Lesson Plan #:AELP-CHL0201

"An Irritating Creature": A Poetry Lesson

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Author: Cathy D. McKenzie
School or Affiliation: Parkside Elementary, Powell, WY
Endorsed by: : These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teachers from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western United States, particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Grade Level(s): 3, 4

Subject(s): Language Arts/Literature/Children's Literature

Overview:

This activity was developed as part of a poetry unit. It is designed to encourage students to think about and evaluate the meaning of a poem. It also encourages students to be original and creative in their thinking.

Objective(s):

Students will be able to:

  1. Read the poem "An Irritating Creature" silently and orally with a partner.
  2. Participate in a classroom discussion concerning the poem.
  3. Draw a picture of "the irritating creature" (whatever that might be.)
  4. Share and explain their illustration to the class.

Materials:

  1. copies of the poem, "An Irritating Creature," which can be found in The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky and published by Greenwillow; ISBN: 0688022715.
  2. drawing paper
  3. crayons or markers

Activities:

  1. Read the poem orally to the class twice.
  2. Give each pair of students a copy of the poem to read silently and to each other.
  3. Discuss the poem - rhyming patterns, ambiguity, etc.
  4. Have each group list the many, different and unusual things "the irritating creature" could be.
  5. Have each student draw what they believe to be "the irritating creature".
  6. Share the illustrations with the class.

Tying It All Together:

This is a fun activity which allows students to interpret poetry freely and experience success in their interpretations. Hopefully, through this activity the students will learn to think more about the meaning of poetry and enjoy it more.

Useful Internet Resource:
* Poetry Evaluations
http://www.hstreasures.com/pp/poetryevaluation.html