The study unit is available online at the University of Wisconsin Ideas Network. It includes a 7 minute video of a reading of "My Life By Water" with scenes from Lorine's life and Blackhawk Island.

The intent of this unit is to provide students in a twentieth-century literature class with an awareness of who Lorine Niedecker was as a woman and poet. Students will read about the life of Niedecker, the beliefs of the Objectivist poetry movement, and experience watching a short video of Black Hawk Island with a poem read aloud. After the short unit students should have a written paper applying some of the ideas of the Objectivist poets to poems written by Lorine Niedecker.

The study unit is designed to meet the following criteria:

• It is appropriate for general high school students
• It complies with Wisconsin's Academic Standards for Reading/Literature at the twelfth grade level.
• The unit can be rolled into a larger unit on 20th century poetry, Wisconsin writers, or general poetry. It can encompass at least 2 40-minute teaching periods.

Lesson One: Introduction to Niedecker and the Objectivists
Lesson Two: Biographical Poetry
Lesson Three: Objectivist and Political Poetry

Additional Materials:

• A short biography of Lorine Niedecker
• Background knowledge on the Objectivist poets
• Poems needed for the lessons
• A bibliography for further interest
• Video/DVD materials
• List of speakers available for presentations on Lorine and her poetry

The following individuals or groups are available for class presentations about Lorine Niedecker. Please contact them directly. You may also find more information about poets speak to a class at http://www.bookthatpoet.com/.

Paul G. Hayes
N63W5795 Columbia Road
Cedarburg, WI 53012
(262) 377-7880
pghayes@sbcglobal.net
Area of expertise: Lorine's late-in-life marriage to Al Millen and how it freed her to do her longer and, many say, best poems. Author of the chapter about the marriage in "Lorine Niedecker, Author and Poet."

Tom Montag
P.O.Box 8
Fairwater, WI 53931
(920) 346-5235
tmmontag@dotnet.com
Areas of expertise: Lorine Niedecker: Poet of Place Who Goes Beyond Place; Lorine Niedecker: A Look at Her Poetics from a Poet's Point of View

Pat Moran
510 E. Sherman Ave.
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538
(920) 563-3435
moranp@uww.edu
Areas of expertise: Lorine's poetry

John Lehman
Cup of Poems, Rosebud
WI Academy Review
The Quill Driver
WisconsinPoet.com
WisconsinAuthor.com
WriterGallery.com
315 Water St.
Cambridge, WI 53523
santerra@aol.com
1-800-7-TO-KNOW
Also contact Prairie Fire Poetry Quartet through John Lehman. The quartet has a short program on Lorine and is comprised of Richard Roe, Shoshauna Shy, John Lehman and Robin Chapman

Karl Gartung and Anne Kingsbury
Woodland Pattern Book Center
720 East Locust Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 263-5001
woodlandpattern@sbcglobal.net
Areas of expertise: Lorine's poetry and her literary influence

Peter Whalen
2979 S. 45th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53219
UW- Waukesha
English Department
1500 N. University Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188-2799
(414) 327-7192 (home)
(262) 521-5468 (work)
pjwhalen4@sbcglobal.net
pwhalen@uwc.edu