The Crocodile by Lewis Carroll Included: A brief excerpt from the poem and rigorous question set activities promoting higher level-thinking development

Tier 1 poetry selection Jacob’s Ladder Goals & Objectives Habits of Mind

Excerpt How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin! How neatly spreads his claws, And welcomes little fishes in, With gently smiling jaws!

Students will be able: Ladder D D1 Paraphrasing Students will be able to restate lines read using their own words. D2 Summarizing Students will be able to provide a synopsis of text sections. D3 Creative Synthesis Students will create something new using what they have learned from reading and their synopses. Ladder F F1: - Understanding Words – to identify and explain the meaning of figurative language or new vocabulary within the context of a story or poem. F2: - Thinking About Words – to analyze the use of words within the context as related to the theme of a text. F3 - Playing With Words – to accurately apply figurative language and new vocabulary to newly created contexts

Habits of Mind Working Interdependently Thinking about Thinking (metacognition) Innovating, Creating, Imagining Refer to Jacob’s Ladder Story Table for Ladder D & F Thinking Questions.

Tier 2 Rigor (Discussion) High Level Strategies with Ladder D & F Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write- around, 3-4 Podcast slides (Pixie, Frames). Choose 2 of 3 questions below to complete. D1 — Rewrite and illustrate in your own words the lines of the poem “And welcomes little fishes in/ with gently smiling jaws!” D2 — Draw two pictures to summarize what is going on in the poem. Be ready to explain your illustrations. F2 — What would have happened if the author did not make the lines and stanzas rhyme? Explain your answer.

Tier 3 Rigor (Discussion) High Level Strategies with Ladder D & F Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write- around, 3-4 Podcast slides (Pixie, Frames). Choose 2 of 3 questions below to complete. D3 — Draw the crocodile using the description in the poem. Research crocodiles living in the Nile River. Make a venn diagram comparing and contrasting them. F1 — After finding the sets of rhyming words, find a synonym for them. F3 — Using AB rhyming pattern write a poem about an animal.

Tier 4 Reflections/Relevance

Choose one of the writing ideas to complete. Be creative. 1. Using the style of this poem, write a poem about another animal we think of as fierce & unlikeable but include positive characteristics of that animal. Share with others. 2. Many people are confused about the differences between crocodiles and alligators. After researching the animals, write a poem in similar style about an alligator. What similarities could you include? What differences? Suggested project strategies: Write a podcast script; create a puppet show; develop a PSA; a PowerPoint presentation; write and be an actor in a skit; write a persuasive speech and give before the class.