Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students read and perform poetry with a partner.  Using the brilliant work of Mary Ann Hoberman, poetry is interactive, fun, and engaging.  You can use this lesson with very little preparation except a few color copies and have the kids begging for more!  When poetry is shared with a friend, it’s irresistible.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

2-4

Objective:

Together with a partner, each student will prepare and perform one of Mary Ann Hoberman’s poems for two voices.  (AASL 1.2.3, “Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.”)

Suggested Time:

40-55 minutes

Success Criteria:

Students will choose and prepare one of Mary Ann Hoberman’s poems for two voices.  They will then perform this poem with their partner for the class.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Remind your students that they have been studying poetry and painting with words.  Today, they will get to work with the poetry of a very famous poet, Mary Ann Hoberman.  Mary Ann Hoberman is an elderly woman now, but she has been writing poetry for a very long time.  In fact, she was even a U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate!

Show the students one of the photocopies.  Explain how each poem is written for two voices and uses three colors.  One color, often purple, is for the first reader.  The second color, sometimes pink or orange, is for the second reader.  The blue color is used when both voices should read together.

If you can, project one of the poems on a large screen.  Have half of the class read the first voice, and the other half of the class read the second voice.  Read the combined parts together.  Check for understanding and make sure that each student understands how the poems are structured.

2. Main:

Pair students.  I like to give children the chance to choose their own partners, but they should be encouraged to make choices consistent with their teacher’s instructions.

Ask each student to pick up a poem from the poem stack.  Make sure that all the poems you photocopy are different so that every partner group is working on a different poem.  I like to have a few extra photocopies of different poems so that the kids can switch if they don’t like the one they chose, if it is too difficult, or if they have time to prepare two.  Give the students about 15 minutes to practice together.  Encourage them to practice reading the poem with feeling and emotion.  Remind them to use this time to find out what the words mean, how to get their timing in sync, and how to read so that it sounds like one, seamless poem.  If you can round up an assistant or volunteer to help coach some of the groups, that would be helpful.

When about 15 minutes are remaining in the lesson time, pull the kids back together and ask pairs to perform their poems.  Ask for those who would like to present, and request that the others be good listeners.  Go through as many performances as you can during the remaining time.

Take photos or videos for the students’ digital portfolios, if applicable.

3. Conclusion:

Encourage the children to keep learning about and reading poetry.  Because poetry is beautiful and powerful, they may want to continue inquiring into poetry and poets even after the unit wraps up.  Thank them for their work and performances today.  Arrange for some of the more articulate children to share a poem over the school’s loudspeaker or in the next assembly.

Resources:

1. Photocopies of some of the poems from the books listed below. You’ll need one photocopy for every two students, plus a few extras.  The photocopies must be in color so that the children can tell their own part from their partner’s part.  If you can’t make color copies, use highlighters and “color code” the copies.
2. Texts from the “Recommended Books” section.
3. Mary Ann Hoberman’s web site: https://www.maryannhoberman.com/
4. Mary Ann Hoberman’s biography with The Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-ann-hoberman

Notes:

I have found that the Scary Tales book has the most challenging vocabulary.  Words like “goblin,” “gremlin,” “demon,” “ghoul,” “ogre,” “zombie,” and “phantom” have proven challenging to a lot of my third graders.  If you are worried about the difficulty or the cultural appropriateness of this material for your kids, save this one for Day of the Dead or Halloween.

The Tall Tales book has a definite Americana theme.  So, if you are at an international school without a large population of students from the U.S., you may wish to pass on this one.

Recommended books for this lesson:

1. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley.
2. Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley.
3. Very Short Fables to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley.
4. Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley.
5. Very Short Tall Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley.
6. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley.

Key Terms:

Poems, Poets, Poetry, Children’s Poetry, Mary Ann Hoberman, Choral Reading, Reader’s Theater

 

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students learn how poetry has inspired other works of art.  Using T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and a few video clips, students will understand how poetry has the power to inspire not only common people, but writers, musicians, costumer designers, engineers, and dancers!  Read, discuss, and then lip-sync along with the felines from Cats!

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

2-4

Objective:

Each child will understand that poetry is so inspiring that other art works are inspired by it.   (AASL 1.2.3, “Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.”)

Suggested Time:

40-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Students will know that T.S. Eliot’s poetry about cats inspired a famous musical named Cats.  Students will be able to sing along with the words to Mr. Mistoffelees from Cats the Musical.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Quickly review what your students have learned about poetry.  In Lesson 1, students learned that poetry is meant to evoke emotion and that poets “paint with words.”  They have also looked at nonsense poems (Runny Babbit) and story poems (The Magic Paintbrush.)

Ask your students a few questions to get them thinking:

• Could a poem change the world?
• Could a poem change someone’s life?
• Could a poem or a group of poems help you earn a lot of money?
• Could a group of poems entertain everyone for years?
• Could you dance to a poem?

In this lesson, students discover that poetry has inspired other important works including music and dance.

2. Main:

Show students the cover of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot.  Tell the children that the collection of poems was originally published in 1939.  How long ago was that?  Yes, the poems are almost 80 years old!

Ask the children if they can think of any other poems about animals.  They should come up with Runny Babbit, perhaps Eric Carle’s Animals, Animals, or perhaps The Fish Who Could Wish.  Tell the children that these poems are just about cats.  Ask:

• What do cats do that the poet might mention?
• What do cats eat that the poet might write about?
• How do cats behave, that the poet might refer to?
• How do cats get along with their humans?
• Where do cats live that a poet might include?

Pass out copies to some of the poems from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.  I usually reproduce one class set per year and include “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser,” “Macavity the Mystery Cat,” and “Mr. Mistoffelees.”

Teach “Mr. Mistoffelees.”  I ask a student to read a few lines, then we discuss/clarify meaning, and then continue until the poem is complete.  Tell the students that the language is hard, but it’s worth it so that they will know the words and story.

Show the “Mr. Mistoffelees” video clip from Cats the Musical, found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF2kjla_NbY

Be sure that the kids have enough light to follow along with the words.

If any of the children know the music from Cats, ask them what their favorite poem (song) is.  I’ve had children say Rum Tum Tugger, and if the kids know one of the poems (songs), play the ones they know.

If there is time, I usually teach about Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser next.  These cats were thieves and played tricks on their humans, and the kids love learning about such a diabolical pair.  Work carefully through the text, then play the video clip found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=861jN3mKE9Q

Be sure to point out that the original poetry inspired music, costumes, and dance!

I doubt you’ll have time to teach a third poem, but if you do, I’d recommend Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat.  If you don’t have time to work through the poem, explain that this cat lives at a train station and rides the night train every night.  The video clip shows the train being made on stage and it’s wonderfully interesting for the children.  Skimbleshanks from Cats the Musical can be found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEIiqhx3BSk

3. Conclusion:

Normally the children are so wound up that it’s hard to end this lesson.  Try to conclude by asking:

• Can poetry be fun? (Answer: “Yes!”)
• Can poetry be turned into music? (Answer: “Yes!”)
• Can poetry entertain people? (Answer: “Yes!”)
• Can poetry tell a story? (Answer: “Yes!”)
• Can poetry inspire dancers and composers? (Answer: “Yes!”)

Resources:

1. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot.
2. Computer for an Internet connection
3. Projector and speakers for video playback.
4. The following YouTube clips of performances from Cats the Musical:
   1. Mistoffelees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF2kjla_NbY
   2. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=861jN3mKE9Q
   3. Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEIiqhx3BSk

Notes:

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats may not be found in the Elementary or PYP Library.  Be sure to check whether the Middle or High School has a copy before you order a new copy.

This lesson can easily be extended by having the children find facts about cats, especially feline anatomy and movement. They see cat make-up and movement in the video clips, so it would be interesting to have them discover some factual ties.  I’ve always thought that Eliot’s poetry would make a nice class assembly but have never found the opportunity to give it a try.  But, I think that the kids will be interested enough that you could extend this material if you wish.

Recommended books for this lesson:

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, illustrated by Edward Gorley

Key Terms:

Poems, Poets, Poetry, Children’s Poetry, T.S. Eliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats the Musical, Cats

 

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, children are introduced to story poems.  Story poems are longer poems that tell a story, complete with characters, a plot, and hopefully a happy ending.  Their form varies, but for elementary students the important thing is that the children recognize rhyme, meter, purposeful word choice, and other basic literary features.  Share a few classics and encourage the children to search the collection for poems that have been paired with pictures to tell a tale.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

2-4

Objective:

Each child will understand that a story poem is a story told through poetry.  Each child will also be able to summarize The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Joel Steward.  (AASL 1.2.3, “Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.”)

Suggested Time:

35-45 minutes

Success Criteria:

Children will understand that story poems are long poems that tell a story.  The students will also extend their understanding of The Magic Paintbrush by drawing something that they would paint if they were Chen and had a magic brush!

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Ask the children to tell you what they are learning about poetry.  Have they read a special poem this week?  Have they written a special poem?   Ask how you could describe poetry to someone who does not know what it is.  (One possible answer:  Poetry is painting with words.)

Explain that today the class won’t be looking at Shel Silverstein’s works that use “Spoonerisms” or transposed first letters.  Instead, they’ll be looking at a special kind of poem, the story poem.  Just by the name, “story poem,” ask the children whether they can guess what a story poem does.  (Answer: A story poem tells a story through poetry.)

2. Main:

Share one or two of the story poems in your library’s collection.  I have made some suggestions below, but I would strongly recommend using Julia Donaldson’s The Magic Paintbrush and one of the Lynley Dodd story poems.

First, tell the children to listen for the story elements.  After the first reading, check to make sure that they understand the plot, characters, and setting.

Second, work with the children to make sure that they understand the use of rhythm/meter, alliteration, repetition, and rhyme.  In The Magic Paintbrush, I often use:

Aliteration:

“A hen, a hare, a dancing dog,

A weeping willow tree.”

Write these words on the board if you need to so that the children can identify the h/h, d/d, and w/w alliterative sounds.

Repetition:

“Go and catch some shrimps, Shen.

Go and catch some fish.

Go and gather oysters

To fill the empty dish.”

“The pot is full of shrimps, Shen!

The pot is full of fish.

The pot is full of oysters

To fill the empty dish.”

Not only do the words “Go and” and “The pot” repeat, but the pattern of “shrimps, fish, oysters” also repeats in a later part of the story.

Meter:

The meter varies by stanza, but there are only a few stanza rhythm patterns in the poem.  Here is one example:

“The waves roll in and wash away

The pictures in the sand.

But on a rock there sits a man,

A brush is in his hand.”

The pattern is 8 syllables, 6 syllables, 8 syllables, 6 syllables.  How many other rhythmic patterns  can the children find?

Rhyme:

Give the children these stanzas and ask them where the rhyme falls:

“He slips the brush into her hand

And tells her to be sure

Never to pain for wealthy folk

But only for the poor.”

(Answer:  Rhyme is in lines 2 and 4)

 

“Shen shakes her head. ‘Your Majesty,

I promised to be sure

Never to paint for wealthy folk

But only for the poor.”

Again, the rhyme is found in lines two and four.  This happens to be a repetition of the words “sure” and “poor,” so have the children identify other rhymes from different sections of the poem.

Pass out the student handout and let the children respond to the story poem by showing what they would paint if they had Shen’s magic paintbrush.

3. Conclusion:

Ask the children whether the poet’s words came out of their pen with the right rhythm and rhyme or whether the poet/author must work with the language.  Encourage the children to try a few of the other story poems in the library and to find and share new story poems with their classmates. Have the children share what they have drawn with their elbow partners and be sure that their work goes back to class to be included as a response to poetry in the Unit of Inquiry folders.

Resources:

1. The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Joel Stewart.
2. Student Handout (attached)

Notes:

I have written this lesson for The Magic Paintbrush, but you could use any story poem so long as it has the elements of rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, and repetition.  Under “Recommended Books,” I have made a few more suggestions in case you do not have The Magic Paintbrush or have the time and wish to share other story poems.

Recommended books for this lesson:

1. The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Joel Stewart.
2. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, illustrated by Jan Brett.
3. Any of the Hairy Maclary or Slinky Malinki books, by Lynley Dodd.
4. A few beginning stanzas of The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Key Terms:

Poems, Poets, Poetry, Expression, Children’s Poetry

Student Handout, Story Poems