Vocabulary - Poetry selections from A Kick in the Head

Haiku, p. 14; Limerick, p. 20; Triolet, p. 26; Found Poem, p. 42-43

Grade 3

Day 1: Introducing the Words

Target Words / Story Context / Student-Friendly Explanation
conversing (p. 14) verb / In the rains of spring, an umbrella and raincoat pass by, conversing. / To converse means to talk with each other
induced (p. 20) verb / There was an Old Lady whose folly induced her to sit in a holly…. / To induce means to cause something to happen
melancholy (p.20) adjective / She quickly became melancholy. / To be melancholy means to be very sad or gloomy
peer (p. 26) verb / Through this fence they make me peer at sweeter stems; what could be meaner? / To peer at something means to look very carefully at something
herbs (p. 42) noun / a hand-written note on paper decorated with kitchen herbs read:... / Herbs are plants used for flavoring foods and include mint, basil, oregano, parsley, and more

Day 1: Introductory Activities

Word Associations:
1. Which word or words go with our sense of sight? (peer)
2. Which word or words go with a person’s feelings? (melancholy)
3. Which word or words go with something we do with others? (conversing)
4. Which word or words go with cause and effect? (induced)
5. Which word or words go with something we can eat? (herbs)
Have You Ever….? Turn and Talk and…
1. Describe a time when you’ve peered at something. What was it?
2. Describe a time when you have felt melancholy.
3. Describe a time when you have been induced to do something.
4. Describe a time when you have conversed with someone important.
5. Describe a food you have eaten that was seasoned with herbs.
Which Would…?
1. Which would be more likely to make you feel melancholy….the end of your favorite sport season? or a story with a sad ending?
2. Which would you rather peer at…..an old photograph of your mom or dad? or a coin from another country?
3. Which person would you rather converse with…..an astronaut? or the creator of Google?
4. Which would you rather induce …..a trip to Grandma’s house? or an ice cream dessert?
5. Which would you rather eat seasoned with herbs…..spaghetti sauce? or a cookie?
Engage in Conversation about Word Meanings
1. What are some things that might help cheer up someone in a melancholy mood?
2. What is important to remember if you want to politely converse with others?
3. How can people induce you to do something?
4. Why would you want to peer at something? Would you ever need to peer at something that wasn’t interesting to you?
5. Is it better to eat food plain or with herbs and spices? Why or why not?

Name ______#______

Poetry from A Kick in the Head

1. Circle the best sentence for the word induce.

A promise of a lollipop can induce just about any toddler to do just about anything.

I will need to induce the dishes to get them clean.

2. Describe a time when you felt melancholy.

______

Answer true (T) if the vocabulary makes sense or false (F) if it doesn’t make sense in the sentence:

3. I had to peer into the water to see the fish. ______

4. My mom sprinkled herbs on the chicken before she cooked it. ______

For any answers that were false, explain why they are false.

______

5. Circle the word that best fits for conversing. Explain how you picked the word.

covering talk waving yelling

______