Elements of Poetry Day 1: Repetition *Read aloud the poem: Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout would not take the Garbage Out – by Shel Silverstein *Add a copy of the poem to the reader’s notebook *Discuss: -What was the inspiration for this poem? How did the author know so much about this topic? -Sometimes chores or things to do are written in a list (ex.grocery list, to-do list) Lists are a form of repetition. Poets use repetition to add a song-like sound to their poems. *Create an anchor chart: -Add repetition to an elements of poetry anchor chart. We will continue to add poetry elements to the charts as we discuss them. Example of anchor chart: Element Repetition Rhyme Rhythm Shape

Elements of Poetry What it means Repeated word, phrases, lines Words that sound almost alike A pattern of sounds Words are written to form a shape

*Read aloud: My Brother is a Doodler-by Jack Prelutsky *Discuss: Similarities and differences between the two poems. *In the reader’s notebook: What did you notice about the two poems? What connections did you have to the poems? What element of poetry did these authors use? Why do you think they used that element of poetry?

Day 2: Rhyme *Read aloud the poem: My Elephant is Different by -Jack Prelutsky * Give each student a copy of the poem. Students can use highlighters to locate rhyming words. (glue the poem into the reader’s notebook) *Discuss how the rhyming words sound similar and are found in every other line. It makes the poem sound similar to a song. *Add the word- rhyme and the definition to the elements of poetry anchor chart. *Hand out the poem: The Monster by- Jeff Moss *Students can work in pairs to highlight any rhyme patterns they notice. On a piece of paper, they can add

more words to those rhyming word families. Extend: Students can use the other words they added to the list to make their own rhyming poem.

Day 3: Rhythm *Read aloud the poem: Boa Constrictor by- Shel Silverstein *As you read the poem, clap to the beat of the poem to demonstrate the rhythm of the poem. *Discuss how poets arrange the words in the lines of their poetry to create patterns of rhythm to enhance the flow of their poems or to give them a song-like feeling. * A line with more stressed syllables usually gives a steady, gentle pace, creating a mood of peacefulness. *A line with more unstressed syllables usually gives a faster pace, creating tension, excitement. *Add the definition of rhythm to the anchor chart. *Read aloud the poem: Crumbs in Bed by- Jeff Moss *How was it similar to ‘Boa Constrictor’? *In the reader’s notebook- write down the rhythm patterns you notice in the poem. Why do you think the author wrote

the poem with rhythm? Extend: Can you add more to this poem? Make sure it has rhythm!

Day 4: Shape *Read aloud the poem: Dragon Smoke by- Lilian Moore *Show the class how the poem is written. Discuss the shape of the poem. Why do you think the author wrote the poem like that? What is the author trying to tell us or show us? *Explain that the author writes in a certain shape to help us make a connection to the poem and understand what the author is trying to tell us. *Add shape to the anchor chart. *Hand out the poem: A Triangular Tale by- Jack Prelutsky *Students can work in pairs to read and discuss what they notice in the poem. *Use the “Thinking about Poetry” page. *In the reader’s notebook- Why did the author write the poem in a shape? What was the author trying to tell you or show you in the poem? How did you feel as you read this poem? Extend: Write your own shape poem.

Day 5: Understanding poetry: Similes, metaphors, and idioms *Read aloud the poem: Sick by- Shel Silverstein

* What do you think the speaker’s tonsils are like if they are ‘as big as rocks’? *What do you think the flu is like if it is ‘instamatic’? *Discuss: Poets create vivid mental pictures through words and phrases that appeal to the senses and allow the reader to see something in a new way. *Create an anchor chart: �*A simile is a comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’: ‘my tonsils are as big as rocks.’ �*A metaphor is a comparison in which the object or idea is given characteristics that do not normally belong to it: ‘instamatic flu’ *An Idiom is an expression or saying that doesn’t really mean what it says: “I have butterflies in my stomach.” *Add the “Elements of Poetry” page to the reader’s notebook. *Hand out the poem: Rain Poem by- Elizabeth Coatsworth *Students can work together to find similes or metaphors. Use the “words from the poem” page to write what was noticed. Extend: write your own simile or metaphor, or illustrate a known idiom and explain what it means.

Day 6: An Extended Lesson on Idioms: *Read the book: In a Pickle by-Marvin Terban *Discuss the mental images the idioms create and what they really mean. *Complete the “Don’t take it Literally” activity. (assign an idiom to each student)

Day 7: An Extended Lesson on Similes: *Read aloud/discuss the Twinkle, Twinkle poem. Discuss the simile found in the poem and what the author is trying to describe. *Students can work in groups to highlight the similes they see in the other two poems- My Family, and The Basketball. *Use the Read, Write, Think planning page to list a topic and characteristics to describe the topic. *Students will use their planning page to create their own simile sentences. Use the “Super Similes” page. Extend: Students can turn their simile sentences into a poem.

Day 8: An Extended Lesson on Metaphors: *Explain what a metaphor is and show the simile/metaphor video on www.brainpop.com. Discuss the difference between the two. *Give each student a “Marvelous Metaphor” page. Have them draw their mental image to match their metaphor. *Extend: Have each student write their own marvelous metaphor using the blank metaphor page and draw their mental image to go with the metaphor sentence.

Day 9/10: Review and Assess: *Use the reader’s notebook and anchor charts to review the elements of poetry. (partner or whole class) * Reread the poems we discussed and point out the different elements/ discuss what the poet is trying to say. *Use other poem examples to review together as a class. *Complete the Elements of Poetry assessment page.

Possible Journaling questions during the unit: *What is poetry? *How do I feel about poetry? *How do I read poetry? *What do you think this poem is about? *How did you feel as you heard this poem? *Does this poem remind you of someone? *Does this poem remind you of something that happened to you? *Was there something that surprised you? *Was there something you wondered about?