Jack Prelutsky's "If the Moon"

PoetryTagTime is the first ever electronic-only poetry anthology of new poems by top poets for children. You can purchase the book for 99 cents at Amazon and read it on your Kindle or through the free downloadable Kindle platform for your computer, cell phone, etc.

First up: JACK PRELUTSKY

Setting the Stage: Jack Prelutsky’s poem, “If the Moon” raises questions about what the moon is-- and is not. Ask the kids if they have ever heard the expression, “the moon is made of cheese.” Discuss why the moon might seem like cheese. (Bring in a block of swiss cheese, in particular, as a visual prop, if possible.) What other things might the moon seem like? Make a list. Look for more poems that compare the moon to other things.

Poetry Performance: Divide the class/group into two equal groups. After reading the poem aloud to the kids, invite the two groups to read the poem antiphonally (back-and-forth). There are two possibilities: each group reads one stanza or two groups alternate, reading 2 lines at a time.

Just for Fun: Create a moon poem display. Write favorite poems about the moon (like this one) on yellow or orange circle-shaped paper and tie them to helium-filled balloons as a hanging moon poetry exhibit.

Poem Links: Here are key words that connect this poem with other poems in the PoetryTagTime collection:
Moon

Smells
Sun
Sky
Food
Earth

Buy the book now, so you can share each poem along with the ideas and activities that follow here.

Next up for PoetryTagTime: Joyce Sidman

Image credit: PoetryTagTime

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2011. All rights reserved.