Priming Kids for Poetry

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SWBAT read (and enjoy reading) poetry. Students will also be able to read a poem with expression to the class.

Big Idea

Kids are not generally excited about poetry. The purpose of this lesson is to show students how fun and exciting poetry can be!


Lesson Opener

15 minutes

To get the kids pumped up about poetry, we will begin this lesson with a cheery rendition of the traditional song, "Down by the Bay"

Down by the Bay (Raffi Cavoukian)

Down by the Bay

Where the watermelons grow

Back to my home

I dare not grow

For if I do

My mother would say

Did you ever see a llama

wearing his pajamas?

Down by the bay.


As a class, come up with a few more verses to the song changing out the line "Did you ever see a llama, eating his pajamas?" With another animal and rhyming word.  

For example you could use:

Did you ever see a beaver

be a basket weaver?


Did you ever see a newt

Carrying lots of loot?



25 minutes

The students will be working with partners on the iPads for this project.  They will be using the iPads to access the following poetry site for kids.

This site is a fabulous, kid friendly site that has humorous poem and poems on topics that are of high interest to kids today.  The poems can be viewed free of charge.  The author, Ken Nesbitt, does have a link on the website to some of the books he has written, which I would highly recommend.

"Poetry is meant to be read aloud.  You and your partner will read through the fun poetry titles and choose 6 that look fun to read.  Take turns reading the poems.  After you have read 6, choose your very favorite one and prepare to entertain the class with it.  Practice reading the poem with expression."

"Let me show you what I mean by expression."

(I will then read the poem "My teacher Took My iPod" twice.  The first time I read the poem I will do my best to read it in a monotone voice with no expression.  The second time I read the poem I will over-exaggerate adding as much expression as humanly possible and even add actions.)

What are the differences between the first time I read the poem and the second time I read the poem?

Which one was more interesting to listen to?

At this point I will divide the students into partners and have them read their 6 poems and practice reading the poem of their choice with expression.

Lesson Closer

10 minutes

After all partnerships have had a chance to practice reading their poem selection with expression, I will give the students a chance to present their poem o the class.  There is a very good chance that some of the partners may have chosen the same poem.  That's ok!  I tell the kids that each partnership will put a different twist on it when they read.  It will be fun to see the different uses of expression.