Runny Babbit

 Runny Babbit

By: Shel Silverstein   

Grade: 1-2, 3-5

Lexile: N/A

Summary: If you are looking for a “billy sook” to keep you

giggling with each turn of the page, this is the book for you!  With characters like Goctor Doose and Toe Jurtle, get ready to give your brain a workout with each cleverly written poem and interesting play on words!

Possible Learning Activity: 

In this activity, the teacher should read a few poems from Shel Silverstein’s “Runny Babbit”.  The class should discuss how Shel Silverstein twisted the words to make new “silly” words.  Students will then work with a partner to create their own character with its own silly name!  Students should choose an adjective and a noun (animal) to create their character.  Once they’ve decided on a character, each group will create their own poem.  It can be as simple as two lines or as many as 6!  The poems will be presented and then compiled into a class book of poems!

Standards:

2W4

Create a response to a text, author, theme or personal experience (e.g., poem, play, story, art work, or other).

Goal:

Students will read excerpts from Runny Babbit together in class, discuss the language and what the author was actually trying to say and demonstrate their understanding through their partner-poetry activity.

Objectives:

·      Students will work with a partner to create and draw a fictional character with a “topsy-turvy” name.

·      Students will read excerpts from “Runny Babbit” as a class, then brainstorm with their partner to write a 2-6 line poem of their own using “topsy-turvy” language.

·      Students will present their poems to the class.

Outcome:

Students will have created a fictional character accompanied by a short poem.

Bibliography:

Silverstein, Shel. Runny Babbit. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2005.

   

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