The Teakettle's Song

It happened one Tuesday. It happened at three.

Queen's butler was taking his afternoon tea.

And that's when he noticed a dent in the kettle

a gash on its handle, some stains on the metal.

So he ran to the Tea Shop. He paid them in cash

for a new one. The old one he tossed in the trash.

Tipped on its spout a sad teakettle plight,

amid peelings and tin cans, it wept through the night.

Come morning the old kettle felt a bump-bump.

It woke to discover itself at the dump.

More peelings. More tin cans. A mattress. A bone.

Old kettle had never felt so much alone.

With nothing to sing for and no one to care,

the kettle slid under a broken-down chair.

It hunched there all autumn, all winter, till spring--

when in spite of its state, it felt it must sing.

It sang for the sweet breeze. It sang for a bird

who had just sung to it. And the ragpicker heard.

He heard the old kettle and quick picked it out.

He looked at the handle. He tapped on the spout.

"You're perfectly fine. You've got plenty of life!"

So he brought the old kettle back home to his wife.

And the ragpicker's wife, who admired such thrift,

gave her husband a hug for this most welcome gift.

She shined the old kettle. She said, "Good as new!"

And the kettle, now beaming, knew just what to do.

It sang in the cottage when the sun shimmered high.

It sang over biscuits and gooseberry pie.

It sang for the children. Its voice filled the house.

It sang for the cat and the brave kitchen mouse.

It still sings, its voice full of joy, full of cheer.

If you pass by the ragpicker's cottage …you'll hear.

From Highlights for Children

Picture Smart Station

Goal:You will use your strength of learning by seeing (picture smart) to better understand the poem “The Teakettle’s Song” by telling a digital story using pictures.

1. Read the poem out loud as a group.

2. Using the paper provided, illustrate each stanza. This means that when you are finished, you will have FOUR pictures. Your group may branch off into partners to draw the pictures, or each person may choose to do a different stanza and then combine pictures.

3. Using the flip camera, create a digital story of your poem. You’ll begin your digital story by placing the picture for each stanza in front of the camera, and then reading the stanza for each aloud while showing the picture on the screen. Your face should not be visible in the shot, only the picture.

Word Smart Station

Goal: You will use your strength of learning by hearing and saying things (word smart) to better understand the poem “The Teakettle’s Song” by creating an audio recording together.

1. Read the poem out loud as a group once. Now, go back and assign students in the group lines or stanzas to read (it sounds better if each person reads a different line).

3. Using the flip camera,record your voice.

4. Have students take turns reading their line/stanza until the poem is complete.

People Smart Station

Goal: You will use your strength of learning by talking things over with others (people smart) to better understand the poem “The Teakettle’s Song”by conducting an interview with the teakettle or another character from the poem.

  1. Read the poem out loud as a group once.
  2. Create an interview with the teakettle or another character. You will need to write a script. The script should outline what the interviewer (be creative with names) will ask and how the teakettle or other character would respond. Note: The questions must be based on events from the poem. Please limit the interview to five questions and five responses.
  3. Using the recording device provided, conduct and record an interview similar to those you might see on a TV show. For example, the interviewer(s) might be in one chair(s), and the interviewee would be in another or sitting across a table. Be creative, but be sure to show your people skills!
  4. Save the recording for later publishing.

Body Smart Station

Goal: You will use your strength of learning by doing (body smart) to better understand the poem “The Teakettle’s Song” by acting out the poem.

  1. Read the poem out loud as a group at least once.
  2. Discuss as a group who will play which roles (Queen, butler, teakettle, ragpicker, ragpicker’s wife). The events of the poem should be acted out using body motions and gestures. Decide on one or two people who will read the poem aloud while the others act it out.
  3. Practice acting out the events of the play while one or two students read. When you are ready, use the recording device provided to video your presentation.
  4. Save the recording for later publishing.

Music Smart

Goal: You will use your strength of learning through music (music smart) to better understand the poem “The Teakettle’s Song” by creating a song from the poem.

  1. Read the poem out loud as a group at least once.
  2. Discuss as a group how you would like to turn the poem into a song. Think of a simple beat you can create with the simple musical instruments provided and even your hands or voices. Some students can sing, others can create music or everyone can do both. Be creative!
  3. Practice singing/playing your song. When you are ready, use the recording device provided to record your song.
  4. Save the recording for later publishing.