Day Four

Spring Into Poetry

Korrie Harkins and Julia Giordano

Essential Questions
What can you observe about the plant? What can you observe about the caterpillars? How tall is
the flower? How can we measure the flower? What is a rhyme? What is a couplet? How can
you make a rhyming pair?
Standards
3.1.K.A3: Observe, compare, and describe stages of life cycles for plants and/or animals.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable
attributes of a single object.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.A
Recognize and produce rhyming words.
Learning Objectives & Assessments
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to observe attributes of
the plants and caterpillars.

Assessments
Students will record their thoughts, ideas, and
pictures in their science notebooks.

Students will be able to measure the height of

the plant.

Students will record the measurement in their

science notebook.

Students will be able to create a list of rhyming

words.

Students will complete a worksheet about

rhyming words.

Students will be able to write a couplet.

Students will publish their couplet.

Materials
Science Notebooks
Publishing Paper
Pre-Lesson Assignments and Prior Knowledge
Students will have been introduced to rhyming words. They will have learned about word
families.
Lesson Beginning
To begin the day, students will act as scientists to observe the class plants and butterflies. They
will record all of their observations, thoughts, and questions in their science notebooks. Ensure
the class that pictures and words can both be used and both together are encouraged. If the plant
has started to grow, teach students about measuring. Tell them how we can measure by using a
ruler. Measure the flower as a class and record on the smart board.

Day Four
Spring Into Poetry

Korrie Harkins and Julia Giordano

Instructional Plan
1. After the class observes the plants and butterflies, read a rhyming poem about spring.
2. Ask the students what they noticed about the poem. The students should recognize that
there are rhyming words in the poem.
3. Tell students that many poems rhyme, so this will be the next type of poem the class will
study.
4. Project a couplet onto the board. Show students that a couplet is two lines of words, each
ending with a word that rhymes with the other.
5. Ask students how they can come up with two words that rhyme. Show students that to
find a rhyming word, change the beginning of the word and keep the ending the same.
On the smart board, show how students can physically move the onset of the word and
put another one in the space to create a word that rhymes with the first.
6. Ask students to say a word that has to do with spring. Write this word on the board and
ask students how they can find a word that rhymes with this word. Have them try to have
the second word relate to spring.
7. Create a list of about 10 rhyming pairs on the board so students can refer to them while
writing.
8. Next, instruct students to write their own couplet about spring. Have students write their
couplets on a lined piece of paper. Students will write in pencil first and then trace over
it with black marker.
Differentiation
If students need help with creating rhyming words, they can refer to the board and use a pair of
words on the list.
If students want a challenge, they can create their own pair of rhyming words in their couplet.
Questions
How tall is our plant? What do you notice about the caterpillars? What do you notice about the
poem? What are rhyming words? What are some words about spring?
Classroom Management
When observing the plants and caterpillars, students will be called up one table at a time.
Students will raise their hands when asked for rhyming pairs.
Transitions
To transition from observing, direct students attention to the smart board and record the
measurement of the plant. To transition into poetry, read students a poem about spring.
Closure
After students write their poems, they will decorate a picture of spring to hang outside with their
poems. Tell students that we will be learning about a new poem tomorrow.