientists use the same skills to understand the world around them.

Observation: Our senses of smell, touch, sight, taste, and hearing are vital tools to notice the details of our world which are the building blocks of both science and poetry.

Curiosity: Both scientists and poets ask questions: “How does this work?” “Why does this happen?” “What does it mean?”

Imagination: Scientists and poets are both interested in what could be—whether you’re inventing a new machine or a new rhyme, you can change the way we look at the world.

Enclosed are seven poetry starters for all ability levels, and one blank page. Feel free to use any or all of these at home or in the museum to write your own science poetry. We would love to share your work on our Poetry Wall, or even here on the website. (See below.)

If you’re looking for more ideas, there are poems on display in the Science Discovery Museum throughout April. Find yourself a new favorite!

Back.

By Brennan M.  age 10

The museum is a busy place,
From morning until night—
Imagine what might happen here,
When they turn out the lights…

Newton’s cradle starts swinging
Fog rises from the vat,
The skeleton starts dancing
And water starts to splat.

Tornadoes form in steamy cones
The sand table starts to move
You’ll never hear a single moan
Coming from the upstairs tubes.

Even if it’s busy here
The museum is very fun
From early morning into day
Until the day is done.

By Lindsey M. age 7

E.xcited
X.ylophone on the second floor
P.uzzling
L.aunch into space
O.bserving
R.esearching
E.ntertaining

By Meg W. 

It’s got gadgets and gizmos
And rear-wheel suspension;
Come here and I’ll show you
My latest invention!

It floats in the breeze
‘Cause it’s got these cool wings—
Which really are paddles
For floating down streams—

And then it folds up
In a box, just like that!
And sometimes you wear it…
It makes a great hat.

You say you can’t see it?
That’s just as well—
The stealth cloak is working,
That much I can tell!

By Pam K.

T’was the end of the day--the museum empty and humdrum.
Not a creature was stirring--not even the sand pendulum.

When what to my wondering ears should I hear?
But a “honk” from the ball wall sounding “ALL CLEAR”.

Down from their perches the exhibits did jump--
First Newton’s cradle with a bump-bump, bump-bump.

All the Probability balls started raining their song
And radios and sound waves began humming along.

The Air Harp did chirp.  The Xylophone was mellow.
Light and color discs swirled, mixing colors like Jello.

Tuning forks chimed with sounds so tinkling
As pumps and bubbles sent water sprinkling.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack was heard near and far
While bass notes began vibrating from the Bucket Guitar.

And then all at once the museum started to sway
With great happy sounds – like children at play.

The Moiré Screen on the wall was twisting to wiggle.
The long Pipes of Pan all started to giggle.

The magnets went click-clack in time with the beat
As the Amethyst Geode found a front row seat.

The Sea of Clouds mists began circling the floor
And Bernoulli Blowers kept balls spinning for more.

The Harmonograph table swayed in its smooth salsa style
While Ninja Balls bounced up nearly a mile.
                 
The toys in the gift shop all started to prance
While the Workshop inventions formed a conga line dance.

The lights began blinking—the stools banged and stomped.
The exhibits were frenzied as they sashayed and romped.

At last it reached such an uproarious tone
So the cuckoo clock on the wall called –“It’s time to go home”.       

Then Thunder Barrel echoed its booming voice to say--
“Places everybody—it’s a brand new day”.