Today’s Walking Classroom podcast discusses the American poet, Jack Prelutsky. He hated poetry as a child. This hatred inspired him to develop entertaining and creative poetry about animals that children of all ages love. He often features made-up animals in his poems, like “the Umbrellaphant.” Prelutsky enjoys personifying the animals in his poems, making them do such silly things as talk, wear clothes, and drive cars.
Character Value: Creativity
Click for Standards Alignment
Common Core
L–Language | SL–Speaking and Listening | RI–Reading: Informational | RL–Reading: Literature | W–Writing | RH–6-8 Literacy in History/Social Studies | RST–6-8 Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects Elementary School:RL.3.1, RL.3.4, RL.3.5, L.3.5, SL.3.1, SL.3.4
RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.4, RL.4.5, L.4.5, SL.4.1, SL.4.4
RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.4, RL.5.5, L.5.5, SL.5.1, SL.5.4
Middle School:
RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4, RL.6.5, L.6.5, SL.6.1, SL.6.4
RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, L.7.5, SL.7.1, SL.7.4
RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.5, L.8.5, SL.8.1, SL.8.4
Supplemental Resource Links and Downloads
Quiz: (Make sure you're already logged into your Gmail account, then click to copy this Google form to your Google Drive. Quiz keys are here.)
Jack Prelutsky Google Quiz
Slide Deck:
Jack Prelutsky Slide Deck
Has a reading of “Today is very Boring” by Jack Prelutsky, incuding pictures.
Explore an array of activities based on poet Jack Prelutsky and his poems.
Learn more about Jack Prelutsky in this video interview.
Demonstrate knowledge of poetry concepts related to Jack Prelutsky’s poetry in this packet of worksheets from Harper Collins.
See More Podcasts in Subject Area: Language Arts
See More Themed Groupings that Contain this Podcast: 20th Century, Biographies, Literary Figures, Poets and Poetry