Poetry Breaks

The following activites are some ways to incorporate poetry into your classroom. A “poetry break” can take as little as three minutes of class time. These are good to work in at the beginning of the day,starting off the hour, transitioning from lunch or a break, or for wrapping things up. “The idea of “breaking” for poetry seems very practical”. (Sylvia Vardell) Take a look and see how you can use these ideas.

Table of Contents:

Module 1 – Bells of Christmas, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, You Are My Sunshine, Hickory Dickory Dock, Cinderella Dressed in Yellow

Module 2- Shapes, I Made a Mechanical Dragon, Learning, The Caterpillar, Fractions

Module 3- Boing! Boing! Squeak!, The Dancing Bear, Windshield Wiper, Channels, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat

Module 4- Martin Luther King, Sky, Dinosaurs, The Crickets, Amanda Anaconda

Module 5- I am the Creativity, October, Russian Letter, Africa You Are Beautiful

Module 6- A Triangular Tale, safety pin, Seasons, The Bells, Ourchestra, Poetic Summer

BIBLIOGRAPHY (follows poetry breaks)

Module 1

Poetry Break #1 – “”classic”

Introduction: This poem would be best understood by older children. I would discuss the meaning of “peace”. You might even bring up the event of 9-11. I would then have students share what peace means to them. Then read the poem.

Bells of Christmas

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play

Then wild and sweet the words repeat

With peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head

There is no peace on earth I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,

God is not dead nor does he sleep

The wrong shall fail

The right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men!

From www.poetry.com

Extension: I would have students draw picture of something that shows peace and have them write about it.

Poetry Break #2- (picture book that could be a poem)

Introduction: This would be a good story to share with Kindergarten or First grade. I would review colors, animals, and phrasing of text. Then I would start talking about the animals and what color do you think they are. Read the story.

Brown Bear Brown Bear

By Bill Martin Jr.

Brown Bear,

Brown Bear,

What do you see?

I see a red bird looking at me.

Red Bird,

Red Bird,

What do you see?

I see a yellow duck looking at me.

Yellow duck,

Yellow duck,

What do you see?

I see a blue horse looking at me.

Blue Horse,

Blue Horse,

What do you see?

I see a green frog looking at me.

Green Frog,

Green Frog,

What do you see?

I see a purple cat looking at me.

Purple Cat,

Purple Cat,

What do you see?

I see a white dog looking at me.

White Dog,

White Dog,

What do you see?

I see a black sheep looking at me.

Black Sheep,

Black Sheep,

What do you see?

I see a goldfish looking at me.

Goldfish,

Goldfish,

What do you see?

I see a teacher looking at me.

Teacher,

Teacher,

What do you see?

I see children looking at me.

Children,

Children,

What do you see?

We see a brown bear, a red bird, a yellow duck, a blue horse, a green frog, a purple cat, a white dog, a black sheep, a goldfish, and a teacher looking at us.

That’s what we see.

From Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr Henry Holt and Co. 1970

Extension: I would have the children work together in groups to come up with their own version of Brown Bear. They may want to even change animals and colors. Let their imaginations soar!

Poetry Break #3- (lyrics from a song)

Introduction: I would talk about how the sunshine makes you feel good. Relate how the sunshine makes you feel good to someone that you really love in your family makes you feel good. Then sing the song.

You are my Sunshine

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You never know dear

How much I love you

Please don’t take my sunshine away.

from lyrics when my son sings

Extension: List some of the people in your family that are really important to you. Draw picture of you and those people doing something you really like to do on a sunny day. Bind all the pages together to create a book- You are my Sunshine.

Poetry Break #4 (Mother Goose Rhyme)

Introduction: This is a good one to incorporate into your math lesson when you are telling time to the hour. Discuss the meaning of the hour hand on the clock and where the minute hand is at each hour. After math lesson read poem.

Hickory Dickory Dock

(unknown author)

Hickory dickory dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck one

The mouse ran down

Hickory dickory dock

From Barney’s Mother Goose Rhymes, Vol. 2 Barney Publishing 1993

Extension: Use manipulative clocks and go through telling time by having the students show you the 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 4 o’clock, etc. on their own clocks.

Poetry Break #5- (Folk poem chant)

Introduction: Before going outside to recess you might talk about chants the kids say when they are jumping rope. See if they can follow along to this one. Read chant.

Cinderella

Unknown author

Cinderella dressed in yellow

Went upstairs to kiss her fellow

Made a mistake

And kissed a snake

How many doctors did it take?

1,2,3,4,etc.

(my daughter’s version)

Cinderella dressed in gray

Went outside too play in the bay

She ran so fast

And landed in the grass

How many people did she pass?

1,2,3,4,etc.

from chant learned as a child

Extension: See if children can come back inside and make up their own chant for jumping rope. They might want to work in groups. They could just change the existing chant some or invent their own. Be creative!

Module 2

Poetry Break #6 (poem from Shel Silverstein)

Introduction: I would use this poem when studying shapes in math. It could be a good “warm up” or “closure”. Have the children tell you the shapes that they know. Then read this humorous poem about shapes.

Shapes

By Shel Silverstein

A square was sitting quietly

Outside his rectangular shack

When a triangle came down-kerplunk! –

And struck him in the back.

“I must go to the hospital,”

Cried the wounded square,

So a passing rolling circle

Picked him up and took him there.

From A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein Harper & Row, Publishers1981

Extension: Students can write a response to the poem in the journal about what it might be like to get hit by a shape. Also they can create another poem using different shapes.

Poetry Break #7 (poem from Jack Prelutsky)

Introduction: I would use this poem when talking about simple machines or robots. This could also be used in a recycling lesson. I would ask the children what kind of machines they know about and can describe. Then read this poem about an invented machine.

I Made A Mechanical Dragon

By Jack Prelutsky

I made a mechanical dragon

Of bottle tops, hinges, and strings,

Of thrown-away clocks and unmendable socks,

Of hangers and worn innersprings.

I built it of cardboard and plastic,

Of doorknobs and cables and corks,

Of spools and balloons and unusable spoons,

And rusty old shovels and forks.

It’s quite an unusual dragon

It rolls on irregular wheels,

It clatters and creaks and it rattles and squeaks,

And when it tips over, it squeals.

I’ve tried to control its maneuvers,

It fails to obey my commands,

It bumps into walls till it totters and falls-

I made it myself with my hands!

From The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky Greenwillow Books New York 1993

Extension: Have students bring recycled goods to create a “machine”.

Poetry Break #8(poem by Judith Viorst)

Introduction: This would be a good poem when discussing manners. It would be a good one to read while waiting in line to go to lunch. You might preface reading poem by asking students what are some good manners. Then share poem.

Learning

By Judith Viorst

I’m learning to say thank you.

And I’m learning to say please.

And I’m learning to use Kleenex,

Not my sweater, when I sneeze.

And I’m learning not to dribble.

And I’m learning not to slurp.

And I’m learning (though it sometimes really hurts me)

Not to burp.

And I’m learning to chew softer

When I eat corn on the cob.

And I’m learning that it’s much

Much easier to be a slob.

From Knock at a Star by X.J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy Little, Brown and Co. Boston 1999 (poem by Judith Viorst)

Extension: When children return from lunch have then share ideas that were seen during lunch that showed good manners. Write these on chart paper to display and can be referred back to, to refresh memory.

Poetry Break #9 (poem by Douglas Florian)

Introduction: This would be a good poem to read when studying caterpillars. Have students tell you what they know about stages of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Then read poem.

The Caterpillar

By Douglas Florian

She eats eight leaves at least

To fill her,

Which leaves her like a

Fatterpillar,

Then rents a room inside

A pupa,

And checks out; Madame Butterfly

How super!

from Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian Voyager Books Harcourt, Inc. 1998

Extension: Have students draw the stages of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

Poetry Break #10 (poem by Lee Bennett Hopkins)

Introduction: This would be a good poem when studying fractions. It could be a good “warm –up” before the actual lesson or a good closure.

Fractions

By Lee Bennett Hopkins

Broken number pieces

disconnected-

a quarter

a half

an eighth

fragmented-

out of order

out of control-

until-

I explore them

restore them

make them

whole

once more

again.

From Marvelous Math by Lee Bennett Hopkins Aladdin Paperbacks New York 2001

Extension: Have students use some of the tangrams to break a whole into parts then put it back together again.

Module 3

Poetry Break #11(poem with refrain)

Introduction: I might talk about how in music there are parts of the song that repeat. In this poem it is going to have a section that repeats itself three times. You might read it yourself the first time then have the kids join in on the refrain the second time.

Boing! Boing! Squeak!

By Jack Prelutsky

(refrain) Boing! Boing! Squeak!

Boing! Boing! Squeak!

A bouncing mouse is in my house,

it’s been here for a week.

It bounced from out of nowhere,

then quickly settled in,

I’m grateful that it came alone

(I’ve heard it has a twin),

it bounces in the kitchen,

it bounces in the den,

it bounces through the living room-

look! There it goes again.

(refrain) Boing! Boing! Squeak!

Boing! Boing! Squeak!

A bouncing mouse is in my house,

it’s been here for a week.

It bounces on the sofa,

on the table and the bed,

up the stairs and on the chairs

and even on my head,

that mouse continues bouncing

every minute of the day,

it bounces, bounces, bounces,

but it doesn’t bounce away.

(refrain) Boing! Boing! Squeak!

Boing! Boing! Squeak!

A bouncing mouse is in my house,

it’s been here for a week.

from The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky Scholastic, Inc. New York 1984

Extension: Have the students think of songs or poems that they know of that have a refrain in them. Maybe they would like to share one with the class.

Poetry Break #12(poem with movement)

Introduction: Poetry is music to our ears and sometimes we like to be able to see the poem in action as well. This poem is one that be accompanied by movement. One person could be dressed as a bear and the other the trainer or keeper. Then they act out the parts of a bear doing his tricks.

The Dancing Bear

By Rachel field

Slowly he turns himself round and round (bear turns around)

Lifting his paws with care, (bear lifts paws in air)

Twisting his head in a sort of bow (bear bows head)

To the people watching there.

His keeper, grinding a wheezy tune, (keeper is humming tune)

Jerks at the iron chain, (keeper pulls chain)

And the dusty, patient bear goes through

His solemn tricks again. (bear repeats his tricks)

Only his eyes are still and fixed

In a wide, bewildered stare, (bear is starring at crowd)

More like a child’s lost in woods at night

Than the eyes of a big brown bear.

From Knock at a Star by X. J. Kennedy and Dorothy Kennedy Little, Brown & Co. Boston 1999 (poem by Rachel Field)

Extension: After reading and acting out poem, I would have them discuss other animals at the circus and what kinds of acts they perform.

Poetry Break #13(poem that lends itself to two groups)

Introduction: This poem talks about fog. It is also a poem that can be used with two groups. You can see a divide in the poem, so I would have the first group say the first part then the second group just kind of repeats or says the second half. This poem might be good to use in a science lesson about fog or when you’ve just had to come to school in the fog.

Windshield Wiper

By Eve Miriam

(Group 1) (Group 2)

fog smog fog smog

tissue paper tissue paper

clear the blear clear the smear

fog more fog more

splat splat downpour

rubber scraper rubber scraper

overshoes macintosh

bumbershoot muddle on

slosh through slosh through

drying up drying up

sky lighter sky lighter

nearly clear nearly clear

Clearing clearing veer

Clear here clear

From Knock at a Star by X.J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy Little, Brown & Co. Boston 1999 (poem by Eve Merriam)

Extension: You might have the students write what it’s like when driving through fog. How do you feel when your riding in a car and can’t see what’s up in front of you? Have them share their stories.

Poetry Break # 14 (poem that can be done with linearound or solo reading)

Introduction: This is a poem that is good for individual line reading. You can have 11 children participate in this poem at one time. Each person reads one line. You could divide your class so that it is read so that everyone gets to participate. This particular poem talks about channels on the television.

Channels

By Shel Silverstein

(solos)

1 Channel 1’s no fun

2 Channel 2’s just news.

3 Channel 3’s hard to see.

4 Channel 4 is just a bore

5 Channel 5 is all jive.

6 Channel 6 needs to be fixed.

7 Channel 7 and Channel 8-

8 Just old movies, not so great.

9 Channel 9’s a waste of time.

10 Channel 10 is off, my child.

11 Wouldn’t you like to talk awhile?

From A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein Harper & Row, Publishers 1981

Extension: Have the students share ideas of what to do when you can’t watch TV. Write these on chart paper to share.

Poetry Break # 15 (poem that can be sung)

Introduction: Sometimes it’s fun, when you are singing or saying a poem to make changes in it. When you do substitute your own word in place of the original word you’re well on your way to writing a “takeoff”- also called a parody. This poem is a “takeoff” from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and is sung to that tune as well. Try this version.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat

By Lewis Carroll

Twinkle, twinkle little bat!

How I wonder what you’re at!

Up above the world you fly,

Like a tea tray in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle little bat!

How I wonder what you’re at!

From Knock at a Star by X. J. Kennedy and Dorothy Kennedy Little Brown & Co. Boston 1999 (takeoff version by Lewis Carroll)

Extension: Now you might have the children try their own takeoff from here and create their own version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Module 4

Poetry Break #16(poem relevant to social studies)

Introduction: Place a picture of Martin Luther King beside you as you read the poem.

Martin Luther King

By Myra Cohn Livingston

Got me a special place

For Martin Luther King.

His picture on the wall

Makes me sing.

I look at it for a long time

And think of some

Real good ways

We will overcome.

From A Jar of Tiny Stars by Bernice e. Cullinan Boyds Mill Press Pennsylvania 1996 poem by Myra Cohn Livingston

Extension: Discuss with the students good things that we can do to make the world a better place.

Poetry Break #17 (poem relevant to mathematics)

Introduction: I would turn the lights off in the room and pretend you are looking up at the “starry night sky”. You might even have some of the glow in the dark stars that you can put on your ceiling. Share the poem.

Sky

By Lee Bennett Hopkins

Decimal point

meteors

streak through

the night-

fractions

of moonbeans

gleam

white-bright-

percentages

of stars

seem

to multiply-

in the

finite

dramatic

mathematic-filled

sky.

from Marvelous Math selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins Aladdin Paperbacks New York 2001 poem by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Extension: Have students share what they see when they look up in the night sky.

Poetry Break #18 (poem relevant to science)

Introduction: Have some models of dinosaurs sitting on table when you share the poem. Read poem.

dinosaurs

By Valerie Worth

Dinosaurs

Do not count,

Because

They are all

Dead:

None of us

Save them, dogs

Do not even

Know that

They were there-

But they

Still walk

About heavily

In everybody’s

Head.

From A Jar of Tiny Stars by Bernice E. Cullinan Boyds Mill Press Pennsylvania 1996 poem by Valerie Worth

Extension: Students can share what they know about dinosaurs. What were they like in times past? How do they affect our present?

Poetry Break #19(poem that can be matched to a picture book)

Introduction: As we read poetry across the curriculum we can match it with picture books that we share as well. This particular poem coincides with a well-known book by Eric Carle – The Very Quiet Cricket

The Crickets

by Douglas Florian

You don’t need tickets

To listen to crickets

They chirp and cheep for free.

They fiddle and sing

By rubbing each wing,

And never will charge you a fee.

From Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian Voyager Books Harcourt, Inc. San Diego 1998

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle Philomel Books New York 1990

(Summary of picture book)- A very quiet cricket wants to rub his wings together and make a sound finally achieves his task.

Extension: Have the children listen to the story of The Very Quiet Cricket and at the end of the book it will play the chirps of a cricket.

Poetry Break #20 (poem that can be matched with a non-fiction book)

Introduction: Poetry can be well matched with books that we read on a daily basis. This particular poem coincides well with a non- fiction book- The Tiger Has a Toothache. Share the poem after reading the book.

Amanda Anaconda

by Judy Sierra

Amanda Anaconda is our pet for letter A

We think Amanda’s wonderful in every single way,

She’s nicer than an aardvark or an ant or armadillo,

And at story time, each one of us can use her for a pillow.

From There’s A Zoo in Room 22 by Judy Sierra Gulliver Books San Diego 2000 ( This book is an ABC book with a different poem about the zoo from each letter of the alphabet.)

Non-fiction book match-

The Tiger Has a Toothache by Patricia Lauber National Geographic Society Washington, D.C. 1999 (great story about taking care of animals at the zoo)

Extension: Discuss with the children ways to take care of animals at the zoo. Also maybe talk about things that they can do to make the zoo a better place.

Module 5

Poetry Break # 21 (poem by a African American)

Introduction: Sometimes poets of color use their language, experiences, and images in the poems that they write. Alexis De Veaux shares how her writing keeps her people alive.

I am the Creativity

By Alexis De Veaux

I am the dance step

of the paintbrush singing

I am the sculpture

of the song

the flame breath

of words

giving new life to paper

yes, I am the creativity

that never dies

I am the creativity

keeping my people

alive

from Souls Looks back In Wonder by Tom Feelings Dial Books New York 1993 (poem by Alexis De Veaux)

Extension: How do you think your writing makes other people feel? When you read poems or other writings/stories do they make you think? Think about how your writings/stories can mean more to others that are reading them. Share ideas.

Poetry Break #22 (poem by a Hispanic poet)

Introduction: Gary Soto says- “ Occasionally our family had picnics at a riverbend called Piedra. The water was swift and the mountains cold with shadows, especially at the beginning of winter.” Poetry can express experiences about an event. Listen to this poem and visualize his trip.

October

By Gary Soto

A cold day, though only October,

And the grass has grayed

Like the frost that hardened it

This morning.

And this morning

After the wind left

With its pile of clouds

The broken fence steamed, sunlight spread

Like seed from one field

To another, out of a bare sycamore

Sparrows lifted above the ridge.

In the ditch an owl shuffled into a nest

Of old leaves and cotton,

A black tassel of lizard flapping

From its beak. Mice

And ants gathered under the flat ground

And slipped downward like water,

A coyote squatted behind granite,

His ears tilting

Toward a rustle, eyes dark

With winter to come.

From A Fire in my Hands by Gary Soto. Scholastic,Inc. New York 1990

Extension: Poems can bring to life things that you remember about growing up. Share some things that you have done with your family.

Poetry Break # 23 (poem by an Asian American poet)

Introduction: John Yau states- “We agree that language functions in a certain way so that we can understand each other, but within that are built all sorts of sentimental codes, codes of authenticity, codes of certain kinds of emotion”. In this poem you will see some of these codes brought out. Share the poem.

Russian Letter

By John Yau

Did we watch the phone sit still

like a frog

or did we dream of holding onto the flames as they left this earth behind

Did we try tolead storm clouds

by their bridle

or did we toast the militant roses

as they marched toward the sun

Dear cloakroom granite

Dear Gunsmith’s Notebook

crammed with watery receipts

Dear Conversation of Antennae

flickering in the shadows

huddled beneath a bridge

Did we let a few random phrases

haunt us

or did we mutter

about dragonflies of death

Did you become a book I