Poetry Break #9: Poem ideal for solo/linearound

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Mrs. Mann's Poetry Corner

Introduction: Sometimes we all have a bad day. This is a fun poem to read in a linearound or solo. Before students read in linearound the teacher should read poem aloud to the class. Encourage students to use appropriate expression when saying their lines. For a linearound each student would say one line, then the next student says the next line until all lines are finished. If you have fewer students than lines some students may have more than one line. If you have more students than lines you could have students pair up until the number of students or pairs is the same as the number of lines in the poem. *This particular poem contains 24 lines.

I Don't Want To

I don't want to play on the sidewalk.
I don't want to sit on the stoop.
I don't want to lick any ice cream.
I don't want to slurp any soup.
I don't want to listen to music.
I don't want to look at cartoons.
I don't want to read any stories.
I don't want to blow up balloons.

I don't want to dig in the garden.
I don't want to roll on the rug.
I don't want to wrestle the puppy.
I don't want to give you a hug.
I don't want to shoot any baskets.
I don't want to bang on my drum.
I don't want to line up my soldiers.
I don't want to whistle or hum.

I don't want to program my robot.
I don't want to strum my guitar.
I don't want to use my computer.
I don't want to wind up my car.
I don't want to color with crayons.
I don't want to model with clay.
I don't want to stop my not wanting...
I'm having that kind of day.

Jack Prelutsky

It's Raining Pigs & Noodles

(Scholastic, 1993)

Extension: For an interesting ending for this linearound/solo poem, it would be fun to have all of the students read the last line simultaneously. Hint: If you do this, you would count 23 lines in the poem for individual or pairs of students to read.