Where the Sidewalk Ends discussion

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a collection of illustrations and poems ranging from rhyming, limerick, visual, free verse, and many more. This book contains poems that are funny, outlandish, pure fantasy, and even relatable (for instance, Sick). Because Where the Sidewalk Ends contains such a wide variety of poems, I would likely use this book to read daily poems to my students.

Writing Activity

§110.7. (b) (12) Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful. The student is expected to:
(A) compose literary texts such as personal narratives, fiction, and poetry using genre characteristics and craft;

§117.117. (b) (2) Creative expression. The student communicates ideas through original artworks using a variety of media with appropriate skills. The student expresses thoughts and ideas creatively while challenging the imagination, fostering reflective thinking, and developing disciplined effort and progressive problem-solving skills. The student is expected to:
(C) produce drawings; paintings; prints; sculpture, including modeled forms; and other art forms such as ceramics, fiber art, constructions, digital art and media, and photographic imagery using a variety of materials.

Because Where the Sidewalk Ends contains a wide variety of poems, I would first let my students choose their favorite poem from the book. After choosing a favorite, I would have my students determine what type of poem it is and some of the characteristics of that type of poem (either using classroom resources or the internet). I would explain to them that they will be writing their own poem using the Shel Silverstein poem they chose as a guide/model. The students can write their poem about whatever topic they choose as long as they make sure to follow the correct poem structure (depending on what poem they chose). After the students have written their poem, they will be asked to create a piece of artwork to represent their poem (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc.)

Fine Arts Activity

§117.119. (b) (2) Creative expression: performance. The student interprets characters using the voice and body expressively and creates dramatizations. The student is expected to:
(C) create movements and portray a character using dialogue appropriately;
(D) dramatize literary selections in unison, pairs, or groups, demonstrating a logical connection of events and describing the characters, their relationships, and their surroundings; and

As an extension activity, students would be asked to choose their favorite poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends as a table group. Once the students have picked their favorite poem, the group would be asked to create a dramatization of the poem that they will act out for the rest of the class as I read it aloud.