POET TREE

HERE'S A POEM FOR YOUR POCKET!

A Poem 

By Dr. Holly

A poem, a poem
Is a very special thing.
It takes the words
And makes them sing.

A poem is a present,
A poem is a treat
With words piled like ice-cream
In your bowl to eat!

A poem, a poem
Is a treasure and an art
So always carry one
With you in your heart.

Let children make a pocket and keep their favorite poem in it. Encourage them to exchange poems with classmates and read to each other.

Hint! To make a poetry pocket seal an envelope, cut it in half, punch holes and tie on a string. Children can decorate these and then wear them around their neck.

Here are some other ideas for celebrating poetry month in your classroom:

A Poem a Day
Choose a poem and read it to your class at the beginning of each day. You can read it and “let it be.” Or, you could use the poem to introduce vocabulary or to spark a discussion.
*Assign each child a different day to be responsible for bringing in the poem. This would be a good activity for children to do with their parents.


Poet “Tree”
Use an old Christmas tree or stick several large, dry branches in a pot of dirt. Invite children to write or illustrate a poems on index cards and then attach to the tree with clothespins. Encourage children to “pick a poem” and read!

Laurel Wreath
Just for fun, let children make laurel wreaths out of paper plates and leaves. The Greeks awarded these in Olympic events for sports as well as poetic meets. 

VOLUME CONTROL

As you greet your new group of children, you'll realize that some of them talk too LOUD and some of them talk too soft. Here are some ideas to help children learn to modulate their voices in the classroom. Here are a few strategies to help children become more aware of appropriate times to use a loud and soft voice.

Picture Cues
How about having a picture of a lion, a mouse, and a child? When they can talk in a regular voice put up the child. When you want them to use a whisper voice post the mouse, and when they can use a loud voice (like when they go outside) put up the lion.

Songs, Chants, Poems
Practice singing songs or saying rhymes with a “lion,” “mouse,” or “normal” voice.


Quiet Friends
Put several small character toys in a lunch box. Explain that you have little friends in the lunch box who have teeny tiny ears. They can only come up if the children use teeny tiny voices. Take the friends out as you begin using a whisper voice. If the children get too loud say, “Oh, I’ll have to put our little friends back in the box because you’re hurting their ears.” You’ll be amazed how quiet they will be! 

Alphabet Conductor
Explain to the children that you will be the conductor as they sing the alphabet song. When your hands are close together they should whisper, but as your hands get farther apart they should sing louder. As you bring your hands closer together they should lower their voices to a whisper.


Volume Button
Use a cylinder block for a microphone. Attach a sticky dot for a volume button. Pass the “microphone” around the room for the children to say “Good morning!” or another simple phrase. Remind them to turn the volume up if their voice is too soft. Turn the volume down if their voice is too loud.

Simon Says
Play “Simon Says” as you ask children to clap, stomp, or make other noises loud or soft.
Simon says clap loud.
Simon says clap soft.
Simon says hum loud.
Simon says hum soft.
Stomp loud. Oops! Simon didn’t say!


Three Cheers
Teacher says: Give me cheer number one. (Hold up one finger.)
Children cheer loudly.
Teacher says: Give me cheer number two. (Hold up two fingers.)
Children cheer a little softer.
Teacher says: Give me cheer number three. (Hold up 3 fingers.)
Children give a silent cheer.

TWO TURKEY TALES

Many things go in and out of style, but a good story is everlasting. I've got two of my favorite turkey tales for you today. I first heard Timmy Turkey about 40 years ago. In the original story grandmother turns Timmy into a color that "everyone will like" and you pull out a picture of a roasted turkey on a platter. I thought that might be a little too graphic for the kiddles, so I adapted it to be "kinder and gentler." The alliteration and oral language, as well as the sequencing skills, are perfect for engaging children. I guarantee they'll want to hear the story again and again.

Directions: Download the pattern and cut the turkey's body out of the front of a file folder. Insert colors of construction paper inside the file folder according to the story. (brown, blue, red, green, yellow, purple, and multi-color) Glue the words to the back of the folder so you can just read it and remove one sheet of paper at a time.

*Encourage the children to join in on the chorus!

TIMMY TURKEY
Once upon a time there was a beautiful brown turkey named Timmy. One day as he strutted down the road he heard a bluebird say:

Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see.
Timmy Turkey replied: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The bluebird answered: You should be blue like me. It’s such a peaceful color.
So Timmy went home a dyed himself blue. (Remove the brown paper to reveal a blue turkey.)

The next day as Timmy strutted down the road he heard a red hen say:
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see.
Timmy replied: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The redbird answered: You should be red like me. It’s such a bright color.
So Timmy went home and dyed himself red. (Remove the blue paper to reveal a red turkey.)

The following day as Timmy was strutting down the road he heard a green frog croak:
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see?
Timmy sadly replied: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The frog croaked: You should be green like me. Green is the color of life!
So what do you think Timmy did? That’s right! He went home and dyed himself green.
(Remove the red paper to reveal a green turkey.)

Timmy was strutting down the road a beautiful shade of green the next day when he heard a yellow cat say: Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see!
Timmy answered: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The cat laughed and said: Who ever heard of a green turkey?
You should be yellow like me. It’s such a happy color.
Yes, you’re right! Timmy went home that night and dyed himself yellow. (Remove the green paper to reveal a yellow turkey.)

The next day Timmy was strutting down the road again when he heard a purple parrot squawk:
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see!
Timmy said: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The parrot squawked: Yellow’s no color for a turkey.
You should be purple like me. Purple is the color of royalty.
Timmy went home immediately and dyed himself purple. (Remove the yellow sheet of paper to reveal the purple turkey.)

Once again Timmy was walking down the road when he heard his turkey friends laughing. They said: Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey we ever did see!
Timmy cried and said: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The other turkeys replied: Who ever heard of a purple turkey?
You look so silly!
Timmy slowly walked home and as he walked he thought to himself, “I have dyed myself blue, red, green, yellow, and purple, and I have pleased no one.” Then he got a brilliant idea! He got all the bottles of dye and made all his feathers different colors. (Remove the purple sheet of paper to reveal the turkey with the colorful feathers.)
The next day as Timmy Turkey strutted down the road everyone laughed and cheered!
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the most beautiful turkey we ever did see!
And that’s why you always see turkeys with beautiful tail colors!

Timmy Turkey Download
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljdVlScjd2UlZzdGc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-Qa0z8gCj03-hvV36TidpiA

Note! To make the final turnkey I cut little feathers and glued them to make a collage as shown.



OWATAGOOSIAM
This next story is a tell and draw story. After you do it several times invite the children to retell the story and draw along with you.

Once there was a little old lady who lived out in the country.

Her house was shaped like an oval. (head)

It had a little window that was a circle. (eye)

She had a garden beside her house. (beak)

And she planted seeds there.

Near her house there was a lake. (body)

And there was a little island in the lake. (wing)

Campers from the city would come and pitch tents by the lake. (feet)

They would walk to the lake to look at the fish in the water. (legs)

They would also watch the geese on the island.

But the people made so much noise they scared the geese and away they flew. (feathers)

The little old lady heard all the commotion and went down to the lake to see what was going on. (neck)

What do you think she saw?

When she got home she laughed and said, “OWA TAGOO SIAM!”

Say this faster and faster and it will sound like, “Oh, what a goose I am!”

PUMPKIN TALES

A GOOD STORY NEVER GROWS OLD!

I must have told this story thousands of times over the past 50 years. The wonderful thing is that it's "old" to me, but most of the teachers and children have never heard it before. You'll need to practice a few times before doing it for your class, but I guarantee you'll hear, "Do it again! Do it again!"

P.S.  Here's a video where you can watch me tell these stories:

https://youtu.be/JetOeIrEnAU?si=jKRAFS9MEMsacbG6

Pumpkin House Cut and Tell Story
Materials: orange paper, scissors
Directions: Place the orange paper and scissors in your lap. As you tell the story cut out the different parts with the scissors. At end of the story, the children will be delighted with the pumpkin house!
Hint! You can also tear out the paper with your fingers.

Once there was a little old lady who lived in a funny orange house near name of your school. Her house was shaped like half a circle with the chimney at the bottom.

This little lady had a cat named child’s name in your room. This cat had a long, curved tail, so the old lady had a special door cut just for the cat’s tail.

The little lady always wore a pointed hat. She had a special door built for herself, too, so her hat would not fall off every time she went in and out the door.

The little lady had two pet birds. Their names were child’s name and child’s name. She had a window cut just for them so they could fly in and out and in and out.

It was getting close to Halloween, so all the children inteacher’s name classroom went to her house and knocked on her door. The little lady came to the door and said, “Close your eyes.” SURPRISE! It’s a jack-o-lantern!

Here's a link so you can download the directions.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljYUVocVhRRTFHVGs/view?usp=sharing

Pumpkin Man Tell and Draw Story
Materials: large sheet of paper, marker 

Directions: Explain that you will need everyone to help you tell this story. Demonstrate the movements below. When you say the words in the story, then the children should make the motions.


“Knock” – pretend to knock on a door

“Rock” – move body back and forth

“Spin” – twirl hands around each other

“Come In” – make motion with hand


Draw the body parts on the paper as you come to them in the story.

Once there was a little old lady who would just sit all day and rock and spin and wait for somebody to come in.
 One day as she sat there rocking and spinning she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called. In came two big, black boots. (Draw boots on the board.) “I can’t talk to you big, black boots,” said the little old lady. So she just sat there and she'd rock and spin until she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called. And in came two bony legs. (Draw two skinny legs coming out of the boots.) “I can’t talk to two bony legs,” said the little old lady.
 So she just sat there and rock and spin until she heard a knock at the door.


“Come in,” she called. And in came a funny body. (Draw a pear shaped body on top of the legs.) “I can’t talk to a funny body,” said the little old lady.
 So she just sat there and rock and spin until she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called. And in came two wiggly arms. (Draw wiggly arms coming off the body.) “I can’t talk to wiggly arms,” said the little old lady.
 So she just sat there and rock and spin until she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called. And in came two big hands. (Draw hands at the end of the arms.) “I can’t talk to two big hands,” said the little old lady.
 So she just sat there and rock and spin until she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called. And in came a big pumpkin head. (Draw a pumpkin head on the figure.) “Well, I can talk to a pumpkin man,” said the little old lady. And she did! 


Adaptations: End by singing “Do You Know the Pumpkin Man?” to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”