Lesson 15 Part 1: Introduction CCSS

RL.3.5: Refer to parts of . . . poems when

What Are Poems Made Of? writing or speaking about a text, using terms
such as . . . stanza . . . . [and] describe how each
successive part builds on earlier sections.

Theme: Poems That Tell a Story

Many poems tell stories. But poems usually look different from stories. Most poems are
written in short lines. When the lines are grouped together, the group of lines is called
a stanza. Like the chapters in a story, the main ideas in stanzas build on each other.

Read the poem below.

A Penguin’s Life

I’m a bird that has two little wings,

but they do not make me fly.
The air above is not for me.
The ocean is my “sky.”

In icy seas, I swoop and soar,

a swimmer fast and bold.
You’d swim fast, too, if you were me
because that water sure is cold!

Read the poem again. Draw a box around each stanza. Number them “1” and “2.”
The poem has two stanzas. The stanzas work together to present an idea about
a penguin. But what is that idea?

The chart below shows how the stanzas work together to make an idea.
Complete the chart.

Idea of Idea of
Idea of Whole Poem
Stanza 1 Stanza 2
Even though penguins can’t fly,
Penguins cannot Penguins are
they are           
fly. great swimmers.
             .

Good readers look at how the lines in a poem are organized into stanzas. When you
learn to see how a poem is built, you will better understand how the ideas in stanzas
build on each other.
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 Part 2: Modeled Instruction Lesson 15

Read two stanzas of a poem about a puppy.

Genre: Free Verse

Little Puppy  from the Navajo

Little puppy with the black spots, We’ll see the dark rocks,
Come and herd the flock with me. The smooth rocks,
We will climb the red rocks That hold the rain to give us
And from the top we’ll see Water, when we eat our bread and meat,
The tall cliffs, the straight cliffs, When the sun is high.
Where the eagles live.

Explore how to answer this question: “Where will the speaker and the puppy be when the sun
is high?”
In this poem, the speaker tells the puppy where they will go and what they will do. The second
stanza tells more things they will see and do in that place.

Look for details in the poem that explain what the speaker tells the puppy they will do.
Then fill in the missing words in the chart below.

What Happens in Stanza 1? What Happens in Stanza 2?

The speaker tells the puppy they will see
When they herd a flock of animals, the speaker
different types of ,
tells the puppy they will
and they will eat
to the top of the red .
when “the sun is high” (the middle of the day).

Write a paragraph telling where the speaker and puppy will be when “the sun is high.” Use
details from the chart in your paragraph.

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 Part 3: Guided Instruction Lesson 15

Read the following poem. Use the Close Reading and the Hint to
help you complete the activity that follows.
Genre: Limerick

Old Man with a Beard

  from A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear
Close Reading
Each line of the poem There was an Old Man with a beard,
adds something. Circle Who said, “It is just as I feared!—
the line that tells who Two Owls and a Hen,
the poem is about.
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.”

Hint Complete each sentence. Then answer the question.

Go back and read each The first line of the poem tells that the poem is about       .
line. Figure out what
each line adds to the The second line of the poem shows that the man has a       .
poem.
The third and fourth lines of the poem list            
.

Tell how the last line builds on the other lines of the poem.

Show Your Thinking

“Old Man with a Beard” is a type of poem called a limerick. Limericks are often meant to be
funny. Which line makes this poem funny? Explain your answer.

With a partner, discuss how all of the lines work together to make the poem into a joke.

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 Part 4: Guided Practice Lesson 15

Read the poem. Use the Study Buddy and the Close Reading to guide your reading.

Genre: Narrative Poem

Little by Little  Anonymous

“Little by little,” an acorn said,

As it slowly sank in its mossy bed,
This poem has three “I am improving every day,
stanzas. I’m going to Hidden deep in the earth away.”
write a few words about
the main idea of each Little by little, each day it grew;
stanza. This will help me Little by little, it sipped the dew;
understand the story Downward it sent out a thread-like root;
the poem is telling.
Up in the air sprung a tiny shoot.
Close Reading
Day after day, and year after year,
How does the acorn
start to change in the Little by little the leaves appear;
second stanza? Circle And the slender branches spread far and wide,
words that tell you Till the mighty oak is the forest’s pride.
what it looks like.

What does the acorn

turn into in the third
stanza? Underline
words that tell you
what it has become.

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 Part 4: Guided Practice Lesson 15

Use the Hints on this page to help you answer the questions.
Hints
How does the acorn 1 The poem “Little by Little” tells a story about an acorn in three
start to change after it stanzas. Explain what happens to the acorn in stanza 1. Use two
sinks underground? details from the poem to support your answer.

What happens to seeds 2 Write a paragraph that summarizes what happens to the acorn in
when they are in the stanza 2. Use two details from the poem to support your answer.
ground for a while?

Each stanza of the poem 3 Explain what happens to the acorn in stanza 3. Use two details
tells about a step in how from the poem to support your answer.
something grows. What

has happened to the
acorn by the end of
the poem?

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 Part 5: Common Core Practice Lesson 15

Read the narrative poem. Then answer the questions that follow.

The Truth About the Dragon’s Tooth

by John Hansen

  1 The king called me to his throne

and said, “That dragon must be slayed!”
I bowed and played the brave, strong knight,
but in truth . . . I was afraid.
  2 As I dressed in shining armor
and sharpened sword and lance,
a voice inside me whispered,
“You haven’t got a chance!”
  3 I climbed upon my faithful horse
and rode off into the gloom.
I hoped I’d see my home again
on the other side of doom.
  4 I rode into the mountains
and faced the dangerous beast.
The dragon licked its lips and said,
“A man, a horse—a feast.”
  5 I raised my lance to charge it,
thinking, What else can I do?
Then the trees behind it crashed and fell
as a giant marched in view!
  6 The earth beneath began to shake,
his huge figure blocked the sun.
Then the giant shouted happily,
“Why, I’ve found you, little one!”
  7 As he bent down to catch the dragon,
I began to understand:
The dragon was the giant’s pet,
scooped up in one huge hand.

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 Part 5: Common Core Practice Lesson 15

  8 The giant turned to me and said,

“Your people will want proof
that you bravely faced my dragon,
so I’ll give you this baby tooth.”
  9 He reached into the dragon’s mouth
and wiggled out a monster fang,
then tossed it through the air at me.
It hit my shield—clang!
10 The people cheered when I returned
and waved the dragon’s sword-like tooth.
But I found I was afraid again—
Afraid to tell the truth!

1 Read these lines from stanza 3 of the poem.

I hoped I’d see my home again

on the other side of doom.

Explain why the knight worries about ever seeing his home again.
Use two details from the poem to support your answer.

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 Part 5: Common Core Practice Lesson 15
Answer Form
2 Stanza 6 begins, “The earth beneath began to 2  A B C D Number
shake.” What happens in stanza 5 that explains 4  A B C D Correct 2
why this happens?
A The dragon attacks the knight and his horse.
B The knight charges the dragon with his lance.
C A giant marches toward the knight and dragon.
D Some trees are cut down in the forest nearby.

3 Describe what happens in stanza 7 that explains why the giant has appeared.
Use one detail from the poem to support your answer.

4 Why does the giant toss the dragon’s tooth at the knight in stanza 9?
A He wants the knight to leave the dragon alone.
B He is afraid of the brave knight and tries to scare him.
C He hopes the knight will tell people that he has a pet dragon.
D He wants to give the knight proof to show he faced the dragon.

Self Check Go back and see what you can check off on the Self Check on page 119.
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 Lesson 15 (Student Book pages 145–152)

What Are Poems Made Of?

Theme: Poems That Tell a Story

Lesson Objectives Tap Students’ Prior Knowledge

• Understand that poems are made of parts called • Tell students they will be working on a lesson about
“stanzas.” the basic parts of poems. Tell students that a poem
is usually divided into lines and stanzas.
• Describe how each stanza builds the poem’s story.
• First, ask students where they have heard the word
• Refer to the term “stanza” when writing or speaking
stanza before? (In music, a “stanza” is part of a song.)
about a poem.
Tell students that like a song, a poem is also made
up of parts called stanzas.
The Learning Progression
• Next, ask students if they can think of any poems
• Grade 2: CCSS RL.2.5 focuses on the overall structure they’ve read or heard. If nobody volunteers, prompt
of a story as having a beginning, middle, and end. the class with some examples of common nursery
• Grade 3: CCSS RL.3.5 builds on the Grade 2 rhymes, limericks, or popular songs.
standard by requiring students not only to refer to • A fun example to demonstrate how stanzas build on
parts of a poem by using terms such as “stanza,” each other is the familiar rhyme “Buckle My Shoe.”
but also to describe how each stanza builds on Write the poem on the board, divided into five
previous stanzas to advance the poem’s story. stanzas: “One, two,/Buckle my shoe//Three, four,/
• Grade 4: CCSS RL.4.5 emphasizes the major differences Shut the door//Five, six,/Pick up sticks//Seven eight,/
in the structural elements of poems, drama, and prose Lay them straight//Nine, ten, Do it again!”
and expects students to distinguish between them. • Another popular example is the “Boa Constrictor”
song. The last five one-line stanzas show a funny
Prerequisite Skills progression. See http://www.ultimatecampresource.
• Describe the overall structure of a story. com/site/camp-activity/boa-constrictor.html for a
printable copy.
• Describe how the beginning introduces a story.
• Explain to students that just like in stories, the parts
• Describe how the ending concludes the action of a poem work together to tell a story.
of a story.

Teacher Toolbox Teacher-Toolbox.com

Prerequisite
Skills RL.3.5
Ready Lessons ✓
Tools for Instruction ✓ ✓
Interactive Tutorials ✓

CCSS Focus
RL.3.5 Refer to parts of . . . poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as . . . stanza . . . ; describe how each successive
part builds on earlier sections.
ADDITIONAL STANDARDS: RL.3.2; RL.3.3; RL.3.4; W.3.2; W.3.3; W.3.7; W.3.8; SL.3.1; SL.3.3; SL.3.4; SL.3.5; L.3.1.a; L.2.4.a;
L.3.4.a (See page A39 for full text.)

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 Part 1: Introduction Lesson153
Lesson

At a Glance
Lesson 15
Through an entertaining poem, students are introduced Part 1: Introduction ccSS
RL.3.5: Refer to parts of . . . poems when
what Are Poems made Of? writing or speaking about a text, using terms

to the idea that poems have parts called stanzas and each such as . . . stanza . . . . [and] describe how each
successive part builds on earlier sections.

stanza builds on the one before it. They will learn this Theme: Poems That Tell a Story

is a strategy they can use to understand the meaning Many poems tell stories. But poems usually look different from stories. Most poems are
of a poem. written in short lines. When the lines are grouped together, the group of lines is called
a stanza. Like the chapters in a story, the main ideas in stanzas build on each other.

Read the poem below.

Step by Step A Penguin’s Life

• Read the definitions of lines and stanzas in poems. I’m a bird that has two little wings,
1 but they do not make me fly.

Have a volunteer read the poem “A Penguin’s Life” The air above is not for me.
The ocean is my “sky.”
aloud. Encourage students to draw boxes around In icy seas, I swoop and soar,
each stanza and label them as directed. 2 a swimmer fast and bold.
You’d swim fast, too, if you were me
because that water sure is cold!
• Explain that the chart shows the strategy of looking
closely at the parts of a poem to understand the Read the poem again. Draw a box around each stanza. Number them “1” and “2.”
The poem has two stanzas. The stanzas work together to present an idea about
meaning of the entire poem. Tell students that the a penguin. But what is that idea?

main idea is what a stanza or poem is mostly about. The chart below shows how the stanzas work together to make an idea.
complete the chart.
Read the main ideas in Stanza 1 and Stanza 2 in the
Idea of Idea of
first two boxes of the chart. Stanza 1 Stanza 2
Idea of whole Poem

Even though penguins can’t fly,

Penguins cannot Penguins are
• Have students complete the main idea in the last box. fly. great swimmers.
they are great swimmers
.
Discuss with students how their knowledge of the
Good readers look at how the lines in a poem are organized into stanzas. When you
main ideas in the stanzas helped them understand learn to see how a poem is built, you will better understand how the ideas in stanzas
what the poem is mainly about. Review the entire build on each other.

145
strategy and discuss how the ideas in stanzas build
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on each other.
• Ask students to share examples of how they could the stanzas in a poem to figure out the meaning
use the strategy with other kinds of texts. of the poem’s story. A good resource for finding
• Reinforce how understanding that the main ideas poems to share is the children’s poetry pages
in stanzas build on each other is a valuable reading at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/children/.
strategy by sharing an example from your own
reading. Explain how you used the main ideas from

Genre Focus
Literature: Poetry they have read. What was the poem about? Did it
rhyme? Did any of the words appeal to the five senses?
Tell students that in this lesson they will read
literature. One type of literature is poetry. There are Explain that “Little Puppy” is a poem that tells a story
many different types of poems. Most poems, however, about a puppy and its owner. It has stanzas, rhyme,
have some or all of the following characteristics: and descriptive language. “Old Man with a Beard” is a
limerick, and tells a story about man who experiences
• They use language in new or unusual ways to
a bad problem with his beard. “Little by Little” is also
express feelings or tell a story.
a poem. It has stanzas, rhythm, rhyme, descriptive
• They are written in lines and stanzas. language, and language used in an unusual way. “The
• They often use rhyme and rhythm, as well as Truth About the Dragon’s Tooth” is a narrative poem
descriptive language, that appeal to the senses. that has characters and dialogue, stanzas, rhyme, and
descriptive language.
Based on this definition, ask students to name poems

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 Part 2: Modeled Instruction Lesson 15

At a Glance
Part 2: modeled Instruction Lesson 15
Students read a poem about a puppy. They use details to
explain where the speaker and puppy will be. Read two stanzas of a poem about a puppy.
Genre: Free Verse

Little Puppy from the Navajo

Step by Step Little puppy with the black spots, We’ll see the dark rocks,
Come and herd the flock with me. The smooth rocks,
• Remind students they just used main ideas from We will climb the red rocks That hold the rain to give us
Water, when we eat our bread and meat,
stanzas in a poem to figure out the poem’s story. And from the top we’ll see
The tall cliffs, the straight cliffs, When the sun is high.
Where the eagles live.
• Tell students that in this lesson they will learn how
to use details from stanzas in a poem to figure out explore how to answer this question: “Where will the speaker and the puppy be when the sun
the poem’s story. is high?”
In this poem, the speaker tells the puppy where they will go and what they will do. The second

• Before you read the poem, ask a volunteer to tell stanza tells more things they will see and do in that place.

Look for details in the poem that explain what the speaker tells the puppy they will do.
what a stanza is. (a group of lines in a poem) Ask Then fill in the missing words in the chart below.
whether a stanza can have a main idea. (yes) what happens in Stanza 1? what happens in Stanza 2?
The speaker tells the puppy they will see
• Tell students that, when they read poetry, they When they herd a flock of animals, the speaker
different types of rocks ,
tells the puppy they will climb
should keep in mind that each stanza might have a to the top of the red rocks .
and they will eat bread and meat

main idea. when “the sun is high” (the middle of the day).

write a paragraph telling where the speaker and puppy will be when “the sun is high.” use
• Now read aloud “Little Puppy.” Then, read the details from the chart in your paragraph.

question: “Where will the speaker and the puppy be The speaker and puppy will be at the top of the red rocks when the sun is high.

when the sun is high”?

• Now, tell students you will perform a Think Aloud
to demonstrate a way of answering the question. 146 L15: What Are Poems Made Of?
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Think Aloud: The speaker doesn’t say where they will

be in the second stanza. I have to use details in the first
stanza to help me figure out where they will be.
• Direct students to the chart and tell them it shows ELL Support: Homophones
the process of using details from each stanza to • Explain to students that homophones are two
figure out a poem’s story. words that sound alike but have different
Think Aloud: Stanza 1 tells me where the speaker and meanings and spellings.
the puppy are going and what they are doing. These • Say the word hour to students. Some students may
details will help me understand where they will be hear our. Work with students to come up with a
when “the sun is high.” definition for the word they heard. As students give
• Ask students to use details from Stanza 1 to fill in a definition, write it on the board. Then write the
the blanks in the first column of the chart. word next to the definition. For example, if students
say “sixty minutes,” write hour next to the meaning.
Think Aloud: Stanza 2 gives me more details about Repeat for the other word (our: “belonging to us”).
where the speaker and the puppy are going and what Explain that both words sound alike, but they have
they are doing. I can use these details to understand different meanings.
where they will be when “the sun is high.”
• Point out to students on student book page 146
• Instruct students to use details from Stanza 2 to fill the homophones herd, rain and meat. Pronounce
in the blanks in the second column of the chart. each word and discuss their meanings. (L.3.4)
• Have students write a sentence telling where the
speaker and the puppy will be. Invite volunteers to
share their answers.

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 Part 3: Guided Instruction Lesson 15

At a Glance
Part 3: guided Instruction Lesson 15
Students read the poem “Old Man with a Beard.” They
answer questions and analyze the details that helped Read the following poem. use the close Reading and the hint to
help you complete the activity that follows.
them write their answer. Genre: Limerick

Old Man with a Beard

Step by Step close Reading
from A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear

Each line of the poem There was an Old Man with a beard,
• Tell students they will read the poem “Old Man with adds something. circle
the line that tells who
Who said, “It is just as I feared!—
Two Owls and a Hen,
a Beard.” the poem is about.
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.”
• Point out the two features to the left of the passage.
Remind students that good readers pay close hint complete each sentence. Then answer the question.
Go back and read each The first line of the poem tells that the poem is about an old man .
attention to details in a text as they read. The Close line. Figure out what
each line adds to the The second line of the poem shows that the man has a problem .
Reading will help students identify and remember poem.
The third and fourth lines of the poem list types of birds .
important ideas in the poem. The Hint will help
Tell how the last line builds on the other lines of the poem.
them read the constructed-response question It finally tells what the man’s problem is.
carefully and answer it correctly.
• Have students read the poem and circle the line that
tells whom the poem is about, as directed by Close Show your Thinking

Reading. “Old Man with a Beard” is a type of poem called a limerick. Limericks are often meant to be
funny. Which line makes this poem funny? Explain your answer.
Responses will vary.
• Ask volunteers to share the line in the text they
circled. Discuss why that line shows whom the poem
is about. If necessary, ask: “What do we learn in the With a partner, discuss how all of the lines work together to make the poem into a joke.
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• Have students fill in the blanks, using the Hint to

help. Point out that the second line does not provide
information about the man’s appearance or
something he owns. It tells about his situation, Tier Two Vocabulary: Nonsense
namely that something he feared has happened. In
• Say, “This poem comes from a book called A Book
other words, he has a problem.
of Nonsense.” Ask students if that sounds like a
• Then have students respond to the question in Show serious book or a silly book. (silly)
Your Thinking. Place students in pairs to discuss
• Write this sentence on the board: “Jennifer had
what makes the poem funny, including how the list
the good sense to come in from the rain.” Ask
of birds becomes funnier once the reader knows they
students what the word sense means. (judgment or
are all living in the man’s beard.
wisdom)
Answer Analysis • Now discuss the prefix non-. Ask students what
this prefix usually means. (not; the opposite of)
Sample responses: an old man; problem; types of birds; Discuss other familiar words that begin with non-,
It finally tells what the old man’s problem is. such as nonfiction or nonfat.
ERROR ALERT: Students who did not understand • Ask students what the word nonsense means. (lack
how the final line added to the poem may not have of wisdom; foolishness) Discuss whether this is a
understood how it related back to the line “Who said, good description of the poem “Old Man with a
‘It is just as I feared!—” Line 5 completes that Beard.” (RL.3.4; L.3.4.b)
thought, revealing what the birds listed in lines 3
and 4 have done.

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 Part 4: Guided Practice Lesson 15

At a Glance
Part 4: guided Practice Lesson 15
Students read the poem “Little by Little” twice. After the
first reading, ask five questions to check your students’ Read the poem. use the Study buddy and the close Reading to guide your reading.

comprehension of the poem. Genre: Narrative Poem

Little by Little Anonymous

Step by Step “Little by little,” an acorn said,

As it slowly sank in its mossy bed,
This poem has three “I am improving every day,
• Have students read the poem silently without stanzas. I’m going to Hidden deep in the earth away.”
write a few words about
referring to the Study Buddy or Close Reading text. the main idea of each Little by little, each day it grew;
stanza. This will help me Little by little, it sipped the dew;
• Ask the following questions to ensure student understand the story
the poem is telling.
Downward it sent out a thread-like root;

comprehension of the text: close Reading

Up in the air sprung a tiny shoot.

Day after day, and year after year,

How does the acorn
How many stanzas does this poem have? (three) start to change in the Little by little the leaves appear;
second stanza? circle And the slender branches spread far and wide,

How many lines are in each stanza? (four) words that tell you
what it looks like.
Till the mighty oak is the forest’s pride.

Does the acorn grow quickly or slowly? (slowly) What does the acorn
turn into in the third
stanza? underline
What is the first change that happens to the acorn? words that tell you
what it has become.
(it sends out a root)
What happens after the acorn sends out a root and
a shoot? (leaves appear)
• Then ask students to look at the Study Buddy think
aloud. What does the Study Buddy help them
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Tip: The Study Buddy tells students that it will

write a few words about each stanza. Taking notes
and thinking about how each stanza builds on the
one that came before it will help students learn how Tier Two Vocabulary: Mighty
to synthesize details to find a main idea. • Say, “The lion gave a mighty roar.” And “The
• Have students read the rest of the poem. Tell them mighty elephant eats 300–500 pounds of food
to follow the directions in the Close Reading. each day.”
• Have students find the word mighty in the last line
Tip: Students might be tempted to underline and of the poem. Ask them to look at the context, the
circle each line of the poem. Remind them to be
surrounding words, and concepts. Have students
selective and choose only those words or lines that
explain what mighty means. If necessary guide
are most helpful for understanding exactly what
them to understand that it means “large and
happens to the acorn in stanzas 2 and 3.
powerful.”
• Finally, have students answer the questions on • On the board, write other words that could be
page 149. When students have finished, use the used in place of mighty: great, important, strong.
Answer Analysis to discuss correct and incorrect Ask students what words mean the opposite of
responses. mighty: weak, small, helpless, powerless. (RL.3.4;
L.3.4.a)

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 Part 4: Guided Practice Lesson 15

step by step
Part 4: guided Practice Lesson 15
• Have students read questions 1–3, using the Hints to
help them answer those questions. hints
use the hints on this page to help you answer the questions.

How does the acorn 1 The poem “Little by Little” tells a story about an acorn in three

Tip: Before writing their answers, remind students start to change after it
sinks underground?
stanzas. Explain what happens to the acorn in stanza 1. Use two
details from the poem to support your answer.
to use quote marks around lines taken directly from See sample response.

the poem. Also encourage them to tell about the

poem’s details in their own words. Use the Answer
Analysis as a model.
• Discuss with students the Answer Analysis below.
What happens to seeds 2 Write a paragraph that summarizes what happens to the acorn in
when they are in the stanza 2. Use two details from the poem to support your answer.
ground for a while?
answer analysis See sample response.

1 Sample response: In stanza 1 of the poem, an acorn

talks about slowly going deeper into the ground.
First, it sinks into “its mossy bed.” Then it says that
it is “hidden deep in the earth away.” It also says
Each stanza of the poem 3 Explain what happens to the acorn in stanza 3. Use two details
that it is “improving every day,” which means that tells about a step in how from the poem to support your answer.

being planted in the earth must be helping it get something grows. What
has happened to the
See sample response.

ready to grow. acorn by the end of

the poem?

2 Sample response: In stanza 2 of the poem, the acorn

starts to grow very slowly, “little by little.” It also
begins to drink the dew. It begins to grow tiny
roots: “Downward it sent out a thread-like root.” L15: What Are Poems Made Of?
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149

Then “a tiny shoot” grows out of the ground and

“up in the air.”
3 Sample response: Over many years, the acorn
continues to slowly grow bigger. Leaves begin to Integrating Standards
grow and small branches become longer and wider.
Use these questions to further students’ understanding
Finally, the acorn has grown into a large, strong oak
of “Little by Little.”
tree. It is the “forest’s pride.”
1 What does the line “as it slowly sank in its
Reteaching mossy bed” mean? (RL.3.4)
An acorn does not literally have a bed or go to
Use a graphic organizer to verify the correct answer to
sleep. The line means that the acorn is sinking into
question 2. Draw the graphic organizer below, leaving
the moss on the ground where it will begin to grow.
the boxes blank. Work with students to fill in the
boxes, using information from the passage. Sample 2 What is the central message of the poem?
responses are provided. (RL.3.2)
A central message of the poem is that great things
Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 can come from very humble and small beginnings.
The acorn The growth of the acorn and its transformation into
The acorn The acorn
The acorn pushes a a “mighty oak” that is “the forest’s pride” suggests
slowly begins sends out a
sips dew. shoot into that truly great accomplishments are achieved with
to grow. tiny root.
the air.
persistence and patience, “little by little.”

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 Part 5: Common Core Practice Lesson 15

Part 5: common core Practice Lesson 15 Part 5: common core Practice Lesson 15

Read the narrative poem. Then answer the questions that follow. 8 The giant turned to me and said,
“Your people will want proof
The Truth About the Dragon’s Tooth that you bravely faced my dragon,
so I’ll give you this baby tooth.”
by John Hansen 9 He reached into the dragon’s mouth
and wiggled out a monster fang,
1 The king called me to his throne
then tossed it through the air at me.
and said, “That dragon must be slayed!”
It hit my shield—clang!
I bowed and played the brave, strong knight,
but in truth . . . I was afraid. 10 The people cheered when I returned
and waved the dragon’s sword-like tooth.
2 As I dressed in shining armor
But I found I was afraid again—
and sharpened sword and lance,
Afraid to tell the truth!
a voice inside me whispered,
“You haven’t got a chance!”
3 I climbed upon my faithful horse
and rode off into the gloom. 1 Read these lines from stanza 3 of the poem.
I hoped I’d see my home again
on the other side of doom. I hoped I’d see my home again
4 I rode into the mountains on the other side of doom.
and faced the dangerous beast. Explain why the knight worries about ever seeing his home again.
The dragon licked its lips and said, Use two details from the poem to support your answer.
“A man, a horse—a feast.”
5 I raised my lance to charge it, See sample response.
thinking, What else can I do?
Then the trees behind it crashed and fell
as a giant marched in view!
6 The earth beneath began to shake,
his huge figure blocked the sun.
Then the giant shouted happily,
“Why, I’ve found you, little one!”
7 As he bent down to catch the dragon,
I began to understand:
The dragon was the giant’s pet,
scooped up in one huge hand.

150 L15: What Are Poems Made Of? L15: What Are Poems Made Of? 151
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At a Glance Answer Analysis

Students independently read a poem and answer 1 Sample response: The knight is afraid that he will
questions in a format that provides test practice. never see his home again because he does not think
he stands a chance against the dragon. He thinks
Step by Step the dragon will slay him. In stanza 1, he says that
he is afraid, even though he doesn’t show it. In
• Tell students to use what they have learned about stanza 2, a voice inside of him says, “You haven’t
reading closely and paying attention to words and got a chance!” This shows how worried the knight
details in each stanza in order to read the poem is about fighting the dragon. (DOK 3)
on pages 150 and 151.
• Remind students to underline or circle important
words. Theme Connection
• Tell students to answer the questions on pages 151 • How do all of the poems in this lesson tell a story?
and 152. For questions 2 and 4, they should fill in • Retell the story from your favorite poem in
the correct circle on the Answer Form. this lesson.
• When students have finished, use Answer Analysis
to discuss correct responses and the reasons for
them. Have students fill in the Number Correct
on the Answer Form.

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 Part 5: Common Core Practice Lesson 15

2 Choice C is correct. In stanza 5, trees crash and fall

as a giant marches into view. This is what causes Part 5: common core Practice Lesson 15
the earth beneath to shake. Choices A and D are Answer Form
2 Stanza 6 begins, “The earth beneath began to
incorrect because neither of these things happen in shake.” What happens in stanza 5 that explains
2 A B C D
4 A B C D
Number
correct 2
why this happens?
Stanza 5. Choice B is incorrect because although the A The dragon attacks the knight and his horse.
knight raises his lance, the giant marches in before B The knight charges the dragon with his lance.

the knight has a chance to charge the dragon. C A giant marches toward the knight and dragon.

(DOK 2) D Some trees are cut down in the forest nearby.

3 Sample response: The knight begins to understand 3 Describe what happens in stanza 7 that explains why the giant has appeared.
Use one detail from the poem to support your answer.
that the dragon is the giant’s pet when the giant
See sample response.
scoops the dragon up in one of his big hands.
(DOK 3)
4 Choice D is correct. In stanza 8, the giant explains
that he will give the knight one of the dragon’s baby
teeth so that he can prove to his people that he
bravely faced the dragon. Choice A is incorrect
because while the giant does not want the knight to 4 Why does the giant toss the dragon’s tooth at the knight in stanza 9?
A He wants the knight to leave the dragon alone.
harm the dragon, this is not why he gives him one
B He is afraid of the brave knight and tries to scare him.
of the dragon’s teeth. Choices B and C are incorrect C He hopes the knight will tell people that he has a pet dragon.
because there is no evidence in the poem that the D He wants to give the knight proof to show he faced the dragon.

giant is afraid of the knight or that he wants the

night to ride at the dragon again. (DOK 1)
Self check Go back and see what you can check off on the Self Check on page 119.
152 L15: What Are Poems Made Of?
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Integrating Standards
Use these questions and tasks as opportunities to 3 Write a summary of the poem that includes
interact with “The Truth About the Dragon’s Tooth.” important details that contribute to the
1 Describe another trait of the knight and use understanding of the story in the poem. (W.3.2)
details from the poem to support your idea. Then, A king tells his knight the dragon needs to be slayed.
describe how that trait contributes to the sequence Even though he is afraid, he rides off to face the
of events in the poem. (RL.3.3) dragon. When he sees the dragon, he begins to charge
Although the knight is afraid of the dragon, he is also it. However, a giant appears. The dragon is the giant’s
brave. He rides into the mountains to face the dragon pet. Because the giant saw the knight’s bravery and
even though he may not return home. Because of his knows the king will want proof, he gives the knight
bravery, he charges the dragon. The giant sees this and a dragon tooth. The knight returns as a hero, but he
rewards his bravery so that the knight can return a hero. is afraid of telling the truth.
2 Reread “The Truth About the Dragon’s Tooth.” 4 Reread the last stanza of the poem. In small groups,
With a partner, discuss what the knight might discuss why the knight says that he is afraid to tell
have thought when the giant appeared. Remember the truth. (SL.3.1)
the knight’s character traits. (SL.3.1) When the knight returns waving the dragon’s tooth,
The knight is afraid of the dragon, so he most likely the people cheer. The knight is probably afraid that if
was afraid of the giant. However, he is also brave. he tells the truth, the people will not believe such a
So, he might have thought about fighting the giant strange story. They may think he has made up a story
as well. He was also probably surprised. He was not to explain why he didn’t slay the dragon.
expecting to face a scarier creature than a dragon.

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 Additional Activities Lesson 15

Writing Activities
The Giant’s Journal Entry (W.3.3)
• Ask students to imagine if the poem had been told from the giant’s point of view. Instruct them to write
a journal entry in which the giant describes his experience with the knight and how he feels about finding
his lost pet dragon. Remind students they should use first-person pronouns in the journal entry.
• Ask students to use plenty of describing words and to tell the events in a clear sequence.
Adjectives (L.3.1.a)
• Review with students that the purpose of adjectives is to describe nouns and pronouns. Offer some examples
of adjectives by making several columns on the board. Write headers such as “Color,” “Size,” “Feelings,”
“Temperature,” and “Age.” Invite students to help you write adjectives for under each header.
• Create another 3-column chart on the board with the title of each poem in the lesson. Have students go on
an “adjective hunt.” Then invite them to write the adjectives they find in the appropriate column in the chart.
• Finally, ask students to choose three adjectives from the chart and write three sentences in which they use
each adjective. Have students share their sentences with the class.

Listening activity (SL.3.1; SL.3.3) • Provide students with audio equipment to record
the poem.
Listen Closely/Ask and Answer Questions
• Then have students create an illustration to
• In small groups, have students discuss which of emphasize an important part of the poem they
the poems in the lesson they enjoyed most. chose.
• Ask each student to identify the poem he or she • Provide time for students to play the recording
liked most and give specific reasons for why they and share their illustration with the class.
liked it.
• When the speaker is discussing his or her poem, Research/Present activity
the other students should listen and jot down (W.3.7; W.3.8; SL.3.4)
notes to prepare a question to ask the speaker
about his or her choice. Research and Present/Give a Presentation

• Remind students of the rules for discussions: • Have students review the photo of the penguin
listen to each other and speak one at a time. from “A Penguin’s Life.”
• Arrange students into small groups. Instruct each
Media Activity (SL.3.5) group to research information about one aspect of
penguins, such as their appearance, habitat, diet,
Be Creative/ Make a Recording and Illustration
or how they care for their young.
of a Poem
• Have each group create a visual display, such as an
• Have students work with a partner and choose a
online slide presentation, that uses visuals and text
poem to create an audio recording and visual display.
to present the information from their research.
• Have pairs divide the reading parts of the poem
• Student groups will share their visual display
they chose. For example, students could take turns
and the information to the class.
reading the stanzas. Encourage them to practice
reading several times. Prompt them to read at an
understandable pace and with expression.

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