Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.

Eve Dorfman
Grade: 2nd
Subject: ELA
Lesson Title: Introduction to Elements of Poetry
Time: 35 minutes

Standards:
2RF4a: Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on
successive readings.
2SL1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and participate by actively listening,
taking turns, and staying on topic.

Objectives:
● Students will become more familiar with poetry reading and writing as they engage with
different examples of poems
● Students will practice fluency and collaboration as they read poetry aloud with a partner
● Students will compare and contrast different poems
● Students will learn key literary components of poetry writing: structuring with lines and
stanzas
● Students will identify lines and stanzas within each poem
● Students will dissect poems, identifying differences in rhyming, repetition, and length

Materials:
● Text: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein; large-text version displayed for all of
class, copies for each student (attached)
○ Poem: “Hug O’ War” (p. 19)
● Text: If I Were in Charge of the World and other worries by Judith Viorst, illustrated by
Lynne Cherry; large-text version displayed for all of class, copies for each student
(attached)
○ Poem: “If I Were in Charge of the World” (p. 2-3)
● Marker or some other (preferably colored) writing utensil to annotate the large-text
version of both poems
● Slides:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14Zqle_Em9FrBspeuvMEk_JBIhwpl9b9PhLxSYj
494PY/edit?usp=sharing

Procedure:
● Pull up the slideshow for this lesson and begin to engage students by asking them their
familiarity with poetry: “Today we’re going to read two short pieces of writing. These
two pieces are poems. Is anyone familiar with poetry?” “Does anyone enjoy reading
 Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.2

poetry when they read independently?” “An author who writes poetry is called a poet.
Like all authors, each poet has their own unique style of writing. Today we’re going to
look at one poem by Shel Silverstein and another by Judith Viorst. As I read both of the
poems aloud, I’d like you all to follow along with the text on the copies I will hand out to
you. This way, you may begin to look for patterns or writing techniques that each of the
authors use. Maybe you even keep an eye out for some similarities and differences
between the two poems.” “After we read both of the poems, we’re going to do a
scavenger hunt activity that will help us learn more about how poems are written! Is
everybody ready to begin?”
● Hand out copies of Shel Silverstein’s “Hug O’ War” poem to each student.
● Display a large-text version of “Hug O’ War” at the front of class (either on the board or
on a big sticky-note paper).
● “First, we’re going to read ‘Hug O’ War’, a poem that was written and illustrated by Shel
Silverstein.” Read “Hug O’ War” aloud to students. (The teacher should practice reading
this poem a few times before presenting it in class so as to rehearse emphasizing elements
of poetry and the prosody of the piece.) Use read aloud techniques such as: pausing after
each line, changing inflection according to the mood of the poem, and subtly
emphasizing rhymes with speech, all to help guide students’ thought processes as they
follow along on their own sheets.
● After reading the poem, ask students to turn to the person sitting next to them and partner
up for the next portion of the lesson. Make sure each student has a partner before
proceeding with instructions.
● “You and your partner are going to read this poem out loud to each other, as if you’re
putting on a performance.” “Think of this as a chance to practice your own read-aloud
voice, just like when a teacher reads out loud to you all. Try to be loud enough for your
partner to hear you, but not too loud that you disrupt the other pairs around you.” “You
may also listen for words that stick out to you as you and your partner read the poem to
each other. Maybe there are pairs of words that seem to go together?” “Remember, you
and your partner are reading together. This means you must listen to them to pay
attention to their speed and volume.” Students may begin to read aloud to each other.
● Once all groups are done reading, hand out copies of Judith Viorst’s “If I Were in Charge
of the World” poem to each student. Display a large-text version of “If I Were in Charge
of the World” at the front of class (either on the board or on a big sticky-note paper).
● Read “If I Were in Charge of the World” aloud to students. (The teacher should practice
reading this poem a few times before presenting it in class so as to rehearse emphasizing
elements of poetry and the prosody of the piece.) Again, use read aloud techniques when
presenting this poem to the class.
● Discuss how the two poems differ from each other: “What did we think of that poem? In
what ways was it different from ‘Hug O’ War’?” Wait for 3-5 responses from students.
 Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.3

With each response, make sure to point out the specific lines within the poem(s) that
students reference on the large-text version to provide the rest of the class with a visual.
○ Validate and elaborate on differences pointed out by students as needed.
○ Aim to highlight differences in length, rhyming vs. no rhyming, and
repetition. If students do not mention these on their own, prompt them to do so as
necessary:
■ “What do you all notice about the length of these poems?”
● Answer: “Hug O’ War” is shorter in length than “If I Were in
Charge of the World”
■ “What do you all notice about the rhyming in both of these poems?” “Is
there any rhyming in ‘If I Were in Charge of the World’?”
● Answer: “Hug O’ War” has rhyming, “If I Were in Charge of the
World” does not have rhyming
■ “There isn’t any rhyming in ‘If I Were in Charge of the World’, but is
there any pattern of repetition that joins the poem together?”
● Answer: the phrase, “If I were in charge of the world” repeats as it
begins each new section of the poem
● “So it seems like there are quite a few differences between these two poems, right? Isn’t
that cool?! Just like how an author can write different types, or genres, of stories, poets
can write different kinds of poetry!” “A poem may have a lot of rhyming, like ‘Hug O’
War’. A poem may also have no rhyming, like ‘If I Were in Charge of the World’. A
poem without rhyming is called a free verse poem.” “There are also so many other types
of poetry that we don’t have enough time to read today, but you could definitely explore
these other types of poetry in your independent reading!”
● “Now, although these poems seem to have many things that make them different, they
actually have some really cool things in common! Let’s learn a little more about some
literary elements of poetry writing and begin our scavenger hunt!”
● As the teacher calls on specific aspects of the poems during the scavenger hunt activity,
they should clearly indicate on the large-text version the parts they are referencing. “First
in our scavenger hunt, we’re going to look at the structure of a poem. One building block
of a poem is called a line. In a poem, a line is a single row of words. For example, in ‘If I
Were in Charge of the World’, the first line is ‘If I were in charge of the world’. The next
line is ‘I’d cancel oatmeal’.” “When the first line ends, do we think the thought is
completed? Or do we need more lines to finish this thought?” Wait for students to
respond. “Let's look at the punctuation in this first section. Do you see how we don’t get
a period until the end of the fifth line, ‘Sara Steinberg’? A lot of times in poetry, you will
need a few lines to form a complete thought or sentence.”
● “Your first task in this scavenger hunt is to number each line in both of the poems that we
read today. I’d like you all to write a small number on the left hand side of each line, like
this.” Demonstrate this numbering on the large-text version of ‘Hug O’ War’. “When
 Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.4

you’re done with your first poem, number the lines in the second poem we read today.
You may begin!”
● “Earlier, when we were talking about the differences between these two poems, we
discussed how ‘If I Were in Charge of the World’ was longer than ‘Hug O’ War’. But
although these poems are different lengths, can you see how they’re built in similar
ways? They both use lines, and it takes a couple of lines to form complete thoughts, or
sentences!”
● “This brings us to our next literary element of poetry: a stanza. A stanza is a group of
lines in a poem. Sometimes, stanzas can form one complete thought.” “One stanza can be
just one sentence, like this:” reference the second stanza in “If I Were in Charge of the
World” on large-text version. “One stanza may also be a few short sentences, like this:”
reference the third stanza in “If I Were in Charge of the World” on large-text version. “A
lot of the time, stanzas are separated from one another within the poem.” Point out the
large spaces between each stanza of “If I Were in Charge of the World” on large-text
version.
● “Your second task in this scavenger hunt is to draw any shape of your choice on the right
hand side of each stanza, like this.” Demonstrate drawing a shape on the large-text
version of “If I Were in Charge of the World”. “I’d like you all to please begin with ‘If I
Were in Charge of the World’ and then move onto ‘Hug O’ War’.” “Be observant when
you get to ‘Hug O’ War’, you might notice something interesting about how the poet uses
stanzas! Go ahead everyone!”
● “Alright, let’s come back together everyone! How many stanzas did we find in ‘If I Were
in Charge of the World’?” Students should respond that they found 4 stanzas. Validate
students’ answers by pointing out each stanza on the large-text version. “Do you notice
what each of these four stanzas have in common?” Students should respond (and reiterate
from earlier) that each stanza begins with the line, ‘If I were in charge of the world’.
● “Now, what about in ‘Hug O’ War’? What was special about this poem?” Students may
have discovered that the entire ‘Hug O’ War’ poem is just one stanza. If they did not
realize this on their own, the teacher may prompt them. “Now you’ve all found another
way in which the two poems we read today are similar: they are both made up of
stanzas!”
● “That concludes our scavenger hunt activity for today! You all worked so hard to dissect
these poems. You found their differences in how long they are, whether or not they
rhyme, and if they use repetition. You then used our scavenger hunt to see that these
poems are similar because they’re both made up of two very important structural literary
elements of poetry: lines and stanzas. You should all be super proud of yourselves!”
● “Would anyone like to share which of our two poems from today was their favorite and
why?” Allow 2-3 students to respond.
 Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.5

● “Today was our first look at how poetry may be written and read. Next time we look at
poetry, we’re going to see it in a new and exciting form that you probably experience
every day.”

Assessment:
● As students are reading poems aloud with their partner, observe who is practicing good
listening skills, paying attention to and matching their partner’s speed and volume.
● During class discussion, observe students’ ability to compare and contrast the two poems
they are analyzing.
● During class discussion, make note of students’ understanding of length, rhyming, and
repetition in the context of the two poems they are analyzing.
● Collect student-annotated poems and check that they completed the scavenger hunt
accurately and followed directions.

Differentiation:
● For a student who may finish activities early and then struggle to remain engaged while
they wait for their classmates, a teacher may attempt to engage with the student in a mini
conversation in which the student recounts their thought process while performing the
task they just completed. This discussion should be quiet so as not to disturb other
students, and brief enough so that the lesson is not held up. The teacher should also praise
the student for their work effort and mention that it’s okay to take their time whenever
they feel they need to.
● For students who may be below grade-level readers or self-conscious about their reading
abilities, the teacher should emphasize the supportive atmosphere of the read-aloud
partnerships that are utilized in this lesson to strengthen reading skills such as fluency and
collaboration skills such as listening. Each partnership may finish their read-aloud of the
poem at different times and should be instructed to not disrupt other partnerships that
may finish after them. A teacher may also wish to arrange the read-aloud pairs more
specifically than just by proximity/how students are seated in the classroom. These
alternate pairs may be based on reading level, having one slightly stronger reader paired
with one below grade-level, to serve as an example during the read-aloud. Effective
pairings should depend on the teacher’s knowledge of students as learners, their reading
level, and the way they are able to collaborate with their peers.
Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.6
Dorfman, Poetry Lesson A, p.7