First Day of Autumn! - To Each His Own - A Poetry Break

INTRODUCTION
Autumn can be peaceful and wonderful season to watch the world around you change. When reading this poem aloud, read it slowly then reactant to the actions of the leaves that are falling in the poem. Mimicking the actions of the leaves in the poem will add the touch of action and realism to the poem that the listeners will appreciate. Share this poem with Hines' other poem "Ode to a Rake" from the same book.


POEM

To Each His Own
by Anna Grossnickle Hines

..When the leaves fall
....some float
..............lasily
...................wavily
....and taking all
....................daysily
...........................drift
....to the ground.
Some flutter
.............skuttering
......................wuttering
.....audibly uttering
........................whispers
.................................of sound.
When the leaves fall
......some
..........come in bunches
..............................swirling
..................and whirling
.............twisting
.....and twirling
.................round
....................about
.................round.
Some
.......skip-a-dip
................bippity
......................floppity
.............................flippity
......................toppity
................tippity
.......plippity
..............down.
And some
.......just drop
.............flop.

EXTENSION
After read this poem have a little field trip outside so that the children and experience and witness the real falling trees. Ask them if they see the leaves that are being described in the poem. Have them describe in prose or poetic form how the leaves fall down from the trees at school or at home. If Autumn hasn't sprung and the leaves are falling in your area, bring a bag of faux leaves and have them flutter inside.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hines, Anna Grossnickle. 2001. Pieces: A Year in Poems & Quilts. NY: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins Publishers). ISBN: 0688169643.

My Favorite Pencil - A Poetry Break

INTRODUCTION
Everyone has their favorite pencil or pen that they like to use when writing homework or doodling. This poem provides three different students and their description of their favorite pencil. Prepare the poetry break by writing your own poem about her favorite pencil (or pen) and sharing it with the class or group of kids. Be sure to show your favorite pencil so they can also see it!

POEM

My Favorite Pencil
by Kalli Dakos

JENNIFER:
My
favorite
pencil
is
long
and
thin
and
has
an
eraser
where
it
beings.

SYLVIA:
My favorite pencil
Is short and fat
And has an eraser
For a hat.

SANTOS:
My favorite pencil broke in two,
and I tried to fix it up with glue.

EXTENSION
Invite the children to write their own poem about there favorite pencil. Let them describe it in anyway that they view their writing instrument. It will be fun to see what characteristics and personification that they see in their pencils! Also, share other poems about school supplies, like Lee Bennett Hopkin's School Supplies: A Book of Poems.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dakos, Kalli. 1995. Mrs. Cole on an Onion Roll and Other School Poems. Illus. by Joann Adinolfi. NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. IBSN: 0027255832.

The Eraser Poem - A Poetry Break

INTRODUCTION
This poem is meant to be seen and to be heard aloud as it wonderfully uses both senses. A creative way to present the poem is to write it on a chalk board or a white board. Write the entire poem as "The eraser poem" and as you read the poem aloud you can erase one letter as you go. Also bring supplies, whether paper and pencil, or chalk or markers for the boards, so the listeners can try.

POEM

The Eraser Poem
by Louis Phillips

The eraser poem.
The eraser poem
The eraser poe
The eraser po
The eraser p
The eraser
The erase
The eras
The era
The er
The e
The
Th
T
.

EXTENSION
Let the children create a poem that is erased. Let them do the erasing randomly to see what will become of the poem then have the do it again but think about what they are going to erase. Compare the two versions and see to see which one they like better. It will be fun to see the difference between all of the students, and not only will the poem become something interesting to share aloud, but also become visually intriguing at the same time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hopkins, Lee Bennett, sel. 1996. School Supplies: A Book of Poems. Illus. by Renee Flower. NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0689804970.

For Me?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
van Straaten, Harmen. 2007. For Me?. Trans. by MaryChris Bradley. NY: NorthSouth Books. ISBN: 09780735821637.

BOOK REVIEW
When Duck discovers that someone had left him a rose and a note with only a heart drawn on it he takes it to his friend Toad. Toad as well as their other friends and neighbors, Otter and Hedgehog, also got the same mysterious doorstep gift. "What do you think it means?" they all ask and they begin to theorize that who the giver is and that perhaps one of them is in love. It is only until a someone arrives at the house do they find out who had given them the presents and why. Harmen Van Straaten's watercolor illustrations that have a combination of subtle color changes to the background and the characteristics of the four friends add touches of whimsy and charm to this all ready lovely story. Young readers will especially like Duck's hat. For Me? is a fun book about friendship that would appeal to all readers.

CONNECTION
*Ask the children how they would say "Hi" to their new neighbors when they just move to a new home.
*What would they think if they received a single flower and a note on their doorstep?