October

A Poem Each
Week
Free Resources and
Discussion Guides

By: Jessica Zannini

Notesfromtheportable.blogspot.com
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Bird Clip Art and Borders:
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Font:
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Geswein-Fonts

Additional Clip Art

Explorer Educlips -
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Educlips
Pumpkin and Haunted House - BrownCow Creatives
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Emily-Brown

Photo: Maya Kruchanccova/Dollar Photo Club

You can find more poetry materials in my Teachers Pay

Teachers Store

Second Grade Poetry Unit

Third Grade Poetry Unit
Fourth/Fifth Grade Poetry Unit
Poetry Literacy Centers for the Year
August/September Poetry Literacy Center

You can also access my FREE

What Is Poetry Book
here.
 About Me
I have been a teacher 15 years in grades
3-6. My love is reading and writing. I
have a masters in education from
Furman University and an EdS in School
Library Media and Instructional Technology
from the University of Georgia. I am also
National Board Certified. I enjoy creating
lesson plans that help foster the love for
reading and writing. You can learn more
ideas by connecting with me.

Follow me for more poetry ideas and

resources.

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 Dreams
By: Langston Hughes

Discussion Questions

1.! Langston Hughes uses metaphors to describe what

happens when you dont hold on to your dreams.
Metaphors are comparisons of two unlike things
where one thing is said to be another thing. What
two things does Langston Hughes say are dreams
when you let go of them?

2.! How many stanzas are in this poem?

3.! The rhyme scheme in this poem is ABCB. Lines 2

and 4 rhyme and lines 1 and 3 do not rhyme. Label
the rhyme scheme of this poem.

4.! How many lines are in this poem?

5.! What dreams do you have? What are ways you

can hold on to these dreams so they might actually
happen? !!

6.! What things might keep someone from following

their dreams?
 Suggestions for Teaching and Extending the
Poem

1.! Use the Journal Response, My Dream.

What dreams do you have for your future? How can
you attain these dreams?

2.! Have students meet in small groups to discuss the

questions. You can share the poem as a whole group
first and then divide the class into groups, or provide
a copy of the poem for each group. Use your document
camera to post the poem during the discussion.

3.! Read the poem aloud and discuss as a whole group.

4.! Send the questions home with students to discuss with

their families.

5.! Print the discussion questions and have it as the Lunch

Talking Topic one day of the week.

6.! Have students create an illustration of the poem to

demonstrate their comprehension of the poem. You
could create a poetry bulletin board to put journal
entries and pictures up throughout the year.

7.! Have students illustrate their dreams for their future.

This could be part of a career discussion.
 Explorer Poem
By: Jessica Zannini
(Copy of Poem is Provided on the following pages)

Discussion Questions

1.! Why were the explores searching for other

routes to Asia?

2.! Why was the New World considered mysterious?

3.! Exports are goods taken out of the country and

imports are goods brought into the country.
What things were imported into the New World?
Use resources to help you find other imports and
exports from Europe and the New World.

4.! What bad things did explorers bring?

5.! Which countries settled the New World?

6.! What were these continents eventually named?

7.! Did Columbus know what he discovered?

! !
 Suggestions for Teaching and Extending the
Poem

1.! Use the Journal Response, My Explorations.

Everyone of us is an explorer. We explore places and
things that are new to us. Describe one new place you
have been to and what you discovered. (This place
could be your backyard, a park, a place from a trip,
etc.)

2.! Have students meet in small groups to discuss the

questions. You can share the poem as a whole group
first and then divide the class into groups, or provide
a copy of the poem for each group. Use your document
camera to post the poem during the discussion.

3.! Read the poem aloud and discuss as a whole group.

4.! Send the questions home with students to discuss with

their families.

5.! Print the discussion questions and have it as the Lunch

Talking Topic one day of the week.

6.! Have students create an illustration of the poem to

demonstrate their comprehension of the poem. You
could create a poetry bulletin board to put journal
entries and pictures up throughout the year.

7.! Have students write a bio poem about an explorer or

write one as a class. Students can add illustrations to
the bio poems.
 Searching for Asia
Through the seas.
They found new lands
Mysterious as can be.

They thought they had reached

The coast of great hope
And claimed it for countries
Beyond its grope.

They brought new things

Like horse and guns
But lef t the diseases
Causing immune systems undone.

The new world was settled

By England, Spain, and France
And the Americans began
The New World dance.

2015 Jessica Zannini

 Theme In Yellow
By: Carl Sandburg

Discussion Questions

1.! Pumpkins are harvested in October. What things

do you or your family and friends do with pumpkins
in the fall?

2.! In line 3 Carl Sandburg says I light the prairie

cornfields. Use a dictionary to help you find the
correct meaning for light in this poem.

3.! In line 1 Carl Sandburg says I SPOT the hills.

Use a dictionary to help you find the correct
meaning for spot in this poem.

4.! Does this poem rhyme?

5.! This is a free verse poem. That means it is free

of a rhyming pattern. Take a look at the poem.
How is this different from the Explorer poem we
read last week?

6.! What is happening at the end of this poem?

 Suggestions for Teaching and Extending the
Poem

1.! Use the Journal Response, My Pumpkin.

Have students draw a pumpkin face or you could
use different shapes that have already been cut
out. The students will describe their pumpkins in
the writing response.

2.! Have students meet in small groups to discuss

the questions. You can share the poem as a
whole group first and then divide the class into
groups, or provide a copy of the poem for each
group. Use your document camera to post the
poem during the discussion.

3.! Read the poem aloud and discuss as a whole

group.

4.! Send the questions home with students to discuss

with their families.

5.! Print the discussion questions and have it as the

Lunch Talking Topic one day of the week.

6.! Have students create an illustration of the poem

to demonstrate their comprehension of the poem.
You could create a poetry bulletin board to put
journal entries and pictures up throughout the
year.
 Halloween Is Nearly Here
By: Ken Nesbitt

Discussion Questions

1.! Irony is when the unexpected happens. What

costume did you think the poet was describing?
Were you surprised he was dressing as his
teacher for Halloween?

2. What is the rhyming pattern?

3. How many lines?

4. How many stanzas are in this poem?

5. Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, what will

you be dressed as this year?

6. Think about the month of October. With your

group, create a list of nouns, verbs, adjectives,
and adverbs to describe the month.
 Suggestions for Teaching and Extending the
Poem

1.! Use the Journal Response, My Favorite

Halloween.
Describe your favorite Halloween or what you
wish your Halloween was like.

2.! Have students meet in small groups to discuss

the questions. You can share the poem as a
whole group first and then divide the class into
groups, or provide a copy of the poem for each
group. Use your document camera to post the
poem during the discussion.

3.! Read the poem aloud and discuss as a whole

group.

4.! Send the questions home with students to discuss

with their families.

5.! Print the discussion questions and have it as the

Lunch Talking Topic one day of the week.

6.! Have students create an illustration of the poem

to demonstrate their comprehension of the poem.
You could create a poetry bulletin board to put
journal entries and pictures up throughout the
year.