Shel Silverstein

Primary Activities:

Rhyming

Because recognizing the subtle changes in sound is a necessity for kids to learn to read, Shel Silverstein’s poetry is a natural choice to practice these important skills! Read any of the many rhyming poems aloud to children instructing them to listen for rhymes. When they hear a pair, they should raise their hands or clap. Check to see if they can repeat the rhyming pair of words. What is the repeating sound? What sound is different between the two words? Can someone think of another word that would also rhyme with that pair? Can someone makeup a word (even a nonsense word) that would rhyme?

Art

Read several poems to the children but do not share Silverstein’s hilarious illustrations, have children draw their own pictures first. Are there any objects that are in both pictures? Explain that a perspective (or view) is the angle that an artist uses to make a picture, like a photographer uses when taking a picture. What view did they draw their picture from? Which view did Shel choose? Now, create a new picture that illustrates the same poem but from a different view.

“We’re Out of Paint, So”

Read the poem “We’re Out of Paint, So” (p. 70 in Falling Up) aloud to the children. Then, divide the class into six groups to brainstorm a list of foods- one for each of the colors mentioned in the poem- red, purple, blue, black, brown and yellow. The children can draw pictures if spelling is an issue. Then, as a class, review the lists and circle the foods that are good for their bodies.

Math & Poetry

As a class, have children count the number of syllables, words, rhymes or stanzas in a pair of poems. Then, graph the results. In pairs or small groups repeat.

Happy, Sad

Have children create two faces using the front and back of a plain paper plate. Then, as they listen to Silverstein poems have them hold up the face that best matches how the subject of the poem feels. Discuss the clues that used to make their choice.

Older Children:

Language Arts-

In pairs, have children answer the following questions about three of their favorite poems: who is the poem about? What happened in the poem? Why? Then, have pairs switch poems and see if they agree with the original answers.

Art

Discuss how artist use color to create moods for their pictures and poets use word choice. Then, in small groups, have kids mix five colors from a palette of primary paints that they think best represents the mood of their favorite Shel Silverstein poem. Discuss why they chose the poem and why those colors best represent the mood of the poem.

Personification

A tool that poets often use is called personification. This is when a poet pretends that an object is like a person in some way.  None have had more fun with this tool than Shel Silverstein. Read “Tusk, Tusk” ( p.103 A Light in the Attic) for an example. Then, have children find another example of personification in one of his collections. Now inspired by his rollicking example bring an object of your own to life in a short poem.

Favorite Poem

As a class decide which Silverstein poem best represents you. Then, pass along all the books so another class can find “their” poem too. After all the classes in a grade (or even the whole school!) have chosen have a reading of the poems. Kids can be challenged to memorize the poem to represent the class at the Silverstein poetry festival!

Drama

In small groups have children choose a poem to act out for the class. One child can read the poem while the others bring it to life, or they can create a new script inspired by the poem.

Poetry Wax Museum

Have children dress up like one of the characters in a Silverstein poem. Then station the characters in rows around the room. Next, have other classmates or parents come into “activate” the character. When they press an imaginary button (on an index card) the child can either recite or read the poem aloud.

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