INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RHYME LESSON PLAN

OBJECTIVES:
-to identify rhyming patterns in poems with external rhyme
-to identify internal rhyme in poetry

GRADE LEVEL: 4TH - 8TH

PROCEDURE (IDENTIFYING RHYMING PATTERNS / EXTERNAL RHYME):
1. Make copies of the poems below from the book,The Endless String, by Tom andTess Hannah,
and distribute them to the students.

2. Read the first poem, "Llama Dilemma", aloud to the students while they follow along.

3. Ask students:
- What words in the poem rhyme? (llama, trauma, mama, say, away)
- Where are they located in the poem? (at the end of each line)

If students are unfamiliar with "rhyming patterns", explain how capital letters are used to
identify the pattern of rhyming words in a stanza. The first line is labeled with a capital "A"
and every line that ends with a word that rhymes with it will also be labeled with an "A".
The next line that ends with a word that doesn't rhyme with the first line will be labeled with "B",
and so on. Together with the class, determine the rhyming pattern for the first poem, (AABBA)
and have the students label each line (to the left) to show this pattern. Explain that it is called
"external rhyme" when the rhyming words are all located at the end of the lines.

ASSESSMENT:
Read the second poem, "The Maid Had It Made", aloud to the students while they follow along,
but this time encourage them to listen for rhyming words and to notice the pattern. Ask the same
questions from step 3 above and also ask students to identify the rhyming pattern for this poem,
(AABB) and label each line (to the left) to show this pattern.


PROCEDURE (IDENTIFYING INTERNAL RHYME):
1. Read aloud just the first stanza of the third poem, "It's a Jungle Out There", while the
students follow along, again instructing them to listen for any rhyming words as you read.

2. Ask students:
-What were the rhyming words at the
end of the lines? (find, mind)
-Were there any other words in that stanza that rhymed with each other?
(half, giraffe; mistake, snake) Have the students highlight or circle these 4 words.
-Where were those words located? (in the middle of the lines and at the end)

3. Explain to the students that this is an example of "internal rhyme" - rhyming that occurs
within a line, not just at the end.

ASSESSMENT (INTERNAL RHYME):
Read the rest of the poem, "It's a Jungle Out There", aloud to the students, asking them
to listen for more examples of internal rhyme. Have the students highlight or circle each
example of internal rhyme that they find.

COPY THESE POEMS:


LLAMA DILEMMA

There once was a traveling llama,
whose life was in constant trauma.
His travels, some say,
took him so far away,
he never could visit his mama.


THE MAID HAD IT MADE

Cinderella, Cinderella,
how'd you ever find a fella?
You changed your clothes and lost your shoe,
time ran out and so did you.

Alas, your pumpkin came "uncoached"
just as twelve o'clock approached.
The horses turned back into mice,
to end your tour of paradise.

But soon a slipper made of glass
would make you into upper class.
You tried it on to end the myst'ry
and, of course, the rest is hist'ry.


IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE

It seems I've lost half my giraffe,
which someday I hope I'll find.
I made a mistake about my snake,
but he doesn't seem to mind.

I got in a scrape with my pet ape
but lately we called a truce.
Then my sick croc went to the doc
and now he is on the loose.

As sure as
I know my pet rhino,
he's chasing the monkeys up trees.
Someone cast spells on a herd of gazelles
and now they're all scratching with fleas.

So here I'm cryin' about my lion
and that gets to be a grind,
but I got my wish about my fish
and I hope to get peace of mind.

Say, look who's back - my favorite yak…
now I can finally unwind.