Monday, December 1, 2008

“Three Stings” -- Shel Silverstein

These are just lesson plan ideas. To create a lesson plan, refer to How to Write a Lesson Plan

Dialogue
Using quotations.
Review the grammatical structures of quotations
-shape –placement –utility –capitalization –punctuation

Synonyms
How many ways are there to say “said” ? Brainstorm first, then teach how to use a thesaurus to add to the list. Add more characters and have them [say], “[their response to being stung]."

Slang/ Dialect
Shel Silverstein uses the word “somethin’” in his poem. Have someone write something you say with the phonetics you pronounce, and then try to translate. How is it useful to use slang when writing dialogue?

Attitude
Optimism and Pessimism.
Discuss “The glass is half full/ half empty” and positive attitude psychology. Who in the poem is an optimist? List some other awful situations. What would George, Frank, and Lew have to say about them? How would you rate their attitudes (good, bad)? Is there a situation where Lew’s attitude wouldn’t be the best response?

Bee Stings
Some people have allergies to bee stings. Read about bees, stings, and allergies. How could you justify George’s or Frank’s attitude toward being stung using physical reactions?

"Puppies"--Marguerite Gode

These are just lesson plan ideas. To create a lesson plan, refer to How to Write a Lesson Plan

Active Movement
Have the student circle the way that puppies move in their copies of their poem, and then demonstrate their interpretations of the actions. Make a poster of different animals that perform the movements of puppies (worms for squirmy, etc.).

Language
Word Play
Fold a piece of paper for two columns. List some unconventional words in the poem in one column. In the second, “correct” the word (or phrase) as necessary. On the other side, start with some plain words that describe puppies, their actions, or their interactions in the first column, and then construct new words by combining two (like wag and wiggle into waggle) or by adding unexpected endings (like –ing on pranks).

Biology
Puppy training
Scoldings and spankings sound like good things to get away from, but they are necessary to have good, mindful dogs when they grow up. Witness a puppy class, or read some books about dog training. Discuss how puppy discipline leads to good, cuddly dogs.

Anatomy
Puppy paws, fur, tails, teeth, eyes, ears and nose are all unique. Look at how a dog’s nose works, what happens when their teeth fall out, and why their ears are floppy. Learn what a tail is good for, and why they have fur.

Art
Photo journalism
It’s one thing to read a poem and imagine a puppy acting this way, and another to watch and record them. Take a field trip to several locations where puppies can be found, like a dog show, the humane society, a dog park , or a friend’s house. Shoot pictures of puppies in various activities, and publish them on the printer. Have the student add a caption (use a newspaper or magazine for a guide) for each photo, describing character, movement, location, or some other memorabilia.

Arts and Crafts
Now that you have looked at lots of pups and studied their features, make some puppies. Craft ideas include puppets, clay, pin-the-tail games, drawings with 3d embellishments.

"The Rainbow"--Christina Rossetti

These are just lesson plan ideas. To create a lesson plan, refer to How to Write a Lesson Plan

Music:
Choral Arrangement
Play the arrangement, or have it sung. How does the music make the poem feel? What did the composer find important (look for repetitions, sustained notes, echoes, etc)?

Language:
Conjunctions
Play with the conjunctions in the poem, switching around “and” with “but” and “or”. Describe how that changes how the piece feels. Add an extra line of description or two to the poem starting with a conjunction.
Tense
What does the present tense of the poem mean? The poem is old and Rossetti is long dead. What happens to the poem if you change it to past tense?

Nature vs. Technology
Metaphor
Learn about Boats and Ships and compare them to Clouds. How are they the same? How are they different?
Learn about Bridges, the shape of a Bow, and compare that to a Rainbow. How are they the same? How are they different?
Learn about the Ocean, Rivers, and the Sky. How are they the same? How are they different?
Opinion
How does the speaker feel about Nature vs. Technology? How could someone feel differently? Rewrite the poem from the other perspective.