Shel Silverstein Author Study as part of a month long unit on Poetry for National Poetry

Month

By: Jeff Burton

Part I: Unit Plan

Unit Focus and Suggested Grade Level: The focus of this two week ELA unit is a grade 4 author

study in conjunction with a basic introduction to reading and writing poetry. The author I have

selected for this is Shel Silverstein. I have chosen Silverstein since his poetry has a mix of

various poetic devices such as rhyme and structure, as well as adding art to the works since he

liked to illustrate many of the poems himself. Silversteins’ poems also touch on the importance

of imagination and allowing ones self to think and create freely; there are no limits on a good

imagination. Another great point in studying Silverstein is how he can show them the

importance of self esteem since he was not athletic or popular as a child yet he still became very

successful as an adult.

Focus Reading/Writing Skills and Strategies:

Reading Strategies: Class discussions about the texts and personal responses can help

engage the students with the text.

Reading Skills: Having the students work in pairs reading various poems to each

other as well as read aloud to the entire class will help strengthen reading skills.

Writing Strategies: Looking at various ways words can be used in poetry as well as

various structural ideas such as how a poem can be set up (words per line, etc.) and

rhyming concepts.

Writing Skills: Writing various poems for display in classroom and outside of the

room, possible publication in school newsletters, etc.

2

Important Parts of the Unit (Preparing, Reading, Responding, Exploring and Extending)

Preparing

Begin with a class discussion about poetry. Ask who has read any, if they know the

names of any poets, do they have a favourite if they do know some. As the teacher I

will lead with talking about reading poetry when I was their age and how one of my

favourite books was a book of poetry.

This sets up introducing Shel Silverstein, some interesting facts about his life and

career. Highlighting the fact that he is very successful despite not being athletic or

popular as a child. I will Read the poem “Listen to the Mustn’ts” (pg 27 – Where the

Sidewalk Ends) and we can brainstorm as a whole class what our feelings are after

hearing it, mine as a teacher and theirs as students.

Talk about different parts to poetry such as rhyme, rhythm, cadence, meter, verse,

stanza and rhyming couplet. Allow for the students to input what each of these items

mean and if they can think of examples. Can you have a poem that doesn’t have

some of these, i.e. is it still a poem if it doesn’t rhyme?

Reading

I will lead off each class reading a selected poem from one of the Shel Silverstein

books in the class. As a class we can discuss what particular components of the

poems we have noticed.

Students will read a poem they have selected to a smaller group, and each group can

select a member to perform a read aloud of their selected poem for the entire class. I

3

will lead the whole class event by playing a reading by Silverstein himself followed

by reading a poem for the class myself.

Depending on the day and the lesson there will be more opportunity for other types of

oral reading activities such as choral reading of selected poems.

Responding

Students will be engaged in writing their own poems in various lessons throughout

the unit. All will start with an idea from a Silverstein poem but students will be

encouraged to explore their own poetic styles and ideas. I will write my own poems

for these lessons as well and share them with the class as examples.

Personal connections and ideas to various poems will be discussed including looking

at how the construction of the poems can increase or decrease the enjoyment of how

it is being read.

Exploring

We will make a poster to hang in the classroom detailing all the different words and

ideas that can be associated with what poems and poetry are. Students will be

encouraged to choose ideas that they enjoy most about poetry.

Using the idea of a ‘found’ poem everyone, including myself, will start with a sheet

full of words. There will also be blanks spaces for us to add our own words that we

think of while reading the list. Once the list is full we will each write a poem using

the words on the list.

Many of Silversteins poems have an illustration component or addition to them. I

will select poems from his books and display them on the smart board with out the

accompanying drawing. The students will then make their own drawing to go wit

4

the poem, based on their own interpretations of the reading. After that is completed I

will display the poem with Silversteins illustration and we can discuss what they

interpreted the same or differently and explore all our ideas.

Extending

Students will pick one of their poems written during this unit, with or without an

accompanying illustration, and ensure that it is their favourite work and we will

combine them together as a classroom book. We will also look at having selected

ones published in the school newsletters throughout the remainder of the year.

Looking at the musical component of poetry I will flatly read a selected Silverstein

poem. As a class we will discuss how it sounded and what everyone thought of the

poem after hearing it. Then I will play a recording of Silverstein himself reading the

same poem and we can then discuss what the differences were. Did our ideas,

interpretation and enjoyment of the poem change after hearing how the poet himself

read it with all his added expressiveness that he as the poet would know he wanted it

to have?

After reading “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out” (pg.

70, Where the Sidewalk Ends), we can discuss the affect of the increasing amount

trash and garbage is having on the environment and how to help reduce this problem.

Tying this to a study on recycling and the environment will help flesh out the

discussions.

Language Arts Outcomes:

5

CR4.1 Comprehend and respond to a variety of grade-level texts (including contemporary and traditional

visual, oral, written, and multimedia texts) that address:

• Identity (e.g., Expressing Myself)

• Community (e.g., Building Community)

• Social responsibility (e.g., Preserving a Habitat) and support response with

evidence from text and from own experiences

b. View, listen to, and read a variety of texts related to theme or topic of study and show

comprehension by:

• Retelling and explaining the ideas and information presented in texts

• Recognizing and understanding the text structures (e.g., narrative,

informational, poetry) and features (e.g., description, figurative language, graphics)

• responding to and interpreting the texts, and explaining and supporting response

with evidence from the texts.

c. Connect the insights of an individual or individuals in texts to personal experiences.

CC4.1 Compose and create a range of visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts that explore:

• Identity (e.g., Expressing Myself)

• Community (e.g., Celebrating and Honouring Others)

• Social responsibility (e.g., Within My Circle) through personal experiences and

inquiry.

a. Create spoken, written, and other representations that include:

6

• A specific message

• A coherent organization of ideas

• Ideas and information which are clear and complete

• Appropriate use of language and conventions.

AR4.2 Set and pursue personal goals to improve viewing, listening, reading, speaking, writing, and other

representing tasks more effectively.

a. Reflect on viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and writing by

explaining what is effective or what worked in a text.

b. Ask questions such as “What do I already know? What can I already do? What

strategies have I learned? What do I need to remember? What goals do I need to set for myself?”

c. Reflect on own strategies for viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and

writing and set goals to improve the strategies used.

Resource Bibliography:

Silverstein, Shel (1974). Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: HarperCollins.

Silverstein, Shel (1981). A Light in the Attic. New York: HarperCollins.

Silverstein, Shel (1994). Falling Up. New York: HarperCollins.

Other Resources:

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/PDF/ShelPoetryMonth_2010EventKit.pdf

7

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/pdf/classroom.pdf

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/PDF/ShelSilversteinclassroom_booklet.pdf

Grouping Patterns:

Students will work as a whole class, individually, in groups of 3, in partners, and 1on 1 with the

teacher.

Time Schedule:

The unit will be completed in the month of April, in celebration of National Poetry Month. The

main focus will be how Silversteins poetry reflects many of the different types of poetry that can

be written and how it is accessible to anyone, as a reader and as a writer. There will be a lot of

focus on the students own writings and ideas that come out of the various activities rooted in

Silversteins work.

Assessment Plan:

Informal peer assessments; in small groups, partners as well as whole class works

Teachers overall assessment of how well they understand the structure of poetry as well

as each of the different styles that poetry may have, through their response and own

written work within the individual lessons.

Teachers’ evaluation of final products selected for publication; looking at structure,

compositions, language and comprehension.

Sample Lesson Plans

Lesson One (to take place on the first day of the author study)

8

Grade Level: 4

Duration: 90 min

Overview/Purpose: Introduce the class to poetry and what structures can be used in creating

poetry through poet Shel Silverstein.

Broad Areas of Learning/Cross Curricular Competencies:

Life long learners, sense of self and community, engaged citizens, developing thinking,

developing literacies.

Specific Learning Outcomes/Indicators:

(CR4.1) - The students will understand the various pieces that can be used to create the structure

of poetry, both by listening to various poems of Shel Silverstein, as well as writing their own

work extending out of the poems read/listened to.

Learning Activities:

Begin by discussing why a poem is different from any other kind of writing. A poem can be long

or short. For an example of a long poem show: “Clooney the Clown,” A Light in the Attic, p. 74.

For an example of a short poem show: “Ridiculous Rose,” Where the Sidewalk Ends, p. 63.)

Poems can tell a story or convey a single thought.

This leads into talking about the structure of a poem. Put the following list of words up on the

smart board and ask the students if they know what any of them mean:

- Poem, rhyme, rhythm, cadence, meter, verse, stanza, rhyming couplet.

After discussing the meanings and usage of these structural pieces of poetry, we can move into

the next activity. We will use the smart board and the audio file on the computer to read along

9

with Silverstein as he recites “The Silver Fish” (p.148, Where the Sidewalk Ends). In “The

Silver Fish,” Silverstein creates a magical setting, full of fantasy and promise which sharply

contrasts with its ending. Ask students what words are used to create the mood and setting (e.g.,

colors: blue, gold, silver; and place: lagoon, a body of water that is hidden away, which is more

interesting than a plain old river or pond and has a special sound). Discuss how word choices are

very important to poetry. Now that they have some introduction to the basics have the students

take the remaining time to free write a poem of their own. There is no set structure they are

required to use for this writing, just keep in mind what they have read and listened too as well as

the defining of structural aspects the class has discussed and let their imaginations take the

wheel. Have them hand their poems in after they are finished.

Assessment:

I will read through the poems the students have written, not so much to evaluate the poems but

to see where they are going with what they were learning in this lesson. This type of feedback

will help me to see how they might fair in the remainder of the unit and if there are any

adaptations I need to make in the future lessons. Their general understanding, participation and

comprehension can be gauged through the writings and in class participation.

Adaptations:

Any students struggling with reading will benefit from the group readings of the poems in this

lesson, as well as the recorded versions. If writing is the struggle accommodations can be made

for them to dictate their poem to myself, an EA (if available) or a working partner.

Student Materials and Teacher Resources:

10

Copies of Silversteins poems outlined for the lesson, access to the recorded versions of

Silversteins poems outlined in the lesson, access to a computer and smart board.

Lesson Two (takes place the day after lesson one)

Grade Level: 4

Duration: 90 min

Overview/Purpose: This lesson will formally introduce Shel Silverstein to the students. We will

also work with the structure of rhyming in poetry.

Broad Areas of Learning/Cross Curricular Competencies:

Building lifelong learners, developing thinking, developing literacies.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

(CC4.1) – The students will use various writing techniques studied in the lessons to write

poems of their own subject. They will also write poems in specific styles as they learn

more specific poetic structures.

Learning Activities:

Ask if they have read any of the books by Silverstein set up in the classroom. I will discuss with

the class that although Silverstein is best known for his poetry, he was also a writer, composer,

lyricist, playwright, and folk singer, who began his career as a cartoonist. We can take this

chance to talk about how one’s interests influence one’s work. A great example of this is the

musical rhythm of Silverstein’s poetry was influenced by his experience as a composer and

11

musician. This leads into a discussion of rhyme and its place in poetry. As a class we can

discuss that poems don’t have to rhyme, but many do. Rhymes can occur anywhere in the poem;

every two lines, every four, etc. Have students identify the lines that rhyme in the following

poem. Explain that this is a rhyme pattern. For an example, display Alice (pg. 112, Where the

Sidewalk Ends) on the smart board and have the students underline words that rhyme every two

lines.

To round of the lesson I will then show an example of a poem in one of the books that doesn’t

rhyme, “Stone Telling” (pg. 147, Where the Sidewalk Ends.). As a class we can discuss why it is

still considered a poem even though it doesn’t rhyme. We can discuss that it is still a poem

because it contains many of the other elements of a poem—writing that is imaginative and

shorter than a traditional story, it contains words that are chosen for their sound and meaning,

and has phrases that have a certain pattern and rhythm.

I will then ask the students to think up pairs of rhyming words. As a homework task they need to

bring a list of ten (10) pairs of rhyming words that they will put to use in the next lesson.

Assessment:

Assessment for this lesson will be based purely on their participation in the group discussions.

Their homework for next day will also reflect their understanding of the rhyming lesson as will

their poems that they write.

Adaptations:

12

Students struggling with reading will benefit from the group readings of the poems in this lesson,

as well as the recorded versions. Struggling writers will be able to work in pairs when

developing their lists of rhyming words.

Student Materials and Teacher Resources:

Copies of Silversteins poems outlined for the lesson, access to the recorded versions of

Silversteins poems outlined in the lesson, access to a computer and smart board.

Lesson Three (during the fourth week of the month long unit)

Grade Level: 4

Duration: 100 minutes

Overview/Purpose: We will explore Silversteins usage of illustration to help enhance the poem

it accompanies. Students will produce their own drawings that go along with poems they have

written earlier in the unit.

Broad Areas of Learning/Cross Curricular Competencies:

13

Building lifelong learners, developing literacies, developing thinking, develop social

responsibility.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

(CC4.2) – The students will grow in their understanding of various methods to enhance their

poetry through the addition of drawings or other artistic forms. The students will use drawing

and illustrations to help enhance their own work.

Learning Activities:

We will explore as a class how the vast imaginative contents of Silverstein’s poems often use a

collaboration of words and drawings. Using the smart board and the poems listed below we can

see how these illustrations are very helpful to emergent readers as they can help provide meaning

to the words as well as context to the piece as a whole. The students will be encouraged to

discuss how the drawing completes the thought which is not in the text of the poem. I will use

the following poems for this portion of the lesson:

“Have Fun” (pg. 145, A Light in the Attic.)

“Hungry Kid Island” (pg. 165, Falling Up.)

“Mister Moody” (pg. 95, Falling Up.)

“The Planet of Mars” (pg. 93, Where the Sidewalk Ends.)

“The Sack Race” (pg. 147, Falling Up.)

14

Then we can discuss how without the drawing, we would not fully understand the poem. I would

then put up a series of poems without the drawings in them and have the students draw their own

pictures to go along with the poems. After they had done their own drawing I would put up the

poem again, this time with Silverstein’s illustration with it and we could as a class discuss how

and why their pictures may have been different. I would use these poems for this activity:

“Short Kid” (pg. 101, Falling Up.)

“Spelling Bee” (pg. 81, A Light in the Attic.)

To round out this lesson the students would write a new poem of their own, in any format and on

any topic. The only consideration is that they will include a drawing with their poem that helps

enhance the meaning behind their ideas. Once done students will work in groups, sharing their

poems and discussing them with each other. These will also be handed in upon the completion

of class time.

Assessment:

As the students are sharing their poems with illustrations I will make the rounds of each group

and allow the students to share how they feel they understand the lesson today as well as overall.

I will evaluate the collected poems and drawings to see if the students are making the proper

connections between the written and the drawn, as well as how they are progressing with the

structuring of their own poetry.

Adaptations:

For struggling students a more one on one work with me or a TA (if available) can aid in their

understanding of the lesson.

Student Materials and Teacher Resources:15

Copies of Silversteins poems outlined for the lesson, access to a computer and smart board.

16