The document provides instructions for students to create and present a poem warning others about an escaped creature from the zoo. Students are guided to draw the creature, describe its features in rhyming words, and practice performing the warning poem with expression and gestures. The goal is for students to collaboratively write, illustrate, and present an entertaining rhyming poem about the mysterious creature.

1. Creature Feature

2. This next speaking exercise involves a strange creature, and this
is highly sensitive information. You’ll recreate a picture of this top-
secret creature in a few moments. DON’T SHARE IT, as you’ll
cause panic to be instilled in others, and we don’t want that to
happen, do we? That’s why it’s called top-secret, duh! This
creature may have:
1. Escaped from the zoo
2. Been mysteriously seen in Newberg (similar to the
Lochness monster)…or
3. Been disguising itself as a…? (not another student)
You only have 5 minutes to create this creature….ready? Be sure
to draw quickly!

3. Next, just so you know, it’s your job to
carefully let people know and put the word
out. Why? Because you are one of the
following (your role as a writer/speaker):
1. A detective
4.Creature Specialist
Investigator (CSI)
6.Someone out for the
reward money
(you’re just greedy)

4. After you recreate the picture, describe it on your own or
with a partner, thinking about the following:
1. What does it look like (size, teeth, fur, scales, nose,
claws, color, tail, etc)?
2. Is it a mammal, reptile, amphibian, marsupial?
3. What does it eat? What eats it?
4. What kind of habitat does it live in?
5. Does it make a sound?
8. What survival characteristics does
it have (flies, swims, runs, digs,
camouflages, fights, etc.)

5. Goal #1: Draw your creature
with your partner. Give it
detail, and make sure it’s large
and colorful.

6. Goal #2: Make a
list of features
that your creature
has (hairy toes,
black eyes)

7. Goal #3: Make a list of rhyming words based on
things you’d say about the creature. The more
creative…the better. You can even add endings to words
that don’t exist and make up words:
Red: bed, said, no street cred, French bread,
gingerbread, slingofed
Large: overcharge, barge
Slimy: grimy, rhymey, enzymey,
sublimey
hairy toes: big ugly nose, hair that glows, cheeks are rose, likes to strike a pose,
snows, close, doze, froze

8. Rhyme Scheme & Rhythm:
a quick how-to

9. How many syllables does the line
have? What is the rhyme scheme?
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

10. Twinkle, twinkle little star, (7) A
How I wonder what you are, (7) A
Up above the world so high, (7) B
Like a diamond in the sky, (7) B
Twinkle, twinkle little star, (7) A
How I wonder what you are. (7) A

11. My Kitten Won't Stop Talking
1. My kitten won't stop talking. 7A
2. She just prattles night and day.7B
3. She walks around repeating 7C
• nearly everything I say. 7B
5. My kitten never says, "Meow.” (do the
rest)
6. She never even purrs.
7. She mimics me instead
• in that annoying voice of hers.
9. She waits for me to speak,
10. and then she copies every word,
11. or begs me for a cracker,
• or says, "I'm a pretty bird.“
13. I'm not sure what to do, and so
14. I simply grin and bear it.
15. She's been this way since yesterday;
16. that's when she ate my parrot.

12. My chicken's on the Internet.
She surfs the web all day.
I've tried to stop her browsing
but, so far, there's just no way.
She jumps up on the mouse
and then she flaps around like mad
to click on every hyperlink
and every pop-up ad.
She plays all sorts of chicken games.
She messages her folks.
My Chicken's On the Internet
She watches chicken videos
and forwards chicken jokes.
She writes a blog for chickens
and she uploads chicken pics.
She visits chicken chat rooms
where she clucks about her chicks.
I wouldn't mind so much
except my keyboard's now a wreck.
She hasn't learned to type yet;
she can only hunt and peck.

13. He'll do all my homework; he'll take
all my tests. My Personal Slave
He'll clean up my messes and wait on
my guests.
He'll hold out my hanky whenever I
sneeze.
He'll say that he did it if I "cut
the cheese."
He'll go take a bath if I play in the
dirt.
He'll eat all my spinach, then feed
me dessert.
He'll empty the garbage and vacuum
the floors
and finish my other unsavory chores,
like washing the dishes and mowing
the yard
or anything else even modestly hard.
I really enjoy all the effort I save
by making my brother my personal

14. End rhyme = words that rhyme at the end of a line.
CAREFULLY CHOOSE THE WORDS THAT APPEAR
AT THE END OF A LINE…THEY SHOULD BE EASIER
TO RHYME. You may need to invert language, like
Shakespeare
He is orange (there’s no rhyme for orange)
Invert:
Orange he is (rhymes with biz, whiz, fizz, his, Liz)
He’s quite the math whiz!

15. Speaker #1: We’re here today to talk with you.
Speaker #2: Don’t be alarmed, but a creature escaped from the zoo.
Both: We’re CSI detectives…I’m Bob….I’m Lou!
Speaker #1: We want to warn you here and now,
Speaker #2: And to you we give our solemn vow,
Both: To find her before she gets to you!
Speaker #1: This creature is big.
Speaker #2: It’s large.
Both: With your credit card, she’ll even charge!
Speaker #1: She’s yellow.
Speaker #2: She’s bold.
Both: She prefers toilet water extra cold!
Speaker #1: She barks
Speaker #2: She howls!
Both: She’ll tear up all your expensive bathroom towels!
Speaker #1: So watch out…
Speaker #2: And, please don’t fret!
Both: (HOLD UP PICTURE): The Zillamonster hasn’t eaten anyone (pause)
….YET!

16. Goal #4: Begin writing your “poem” to warn
others! Begin with one of my beginnings (see handout),
but preferably write one of your own.
Try to:
A. Have a rhyme pattern
B. Give it rhythm
C. Write some lines long and some short
D. Describe the creature
E. Have a beginning, middle and end.
Now, write your poem:
A. Write an introduction that has end rhyme (feel free to use any of mine)
B. Write and share details about creature…with end rhyme.
C. Write and share a conclusion with end rhyme.
D. Share the Visual Aid: Picture of Creature
E. Share your poem in a “back and forth” deliver style

17. Goal #5: Revise and rewrite it to make it more
interesting
“Bad” Example:
He is the color blue
He’s got a shoe
He has big feet, too.
* The verbs you use should energize the writing and tell
more! The above does not.
* Add humorous adjectives or similes to spice it up!
“ Better” Example:
His fur, like the sky, is a lovely blue,
He always wears one Nike shoe,
And his other foot is covered with toe goo!

18. Goal #6: When the poem has been edited and rewritten,
and the creature has been drawn, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
* Remember to read the poem expressively
•Introduce it with expression
•Recite it slowly, with expression
•End it with expression
•Make eye contact with the audience
•Move or make gestures for emphasis
•Emphasize and slow down the rate for certain words to give
more meaning
•Of course, be loud!
•Don’t laugh. Let the audience do this.

19. What will be graded?
A. Your finished poem…each person has a copy
written in their own handwriting (18 lines at least!)
B. End rhyme and rhythm
C. Delivery which included expression and well-
practiced, organized delivery without stopping.
D. Slow rate (not reciting too fast).
E. Use of visual aid or aids (many is better than one)
F. Nice, loud volume!