It's Raining Pigs and Noodles By: Jack Prelutsky

I love reading poetry especially Jack Prelutsky's work aloud to my students.  No matter the age, it is always a hit!  It's Raining Pigs and Noodles is another one of Jack Prelutsky's fantastic works!

It's Raining Pigs and Noodles

Author: Jack Prelutsky Born in Brooklyn, NY, Jack Prelutsky attended Hunter College.  Using poetry as a means of communication, Jack Prelutsky always made poetry a priority in his life.  Jack Prelutsky was named the first Children's Poet Laureate by the National Poetry Foundation in 2006.  Jack Prelutsky

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: All

Theme/Skill: Poetry

Brief Synopsis: “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles” (pg. 7) describes a down pour.  The author hints that this rain is painful.  Prelutsky emphasizes the rain by using words like frogs, prunes, silverware, and pickles.

Pre-Reading Activity: Raise your hand if you have ever written a poem.  Who has experienced being stranded outside during a down pour?  Think about what that felt like while we read this poem.

Post-Reading Activity: What is the hidden meaning of “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles”?  What words does the author use to describe the rain? I plan to make a list of the students’ answers on the board. Why does the author use these words to describe the rain?  Most poems add enthusiasm to a common thought.  This example, “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles”, is a great example of this.  Instead of using “hard” or “pouring”, the author creatively stated the same thing.  Authors usually brainstorm these ideas individually but sometimes they use a thesaurus.  A thesaurus is a list of words can that mean the same as another word.  (Display Thesaurus) For example, rain can be described through the numerous words we listed (point to list).  Using your dictionary, I want everyone to look up a word you think of and write down all the synonyms (similar words) displayed.

Prelutsky, J. (2000) It’s Raining Pig and Noodles. New York: Scholastic Inc. Grades Pre K – 2.

It's Christmas By: Jack Prelutsky

No matter the age, poetry is always fantastic to read aloud in a classroom!  Jack Prelutsky's poetry engages students as well as sparks their imagination.  The creativity stemming from his various poems is endless!

It's Christmas

Author: Jack Prelutsky - Born in Brooklyn, NY, Jack Prelutsky attended Hunter College.  Using poetry as a means of communication, Jack Prelutsky always made poetry a priority in his life.  Jack Prelutsky was named the first Children's Poet Laureate by the National Poetry Foundation in 2006.  Jack Prelutsky

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: All

Theme/Skill: Poetry

Brief Synopsis: This is collection of poetry that revolves around Christmas.  For example, one poem discusses a boy’s sadness when he has mumps for Christmas.  Another poem involves a young boy explaining his new pup he received for Christmas.

Pre-Reading Activity: What is your favorite holiday memory?  What do you want for Christmas?  What is mistletoe? Review or discuss rhyming.  Provide the class a sample word and they will list all of the words that rhyme with it. 

Post-Reading Activity: Why was the boy sad in the first poem?  What did the boy get during the second poem?  What holiday rituals does your family do every year?  In review of Christmas poems, students will get into partners and write their own holiday poem.  As a formative check, circulate the classroom and observe the students’ accomplishments.

Prelutsky, J. (1981) It’s Christmas. New York: William Morrow and Company Inc. Grades – All.

Don't Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies By: Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein is a fantastic poet! During my student teaching experiences, I would read his poems before lunch or at the end of the day to help my students wind down.  His poems greatly fostered my students' imagination as well as fostering great class discussions.

Title: Don't Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies

Author: Shel Silverstein - Shel Silverstein was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.  He attended  the University of Illinois in pursuit of a degree in art.  Eventually, he transferred to Roosevelt University in pursuit of an English degree.  At Roosevelt University, Silverstein discovered his writing talent.  During his time in the military, Silverstein developed his art of cartoon illustrations.  Through the influence of friends, Silverstein published his first children's book in 1960  and has been a famous author since then.   Shel Silverstein Biography

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: All

Theme/Skill: Poetry

Brief Synopsis: This is Shel Silverstein's first collection of poetry.

Pre-Reading Activity: How would you define a poem?  What types of poems have you heard of?  Do all poems rhyme? Students can look for patterns while the teacher reads various poems aloud.  After each poem stop to discuss it.  

Post-Reading Activity: What was a popular pattern in the poems?  What lines in his poems rhymed?  Was it first and second?  Was it first and third?  After discussing the format of different types of poems, explain the significance of rhyming.  For younger elementary students, Silverstein's poetry is a great model to foster their imagination during various projects.  For older elementary students, introduce a rhyming dictionary and have students brainstorm words to look up.  After the class has modeled various examples, students can work with partners and write their own rhyming poem using the rhyming dictionary.

Silverstein, S. (1964) Don’t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.