Onomotopoeia Lesson Part 2

Everybody get your rain boots and brollies ready. We are going for a poem walk and it's going to be a wet one.

In my last post, I introduced the word and concept of onomatopoeia to the Manor Woods ES third graders. Today, let's jump into the second half of the lesson. The model poem I use for this lesson is Eve Merriam's "Weather." It's filled with onomatopoeia, rhyme, juicy and invented words.

We have already come up with a working definition of onomatopoeia. A list of sample words is on the board. Before I read the poem, I ask the students to listen for the onomatopoeia words, which we'll add to our list. Some of them are highlighted here.

Weather

by Eve Merriam

Dot a dot dot dot a dot dot
Spotting the windowpane.

Spack a spack speck flick a flack fleck
Freckling the windowpane.

A spatter a scatter a wet cat a clatter

A splatter a rumble outside.

Umbrella umbrella umbrella umbrella
Bumbershoot barrel of rain.

Slosh a galosh slosh a galosh
Slither and slather a glide.

A puddle a jump a puddle a jump

A puddle a jump puddle splosh.

A juddle a pump a luddle a dump
A pudmuddle jump in and slide!

The words in gray? I put those in jail (which makes the class hysterical) because they're not onomatopoeia words. We'll come back to these words in a minute.

Got your rain boots on? Now we'll walk through the poem carefully. Students take turn reading one stanza and describing what our mysterious person is up to.

Dot a dot dot dot a dot dot
Spotting the windowpane.

We figure out that the person is inside, watching and listening to the rain on the window.

Spack a spack speck flick a flack fleck

Freckling the windowpane.

Has anything changed? Not yet. Still inside, watching the rain.

A spatter a scatter a wet cat a clatter A splatter a 
A splatter a rumble outside.

This is the most challenging stanza for students to parse, but it's worth the effort. Here are the dots we have to connect: The person in the poem sees a cat outside. Is the cat just sitting peacefully in the rain? No -- it scatters and clatters. But why? We realize that "rumble" is the sound of thunder. Oh, we get it! The cat heard the thunder, it was afraid, and ran away in a clatter.

Our residency is often one of the students' first experiences with close reading. Once they realize how good they are at finding meaning, they become champions at this skill.

Umbrella umbrella umbrella umbrella

Bumbershoot barrel of rain.

Why does the author repeat "umbrella" four times? To make it clear that our person is heading out into the rain. Let's grab that word bumbershoot out of jail. I thought it was a made up word. A parent finally told me that it is a British slang term for umbrella. (Next time it rains, put on your best British accent and ask whether you may take the bumbershoot to school.)

Slosh a galosh slosh a galosh

Slither and slather a glide

Let's get those galoshes out of jail. At least one person in the class usually knows what galoshes are. We can see that our person has galoshes on, and is splashing around in the rain.

A puddle a jump a puddle a jump

A puddle a jump puddle splosh

Now he or she is jumping in puddles.

A juddle a pump a luddle a dump

A pudmuddle jump in and slide!

Last, we talk about the invented word "pudmuddle." Sliding in mud puddles sounds like a great way to spend a rainy day, don't you think?

When it's time to write, some of my students like the idea of creating an onomatopoeia riddle poem. The prompt is to describe a place or activity using mostly sounds. Will the class be able to guess what's happening in the poem? Let's read some third grade onomatopoeia poems and find out.

Untitled

by Sabba H.

Stomp giggle

I see the way

clippity clop

to the

pop crunch bunch

tons of lunch

boom pow

I see you

talk and walk to my

pow eat

crunch crunch

yum yum

thank you very much.

The Lunch Room

by Brandon Li

A rumble, a grumble, a mumble.

We sit at a table and dine.

A chit, a chat, or something like that.

We talk about stuff as we gulp our food.

A splish, a splash, and there goes milk.

The janitor comes and dries it.

A teacher, a speaker,

they say to line up to class.

They throw, they go,

and they go to the class.

Now the eating is done

and we go to math class.

Untitled

by Dana M.

Sploosh, splash, on the diving board.

Clitter, clatter, droop, drop. People jumping in.

Floosh, flop go the little kids.

Flitter, flatter, tap, tap, running across the cement.

"Marco! Polo!" go the kids.

Crunch, crunch goes the snack cart.

All the kids are screaming with joy.

Horseback Riding

by Julia G.

Thump each time I come down.

A squeeze to make her go.

Pad, pad. I walk into the tack room.

Click, clack go her feet.

Swoosh. I swipe the brush.

Tap, tap! I go with the crop.

The sun is shining, a beautiful day.

I feel very confident to ride.

Gymnastics

by Cora S.

I'm on the beam.

I hear a soft thump

as I walk on it slowly

with my arms out. I'm ready.

I put my hands down.

Suddenly, I'm upside down.

My friends say, "Arms straight."

With a big giant thump

I'm on my feet again.

I jump off and a swoosh

when I put my hands out.

I can hear the floor creak

as I walk to do the finale.

I'm upside down

over and over again.

I can't stop.

Then everybody hears

a big boom when I slam

my feet to the ground.

Untitled

by Navneet K.

Whish the ball goes.

Crash goes the person.

Boom the ball

hits the ground.

"Hike!" he goes.

He throws the ball.

Whish, interception. Boom!

He hits the ground.

Clunk his helmet goes.

The fans stare.

He gets up.

He gets the ball.

Touchdown.

Game

by Srikar L.

Whistle, kick, a slide, a foul, free kick.

The sound of the game starting.

Whoosh, cheering, tense excitement.

The sound of the game.

Whistle, break, water, coach.

The sound of halftime.

Whistle, start, kick, smash, goal, beep.

The sound of the scoreboard.

Cheer, win, yell, ping, bang, splat.

The sound of winning.

All of a sudden, the field is quiet.

Slam, beep, vroom, honk.

The sound of cars leaving.

I love the moment in Srikar’s poem where it gets quiet for just a moment at the end of the game.

My appreciation goes out, again, to the families, teachers, and PTA at Manor Woods Elementary School. I'm having a great time working with the students. Aren't their poems impressive? Thank you for allowing me to share your students' poems online.

For Poetry Friday, I'll have some third grade opposite poems to share.

Onomatopoeia Lesson Part 1

Boom! Crash!

Look out, readers. The Manor Woods Third Graders have more ear-splitting onomatopoeia poems to share with you today.

Diane Mayr is hosting all
of the Poetry Friday links
at Random Noodling.
Stop by for book reviews,
original verses, favorite
poems, and more.

After last week's Halloween sound poems, many of you asked about the onomatopoeia lesson that I use in elementary schools. For Poetry Friday, I'm sharing Part 1 of the workshop, along with some sample responses. Next week, I'll post Part 2. Feel free to use or adapt this lesson plan for your classroom.

Onomatopoeia is a great way to start a residency or poetry unit with emerging writers.

1. I write the word "Onomatopoeia" on the board with great flourish.

This, everyone, is exciting. Onomatopoeia is a long word. It's a cool word. A mysterious word. Plus, it's fun to say. (The whole class says "onomatopoeia!")

2. Rather than defining "onomatopoeia" for the students, I help them to figure the meaning out themselves. I begin filling the board with words:

Vroom

Crash

Zoom

Crunch

Slurp

Crack

Meow

Woof

Cluck

Whisper

Rumble

Snap

3. After just a few of these words, the students are starting to get the idea. Now we have something to discuss. 

Onomatopoeia has to do with sound. Some may notice that most of the words on the board are one syllable. They have a few words to add to the list: pop, stomp, shush, splash. But it's still not easy to come up with a definition.

What if I say, "Loud and quiet are not onomatopoeia words"? Hmm. Those words are about sound. So why aren't they onomatopoeia words? The light bulbs are really flashing on now. Oh -- onomatopoeia words make a sound.

4. Yes! Now I can integrate everyone's ideas and share a definition. Onomatopoeia words sound like, or mimic, the sounds they are describing. It's pretty cool to look at a word such as "Moo" and realize the cow sound came first and people created a word from it.

In the next post, I'll take you through a poem walk with the model poem for this lesson, Eve Merriam's "Weather." Until then, let's enjoy some onomatopoeia poems from the Manor Woods third grade poets.

Here's one last Halloween poem for those of you still enjoying your candy haul.

One Piece

by Nora E.

One piece

of candy and a boo.

A wolf in the woods

and a crunch munch

on candy. A funny

or scary costume.

A meow from a cat.

Laugh from a witch.

The wind goes by.

An owl's hoo.

Hoo! Hoo!

A stomp, stomp, stomp

and a trick or treat.

Yum!

The next poem tells the story of a typical school morning through the sounds our poet, Chimee, hears.

Rolling Away

by Chimee E.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Hop down from the bed.

Brush! Brush! Swish! Swish!

Teeth are sparkly white.

Drop drip, drop drip.

Step into the shower.

Wipe dry. Wipe dry.

Pull on your clothing.

Tie tie, tie tie.

Shoes are tied well.

Munch, crunch, much.

Needs more milk.

Sip, sip, sip.

Taste the orange juice.

Open, close.

Chilly fall air.

Vroom! Vroom!

The bus is coming near.

Sniff! Sniff!

Smell the gasoline.

Clop! Cop!

Walk to the seat.

Rumble! Rumble!

We're rolling away.

In the last poem for today, Nathan takes us to a very noisy place -- a construction site.

Big Machine

by Nathan Z.

Boom! Crash!

Hammer strike. Hammer strike.

Looking out, a mess.

Ready for lunch!

Tires are rolling.

Lots of wet concrete.

Splat, sploot, spleet.

A big machine goes by.

Cranes are everywhere.

So much wood.

A brand new area is born.

Thanks to the awesome educators (seriously, they are a joy to work with) at Manor Woods. And a special thanks to the PTA and the Howard County Arts Council for sponsoring our poetry residency.

Parents and poets -- I love being able to share your poems. Thanks to all of you for giving me permission to post your work today.

Poetry Friday: A Lesson in Being LOUD!

Happy Poetry Friday! I've been out for a month getting the kids settled into school. But I'm back with a bang! 

Today's post is about onomatopoeia, including a mini-lesson for the classroom.

I picked up Carolyn Crimi’s PB, The LOUDS Move In! at a local SCBWI conference.

(Crimi is a fab speaker, by the way. Super funny and informative.)

The book caught my eye because of its focus on a poetic device kids love – onomatopoeia.

When the Loud family moves in to Earmuffle Avenue, the reclusive neighbors are in for a shock. The Louds stomp when they walk, chomp their food, bang pots and pans, and have their hilarious dialogue volume dialed to 11.

Neighbors Miss Shushermush, Mr. Pitterpatter and Ms. Meekerton each turn down invitations from the Louds. (Miss Shushermush prefers quiet mashed potatoes to dinner at the new arrivals’ house.)

But when the Louds house goes eerily quiet, the neighbors realize how enlivening the Loud family has been.

Crimi’s book is full of detail, humor, and bright illustrations that match the Louds’ noisy lifestyle. It’s a great way to teach onomatopoeia.

Get your copy ASAP. Carolyn Crimi just sent me word that The Louds Move In! is going out of print.

Here is a mini onomatopoeia-lesson for pre-school through Grade 3.

Read The Louds Move In! to your class.

Define onomatopoeia for them. Simply, it's a word that sounds like the sound it's describing. I use "pop" as an example. We pop a little sound-corn in the class. (We also like to say "onomatopoeia," just because it's fun.

Make a two-column chart -- one column for loud onomatopoeia words, the other for quiet sound words. You can do this on the board, or give older students a hand out to write on.

Ask students to fill in the onomatopoeia words from the book in the appropriate columns.

If children are working on paper, it might be fun to assign partners -- one child is a Loud and the other is a Pitterpatter.

Okay. Your lesson is done. Read The Louds Move In! again. There’s more going on here than exploring a poetic device.

As I sat with Crimi’s book, the Louds dancing, laughing, throwing and shouting began to look like sensory seeking behavior.

And the avoiding, anxious, don’t-break-my-routine looks on the neighbors faces – aren’t they like sensory avoiding kids?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about (“Sensory seeking? Sensory avoiding?”), you’re like me five years ago. That’s when a developmental pediatrician suggested that my eldest’s love for contact sports, crunchy foods, and sneakers tied corset-tight could be a disorder I’d never  heard of, Sensory Processing Disorder. 

For a brief explanation of SPD – check this out.

I wish we’d had a book like The Louds Move In!  when my sensational kid was younger. It would have helped us frame for him the idea that some people like to be loud, active and pushy, while others prefer quiet, routine, and soft white foods on their plates.

Most of all, we could have used the book to show him that seekers and avoiders can help each other learn to cope with their senses.

I recommended The Louds Move In! to Ida Zelaya, who is an educator and consultant in the SPD world. You can find her website, Sensory Street, here.

Later today, I’ll post our conversation about Sensory Processing Disorder and The Louds Move In! 


Meanwhile, please visit our Poetry Friday hostess with the mostest, Elaine at Wild Rose Reader.

Amok in Unusual Topics for Poetry

Writing onomatopoeia poems with elementary schoolers is a blast!

The first poem we wrote at Northfield Elementary was a sound riddle using onomatopoeia words. The class had to guess where the poet was, or what activity s/he was doing. (Find the lesson description here.)

They've got some out-of-the-box thinkers -- take a look at these poems by third graders.

Poet: Joshua G.

I would never have thought of this place for a poem, but it's perfect for onomatopoeia. Can you guess where Joshua is? I hear air nozzles buzzing. I feel the padded chair. I see pairs of pliers. I smell molding goop. I feel slimy spit on my chest, hands twisting wires in my mouth. I see a person in a lab coat. I hear, “Brush your teeth

after every meal.” I hear kids crying. I smell toothpaste. I hear, “You can leave.”

Poet: Alexandra P. Alexandra's class loved hearing her read this poem.

I hear a splash of water as I play with glee,

as I hear bubbles popping,

as a rubber duck sails by,

as I unplug the drain,

as I hear water

slushing around.

I get out

as I chatter my teeth

as I get a towel to get warm.

Sometimes, it's our own poet's voice that makes a poem original. Tomorrow -- two Northfield poets write very different poems on the same topic.