#1062. You've Got a Wocket Where?

Reading/Writing, level: all
Posted Wed Apr 28 08:47:35 PDT 1999 by Patrick Emerson (pjemerson@hotmail.com).
Piedmont College (senior, pre-service teacher), Cornelia, GA, USA
Materials Required: There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
Activity Time: about 40 minutes
Concepts Taught: Onsets and rhymes reading generalization

OBJECTIVES:
After reading "There's a Wocket in My Pocket", the students will be able to:
1. Identify rhyming word pairs.
2. Apply generalizations about the principle of onsets and rhymes.
3. Create and classify multiple lists of words, both real and nonsense, based on given rhymes.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:
1. Book: Seuss, Dr. (1974): There's a wocket in my pocket. New York: Random House, Inc. (one copy for the teacher)
2. Notebook paper and writing utensils (student supplied)

PRESENTATION:
INTRODUCTION AND INTEREST BUILDING:
Students will be asked about their understanding of rhyming words such as the rhyming word pairs WOCKET-POCKET, ZABLE-TABLE, and ZILLOW-PILLOW. The students will also be asked about their knowledge of the writing style of Dr. Seuss.
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT:
1. The teacher will read "There's a Wocket in My Pocket" by Dr. Seuss aloud to the class.
2. As a class, discuss the story and the method in which it is written. Students should be directed, if necessary, towards the idea of a story based on rhyming word pairs.
3. The teacher will explain the generalization regarding the use of onsets and rhymes using many diagrammed example words such as THINK, SINK, LINK, and KINK for the -INK rhyme.

SUMMARY AND CLOSURE:
1. The teacher will explain to the class that the activity will reflect on what they have learned today. The teacher should also instruct the students to get out a piece of paper and a writing utensil.
2. The teacher will provide a rhyme and instruct each student to compile a list of words that incorporate the rhyme. The words on this list do not necessarily have to be real words as long as they incorporate the rhyme. The students will have one minute to compile as long of a list as they are able to. There is the potential for many rounds of this activity so number of rounds may vary depending on time remaining for the lesson.

EVALUATION:
1. After each round of rhymes, students will share their most unique nonsense word with the class. Participation may vary so the teacher should be careful to involve all of the students at least once.
2. Upon submission of a nonsense word, the creator of the word will be asked to define the word. If the creator has trouble deciding on a definition, volunteers from the class may assist.
3. The teacher should collect and read the students' word lists to insure that the students are able to understand and apply the rhyme generalization successfully.