Adrienne’s OLLI – Online Learning Lesson Idea #21 – Mother’s Day Poem

I originally created OLLIs when schools in my province of British Columbia shut down last spring due to Covid19.  While we are now back in class, I know there are many districts still juggling virtual and in-class support.  These OLLIs can be used both in class and virtually person.  Either way, I hope you find some ideas that you can use with your students to lighten your load just a little this year!  

Here is a list of the previous OLLI lessons and anchor books in case you missed any of them:

OLLI#1 (The Hike)

OLLI#2. (If I Could Build A School)

OLLIE#3  (Mother’s Day)

OLLI#4 (Everybody Needs a Rock)

OLLI #5 – (WANTED:  Criminals of the Animal Kingdom) 

OLLI #6 – (Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt)

OLLI #7 (All About Feelings – “Keep it! – Calm it! – Courage it!)  

OLLI #8 (I’m Talking DAD! – lesson for Father’s Day) 

OLLI #9 (Be Happy Right Now!) 

OLLI #10 – (Dusk Explorers)

OLLI#11 (If You Come to Earth)

OLLI #12 (Map of Good Memories)

OLLI #13 (Harvey Slumfenburger)

OLLI #14 (New Year’s Resolutions)

OLLI #15 ( 100 Things That Make Me Happy)

OLLIE #16 (Leaving Our Heartprints) 

OLLIE #17  (The Sounds of Snow)  (This post is temporarily unavailable)

OLLIE #18 – Celebrating Women Trail Blazers

OLLIE #19 – The Six Senses of Spring

OLLIE #20 – Thank you, Earth!

THE INSPIRATION:

This Sunday is Mother’s Day – a day to show love and appreciation for all the hard working Moms out there who are trying to juggle work, kids, marriage, and all the other things that moms do! While I recognize that there may be some students who might not have a mom present in their lives, let’s invite them to choose a special grown up in their life they would like to say “thank you” to.

THE ANCHOR:

Last year, my Mother’s Day OLLI lesson, entitled “How to Be My Mom”, focused on instructional writing. You can check out the “HOW TO BE MY MOM” lesson from OLLIE May, 2020 – HERE.

This year, since my head is full of poetry (I’m writing a new book called “Powerful Poetry”), I thought a Mother’s Day poem might be just the thing for this week’s Mother’s Day OLLI!

Jack Prelutsky is a well-known, popular children’s poet. His poem “I Love You More Than Applesauce” has a great rhyming pattern and is also a great mentor poem for teaching syllables. For this lesson, we will be “borrowing” Jack Prelutsky’s rhyming pattern to help us write our own “I Love You More” Mother’s Day Poems Download a copy of the poem HERE

THE LESSON

• Ask students what special day is coming up this weekend (Mother’s day)
• Ask them why we celebrate Mother’s Day? (to say how much we love our moms; thank them, make them feel special)
• Tell the students that moms, dads, and other special grownups always appreciate when we take the time to thank them for all they do and tell them we love them.
• Explain that we are going to be writing a poem for our Moms or special grown up in our lives.
• Copy the poem onto chart paper or share on the smart board (Note: you may need to explain “marzipan” and “marmalade”) Download a copy of the poem HERE
• Tell the students that the poem was written by Jack Prelutsky – a poet who is very good at writing rhyming poems.
• Read the poem aloud.
• Ask students what the poem is about (someone who loves sweets a lot but loves someone even more than all those sweets!)
• Invite students to think of something they really love (soccer, Minecraft, pizza, unicorns). Then ask them to think of someone they love MORE than that! (ie – I love you more than books! )
• Read the poem again and invite students to listen for the rhyming words in the poem. You may explain that the rhyming pattern is A-B-C-C-B. (lines 2 & 5 rhyme and lines 3 & 4 rhyme) in each stanza.
• Tell the students that one of the things you noticed is that a lot of the words in the poem have 3 syllables. This is what helps to give the poem have such a great rhythm. Find the 3 syllable words in the poem and clap out the syllables (bubble-gum, lollipop, candy drops, lemonade, etc.)
• Read the poem again and invite the students to clap each time you read a 3 syllable word
• Ask students to think of other words or phrases that have three syllables. (soccer ball, grizzly bears, Nintendo, hockey stick, unicorns, Christmas trees) List them on the board.
• Invite students to try to think of a 3 syllable word or phrase that rhymes – ie soccer ball – waterfall, hockey stick – magic trick, Christmas tree – deep blue sea Write the rhyming word or phrase beside it.
• Explain that they are going to be writing their own “I Love You More” poem for their mom or special grown-up. You are going to be “borrowing” the rhyming pattern from Jack Prelutsky but use your own rhyming words.
• Pass out the syllable rhyming sheet. Explain that the students are going to start by listing things they love that have one syllable on the left (ball, gum, dogs) On the right side, they are to try to find a word that rhymes. Continue with 2 syllables words and 3 syllable words. (See sample below)

ONE SYLLABLE

ball – wall

dog – frog

TWO SYLLABLES

ice cream – day dream

rainbow – playdough

THREE SYLLABLES

soccer ball – waterfall

hockey stick – magic trick

• Explain that these words are going to help them with their poem. Download the Syllable Rhyming sheet HERE (This lesson may take two days so this might be a good start end Part 1)
• When the students have finished their rhyming page, pass out the I LOVE YOU MORE poem template. Download HERE
• Re-read the Jack Prelutsky’s poem. Explain that they are going to be using their syllable sheet to fill in the blanks on the page. The small numbers at the end of each line tells them how many syllables should be on that line. Students can use their syllable rhyming sheet to help them.
• Model a sample, using a “Write Aloud” – talking about and clapping your syllables:

I love you more reading books

Than forests and the beach

Than camping tents

And big presents

And a fuzzy orange peach (I cheated a bit here!)

• Note: The rhyming pattern in the last stanza changes slightly so ending requires some 1 syllable rhyming words. Depending on your grade level, I recommend focusing more on the syllable count rather than the rhyming. Encourage students to clap their words and read their poem out loud as they write so they can check the rhythm.
• See student sample below from a grade 3 student.

MOTHER’S DAY ANCHOR BOOKS:

Below are some of my favorite books for celebrating Mothers and Mother’s Day:

What Not to Give Your Mother on Mother’s Day – Martha Simpson

Online read aloud

How to Raise a Mom – Jean Reagan

My Mother’s Voice – Joanne Ryder

The Mommy Book – Todd Parr

The Best Mother – C.M. Surrisi

My Mum is Fantastic – Nick Butterworth

My Mum – Anthony Browne

Thanks for stopping by, everyone! Happy Mother’s Day to every mother, mother-to-be, hoping-to-be, mother in other ways, and mothers who are no longer with us.

Please tag me readingpowergear if you are posting any student samples! Thank you!